Douglas County Health Department - Health Alerts and Messages

Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) uses the Nebraska Health Alert Network system to send important health advisory and alert messages directly to Douglas County health care providers and other public health partners. (For influenza update reports, please see the DCHD influenza page.)

There are several public health notification systems locally and nationally.

Douglas County Health Department

Please click here or scan alt to opt into the email list for Douglas County health care providers and public health partners. (We send weekly influenza surveillance reports during flu season, health alerts from state and federal partners, as well as occasional messages regarding important public health issues that may affect our community.)

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

The Nebraska Health Alert Network archive can be accessed at http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Health-Alert-Network.aspx. Subscribe to health alert messages here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NESTATE/subscriber/new?topic_id=NEDHHS_195.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

CDC Health Alert Network (HAN): The CDC Health Alert Network can be accessed at http://emergency.cdc.gov/HAN/.

Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA): CDC also disseminates timely information for clinicians through the Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) program. Continuing education credits are often offered. Sign up for COCA updates here: https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/index.asp

If you have questions about any of these messages, feel free to contact our Communicable Diseases Epidemiology section at (402) 444-7214.

Archive of Messages Sent Through the Health Alert Network (HAN) to Douglas County Health Care Providers and Other Public Health Partners:

Date	Source	Topic
4/11/2019	NE DHHS	Outbreaks of Hepatitis A among people using drugs or experiencing homelessness
1/23/2019	CDC	Third Case of Rifampin/Penicillin-Resistant Strain of RB51 Brucella from Consuming Raw Milk
12/21/2019	NE DHHS	Influenza Update: Marked Spike in Influenza Activity this Past Week
12/10/2018	CDC	Update—Outbreak of Life-threatening Coagulopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoids Use
11/9/2018	NE DHHS	AFM Update and Webinar Info: Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM): What Health Care Providers Need to Know
9/26/2018	DCHD	Exposure to Rabid Bat at Morton Magnet Middle School
9/21/2018	NE DHHS	False-positive Vibrio and Yersinia results on Culture-Independent Diagnostic Testing (CIDT)
9/5/2018	NE DHHS	Maintaining vigilance for Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) among children in Nebraska
7/11/2018	CDC	Rising Numbers of Deaths Involving Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogs, Including Carfentanil, and Increased Usage and Mixing with Non-opioids
6/11/2018	CDC	Outbreak of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Infections among Persons Who Use Drugs and Persons Experiencing Homelessness
6/7/2018	CDC	Update – CDC Recommendations for Managing and Reporting Shigella Infections with Possible Reduced Susceptibility to Ciprofloxacin
5/29/2018	NE DHHS	Summertime Infectious Disease Update: West Nile Virus
5/25/2018	CDC	Outbreak of Life-threatening Coagulopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoids Use
4/30/2018	NE DHHS	Multi-state outbreak of serratia marcescens bloodstream infections
4/20/2018	NE DHHS	Tick borne diseases in Nebraska diseases in Nebraska
4/11/2018	NE DHHS	Forwarding of Isolates and/or Specimens to NPHL (Reportable Disease Reporting Regulations)
2/14/2018	NE DHHS	Management of Influenza and Influenza-Associated Pneumonia
12/27/2017	CDC	Seasonal Influenza A(H3N2) Activity and Antiviral Treatment of Patients with Influenza
11/6/2017		HHS Office for Civil Rights Issues Guidance on How HIPAA Allows Information Sharing to Address the Opioid Crisis
10/25/2017	NE DHHS	Zika Update
9/13/2017	DCHD	Updated CDC Recommendations for Treatment of Gonorrhea
8/7/2017	NE DHHS	Updated Zika Lab Testing Guidelines
7/11/2017	NE DHHS, CDC	Patients Receiving Eculizumab (Soliris®) at High Risk for Invasive Meningococcal Disease Despite Vaccination
5/17/2017	CDC	Potential for Falsely Low Blood Lead Test Results from LeadCare® Analyzers
4/5/2017	NE DHHS	Tick-Borne Diseases in Nebraska
3/23/2017	NE DHHS	Measles Exposures in Omaha, Papillion, and La Vista
2/7/2017	DCHD	Update – Second Round of Testing TB Contacts at Benson High School Scheduled for February 21-22, 2017
2/6/2017	NE DHHS	Reportable Disease Regulations Update
1/26/2017	CDC	Testing Travelers Returning from China for Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Infection
