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Washington confirms measles outbreak
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) confirmed a measles outbreak in Snohomish County—the first in the state since 2023. Three unvaccinated children ages 23 months to 9 years tested positive for the highly contagious disease. Additionally, one person in Kittitas county tested positive. The outbreak comes as measles cases are rising across the United States,…
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Hepatitis A Fact Sheet
Overview Transmission: Fecal-oral. Incubation Period: Average 28-30 days (range 15-50 days). Symptoms: Anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, followed by jaundice. Severity of illness increases with age. Infectious Period: 14 days prior to onset of jaundice to seven days after onset of jaundice. Infants can excrete virus in the stool for longer periods of time. Epidemiology:…
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Hand Hygiene In Healthcare Settings
What is hand hygiene? Hand hygiene refers to the use of hand washing with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitizer (60% alcohol or greater) in order to reduce infection rates, reduce transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms and stop outbreaks of communicable disease. Why is hand hygiene important? When should I use hand hygiene? How…