Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Surveillance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sawyer County public health reports uptick in tickborne disease reports and a successful outreach event
Summary
Public health staff reported increased reporting of enteric and tickborne diseases and an outreach booth event that reached 378 people; they said electronic medical-record reporting of erythema migrans is increasing Lyme disease notifications.
Public health staff told the Sawyer County Health and Human Services board June 10 they are seeing a slight increase in enteric and tickborne disease reporting and that recent changes in electronic reporting are returning more Lyme-disease diagnoses.
The update matters because increased electronic reporting and seasonal disease activity affect surveillance, prevention messaging and resource planning for local health services and volunteers.
Public health staff said they participated in the winter–spring fling on May 24 with the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and public-health staff, and that “378 individuals came to our booth there and received information.” The staff member also said the county is seeing increases in enteric-disease reports and tickborne illnesses, and that the county is now receiving electronic medical-record reporting of erythema migrans (EM) rashes, a definitive clinical sign of Lyme disease. “We are now getting electronic medical record reporting for EM rashes, which is definitive diagnosis for Lyme disease, which we hadn't done in the past,” the staff member said.
The staff noted anaplasmosis as another tickborne pathogen appearing in reports, and said the pattern is consistent with seasonal expectations for the area.
Public health staff did not propose new policy or an emergency action at the meeting but said they will continue surveillance and community outreach through the MRC and routine public-health channels.
