3 Disease Outbreaks In King County Put Homeless At Risk

SEATTLE, WA - King County Public Health investigators are looking into outbreaks of three diseases that are especially harmful for the local homeless population - and a fourth outbreak may be emerging.

According to Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officials are seeing a big increase of group A streptococcus infections and shigella, which causes gastrointestinal distress. There's also a cluster of trench fever cases, a painful illness spread through body lice carrying the bacteria Bartonella quintana. There have been three trench fever cases among the homeless since mid-2017, according to Duchin.

Additionally, Duchin said, the department is monitoring for a possible Hepatitis A outbreak - a type of hepatitis that infects the liver and can be spread through contact with infected feces.

These illnesses are particularly tough on the homeless because they lack access to proper medical care. Hepatitis A, for example, can be prevented by taking a vaccine.

"People who lack permanent housing often also have limited access to medical care, so many people living homeless and with health problems have difficulty getting prompt treatment. Living conditions – like crowding and fewer opportunities for personal hygiene – can contribute to the spread of disease," Duchin said in a blog post.

King County is working with the state Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and Harborview Medical Center to address the strep problem. The county is also spreading information about the other illnesses through homeless outreach.

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch