Hand-foot-mouth and COVID outbreak contained in early February in Custer County

Immunity rates in Custer for measles are only 89% of the 95% required to prevent outbreaks

A meeting of the Custer County Board of Health (BOH) took place on February 20. The bulk of the meeting consisted of a briefing from Public Health Director Sara Bertelsen, who started off with an epidemiology report. She said that a local outbreak of hand-foot-mouth disease, a respiratory illness similar to influenza or COVID, had affected five people but was contained quickly. There have been ten cases of COVID reported, affecting ten adults, but it had also been contained quickly.

Statewide, Bertelsen reported that there was a Hepatitis A outbreak in Boulder County in December and January. Hepatitis A is caused by a virus and can be prevented by a vaccine. Other outbreaks included cases of norovirus, or “stomach flu,” both statewide and locally. “ This virus can live on hard surfaces for up to two weeks – you get infected if you come in contact with infected bodily fluids,” Bertelsen said. “It’s particularly hazardous for children and the elderly, and it’s been spreading through the school. Wash your hands, disinfect surfaces, and stay away from others.”

Bertelsen also gave an update on H5N1, or avian flu: “Chaffee and Boulder county have both tested positive for avian flu – do not touch dead or sick birds! And get a flu vaccination if you have backyard flocks.”

“How do the chickens get it?” asked BOH member Bill Canda. “It spreads through feces from infected birds,” Bertelsen replied: “The government has vaccines for H5N1, but the public doesn’t have access to it yet.”

Turning to the national scene, Bertelsen reported that there were 67 active cases and 79 latent/inactive cases of tuberculosis (TB) in Kansas. “The overall risk to the general public is pretty low,” she said: “It can spread most easily through communal living situations, such as nursing homes or prisons. Valley Assisted Living would be an at-risk population, but the staff is always tested for it before they get hired on – we will keep tabs on it.”

On the measles outbreak in Texas, Bertelsen said that there were 58 cases so far, with a possible spread to New Mexico: “It’s an airborne virus; it remains in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.” She went on to say that most of the cases occurred in children ages 5-17. “The highest risk is to children under 5, as well as pregnant people.” The risk is highest for children under one year of age, as kids can’t get the first dose of the two-dose MMR vaccine until they are a year old.

Bertelsen said that immunization compliance in Custer County for MMR among school-age children is 89.2%; however, “herd immunity” for measles “depends on a 95+ percent vaccination rate.” She advised caution for anyone traveling to the affected regions in Texas, saying that unvaccinated adults as well as children would be at risk of getting the measles.

“What about when Texans coming up here during Spring Break?” asked Paul Vogelsong. “That’s why I am bringing it up – I don’t want people to panic, but if we start seeing cases here, we will be having a different conversation,” Bertelsen replied. “We have MMR vaccines available at Public Health.”

After giving updates on public health activities, Bertelsen and the BOH discussed possible next steps regarding the next steps in case of federal funding freeze. As of right now, she reported, Public Health has $67,145.94 in the bank from previously granted funds, “so if the federal government decides they are just not sending us any more money, that’s what we have in hand. We have had two meetings to prep ourselves so we can be proactive rather than reactive – things are changing [at the federal level] day by day.”

– Elliot Jackson

Photo Cutline: Public Health Director (left) Sara Bertelsen. – Tribune photo by Jordan Hedberg