Category: Public Health
As wildfires become more frequent and intense, how will persistent smoke exposure affect long-term health?
Although Canada has seen notable improvements in air quality over the past 30 years, increasingly frequent and intense periods of wildfire smoke threaten to undo this progress. In the last two decades, while emissions from most pollution sources declined, Canadians’ exposure to wildfire smoke has increased by approximately 220 per cent.
Health News Headlines
Wildfire smoke expected in Seattle – ACL tears in women – 5 ways to manage hypertension
Audit finds cracks in Washington’s egg inspection program
Washington’s Department of Agriculture failed to complete hundreds of required inspections of egg production and packing facilities in recent years, raising food safety concerns, according to a new state audit.
Four steps to stay safe from wildfire smoke this summer
Breathing wildfire smoke can harm everyone’s lungs, heart, and overall health. And this year we’re expecting hotter weather and less rain—meaning more smoky days.
How the Paris Olympics could become a super-spreader event for dengue
Visitors from more than 200 countries are expected in France for the Olympics. Many of those countries are already experiencing dengue this year.
Climate change and mental health: How extreme heat can affect mental illnesses
Many people can relate to the sleepless nights during hot summer months, as well as anecdotal experiences of irritation and aggression when thermally uncomfortable.
But for those living with mental illnesses, the hazard of extreme heat is more dire than temperamental responses to day-to-day disruptions.
12 Tips for Beach Safety: Safe Fun in the Sun, Sand and Sea from Pediatricians
Whether your favorite spot is near the ocean or the edge of a river or lake, it’s always best to prepare for your surroundings and make sure that health hazards don’t spoil your good time.
The number of births continues to fall, despite abortion bans
Births continued a historic slide in all but two states last year, making it clear that a brief post-pandemic uptick in the nation’s birth numbers was all about planned pregnancies that had been delayed temporarily by COVID-19.
Future pandemics will have the same human causes as ancient outbreaks
Lessons from anthropology can help prevent them
Need a rapid health test? Try our kiosks.
Washington State Department of Health (DOH)-sponsored kiosks with free COVID-19 tests, flu tests, and more are popping up all over Washington. Let’s dig into the what, where, and why.
How bird flu virus fragments get into milk sold in stores, and what the spread of H5N1 in cows means for the dairy industry and milk drinkers
The discovery of fragments of avian flu virus in milk sold in U.S. stores, including in about 20% of samples in initial testing across the country, suggests that the H5N1 virus may be more widespread in dairy cattle than previously realized.
CDC launches new online heat-risk resources
New Heat and Health Initiative, developed in response to increased health risks from heat exposure, aims to improve American’s ability to stay safe during heat events
Fecal pollution threatens popular shellfish harvest areas
Fifteen of Washington’s 115 commercial shellfish growing areas may face harvest restrictions because of increased fecal bacteria levels in the water.
The Lasting Impact of Exposure to Gun Violence
Since 2020, gun violence has overtaken motor vehicle crashes to become the leading cause of death for children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 in the United States — a change mainly driven by homicides.
PUBLIC HEALTH MONITORING MEASLES EXPOSURE AMONG INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS VISITING SEATTLE
Last week that a group of international travelers visiting Seattle were exposed to an individual with measles prior to arriving in Seattle. Currently, there are no cases of measles among the group (or within King County), but Public Health — Seattle & King County is monitoring the situation closely.