>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE WASHINGTON STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DECLARED A HEPATITIS
LETTER A OUTBREAK FOLLOWING AT
LEAST 14 CONFIRMED CASES ACROSS
FOUR COUNTIES INCLUDING KING
AND SNOHOMISH EVEN THOUGH THE
CONFIRMED CASES INVOLVE PEOPLE
WHO ARE HOMELESS OR DRUG USERS.
THEY ARE WARNING THAT THE WIDER
COMMUNITY IS ALSO OPEN TO THIS
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
DOCTOR DR. HELEN CHU FROM UW
MADISON JOINS ME AND I DON'T
MEAN TO SAY THAT IT IS OKAY IF
THIS IS HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO
ARE VULNERABLE.
ARE VULNERABLE. IS EVEN WORSE BECAUSE THEY
DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICAL
CARE.
CARE.
CARE. WHAT SHOULD WE ALL KNOW ABOUT
YOU BUT TITUS A.
>> HEPATITIS -- HEPATITIS A
CAUSES AN INFECTION OF YOUR
LIVER.
LIVER.
LIVER. BUT THE WAY YOU GET IS FROM
DRINKING CONTAMINATED WATER OR
EATING CONTAMINATED FOOD.
LUCKILY FOR MOST PEOPLE ONCE
YOU GET IT ONCE, YOU ARE
PROTECTED FOR LIFE AND YOU
WON'T GET IT AGAIN.
THE OTHER GOOD THING IS THAT
THERE IS A VACCINE FOR
HEPATITIS A AND IF YOU RECEIVE
THE TWO DOSES OF VACCINE YOU
ARE 100% PROTECTED.
SPIN IS THAT PART OF THE NORMAL
INOCULATIONS.
INOCULATIONS. >> YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK FOR IT
UNLESS YOU ARE A CHILD.
ALL CHILDREN RECEIVE THAT AS
PART OF THEIR ROUTINE
IMMUNIZATION SERIES.
IMMUNIZATION SERIES. >> WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS WE
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR.
AND IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR WEEKS
AFTER YOU GET YOUR INFECTION
BEFORE YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS
BUT WHEN YOU DO YOU GET NAUSEA,
VOMITING, SOMETIMES BELLY PAIN.
YOU COULD TURN VERY YELLOW AND
HAVE ITCHING AND LIGHT-COLORED
STOOLS.
STOOLS.
STOOLS. >> AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE NO
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS.
SYMPTOMS. >> BUT CAN CARRY THIS WHICH IS
REALLY INTERESTING.
REALLY INTERESTING. WHAT MAKES IT SO HIGHLY
CONTAGIOUS.
CONTAGIOUS. >> I THINK THE KEY IS YOU HAVE
A LOT OF THE VIRUS IN YOUR
STOOL AND YOU COULD HAVE IT FOR
ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE YOU HAVE
ANY SYMPTOMS SO YOU CAN CAUSE
AN OUTBREAK BEFORE YOU KNOW
THAT YOUR SICK.
>>> IF YOU ARE PRACTICING
REALLY GOOD HYGIENE ARE YOU
LESS LIKELY TO CONTAMINATE
SOMEBODY ELSE?
SOMEBODY ELSE? >> I THINK PEOPLE WHO TEND TO
GET IT AND TRANSMIT IT IF YOU
DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A BATHROOM
OR RUNNING WATER OR YOU'RE NOT
ABLE TO CLEAN YOUR HANDS.
LIVING ON THE STREET AND YOU
DON'T HAVE A WAY TO TAKE CARE
OF YOURSELF.
OF YOURSELF. WHAT SHOULD SOMEBODY DO THAT
THEY THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE COME
IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WHO
HAS THIS DISEASE OR WITH THE
PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
YOU MENTIONED.
YOU MENTIONED. >> I THINK THE BEST THING TO DO
WILL BE THE FIRST CONTACT YOUR
PROVIDER.
PROVIDER.
PROVIDER. MOST ADULTS WHO HAVE NOT
RECEIVED THE VACCINE.
GETTING A DOSE OF THE VACCINE
WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THAT
EXPOSURE WILL PROTECT YOU.
AND WHO SHOULD GET VACCINATED.
>> CHILDREN GET VACCINATED.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRAVEL TO A
COUNTRY WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF
HEPATITIS A THEN YOU SHOULD GET
VACCINATED.
