Latest news with #IsabelKilman
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida disease-tracking chart returns: Measles, mpox, hepatitis surveillance now available
Disease-tracking information in Florida is available again, allowing residents to learn about outbreaks in their county once more. Florida Department of Health surveillance data, which previously made public the number of current cases of each vaccine-preventable disease by county, had been removed from the state website for several months. The removal, disclosed earlier this month by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, came shortly after a measles case was reported in Miami in March. Measles is among the most contagious diseases in the world, and case counts in the United States are spiking with more than 1,000 reported in 2025. Florida's chart, which contains current trends for communicable diseases, has long been relied upon by epidemiologists and medical professionals for tracking purposes. It includes up-to-date information on outbreaks in Florida, such as measles, mpox and Hepatitis A. Department of Health spokeswoman Isabel Kilman did not respond to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's multiple requests for an explanation of why the chart had been removed, but she told the Tallahassee Democrat that the website was undergoing an upgrade. It doesn't appear that any functions of the chart have changed. Here are some key tracking points the chart now reveals about vaccine preventable diseases: A child in Broward County less than 4 years old contracted measles in April, marking the second case in South Florida in two months. The child acquired the disease outside of the U.S. Broward leads the state in new cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Thirteen cases of mpox have been reported in Florida so far this year, three in Broward County. In 2022, Florida was part of a nationwide outbreak of monkeypox. 14 cases of leprosy (Hansen's Disease) have been reported in Florida in 2025. In August 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned travelers that leprosy cases in Florida were surging. At the time, Florida was among the top reporting states with nearly 30 cases. The BCG vaccine, while primarily for TB, can offer some protection against leprosy, particularly if someone in the household has leprosy. The state has been grappling with a massive rise in pertussis (whooping cough). There have been 614 cases reported in Florida since January. To date in 2025, the CDC has reported over 8,000 cases of whooping cough, a more than two-fold increase from the same time last year. The CDC recommends whooping cough vaccines for people of all ages. Already in 2025, 63 cases of Hepatitis A have been reported in the state. Florida has grappled with a spread of Hepatitis A for several years, predating the pandemic. In 2019, Florida experienced a statewide outbreak with more than 2,000 cases reported. Dr. Aileen Marty, a professor at Florida International University and an expert in infectious disease and disaster medicine, said surveillance plays a vital role in public health. 'It's important for clinicians and families to know when something is spreading for which we have a prevention,' said Marty, with Florida International University's Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. 'Having good and timely information makes a huge difference in diagnosing a case earlier and helping parents make decisions or take action.' Tracking disease spread has become more critical as vaccination rates have dropped. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, only 88.1% of kindergartners in Florida were vaccinated against measles in the 2023-2024 school year. Herd immunity for measles requires a 95% vaccination rate. Florida's rate is one of the lowest in the nation. Florida's pediatricians say that real-time surveillance helps them guide parents in making informed decisions about vaccination. 'We end up playing catch-up after a child contracts a vaccine-preventable illness, and then we start looking at who else is vulnerable and start offering vaccines,' said Jennifer Takagishi, professor of pediatrics and division chief of General Academic Pediatrics at the University of South Florida. Florida's surveillance chart tracks close to 100 diseases, indicating the age range, county, diagnosis status and whether the person acquired the disease inside Florida, inside the U.S. or outside the U.S. Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at cgoodman@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles confirmed in Broward child under 4 in April, officials say
There was one case of measles in Broward County in April, according to state records, at the same time a link to those records was briefly removed from the state website. A child between the age of 0 (used to refer to newborns) and 4 contracted measles from outside of the U.S. in April in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health (DOH) Reportable Disease Frequency Report. Measles is considered one of the most contagious infections for humans, according to Dr. Aileen Marty, a professor at Florida International University and an expert in infectious disease and disaster medicine. If a person with measles comes in contact with a group of unvaccinated people, there is a 90% chance of the unvaccinated person becoming ill, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. A link to the state report, which tracks the spread of infectious diseases across the state's 67 counties, was removed from DOH's main website earlier this year, according to a story in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. According to the article, published on May 9, the last time that chart was available was in March. The website was getting upgraded at the time, DOH spokesperson Isabel Kilman told the USA TODAY Network – Florida. But now, the tracker, which can be found as a link on the FLHealthCHARTS website, shows a measles case in Broward County in April. It occurred one month after a high schooler at Miami Palmetto Senior High School in Miami-Dade County was diagnosed with the highly-contagious disease. There are no alerts on the the Florida Department of Health in Broward County website or the state DOH website about the measles case in April. Kilman could not confirm to a USA TODAY Network – Florida reporter that the department did contact tracing with the case in Broward County, but did say if its epidemiologists had a reason to believe people came in contact with someone with measles, they would be notified. Contact tracing is the process of identifying people who have recently been in contact with someone diagnosed with an infectious disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. In a statement sent by email, DOH said it could not disclose personal information about the case because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. It establishes federal standards protecting sensitive health information from disclosure without patient's consent, according to the CDC. "The Department works closely with schools and school systems to ensure that students, faculty, and parents are informed when appropriate. Anyone who may have been in contact with an infected individual is promptly and directly notified to ensure the safety and well-being of the community," the statement says. The exact age of the child is unknown, as the state's data provides a range from 0 to 4 years old. But a spokesperson for Broward County Schools said the district's Coordinated Student Health Services Department reported it has not had a documented case of measles this year. Last year, the county saw a measles outbreak that resulted in nine infections. DOH's response at the time was criticized after Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo contradicted federal and medical professional guidance to contain the spread. As previously reported, measles infections in the U.S. have topped 1,000 in 2025. While Texas remains the epicenter battling the largest number of cases, the presence of measles has been confirmed in 30 states by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as of Friday, March 9. Recently, a person infected measles may have spread the virus at a Shakira concert in New Jersey, according to news reports. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, only 88.1% of kindergarteners in Florida were vaccinated against measles in 2023-2024. Herd immunity for measles requires a 95% vaccination rate. Whether someone gets measles are a child or as an adult, it affects the body's immune response, Marty said. Measles can cause viral pneumonia or in some cases bacterial pnuemonia, because it diminishes the immune system. It's rare, but some children that contract measles will, years later, manifest serious neurologic problems, she added. "If you look at what's been going on in the United States, for example ... We won't know the total toll of that outbreak for six to 10 years because of this sort of under-the-radar type of problem that manifests so much later," she said. Ana Goñi-Lessan, state watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY Network – Florida, can be reached at agonilessan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Broward measles case in April adds to growing national resurgence
