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Concord health division reports seasonal tick, camp and food‑safety work; Alpha‑Gal now reportable locally
Summary
Nurse and health‑division staff informed the board about May infectious‑disease counts, expanded tickborne‑disease monitoring (including Alpha‑Gal as reportable), camp and pool permitting workload, and local food‑permit and sewer‑capacity barriers that complicate new restaurant openings.
At its June 17 meeting the Concord Health Division reported routine seasonal work and several service updates to the Board of Health.
Katie, the public health nurse, reviewed May infectious‑disease counts and outreach: three influenza cases, two COVID cases, 12 Lyme disease cases, one hepatitis B case, two campylobacteriosis cases, four HGA cases and one Shiga‑toxin–producing E. coli case. She described extensive seasonal permitting for roughly 18 camps, distribution of tick‑removal kits at a library outreach table and work on an extreme‑temperature action plan as part of regional emergency‑preparedness requirements.
Melanie Den and staff said Alpha‑Gal is now a reportable tickborne condition within their reporting system and that the division is prioritizing prevention messaging (how to avoid tick bites, how to remove ticks, and when to seek clinical care). Staff noted they receive aggregated tick testing results from an external laboratory and will continue to use local outreach to raise awareness, particularly by starting messages with the most novel or severe risks to attract attention.
The division also reported active permitting and inspections for about 20 camps and 27 pools, and described ongoing food‑service plan reviews and fit‑out issues for proposed businesses. Board members asked about barriers to opening new food businesses; staff pointed to zoning and multi‑department permitting steps and highlighted the Town’s sewer‑improvement fee (SIF) and Title V design‑flow requirements as significant upfront costs for new food service operations. Staff offered to prepare a consolidated checklist and convene relevant departments to help prospective owners navigate the process.
No public commenters remained and the board adjourned; next meeting is scheduled for July 15.
