Latest news with #DallasCountyHealthandHumanServices
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
West Nile Virus Detected In Three Dallas County Locations
Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed West Nile virus in mosquito pools across three locations this week, marking the first positive tests in the county for 2025. Mosquito samples collected in Irving's 75061 ZIP code, Richardson's 75080 ZIP code, and Rowlett's 75088 ZIP code tested positive for the virus, which is primarily spread by infected mosquitoes. However, other bloodsucking arthropods, such as fleas and ticks, can also transmit the virus. The findings follow Tarrant County Public Health's report of a positive mosquito sample on May 8, signaling the start of the West Nile virus season in North Texas, which typically spans May through October. Summer heat fuels mosquito activity, increasing the risk of virus transmission. Most cases occur during mosquito season, which starts in the summer and continues through the fall. While most infected individuals show no symptoms, about 1 in 5 may develop fever, headache, body aches, or joint pain. In rare cases, about 1 in 150 infected persons may develop a serious, or even fatal, illness affecting the brain or nervous system. The virus can rarely be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding, or from mother to baby during pregnancy, but not through person-to-person contact like touch or saliva. To curb the spread, Dallas Health and Human Services recommends using DEET or EPA-approved repellents daily, wearing long, loose, light-colored clothing outdoors, draining standing water around homes, and limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. The cities of Irving, Richardson, and Rowlett have begun spraying high-risk areas to prevent further spread. No human cases have been reported in Dallas County this year, and officials urge residents to remain vigilant as the season progresses.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dallas County Health loses $70M in federal funding
The Brief Dallas County Health and Human Services has lost two federal grants totaling $70 million. It could mean layoffs for as many as 80 employees, including nurses, lab scientists, educators, and administrative support staff. It may also mean a reduction in services related to immunizations and immunization research. DALLAS - Dallas County's health department is scrambling to save jobs after losing two federal grants totaling $70 million. The funding cuts could result in as many as 80 county employees losing their jobs. Public health services in Dallas County may also be impacted. What we know The federal grants that have been frozen or rescinded are part of the Trump administration's effort to reduce government spending. Last week, Dallas County Health and Human Services got word from the Texas Department of Health Services that it would immediately lose funding from two federal COVID-19 grants. The county was getting about $70 million from those two grants for immunizations and immunization research. While the grants may have originated during the pandemic, the funding was being used for more than just the county's COVID-19 response. The cuts are expected to impact flu vaccinations, childhood immunizations, and efforts to prevent HIV and STDs. About 80 jobs will also be affected, including nurses, lab scientists, educators, and administrative support staff. What they're saying "This is a really big hit and we're one of the ones that's being impacted," said Dallas County Health Director Dr. Philip Huang. "There was no preparation, no way to scale down, no way to plan for this. It's really very shortsighted in the way this is being handled." Commissioner John Wiley Price had been sounding the alarm for more than a month. However, no one was sure when or if the cuts would actually occur or what they might look like until last week. "The anvil has been dropped, and we've got to make some very drastic kind of decisions," he said. "There are definitely going to be local cuts. We're assessing the exact magnitude of it and looking at how we're going to be able to try to move forward. But definitely there are significant cuts that we're facing," Dr. Huang said. What's next Dallas County sent out notices on Friday about potential layoffs. The county is exploring other grants that may be available to help save some, if not all, of the jobs. Some vaccinations may also go unfilled so vital staff can stay in place. The loss of the grants also means planned purchases are on hold right now. The Source FOX 4 reporter Shaun Rabb talked to Commissioner John Wiley Price and Dr. Philip Huang to gather information for this story. Some details also come from a notice the county received from the state health department.
The Hill
28-03-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Texas measles outbreak surges
Nearly all the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. At least 41 people have been hospitalized so far. An unvaccinated, but otherwise healthy child, died of measles in February, becoming the first measles fatality in the U.S. in a decade. Just two cases have occurred in people fully vaccinated, according to the data. Friday's updates come after the Trump administration abruptly canceled more than $11 billion in COVID-era public health grants, a move that state and local health departments said could harm Texas's measles response. Departments are already operating on thin margins and need to balance sometimes competing public health priorities. Due to the loss, some health departments are already starting to cancel contracts and lay off workers. Grants were used for information modernization, as well as to hire people to help with vaccinations, testing and disease tracking. But that work had to stop immediately. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said grant money was going to be used to help equip a new lab that is being built. The new equipment would have expanded the lab's testing capacity for COVID-19, as well as other pathogens, like measles. 'This is going to stop work in its tracks that was really important for their communities,' said Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials. 'Work to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in nursing homes, for example, or to be able to track measles cases … the work has to stop, and yet the needs in the community remain,' Casalotti said.
