(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) has received confirmation that six birds have tested positive for Avian Influenza A (H5N1), also known as Bird Flu, in Orange County. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommends that hunters take precaution to limit the possibility of spread of infection to humans, and that the public stay clear of any sick or dead birds they may find.
 
“Avian flu is present in Orange County and while the risk of transmission to humans is low, residents should stay away from any dead birds.” says Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer, and HCA’s Chief Medical Officer. “Bird flu is very contagious among birds and can sicken and even kill certain domesticated bird species including chickens, ducks and turkeys.”
 
Residents are advised to follow these preventive steps:

• Avoid contact with wild birds, even if they don’t look sick.
• Avoid surfaces that appear contaminated with saliva or feces from wild or domestic birds.
• Keep dogs and other pets away from wild birds.
• If you become ill after unprotected exposure to a sick or dead bird contact your healthcare provider so that you can be evaluated.
• Bird Owners are advised to follow additional safety measures, prevent contact of their birds with wild birds, and immediately report any sick birds (view more information HERE).
• Report unusual occurrences of sick and dead wild birds to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Mortality Reporting, online at https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Laboratories/Wildlife-Health/Monitoring/Mortality-Report.

To report an unusual number of sick/dead commercial birds, please call California Department of Food and Agriculture 866-922-2473. Dead birds can also be reported online to westnile.ca.gov/report.
 
The CDC is closely monitoring current Avian Flu cases and posting updates on their website: Bird Flu Current Situation Summary | Avian Influenza (Flu) (cdc.gov). For more information on the Avian Flu in Orange County visit HCA’s website HERE.

(Santa Ana, CA) – New COVID-19 (bivalent) boosters for children ages 5 and older are now authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The updated COVID-19 vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech for children ages 5 through 11 years, and Moderna for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17. An updated COVID-19 vaccine schedule for babies 6 months through adults 18+ years is now available, here.

Updated COVID-19 booster vaccines contain added spike protein components to help restore protection that has since waned from prior vaccination, targeting recent Omicron variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading. The Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccine is authorized for administration at least two months following the primary series or booster completion.

Orange County has a Test Positivity Percent of 6.4% and 125 persons are hospitalized with COVID-19, representing a decrease over the past several weeks. A spike in European COVID-19 cases, however, has scientists in the U.S. urging Americans to take preventative measures as Europe has often been a precursor for what's to happen in the United States.
 
As the weather cools and more people spend time indoors, where the virus spreads more rapidly, the risk for resurgence increases. There are many ways individuals actions can protect the OC community by following CDC prevention recommendations, found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
 
FDA’s authorization of the updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine booster for the younger age group, and CDC’s recommendation for use, are critical next steps to help provide increased protection – especially against severe COVID-19 disease and death.
 
Ask your primary care providers for pediatric bivalent boosters. You can also find information on vaccine locations by visiting www.vaccines.gov or www.myturn.ca.gov. Scheduling appointments can also be done directly by visiting www.othena.com.

For more information on the COVID-19 case counts in Orange County and other resources, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/covid.

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(Santa Ana, CA) – The last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, October 15, has been designated National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). Since 2003, this designation has been to promote the testing and early diagnosis of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in response to the impact of HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on Hispanic/Latino communities.

By raising awareness, NLAAD encourages Latinx people to:

• Get tested and know their HIV status;
• Use condoms for protection from HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs);
• Know prevention options if HIV-negative, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) may help protect you from getting HIV; and
• Learn about new treatment options to get and stay virally suppressed, which means having an undetectable viral load, if HIV-positive.

This year’s campaign theme “You Choose!” highlights new developments in the scientific field of HIV and new HIV treatment and prevention options. These advances include the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved injectable medication administered once a month for HIV treatment or once every two (2) months for HIV prevention.

"HIV disproportionately affects the Latinx community in Orange County," says April Orozco, OC Health Care Agency (HCA), Deputy Chief of Public Health Services (PHS). "Through the PHS team response and community-based partnerships, we are working collectively on strategies to End the HIV Epidemic by increasing community engagement, promoting HIV testing to help with early diagnosis and rapid treatment as well as implementing preventative measures."

While the Latinx population represents about 34% of the total population in Orange County, they represented more than half (or 52%) of those diagnosed with HIV in 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that an additional 950 OC residents do not know that they are living with HIV.

"As of December 2021, there were 6,772 persons living with HIV locally," said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, HCA Chief Medical Officer and County Health Officer. "Amplifying the NLAAD campaign allows us to emphasize the importance of testing and to draw attention to new options for HIV prevention, testing, and treatment."

