Well Into April, Vicious Flu Season Continues To Plague California
Meanwhile, even though San Diego's hepatitis A public health emergency is over, new cases are still being reported.
KPBS:
San Diego's Flu Season Still Going Strong; Hepatitis A Outbreak Not Over
This flu season had a record 20,131 influenza cases and 326 deaths have been confirmed by San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency. ... According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year’s flu vaccine has been around 35 percent effective. (Hoffman, 4/9)
In other public health news —
The Bakersfield Californian:
Valley Fever Killed Nine, Infected More Than 2,900 In Kern County In 2017
Valley fever, an insidious respiratory disease endemic to the region, killed nine people and infected 2,929 in Kern County in 2017, making it the second worst year for the disease since the county began recording cases in 1992, local public health officials announced Monday. ... The announcement of preliminary numbers marks the third straight year that cases have increased in Kern and statewide. Infections in Kern County generally make up about 30 percent of the state’s total cases. (Pierce, 4/9)
KPBS:
What Happens To The Brain When It Becomes Addicted
Scripps Research Institute professor Dr. Olivier George estimates that nearly 800,000 San Diego County residents have a substance-use disorder. And, he said, many don't realize it. (Ruth and Cavanaugh, 4/9)