Tweet
Pneumonia outbreak in Gilmer, Calhoun
Possible increase in Wood County
November 18, 2011
By JODY MURPHY (jmurphy@newsandsentinel.com) , Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - Public health officials have issued an advisory of a pneumonia outbreak in Gilmer and Calhoun counties. The news has health officials in Wood County on watch as some medical personnel are reporting an increase in pneumonia cases.
Wednesday, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health issued a health advisory citing an outbreak of pneumonia due to mycoplasma pneumoniae. As of Nov. 3 there were 27 confirmed cases in Gilmer County. There was also an outbreak of pneumonia and upper respiratory illness reported in Calhoun County.
Officials at the Mid-Ohio Valley Medical Center in Vienna have seen dozens of cases of pneumonia just last week. One provider at the center has been seeing four or five cases a week for the last few weeks, including five cases alone on Wednesday.
Patrick Burke, regional epidemiologist for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, said officials have yet to confirm the existence of an outbreak in Wood County.
"At this point, we are pretty limited to the region," Burke said. "We haven't expanded to outlying counties - particularly Wood County - but there is the potential for that."
Burke said officials are investigating cases in Calhoun and Gilmer counties.
Health officials are doing surveillance in schools and tracking cases in schools and hospitals.
"It is above and beyond what is expected," Burke said. "We have to get with the providers who are seeing it."
More...
Possible increase in Wood County
November 18, 2011
By JODY MURPHY (jmurphy@newsandsentinel.com) , Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - Public health officials have issued an advisory of a pneumonia outbreak in Gilmer and Calhoun counties. The news has health officials in Wood County on watch as some medical personnel are reporting an increase in pneumonia cases.
Wednesday, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health issued a health advisory citing an outbreak of pneumonia due to mycoplasma pneumoniae. As of Nov. 3 there were 27 confirmed cases in Gilmer County. There was also an outbreak of pneumonia and upper respiratory illness reported in Calhoun County.
Officials at the Mid-Ohio Valley Medical Center in Vienna have seen dozens of cases of pneumonia just last week. One provider at the center has been seeing four or five cases a week for the last few weeks, including five cases alone on Wednesday.
Patrick Burke, regional epidemiologist for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, said officials have yet to confirm the existence of an outbreak in Wood County.
"At this point, we are pretty limited to the region," Burke said. "We haven't expanded to outlying counties - particularly Wood County - but there is the potential for that."
Burke said officials are investigating cases in Calhoun and Gilmer counties.
Health officials are doing surveillance in schools and tracking cases in schools and hospitals.
"It is above and beyond what is expected," Burke said. "We have to get with the providers who are seeing it."
More...