The Hill
28-03-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Texas measles outbreak surges to at least 400 cases
The measles outbreak in Texas has reached 400 cases, the state announced Friday, an increase of more than 20 percent since the last update on Tuesday. Officials have said the numbers are likely an undercount. Nearly all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. At least 41 people have been hospitalized so far. An unvaccinated, but otherwise healthy child, died of measles in February, becoming the first measles fatality in the U.S. in a decade. Just two cases have occurred in people fully vaccinated, according to the data. The outbreak has also been spreading beyond Texas. The New Mexico Department of Health reported 44 cases on Friday, while Oklahoma reported seven confirmed and two suspected cases. Friday's updates come after the Trump administration abruptly canceled more than $11 billion in COVID-era public health grants, a move that state and local health departments said could harm Texas's measles response. Departments are already operating on thin margins and need to balance sometimes competing public health priorities. Due to the loss, some health departments are already starting to cancel contracts and lay off workers. Grants were used for information modernization, as well as to hire people to help with vaccinations, testing and disease tracking. Philip Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said grant money was going to be used to help equip a new lab that is being built. The new equipment would have expanded the lab's testing capacity for COVID-19, as well as other pathogens, like measles.
New York Times
21-03-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Texas Measles Outbreak May Continue for a Year, Officials Say
As containment efforts falter, the measles outbreak in West Texas is likely to persist for a year, perhaps even setting back the country's hard-fought victory over the virus, according to Texas health officials. As of Friday, the outbreak had sickened more than 300 people in Texas since January; 40 have been hospitalized. One child has died from the disease, the first such death in a decade. Related cases have been reported in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Chihuahua, Mexico. 'This is going to be a large outbreak,' Katherine Wells, director of public health in Lubbock, Texas, said at a recent news briefing. 'And we are still on the side where we are increasing the number of cases.' 'I'm really thinking this is going to be a year long,' she added. Some doctors in West Texas said in interviews that they had given up hope that a vaccination campaign could end the outbreak. Dr. Ron Cook, also a state health official in Lubbock, said he had resigned himself to the fact that the outbreak will infect many more children, and may kill again. 'It's just going to have to burn through the community,' Dr. Cook said. 'That's where we are.' So far, cases have been centered in a large Mennonite community in Gaines County, which has had historically low vaccination rates. But experts fear that the longer the outbreak lasts, the more likely it is to spread to other unvaccinated communities around the country. In New Mexico, officials have reported 42 cases and one death. In Oklahoma, there have been four probable measles cases. Public health officials are particularly concerned now that potentially infected children in West Texas will begin traveling for spring break, said Dr. Phil Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. Measles has been considered 'eliminated' in the United States since 2000: Cases generally have been tied to international travel, and when the virus does strike an unvaccinated community, the outbreaks don't continue for longer than a year. The United States nearly lost its elimination status in 2019, when a large outbreak spread through parts of New York State for nearly 12 months. The outbreak was contained in large part because of aggressive vaccine mandates, which helped substantially increase childhood immunization rates in the community. In Texas, where mandates are deeply unpopular, the vaccination effort has 'been a struggle,' Ms. Wells said. Local public health officials have set up vaccination clinics around the region and encouraged attendance with fliers and billboards. There has been little success. In Seminole, Texas, a city of about 7,200 people and the epicenter of the outbreak, roughly 230 residents have received shots at vaccination clinics. 'They've handed out a few vaccines in their community, but certainly not a lot,' Dr. Cook said. 'It doesn't help that our H.H.S. secretary continues to not really reinforce vaccination,' he added. Local efforts to encourage the shots have been hamstrung by a muddled message from the country's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In his first public statements about the outbreak, Mr. Kennedy faced intense backlash for minimizing the threat, saying outbreaks were 'not unusual' and falsely claiming that many people hospitalized were there 'mainly for quarantine.' He later changed his approach, offering a muted recommendation of vaccines for people in West Texas while also raising frightening concerns about the safety of the vaccines. To the frustration of local doctors and health officials, he has also promoted unproven treatments like cod liver oil and vitamins, and touted 'almost miraculous and instantaneous' recoveries with steroids or antibiotics. There is no cure for measles, only medications to help manage the symptoms. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the infection. Local health officials have said they worry that measles patients were over-relying on these unproven treatments and delaying critical medical care as a result.
