Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Food Security topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Passaic County health officials report West Nile detections, expand food-security efforts
Summary
Health Officer Araceli Pintell reported 51 West Nile–positive mosquito pools and one human West Nile case in 2024; Human Services unveiled a strategic plan and mobile pantry under the Emergency Food Provider Coalition to increase food-rescue and supportive services.
Passaic County health officials delivered year‑in‑review data June 17 and outlined expanding food‑security programs intended to reach underserved up‑county residents.
Health Officer Araceli Pintell told the county board that mosquito-control testing in 2024 identified 51 mosquito pools positive for West Nile virus and that the county recorded one human West Nile case linked to a blood-donation event. Pintell said the county also logged 12 travel‑related dengue cases and detailed public‑health program metrics across divisions: 679 environmental health inspections, distribution of 115 free radon test kits, 483 consumer‑protection establishment inspections, 31 recycling collection events, 308 vision screenings, and 17 managed communicable‑disease outbreaks in towns including Prospect Park, Wanaque and West Milford. The weights‑and‑measures office performed 1,608 business inspections and checked more than 11,000 devices.
Pintell also highlighted operational supports: the county’s Medical Reserve Corps contributed about 209.98 volunteer hours and the department provided hundreds of educational programs for schools and other organizations in 2024.
Separately, Human Services Director Dr. Arti Kakar and a consultant presenting the Emergency Food Provider Coalition (EFPC) strategic plan described efforts to strengthen the county’s food‑security network. The EFPC has 20 active members and formed a lived‑experience advisory group to inform operations. The county launched a mobile pantry through COMAC to serve up‑county residents and awarded an RFP for food‑rescue services to Table to Table. Kakar said the coalition’s short‑term priorities include training and technical assistance for providers; long‑term goals include securing grants for operations, rolling out a county food resource map, and strengthening links between local farms and emergency food providers.
No public comment was recorded during the department’s presentation. Administrator remarks after the report noted ongoing litigation results that preserved some federal public‑health grants and that a West Milford satellite office (health, human services and senior services) is under construction with an anticipated opening early next year.
