Community Health News
What's Happening Now?
In Sedgwick County, mosquito surveillance for 2024 began on July 1 and will continue through mid-October.
During the second week of mosquito surveillance (July 9), 19.69% of mosquitoes trapped were Culex species mosquitoes that can transmit West Nile virus. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has listed the West Nile Virus Risk Level for South Central Kansas as High.
Protect yourself from mosquito bites and West Nile virus by following the 3 D's: Drain, Dress, and DEET.
- Drain: drain or treat standing water around your home and neighborhood. The Sedgwick County Health Department has no-cost larvicidal mosquito dunks available for Sedgwick County residents. Contact the Health Department (316) 660-7300 for more information.
- Dress: wear long sleeves and pants when outside.
- DEET: use insect repellant containing DEET. If you do not want to use DEET, there are other alternatives.
Update on Bird Flu Outbreak in U.S. Dairy Cattle
Since late March, dairy cattle in twelve states including Kansas have tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) virus. There have been five human cases associated with the outbreak in three states (Texas, Michigan, and Colorado). Four cases were in dairy workers who tested positive for bird flu after direct contact with infected cattle, while the fifth case had direct contact with infected poultry.
All five cases have reported mild illnesses with red eyes (conjunctivitis) being the primary symptom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) preliminary analysis of H5N1 has not found changes that would make the virus resistant to current flu antiviral medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so these are believed to be effective.
Bird flu occurs naturally in wild birds, which can pass it to domesticated birds (e.g., chickens) and mammals, including humans. Transmission from mammals to other mammals can occur, but it is believed to be rare. The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has only spread to a few people.
Because of the possibility that bird flu viruses could change and gain the ability to spread easily between people, controlling its spread is extremely important for public health.
What is being done?
While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully. It is working with states to monitor people with animal exposures. The CDC is also using its surveillance systems to monitor H5N1 activity. The systems have not detected any unusual trends in flu, flu-like illnesses or conjunctivitis.
The FDA is monitoring the nation’s milk supply. A FDA study released April 25 found that roughly 1 in 5 samples contained fragments of H5N1 bird flu virus. FDA officials say there is no evidence that these viral fragments pose a danger to consumers or that live virus is present in the milk found on grocery store shelves. A FDA a study on June 28 further supports previous claims that pasteurization inactivates the virus, although it does not remove the presence of inactive viral fragments. The FDA’s current study and initial testing of a limited set of retail milk and infant formula samples did not detect any live, infectious virus. The agency stated that these studies provide strong assurance that the commercial milk supply is safe.
To contain the outbreak in cattle, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began requiring testing for all lactating dairy cows moving across state lines April 29.
Read more in our Fact Sheet or on the CDC Website
CDC Issues Alert on Increasing Global and U.S. Measles Risk
The number of U.S. measles cases and outbreaks reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the first two and a half months of 2024 already exceeds the number of cases and outbreaks reported in all of 2023. To reduce the risk of further cases and outbreaks, the CDC advises that all U.S. residents traveling internationally should be current on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations. Healthcare providers are advised to ensure that children are current on routine immunizations, including MMR. | Read the CDC advisory | Read SCHD's Measles Fact Sheet
Notifiable Disease Investigations
