All articles tagged with #contact tracing
Cumberland County Public Health is investigating a confirmed tuberculosis case at Seventy-First High School, notifying more than 260 potential close contacts and offering TB screening; officials say there is no known ongoing exposure, though parents and students expressed concern about notification timing.
Wayne County health officials confirmed two measles cases, the county's first, both in unvaccinated residents. Public risk is low as health authorities work with the state Department of Health to trace contacts and isolate the infected, while officials renew calls for vaccination to prevent further spread.
Butler County has its first laboratory-confirmed measles case, an unvaccinated patient seen at a Buffalo Township urgent care on Aug. 20 and now isolating at home; health officials will begin contact tracing for staff and patients who were present, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health has been notified; the same day, two Lancaster County residents died of measles, likely the first U.S. fatalities from the disease this year.
Ebola is spreading in eastern Congo as case detection and contact tracing lag behind, leaving overworked health workers stretched thin amid security and access hurdles while response measures continue.
A confirmed tuberculosis case at Summerville High School in Dorchester County has led to contact tracing and notifications to potentially exposed families about testing options. TB spreads mainly through close contact, not casual encounters; only a minority exposed may develop disease in the first year or two. Families are advised to monitor for symptoms (prolonged cough, fever, night sweats) and consult a clinician, while practicing basic preventive measures like staying home when sick and maintaining good hygiene.
The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak, linked to the Bundibugyo virus, has killed more than 1,500 people with 3,442 cases, making it the fastest-growing on record and centered largely in Ituri. About 797 patients are in isolation and 615 have recovered, but contact tracing remains well below the 95% target amid displacement and security challenges. Uganda has declared itself Ebola-free, while the WHO says the global risk is low even as local risk remains very high and aid operations have been disrupted by violence against health facilities.
Delaware’s Division of Public Health has confirmed a second measles case in Kent County, both cases involving unvaccinated adult men, as health officials conduct extensive contact tracing and urge residents to ensure they are up to date with the MMR vaccine. More than 60 people received MMR vaccinations at state clinics and mobile units, and officials remind the public to verify vaccination records via DelVAX. People with measles symptoms should seek care promptly and health authorities will advise on potential exposures and precautions; two-dose MMR is about 97% effective at preventing measles in most people.
Delaware has confirmed its first measles case in more than ten years: an unvaccinated adult male in Kent County, linked to an outbreak in neighboring Pennsylvania. Health officials launched extensive contact tracing, warned the community is at high risk, and provided guidance on symptoms, transmission, and post-exposure vaccination or antibody options.
Delaware’s Division of Public Health confirmed the state’s first measles case in more than ten years, an unvaccinated man in Kent County, with the result reported on Monday. Public health staff are conducting contact tracing and notifying anyone potentially exposed, and residents are urged to verify their vaccination status via DelVAX. The measles vaccine (MMR) is about 97% effective after two doses; seek medical care if symptoms appear. A February exposure in Wilmington was reported previously but was not a case.
Delaware's Division of Public Health confirms the state's first measles case in more than ten years, tied to an unvaccinated Kent County man. Officials are conducting extensive contact tracing and urge residents to verify their vaccination status via the DelVAX portal or with their providers; two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective, and vaccination is available at pharmacies, clinics, and public health sites. Those with symptoms should seek care promptly and notify facilities of potential exposure.
A second American infected with Ebola in the Congo has been moved to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany, where he is stable and receiving care in a dedicated isolation unit; Samaritan’s Purse says he did not work in direct patient care, and U.S. and Congolese officials are conducting contact tracing to determine further action, while the first American infected was evacuated to Berlin for treatment.
Nearly 300 Ebola-positive people are unaccounted for in the Democratic Republic of the Congo amid conflict and displaced camps, hampering contact tracing as the outbreak expands; WHO modeling suggests thousands of cases in coming months and vaccines/treatment trials are set to begin, though funding remains short.
Eastern Congo's Ebola outbreak has reached 1,003 confirmed cases and 254 deaths, with contact tracing at only about 55% coverage and thousands of potential contacts still unknown; the Bundibugyo virus has no vaccine or treatment, and authorities warn the true scale could be higher amid ongoing violence that hinders access and mass displacement, as the response works to identify patient zero and curb further spread.
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak could become the deadliest on record, with 837 confirmed cases and 196 deaths; Africa CDC warns it could exceed the West Africa epidemic if not halted soon, as tens of thousands remain untraced and treatment centers are scarce amid community resistance. There is no approved treatment or vaccine yet, and vaccine development could take up to nine months, while funding shortfalls and cross-border cases (including Uganda’s 19) complicate containment.
The third-largest Ebola outbreak is sweeping the Democratic Republic of Congo with over 1,000 cases and 233 deaths; experts warn the true scope may be far larger due to undetected infections and 'unrecognized chains of transmission,' stressing that rapid, comprehensive contact tracing and sustained funding are needed as the outbreak spills into Uganda and poses a risk of reaching Nigeria.