VACCINATED. IF YOU ARE HOMELESS.
IF YOU USE DRUGS.
AND IN THE CASES OF OUTBREAKS
THERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO
COME IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO
HAVE HEPATITIS A TO GET
VACCINATED BUT THAT WILL BE
SOMETHING THAT PUBLIC HEALTH
WOULD DECIDE.
WOULD DECIDE. IN TERMS OF TRAVEL IF YOU'RE
GOING SOMEPLACE, HOW DO WE GO,
CAN WE CHECK ON THE STATE
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE?
DEPARTMENT'S WEBSITE? >> CDC.GOVéTRAVEL IS THE BEST
WAY TO KNOW IF YOU SHOULD GET
THAT VACCINE.
THAT VACCINE. >> WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF
YOU'RE TRAVELING THE
COUNTRYSIDE IN A PLACE WHERE
THIS IS, JUST A UP WASHING YOUR
HANDS.
HANDS.
HANDS. >>
HANDS. >> IS NOT A BAD IDEA JUST TO
GET THE VACCINE.
>> IT IS THE EASIEST WAY.
>> HOW DOES THE VACCINE WORK?
>> IT IS AN INJECTION THAT
CAUSES THE BODY TO HAVE AN
IMMUNE RESPONSE TO SOMETHING ON
THE SURFACE OF THE VIRUS AND IS
A REALLY GOOD VACCINE.
>> THERE ARE TWO DOSES?
>> SIX MONTHS APART.
>> IF I'M TRAVELING NEXT WEEK
AND I GET A FIRST DOSE WILL
THAT GIVE ME SOME PROTECTION?
>> IT WILL PROTECTED MOST OF
THE TIME.
THE TIME.
THE TIME. THE SECOND DOSE IS REALLY FOR
PEOPLE WHO DID NOT RESPOND TO
THE FIRST.
THE FIRST. AND LET'S TALK ABOUT MEASLES.
>>> THERE ARE STILL QUITE A BIT
OF MEASLES.
OF MEASLES. THERE WAS THE CASE AT SEATTLE
CHILDREN'S WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO WERE EXPOSED INCLUDING THE
NURSE.
NURSE.
NURSE. >>
NURSE. >> HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
>> I THINK THERE WAS A PATIENT
WHO MAY HAVE HAD MEASLES AND
THEN IT SPREAD WITHIN THE
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. >> AND WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING
NOW WITH OUR KIDS?
>> THE MAIN THINGS IS TO
VACCINATE.
VACCINATE. IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THE
VACCINE YOU SHOULD GET IT TO
PROTECT YOURSELF AND ALSO
PROTECT THOSE AROUND YOU.
VERY YOUNG CHILDREN WHO CAN'T
GET THE VACCINE.
>> AND REMEMBER OTHER PEOPLE
HAVE COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS
AND FOR THEM THIS COULD BE
FATAL.
FATAL.
FATAL. IT
FATAL. IT REALLY CAN BE ESPECIALLY IF
YOU'RE A PREGNANT WOMAN OR AN
INFANT.
INFANT.
INFANT. >> IN YOUR LINE OF WORK AND FOR
ME TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS
WITH PROFESSIONALS, I START TO
WORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
ONE OF THE BUGS IS SOMETHING WE
CAN'T DEAL WITH VERY EASILY?
>> HOW SHOULD WE BE THINKING
ABOUT THAT?
ABOUT THAT? >> THAT IS A TOUGH QUESTION.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE
VIGILANT ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY
BE COMING IN AND BEAT
MONITORING FOR THOSE.
THE FIELD OF VACCINES IS MOVING
VERY QUICKLY IN TERMS OF WAYS
TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE SPREAD
OF PATHOGENS ONCE THEY ENTER A
CITY AND THEY ARE JUST BASIC
MEASURES LIKE STAYING AT HOME
WHEN YOU ARE SICK.
ARE NOT BEING AROUND OTHERS OR
SICK PEOPLE WHO CAN --
>> TRY NOT TO TAKE PUBLIC
TRANSPORT BUT I KNOW PEOPLE CAN
ALWAYS DO THESE THINGS. BUT
WHEN WEEKEND THAT IS GOOD AND
IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICAL
CARE BY ALL MEANS.
>> -- AND IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE
MEASLES USES STAY HOME.
>> JUST CALLED TO