Many of these people had been to an emergency room, a community health center, or their doctor but were not tested for HIV. Therefore, the Latinx community must have routine HIV testing as part of their medical care.
 
Adolescents and adults should get an HIV test at least once as part of their routine health care, and those at increased risk of HIV should be tested regularly. Knowing your HIV status is vital to help prevent new HIV infections.

 Ending the HIV epidemic Initiative requires everyone to do their part. If you have never been tested for HIV, ask your doctor for an HIV test. Free, confidential HIV testing is available at the agencies listed below.

• APAIT Health Center: Call (714) 636-1349 or visit www.apaitonline.org/ for more information. 
  • Testing is offered Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Extended testing hours on Saturday, October 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• OC Health Care Agency/17th Street Testing, Treatment and Care Clinic: Call (714) 834-8787 to make an appointment or visit http://www.ochealthinfo.com/std for more information. Walk-ins are accepted based on availability. Clinic hours:
  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Radiant Health Centers: Call (949) 809-8764 or visit www.radianthealthcenters.org/ for more information. Walk-ins are accepted. Hours:
  • Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
  • Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
  • Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and
  • Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
• The LGBT Center Orange County: For more information or an appointment, call (714) 953-5428 or visit www.lgbtcenteroc.org/. Testing is offered:
• Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,
• Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  

For more testing sites and information about HIV services in OC, please call (714) 834-8335 or visit www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/dcepi/hiv/sites. To list or find NLAAD events visit www.nlaad.org.

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Influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease have been increasing in Orange County for the last several weeks.  Compared to pre-pandemic epidemiology this is an early start to the season for both these respiratory viruses.  Australia’s influenza season often provides a harbinger for our upcoming season; their recently-concluded season was the most severe in five years.

The Health Advisory below discusses an early increase in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity in California. Providers are advised to consider testing for additional respiratory pathogens besides SARS-CoV-2, including RSV, and to administer prophylactic palivizumab to high-risk infants and young children per American Academy of Pediatrics guidance.

Link:

https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/clinical-guidance/interim-guidance-for-use-of-palivizumab-prophylaxis-to-prevent-hospitalization/. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory about a recently confirmed outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Uganda caused by Sudan virus (species Sudan ebolavirus) to summarize CDC’s recommendations for U.S. public health departments and clinicians, case identification and testing, and clinical laboratory biosafety considerations. No suspected, probable, or confirmed EVD cases related to this outbreak have yet been reported in the United States. However, as a precaution and to remind clinicians about best practices, CDC is communicating with public health departments, public health laboratories, and healthcare workers in the United States to raise awareness of this outbreak.

Please see the full CDC HAN at the following link: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/han00477.asp

(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency (HCA), Mental Health and Recovery Services (MHRS) is announcing the launch of a data dashboard reporting Orange County Drug and Alcohol Misuse and Mortality trends for the purpose of informing mental health providers, researchers and policymakers in targeting services to specific demographic and geographic areas most at risk of drug and alcohol misuse.
 
This dashboard, along with other HCA data, can be found by visiting www.OCHealthinfo.com/data. Users can interact with the dashboard by filtering information by age, gender, race, city and/or ZIP Code. Data will be refreshed annually or more frequently, based on the availability of new data. The data is sourced through the California Comprehensive Death File (CCDF) and the opioid prescription information is from the California Department of Justice (CURES) Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System.
 
“While the data reports lives lost to the tragedy of drug and alcohol misuse, we are hopeful that the information will help make decisions to save lives in the future,” said Chairman Doug Chaffee, Fourth District Supervisor. “At our recent Hope for Recovery event, resources and support were shared with members of the community and family members of those struggling with drug or alcohol addiction.”  
 
“Substance misuse prevention is most effective when we have data to inform policies,” said Vice Chairman, Donald Wagner, Third District Supervisor. “The dashboard will be a powerful tool for targeting prevention initiatives.”
 
HCA’s MHRS will be launching a NARCAN community education and distribution outreach effort utilizing the demographic and geographic data provided in the dashboard. NARCAN is a life-saving medication/ intervention that can reverse an opioid overdose, which is the drug responsible for most overdose deaths. 
 
“Having a better understanding of who is most at risk of a drug or alcohol death will help us educate and support our community by reaching out to our most impacted populations,” said Supervisor Andrew Do, First District.
 
“Narcotics, fentanyl, and opioids have infiltrated every facet of our society – our communities, schools, most vulnerable populations,” stated Supervisor Katrina Foley, Second District. “Tools like this are necessary to keep track of the escalating opioid crisis in Orange County and inform education on administering lifesaving drugs such as NARCAN, preventing tragedies in the long term.”
 
