Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public health director reports COVID, RSV and rising influenza A in county wastewater; flags TB and avian‑influenza monitoring
Summary
Ouray County public health director reported preliminary wastewater detections showing COVID‑19 and influenza A presence in Ridgeway, described statewide wastewater trends, noted TB and H5N1 monitoring, and encouraged vaccination and staying home when ill.
Kristen Kelly, Ouray County public health director, briefed the Board of Health on Feb. 4 about the county’s initial wastewater monitoring and other communicable‑disease observations.
Kelly said Ridgeway wastewater samples collected Jan. 21 and Jan. 27 detected increasing SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID‑19) viral particles; RSV was detected and steady; influenza A appeared on the Jan. 27 sample after not being detected the prior week. Kelly cautioned the results are preliminary and that statistically significant trends require more weeks of data.
She contrasted Ridgeway’s limited sampling with a Telluride sentinel site that reports two samples per week and has recently shown declining COVID‑19, RSV and influenza A. Statewide wastewater data showed 12 of 20 monitored sites with increasing SARS‑CoV‑2, 16 of 20 with influenza detected and 13 of 20 with RSV detected, she said.
Kelly reviewed public‑health guidance: stay up to date on vaccines; stay home while symptomatic and until fever‑free for 24 hours without medication; and, when returning to public activities, use ventilation, masking and testing as extra precautions for five days. She said the county offers free at‑home COVID tests at the public‑health office.
On other concerns, Kelly noted a multi‑state highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak that has affected wild birds, some poultry flocks and, in isolated cases, dairy cattle and other mammals; she said pasteurization eliminates the virus and urged against consuming raw milk. Since May 2024, Colorado has had 10 confirmed human H5N1 cases, mostly in agricultural workers exposed to sick animals, she said.
Kelly also flagged an ongoing tuberculosis cluster in Kansas City and reviewed Colorado trends; she said Ouray County currently does not operate a TB testing/treatment program and that the closest TB services are in Montrose. Kelly encouraged commissioners to consider whether to pursue local TB testing capacity in the future.
Kelly also raised concerns about federal public health data access and changes at CDC that have drawn attention; she said county public‑health work will continue but noted the importance of national and global surveillance partners.
