Custer County public health director reports local outbreaks, preparedness needs and grant balances

Public Health Director Sarah Wilson told the Custer County Board of Health on Feb. 20 that local teams had contained multiple contagious outbreaks, that state regulatory changes for septic systems are coming, and that the department has $67,145.94 in active grant funds.

Wilson summarized local illness activity first, saying two hand‑foot‑and‑mouth clusters affected 14 people, mostly children, and a separate COVID outbreak affected 10 adults; both were contained. “Hand‑foot‑and‑mouth is a highly contagious viral illness that causes fever, mouth sores, rash in your hands and feet,” Wilson said, and advised handwashing, surface disinfection and keeping sick people away from others.

Wilson also reported statewide and national trends that she said could affect Custer County. She described a hepatitis A cluster traced to contaminated juice in Boulder, a wave of norovirus cases locally and statewide, and avian influenza detections in wild birds in other Colorado counties. On measles, she described an outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, that had reached 58 cases with 13 hospitalizations as of her latest check; four of those cases were recorded as vaccinated. She warned the board that the Custer County School District’s MMR…