1/11/2017	DHHS	Norovirus Outbreaks
12/14/2016	CDC	CDC Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection Related to the Investigation for Local Mosquito-borne Zika Virus Transmission in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas
12/5/2016	DCHD	Memo Re: Protecting Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities against Influenza
11/30/2016	DCHD	Memo: Tuberculosis Contact Investigation
11/17/2016	DHHS	Increase in Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Acute Flaccid Myelitis Cases
10/31/2016	DHHS	2016-17 Influenza Vaccination and Testing Guidelines
10/19/2016	CDC	CDC Updates Guidance for Pregnant Women and Women and Men of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection Related to the Ongoing Investigation of Local Mosquito-borne Zika Virus Transmission in Miami-Dade County, Florida
10/13/2016	CDC	CDC Advises Hospitals to Alert Patients at Risk from Contaminated Heater-Cooler Devices Used during Cardiac Surgery
9/20/2016	CDC	CDC Updates Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection Related to the Ongoing Investigation of Local Mosquito-borne Zika Virus Transmission in Miami-Dade County, Florida
8/25/2016	CDC	Influx of Fentanyl-laced Counterfeit Pills and Toxic Fentanyl-related Compounds Further Increases Risk of Fentanyl-related Overdose and Fatalities
8/1/2016	CDC	CDC Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection Related to the Investigation for Local Mosquito-borne Zika Virus Transmission in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Florida
7/29/2016	NDHHS	Addition of Acute Flaccid Myelitis to Nebraska Reportable Disease List
7/20/2016	DCHD	Physician Memo on Electronic Death Certificate Filing Requirement
7/5/2016	NDHHS/CDC	Subsequent Zika virus IgM Antibody Testing
6/29/2016	NDHHS	Multi-state outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections
6/17/2016	CDC	Best Practices for Using PCR to Diagnose Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria meningitidis and Identify Serotype or Serogroup
6/8/2016	NDHHS	Measures to Control Mumps Outbreak Including Mumps Vaccine (Sent to Sarpy, Cass, Washington, Saunders, and Dodge Counties)
5/31/2016	NDHHS	Mumps Outbreak Update
5/25/2016	CDC	Diagnostic Testing of Urine Specimens for Suspected Zika Virus Infection
5/19/2016	NDHHS	Mumps Outbreak Associated with Midland University in Fremont, NE
5/12/2016	DCHD	High Number of Shigella Infections in Douglas County
2/25/2016	NDHHS	Pediatric Influenza Death (Northeast Nebraska)
2/23/2016	CDC	Update: Interim Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus — United States, 2016
2/9/2016	NDHHS	Nebraska DHHS HAN: Zika Virus Laboratory Testing Criteria and Specimen Collection Guidance
2/8/2016	NDHHS	Increases in Fentanyl Drug Confiscations and Fentanyl-related Overdose Fatalities
2/1/2016	CDC	Flu Season Begins: Severe Influenza Illness Reported
1/27/2016	CDC	CDC Urging Dialysis Providers and Facilities to Assess and Improve Infection Control Practices to Stop Hepatitis C Virus Transmission in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis
1/15/2016	CDC	Recognizing, Managing, and Reporting Zika Virus Infections in Travelers Returning from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico
10/20/2015	DCHD	Improving Influenza Vaccination Among Staff of Long-Term Care Facilities
9/18/2015	NDHHS	Laboratory Handling and Diagnostics for Francisella tularensis
9/8/2015	DCHD	Increased Reports of Cryptosporidium Infections in Douglas County
6/26/2015	NDHHS	Summertime Infectious Disease Update: West Nile Virus & Influenza
6/19/2015	CDC	Clinical Considerations for the Evaluation of Ill Travelers from Liberia to the United States
6/12/2015	CDC	Updated Information and Guidelines for Evaluation of Patients for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Infection
6/5/2015	NDHHS/CDC	Updated Advisory: Nebraska Impact of Avian Influenza
6/4/2015	CDC	Ciprofloxacin- and Azithromycin-Nonsusceptible Shigellosis in the United States
5/15/2015	NDHHS	Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Nebraska Poultry
4/24/2015	CDC	HAN 377: Outbreak of Recent HIV and HCV Infections among Persons Who Inject Drugs
1/29/2015	DCHD	Second Case of Measles Confirmed in Three Rivers Public Health Department Area Child
1/23/2015	NDHHS, CDC	Nebraska Advisory and CDC HAN 376: U.S. Multi-state Measles Outbreak, December 2014-January 2015
1/21/2015	DCHD	Measles Alert: Exposures in Omaha and Blair, January 2015
1/9/2015	CDC	HAN 375: CDC Health Update Regarding Treatment of Patients with Influenza with Antiviral Medications

Abbreviations

CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NDHHS: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
DCHD: Douglas County Health Department (Omaha, Nebraska)

NEBRASKA

Douglas County

Health Department

Health Alert Network