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Health department holds drill on disease outbreak

The Daily Star - 4/4/2018

April 04--The Delaware County Department of Public Health conducted a state-mandated drill Tuesday at the Delhi American Legion, a regular test of its preparedness for public health emergencies.

The scenario this time was a potential outbreak of Hepatitis A: a grocery store employee who handled produce had worked during a two-week period when symptomatic, according to program director Rachel Dillhoff.

She said the department was given last-minute notice last week so that it wouldn't have much time to prepare. It typically has these types of drills about once a year, she said.

The department would put out an advisory that people in the county should be vaccinated. Previous drills have involved medication distribution for a hypothetical plague or other outbreak, according to department director Mandy Walsh.

Four stations were set up with a nurse and a clerk, who took basic health information from the mock patients before they were administered a vaccination -- here a puff of air in the deltoid muscle.

"We decided to come out to volunteer," said Cathy Howard of Davenport, aka patient "Alotta McCracken." She waited in a rotating line of about 25 other "patient" volunteers with faux names. The drill ran for two hours, with some volunteers staying multiple rounds to keep the operation moving. Some were retirees, and others students from Delaware Academy High School who were given extra credit.

The Hepatitis A vaccine has dropped the incidence of the disease in the United States by 95 percent since the 1980s, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. A two-dose vaccine is recommended beginning after the age of one. The highly contagious disease affects the liver and is caused by a virus that can be spread by sexual contact or remnants of fecal matter.

Public health nurses and employees said the drills make them feel more prepared.

"We can work out the kinks and see what doesn't work," said senior account clerk Rebecca Gardner.

Hepatitis A is still common in other countries, and the vaccine is more strongly recommended for travelers to those countries, men who have sexual encounters with other men, and users of recreational drugs.

Erin Jerome, staff writer, may be reached at (607) 441-7221, or at ejerome@thedailystar.com . Follow her on Twitter at @DS_ErinJ .

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