Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003/05/01 - Board of HealthBOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS May 1, 2003 Chairperson Commissioner Jayni Kamin called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Attendance: Cmmr. Dist. 1, Herb Baze; Cmmr. Dist. 2, Wes Johnson; Cmmr. Dist. 3, Jayni Kamin. ATTENDANCE Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Officer Steve Kutz, Department of Health Director Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Director Rebecca Wells, Mason County Journal, Reporter CORRESPONDENCE None APPROVAL OF MINUTES Cmmr. Johnson/Baze moved and seconded to approve the January 2, BOH meeting minutes. Motion carried unanimously. B-aye: J-aye; K-aye. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT: Dr. Trucksess, Health Officer, reported for April, 2003 Communicable Diseases as four cases of Giardia, one case of Chronic Hepatitis C, six cases of Positive PPD'S and four of them have been started on Latent Therapy. There have been two cases of SARS investigated. One was a woman in Belfair that thought she had been exposed to SARS. Testing was done on her and results were negative for SARS. The other was a young man of Chinese origin who had gone to China with his parents and had returned home with a fever and a cough. The emergency room did chest x-rays which showed he was negative. All patients have infiltrates on the chest x-ray if they are positive with SARS. He was sent home and advised to stay in his home for eleven days by the State Health Department Epidemiologist. The STD's reported were five cases of Chlamydia and one case of Herpes. Dr. Trucksess reported the STD's for the ls` quarter as nine cases of Gonorrhea, ten cases of Chlamydia, and four cases of Vaginitis. Dr. Trucksess stated the SARS symptoms are acute high fever of at least 101.4 degrees, respiratory symptoms of cough and shortness of breath, hypocapnia or low oxygen in the blood count, x-ray fmdings of Pneumonia, and recent travel to countries or areas reporting SARS cases. Steve Kutz, Health Director, reported he has received many calls from concerned citizens regarding the city water system. He stated the City is testing their water systems as prescribed by law. They did send a notice to the residents of the City. The City is currently chlorinating the water system. The hospital is supplying bottled water to patients that are Imuno compromised until further notice. The City is regulated by the State Department of Health because they are a large Group A water system. Mr. Kutz stated he had received information that coliforms were identified in the water system but they were not Fecal-coliform. This means that the source of contamination did not come from warm-blooded animals. There has not been any cases reported in the Health Department of people getting sick from drinking from the City water supply. Cmmr. Johnson asked what the primary cause for Giardia is. Dr. Trucksess stated it was caused by a parasite. He stated people usually get it by drinking from surface water or a stream. Q l BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS May 1, 2003 - PAGE 2 Mr. Kutz explained that humans and pets could pass on Giardia. He explained that this is the time of season that Giardia is contracted. Many people are hiking and drinking from the outdoor water sources. Many hikers trust the filtration kits that can be purchased to remove the parasite but they don't always work. Cmmr. -Johnson asked if the source of the four April cases were identified. Mr. Kutz stated that two of the cases reported for April were contracted from a swim pool. Swim pool incidents happen, when a person has an accident in the pool then others use the pool. He stated that he didn't know the source of the other two cases. PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES None ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH ISSUES Continue Appeal for Denial of Well Siting Waiver- The appeal of the Health Officer's decision regarding Mr. Floyd Petersen's well siting wavier is continued from the hearing on April 10, 2003. In the matter of Floyd Petersen's appeal to the denial of his waiver request by the Health Officer to reduce the setbacks between a well and a woodwaste landfill from the required one thousand -feet to four hundred eighty six feet. Cmmr. Baze/Johnson moved and seconded that the Board upholds the determination to deny the waiver in the Floyd Petersen appeal. Motion carried unanimously. B-aye: J-aye; K-aye. Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Director presented the Board with a press release from the State Department of Health (DOH) regarding the West Nile Virus (WNV). The release stated the DOH has been granted a permit to help communities protect themselves from mosquito -borne disease, including WNV. The permit would allow the use of insecticides for mosquito control by applying larvicide directly to the surface waters of the state. Larvicides kill mosquito larvae before they mature. The permit is available to mosquito control districts, local health departments, cities, counties, state and federal agencies, landowners, and other entities qualified to use approved control measures. Interested parties should contact their local health department for information about prevention, protection and plans for their area. The permit will be available DOH web site. Cmmr Kamin questioned where the application is processed. Ms. Riley stated that the application is done through the State DOH. Cmmr. Baze asked if this procedure is recommended for Mason County. Ms. Riley stated that because of the makeup of Mason County there is a higher potential risk of WNV. She also stated that recently there have been two dead birds sent for testing but the results were not back yet. Cmmr Kamin asked if there is only one method of control being issued with the permit. Ms. Riley stated this the first year Washington State has received authority to do any kind of mosquito control. She also stated the application is online if anyone is interested in applying or reading it. Cmmr. Kamin asked what our local plan is for WNV. Ms. Riley stated that crow testing is sent to Pullman and if there is a positive WNV case then surveillance will be concentrated in the area the bird was found. Through the surveillance the mosquitoes will be identified as to what type they are. BOARD OF HEALTH PROCEEDINGS May 1, 2003 - PAGE 3 Mr. Kutz stated that employees of the health department have volunteered to hang up mosquito traps in various locations in the county. There is no funding for mosquito surveillance. Mr. Kutz stated that the health department is trying to educate the public about WSN by presentations and handouts available at the front counter in their building. Ms. Riley added that there is a WNV newsletter available to the public from the State DOH. She is working on adding a link from the Mason County web site to the State DOH newsletter site. ENVIROMENTAL HEALTH WAIVERS/VARIANCES Submitted to the Board by Health Director, Steve Kutz. ADJOURNED The meeting adjourned due to no further business. HEALTH OFFICER Dr. Mark Trucksess, Health Officer BOARD OF HEALTH MASON COUNTY, WASHINGTON Wesley E. 7� er hnso onunission M35ENT Herb Baze, Commissioner