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Epidemiology update: rabies mass exposure prompts local vaccinations; disease trends and new EHR reported
Summary
Epidemiologist Matt McCord reported a mass bat‑exposure incident that prompted 30 people to begin rabies post‑exposure prophylaxis (21 at the county clinic), summarized 2024 disease trends, and described the department's new CureMD electronic health record and operational impacts.
Davis County epidemiology staff described disease trends from 2024, a mass‑bat exposure that prompted local rabies vaccinations, and operational improvements after deploying a new electronic health record.
Matt McCord, an epidemiologist with the department, summarized 2024 disease reporting as roughly 4% lower than 2023 overall and said tuberculosis latent infections (LTBI) referrals have increased—largely because of higher screening in contexts such as missionary and immigration medical checks. "We're getting a lot more referrals," he said, adding these cases are typically latent infections discovered through screening rather than evidence of increased local transmission.
McCord described a mass bat‑exposure event tied to a youth group cabin: "There were 42 total folks involved in that... 34 folks got back to us who were interested... 30 people decided to proceed and get the rabies vaccine series, and 21 of those folks did so here at [the county health department]," he said. Staff emphasized that rabies is effectively 100% fatal without treatment but preventable with post‑exposure prophylaxis, which informed the department's conservative recommendation.
On operations, staff reported the department implemented CureMD (an integrated electronic health record) about a year earlier. The system consolidates scheduling, charting, lab labels and digital reminders and has reduced redundant data entry, sped workflows and increased automatic patient surveys, producing improved staff efficiency and anecdotal declines in missed appointments.
Staff also reported responding to eight outbreaks in 2024 affecting 102 people (daycare E. coli and hand‑foot‑mouth, restaurant norovirus and suspected vibriosis linked to recalled oysters, and outbreaks in long‑term care including norovirus and scabies). The board discussed influenza and COVID patterns and noted influenza was higher in 2024–25 compared with recent years.
Staff said they will continue to monitor respiratory‑season severity via hospitalizations and ED visits and provide a fuller surveillance update next year.