“Access to this data enhances our efforts to address substance misuse prevention,” said Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett, Fifth District. “Using current and relevant data resources, we can create, and support prevention efforts related to mental illness and substance misuse.”
 
“The updated data provided in the Drug and Alcohol Mortality and Misuse Dashboard will inform a wide variety of efforts, including public awareness campaigns and community outreach. Planning for opioid settlement funding is beginning and this data will further inform the use of funding,” says Dr. Veronica Kelley, Chief of MHRS. “It will help deepen our understanding of the problem areas and strengthen prevention and intervention efforts.”
 
If you or someone you know needs help for substance misuse, please call OC Links at (855) 625-4657, or visit www.ocnavigator.org.

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(Santa Ana, CA) – A bat found outside the main lobby of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Building #1 on Alton Parkway in Irvine, on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at has tested positive for rabies. Given the location and circumstance, The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is urging residents to be on alert and avoid contact with any bats. Rabid bats are identified routinely each year in Orange County and around the country. Contact with bats should be avoided and any potential bat bite should be discussed with a medical provider.

Anyone who may have had physical contact with this bat or saw someone else having contact with the bat is asked to call the HCA Health Care Agency (HCA) Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180 to determine the risk for rabies. Owners of pets who may have had contact with this bat should contact their veterinarian.

The rabies virus is found in an animal’s saliva and is transmitted to people by a bite from a rabid animal. Although very rare, contamination of the eyes, mouth or an open wound by the saliva of a rabid animal can also transmit rabies. Most cases of human rabies in the United States in recent years have resulted from bat strains of rabies; bats have very small teeth, and their bites may go unnoticed.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For that reason, preventive treatment to stop the rabies virus from causing illness is given to anyone who may have been exposed to rabies. Medical assistance should be obtained promptly after an exposure so any wound can be cleaned and preventive treatment can be started. This treatment is safe and effective.

The HCA and OC Animal Care recommend the following actions to minimize the risk of rabies:

• Avoid all contact with wild animals.
• Vaccinate all cats and dogs against rabies.
• Do not sleep with open unscreened windows or doors.
• If bats are seen inside the house or other structure, close off the area and contact animal control. Once the bat(s) have been removed, close off any areas allowing entrance into the house.
• Do not leave pet food outside where it will attract wild animals.
• Immediately wash all animal bites with soap and water, being sure to flush the wound well, then contact your doctor.
• Report all animal bites to OC Animal Care.
• Report stray animals to OC Animal Care.

Potential exposure to a bat or other wild animal should be reported to the HCA Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180. To report a bat in your home, an animal bite, or a stray animal, contact OC Animal Care at (714) 935-6848.
More information about rabies is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/rabies.

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(Santa Ana, CA) – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a warning to school leaders last week about a new and concerning “rainbow fentanyl,” a potentially fatal drug found in brightly colored pills and powders that could attract young people.
 
In its letter, the CDPH points to a recent warning from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency that notes the highly addictive and potentially deadly “rainbow fentanyl” has been found in at least 18 states. Read the full CDPH warning. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
 
“Youth drug misuse and abuse is growing in our state with one in eight teens reporting abusing an illicit substance in the past year,” said Dr. Veronica Kelley, Chief of the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) Mental Health and Recovery Services division. “Counterfeit pills are easily accessible via social media platforms and are increasing laced with fentanyl – one pill can kill!”
 
The CDC says fentanyl and other synthetic opioids cause most overdose deaths in the country. While these drugs generally have no tell-tale tastes, smells or visual indicators, there are signs associated with opioid overdoses. They include:

                                       Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
                                       Falling asleep or losing consciousness
                                       Slow, weak or no breathing
                                       Choking or gurgling sounds Limp body
                                       Cold and/or clammy skin
                                       Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
 
“These brightly colored pills or powders laced with fentanyl could easily be mistaken for candy or chalk and pose a threat to our community,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer and HCA Chief Medical Officer. “I urge everyone in the community to spread awareness and learn how to use naloxone in the event of a fentanyl overdose or poisoning.”
 
Some California schools have created naloxone policies in response to increases in opioid overdoses among youth. Naloxone is a life-saving medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. The CDPH encourages schools that are interested in developing these policies and receiving free naloxone to review relevant regulations and apply for a Statewide Standing Order for Naloxone.
 
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Naloxone Distribution Project offers free naloxone to qualified organizations, including schools and universities.
 
Visit the CDPH Overdose Prevention Initiative site for more information, including resources for adult role models and educators. 
 
Get more facts about fentanyl from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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