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DOH outlines measles rise, hantavirus monitoring and Longview industrial explosion in secretary’s update
Summary
Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham told the board Washington has 45 measles cases (three hospitalized) and described hantavirus monitoring tied to a cruise‑ship exposure and a local Sin Nombre case; he also summarized the state and multiagency response to the Longview chemical‑tank explosion.
Department of Health Secretary Dennis Worsham briefed the board on current public health emergencies and the broader state response, saying Washington had recorded 45 measles cases with three hospitalizations and that most cases were among unvaccinated people. “We are now at 45 total cases, in the state of Washington, and 3 individuals have been hospitalized,” he said.
Worsham also summarized hantavirus activity connected to a cruise‑ship Andes‑virus outbreak and local Sin Nombre cases, noting six Washington residents were identified for monitoring after possible exposure and that one resident was quarantined at a federal facility. He described the Longview industrial explosion — a ruptured chemical storage tank that released sodium hydroxide — as a major incident with 11 fatalities and 20 injuries and outlined multiagency water and environmental monitoring. Worsham said DOH is coordinating with CDC, EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard and local health jurisdictions on monitoring and community recovery efforts and emphasized the department’s ongoing efforts to develop a four‑year strategy to strengthen vaccine capacity and community confidence.
Board members and staff raised fiscal concerns tied to foundational public health services (FPHS) reductions totaling about $21 million statewide and discussed the need for coordinated legislative and local outreach as the department and local jurisdictions adapt to reduced allocations.
