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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998/08/06 - Board of HealthMason County Board of Health Meeting August 6 & 13, 1998 Page 1 of 5 MASON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH August 6 & 13, 1998 AUGUST 6, 1998: The Mason County Board of Health was called to order by Transcriptionist Sonja Rau at 10:03 a.m. and adjourned at 10:04 a.m. due to the absence of the Board of Health Members. Meeting is to be continued on August 13, 1998. AUGUST 13, 1998: The Mason County Board of Health was called to order by Chairperson Cindy Olsen with Board Member Mary Jo Cady present and Board Member John Bolender absent. ATTENDANCE: Cindy Olsen, Chairperson Mary Jo Cady, Board Member Brad Banner, Director Health Services Steve Kutz, Personal Health Director Merridee Anderson, Community Mental Health Ray Coleman, AIDS -HIV Advisory Board Bill Gildart Mary Duncan, Reporter, Mason County Journal Nancy Plews, Clerk Sonja Rau, Transcriptionist CORRESPONDENCE: Letter from Sun Melvin. Lilliwaup Bay changed from approved to prohibited. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Approval of last months minutes withheld due to lack of quorum. PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES AIDS ADVISORY COUNCIL Steve Kutz introduced Merridee Anderson, Representatives from the Aids Advisory Council. Merridee is Co-chair of the AIDS Walk this year in Mason County. The Walk is to be held Saturday, September 26, 1998 with registration beginning at 9:30 a.m.. The Commissioners, the Mayor, the Sheriff, the Chief -of -Police are invited to bring their families and walk. There will be entertainment by Chet Linden and Special Delivery will be playing music next to Wal Mart, hoping to have a dump -tank, face painting, local message therapist providing foot messages for the walkers. Expecting it to be over by Noon. Several local pizza parlors are donating free pizza's. QFC in Belfair, Safeway and Fred Meyer in Shelton are donating produce for the Mason County Board of Health Meeting August 6 & 13, 1998 Page 2 of 5 walkers. Merridee stated that community response had been wonderful this year. The Commissioners were invited to speak, walk, or observe. The walk begins at Wal Mart but no Huff & Puff this year with the short walk around Mountain View and the long route will be further past the hospital. Merridee introduced Ray Coleman who Co -Chairs the AIDS Advisory Council. Mr. Coleman stated that the Council Members felt they should come before the Commissioners to honor Carla Hytt for her outstanding work as AIDS Case Worker. Steve Kutz invited the AIDS Advisory Council members to sit in on the interviews for AIDS Case Worker when they fill the position. HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT Dr. Trucksess is gone this week and Steve Kutz gave the following information to the Board of Health: For the month of July: 2 Giardia cases 2 Campylobacter cases 1 Malaria case (Someone who has spent a lot of time in South America.) The type of treatment for Malaria depends upon the part of the World it was contacted in. Malaria is treatable but World-wide it is one of the biggest killers along with Tuberculosis. TUBERCULOSIS: The Health Department is working on 1 active Tuberculosis case and several preventive cases. The global control of TB is threatened by epidemic in key countries. The number of new TB cases in the US has dropped from 7% the previous year and for the past 5 years there has been a decline in TB cases, but 40% of the US cases have been people born outside the US, primarily from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There is a new recommendation regarding preventative therapy - to put all foreign -born immigrants with positive skin tests or abnormal chest x-rays on preventative therapy regardless of their age. Mason County is in the process of changing to this protocol. HAND, FOOT, AND MOUTH DISEASE (HFMD): Hand, foot, and mouth disease is seen periodically in Mason County with one or two outbreaks every year in schools and daycare centers. In Taiwan there has been 32,000 children who have contracted HFMD and 3,000 of these have been hospitalized with meningitis and encephalitis. In addition, 50 children, most younger than 3-years of age, have had a short -illness with fever (24 days duration), followed by a sudden deterioration in their condition, and death within 12- to 24- hours. Mason County Board of Health Meeting August 6 & 13, 1998 Page 3 of 5 Two organisms cause HFMD. The most common is coxsackievirus A16, a member of the enterovirus group which is the typical causative agent we see in the United States. A less common cause of HFMD is enterovirus 71 which is the virus causing the problem in China. Cindy Olsen asked what the symptoms were of the disease and Steve Kutz explained these to her. AWARD: The Info Project which was instituted through the Department of Health and ties all the Departments of Health together has won the 1998 National Recognition Award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Information Technology from the National Association of State Information Resources Executives in the category of Information Applications. PRAIRIE DOGS: Steve Kutz presented a reminder to people not to have prairie dogs as pets due to the Human Plague being spread by prairie dogs. There has been an outbreak of the plague in Texas pet brokers facility. HANTAVIRUS CASE IN FRANKLIN COUNTY: Franklin County had the first huntavirus case in 1998. Most of the hantavirus case are in the summer and in rural areas. Deer mice are the carriers of hantavirus which is a respiratory disease spread to humans. Steve Kutz's made recommendations on cleaning up a mouse infested area. It is recommended that you not vacuum, sweep up the area but to air it out for 1-hour and then using rags soaked in bleach or viral disinfectant to wipe it up. Deer mice can be distinguished by their white belly and furry tail. Hantavirus is in their urine, saliva, or feces. They are in found in the whole State of Washington. There is no rodent monitoring in the State. Since 1993, about 10% of the rodents tested in the State have tested positive for hantavirus. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PUBLIC HEARING FOR REVISION OF SOLID WASTE REGULATIONS Brad Banner read the public hearing announcement and explained the proposals. 1. Change the terminology of bio-solids which is now considered a commodity instead of a solid waste. 2. Establish civil infractions and procedures for applying them to solve waste violations. The Solid Waste Advisory Committee sent a letter recommending the passage of these changes. Brad Banner read the letter to the Board of Health. Mason County Board of Health Meeting August 6 & 13, 1998 Page 4 of 5 Cindy Olsen, Chairperson asked Brad Banner to go through the procedures and steps the revision would bring. This revision is based upon Kitsap County's which has worked out very well. Mary Jo Cady moved that Mason County Board of Health adopt the draft Revisions to the Solid Waste and Bio-Solids Handling and Facilities regulation dated July 2,1998. Cindy Olsen seconded. Olsen, Aye; Cady, Aye; Bolender, absent. NEW POLICY FOR DEPARTMENT POLICY MANUAL Brad Banner introduced a new policy he would like to have included in the Department Policy Manual. The new policy is for funding that comes in the middle of the funding cycle for different projects. Brad Banner passed out copies of the new policy. The system of review will include Candy Archer (Fiscal Clerk), Ione (County Budget Director) and the Board of Commissioners. The intent is that none of the fiscal impact be overlooked in the budget process. Brad Banner attached the forms that will be used to the handout. Mary Jo Cady moved for the approval of the procedure for the review of this project involving the expansion of funding for the Mason County Health Department. Cindy Olsen seconded. Cady, Aye; Olsen, Aye; Bolender, Absent. WAIVERS: The waivers were presented by Brad Banner to the Board. Meeting adjourned at 10:51 a.m.. Respectfully submitted by: Sonja ' •u, Transcriptionist Mason County Board of Health Meeting August 6 & 13, 1998 Page 5 of 5 MASON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH Cindy Olsen, . hairperson X7a/r Mary Jo C14dy, bard Membe (1)4 1/451-y_.--e27, John Bolender, Board Member r. Mark Trucksess, Health O