MOUNT VERNON — The county had an increase in the number of reportable diseases during 2007, but that’s not necessarily cause for alarm, said Vaughn Anderson, epidemiologist for the Knox County Health Department.
“We’ve had a little bit of an increase, 23 percent,” Anderson told the health department’s board when it met Wednesday night. “That might sound like a lot, but we have such a low number of cases reported, that any increase is going to be large.
“The increase in diseases may not be an increase in the disease itself,” he added. “It may just be doctors are reporting to us more.”
Of the 89 cases reported in 2007, the most common included Chlamydia (22), salmonellosis (8) and hepatitis C chronic (14.) Two diseases saw a significant increase: Pertussis (whooping cough) increased from zero to seven cases, and salmonellosis increased from two to eight cases. In addition, the county had one confirmed food borne outbreak and two suspected food borne outbreaks.
“We did have several outbreaks, although no county establishments were confirmed as the source of the outbreak,” said Anderson.
Regarding the hepatitis C, Anderson noted it is hard to track because it’s a chronic disease and reported by more than one doctor.
Certain diseases must be reported to the Ohio Department of Health when they occur. A1 are diseases of severe concern, which must be reported immediately by telephone; A2 (major concern) and A3 diseases (minor concern) must be reported daily and weekly, respectively. According to Anderson, no A1 diseases were reported; 67 percent reported were A3.
Seventy-seven percent of diseases were reported to the Knox County Health Department on time, and over 95 percent were reported on time to the ODH by the health department. Anderson said this is a significant improvement from 2006.
One area he noted needed improving is the reporting of varicella, or chicken pox. It recently became an A3 disease. Numbers reported in Knox County were low compared to Wayne and Holmes counties, which are of similar population as Knox. This, he said, indicates Knox County is not yet good at reporting varicella.
Lynette Vance, fiscal officer for the health department, told the board it would be looking at tightening its belt during the budget process next month. She said the revenue for 2007 was not quite as good as she would have liked, due in part to the housing crunch, which resulted in a decrease in revenue from water and sewer permits. In addition, she said, the department lost an educational grant, and received no new grant funds in 2007.
In his report, Health Commissioner Dennis Murray said the board received notice Wednesday that it will be awarded a $1,500 grant for promotion of Women’s Health Week, slated for May 11-17. He also said four facilities — AMVETS Post 95, VFW Post 4027, Rookies and Honeybuckets — have received $500 fines for multiple smoking violations.
Murray also noted that Dr. Laura Foliano has been seeing patients in the medical clinic three days a week. There has already been an increase in the number of patients scheduled and seen.
In other business, the board approved contract renewals with the Freedom Center for tobacco programming through June 30, and with the Delaware County General Health District as part of the immunization action grant through Dec. 31. It also approved the employment of Karen “Nikki” Fletcher as a full-time physical therapy assistant with the home health program and Nate Overholt as a full-time environmental health sanitarian with the environmental health division.
Steve Oster, director of the county’s MRDD program, spoke to the board about the MRDD levy which will be on the March 4 ballot.