Helping Idaho’s children and their families by making sure they are safe and supported is a very important goal for us.

We have many services and programs to help support Idaho’s children and families, but today I’d like to encourage those who work with young children and their families to consider attending the Early Years Conference on Nov. 1-2 in Boise. The theme is Vision for Success in Early Childhood.

Our biennial conference is organized by the Head Start Collaboration Office and the Infant Toddler Program. It provides members of Idaho's early childhood learning communities access to current research and best practices that benefit children from when they are born until they turn 8 years old. It attracts presenters with expertise in key and emerging issues related to strengthening and supporting families in unique and diverse populations.

This year, there are five tracks for attendees:

• Building Family Strengths: Identifies and supports the unique and specialized needs of children and their families.
• Health/Safety and Well-Being: Emphasizes the importance of supporting and nurturing young children, including safety issues, and child abuse and neglect prevention and intervention.
• Early Care and Learning: Focuses on early child development, research, and educational practices that enable infants and young children to reach their maximum potential.
• Program/Professional Development: Highlights program models and best practices to enhance professional work with young children and families.
• Infant/Early Child Mental Health: Centers on the social and emotional development of children from birth through age 5 and their families, including key issues, relationships, risks, and best-practice interventions. 

The conference is a great chance to learn, grow, and connect with other like-minded people in Idaho who are passionate about helping children be successful in life.

Learn more about the conference and find registration information on our website at https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/early-years-conference-2022

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The first updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters have now been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These updated boosters are aimed more directly at the Omicron variants that continue to circulate in the U.S. and around the world.

To make the boosters more effective, Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components have been added to the vaccines to help restore and increase protection that has declined since previous vaccination. The boosters are known as “bivalent” because they now include two components to more broadly cover the viruses that may circulate this fall.

Who should get the updated booster?

The updated booster from Pfizer-BioNTech is recommended for people ages 12 years and older. The Moderna booster is recommended for people ages 18 and older. 

The CDC recommends that everyone eligible should get the updated booster to get the best protection from the virus that causes COVID-19, which is still circulating in Idaho. It’s expected that the viruses causing COVID-19 illness will spread more, and that more people will get sick as they go back to school and spend more time indoors.

When should they get it?

People can get the updated booster if it has been at least two months since their last dose of COVID-19 vaccine. For most people, it’s been longer than two months since their last dose, so getting the booster as we head into fall respiratory illness season is especially important to avoid serious illness.

Where are the boosters available?

The updated boosters have started being sent to Idaho by manufacturers, but quantities are still limited. It’s best to visit vaccines.gov to find vaccine near you, check with your local pharmacy, or call your healthcare provider.

How often will we need to get a COVID-19 booster?

Unless a new, more contagious, or more dangerous variant evolves, the hope is that after getting the updated bivalent booster, most people will be able to get a yearly shot to maintain protection against severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. Those who are immunocompromised may need more doses.

It is impossible to know which new virus variants may appear this fall, so it’s important to stay aware of evolving recommendations and if you have questions to discuss your options with your healthcare provider.

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in an Idaho tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

COVID-19 resources:

• Idaho’s Coronavirus website
• CDC COVID-19 website
• Find COVID-19 and flu vaccines/boosters near you: Use vaccines.gov to find a location near you, then call or visit their website to make an appointment. 

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

 

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), first declared in January 2020, was most recently renewed on July 15. The next decision about the PHE is not due until Oct. 15, but the federal government has agreed to notify states 60 days before it ends. Since that has not happened, it is expected that the PHE will be renewed in October. This is important to know for Idahoans who receive Medicaid.

The PHE declaration for COVID-19 provided continued Medicaid coverage for Idahoans who may have otherwise become ineligible. When the declaration ends, this protection also ends.

Idaho currently has about 131,000 people on protected Medicaid, which means we do not know if they are still eligible for Medicaid, but their benefits cannot be closed while the PHE is in place unless they request it.

When the 60-day notice is given to states that the PHE will end, DHW will send notices to those recipients telling them about any coming changes in their eligibility or benefits, and if they need to complete a re-evaluation.

We don’t know how many of the 131,000 will still get benefits. We have not had contact with many of them for more than two years because of the PHE. We do not know their current income or resource status.

For reference, about 430,000 people receive Medicaid in Idaho.

If you currently receive Medicaid, please take action to make sure you receive notices about your benefits and re-evaluations. Report any changes in your household information, including your phone number and address.

If your contact information has changed, or you want to confirm your current information, call DHW at 877-456-1233 or email MyBenefits@dhw.idaho.gov. You can also report changes by visiting idalink.idaho.gov.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

The department’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan is now in full motion as we head into the fall. I would like to provide a brief overview of each of the objectives in the plan, which you can find on the DHW website.

Strategic Goal 1: Ensure affordable, available healthcare that works

Objective: Help reduce healthcare workforce shortages

Some Idahoans may not have access to needed healthcare services due to workforce shortages and limited access. The divisions of Public Health, Behavioral Health, and Medicaid are working to:

• Increase the number of sites offering sliding fee scales for patients.
• Help recruit and retain nurses in rural communities.
• Improve direct-care workforce retention and recruitment with hospitals, care facilities, and behavioral healthcare providers.

Objective: Ensure that 50 percent of Medicaid payments are tied to measurable outcomes of better health and cost-efficient care

Under a fee-for-service healthcare system, providers are paid more when they provide more services, not for delivering a higher quality of care. The Division of Medicaid is working to:

• Reimburse for value over volume.
• Restructure Medicaid payments to hold providers accountable for costs and quality.
• Add the Medicaid Expansion population to this work.

Objective: Limit Medicaid spending growth

If Medicaid funding needs exceed overall growth in state revenues, the state will be in the difficult position of either pulling funding from other state programs or increasing taxes to fund Medicaid. The Division of Medicaid is working to:

• Achieve a growth rate that does not exceed a pre-set benchmark.
• Monitor and manage high-cost services.
• Limit the use of low-value, medically unnecessary services.

Strategic Goal 2: Protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults

Objective: Provide in-home preventative services for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and can be served safely in their homes

Idaho lacks a comprehensive, statewide, evidenced-based service continuum for children and families who experience abuse or neglect. The Division of Family and Community Services is working to:

• Implement an intensive standardized in-home case management structure.
• Provide at least three evidence-based services for in-home and foster care cases.
• Improve time to permanency for children in foster care by 10 percent.

Objective: Develop and implement a behavioral healthcare system in Idaho that provides the services that people need, when they need them

Idaho’s current behavioral healthcare services are not structured to maximize the effectiveness of services to for people with behavioral health conditions. The Division of Behavioral Health is working to:

• Collaborate with the Idaho Behavioral Health Council to implement initiatives such as increasing the Idaho behavioral health workforce, establishing Idaho Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities for youth, and piloting Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers.
• Improve the children’s mental health system of care, as measured by an improvement of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS).
• Launch the 988 crisis line and implement the Idaho behavioral health crisis system.

Objective: Enable adults with developmental disabilities to access a full continuum of crisis care that supports them to remain in communities whenever possible

Most people with developmental disabilities are successfully supported in the community. However, community provider capacity does not allow for effective treatment of people with complex needs that result in unsafe behaviors.

The Division of Family and Community Services is working to:

• Make sure that individuals who have a developmental disability and complex behavioral, mental health, or medical needs receive services that are person-centered, trauma-informed, and delivered in the least restrictive environment possible.
• Make sure that people who have a developmental disability receive appropriate treatment, whether they are living on a state-owned campus, in the community, or are transitioning back to the community from a campus setting.
• Provide services while maintaining safety for clients and the community.

Strategic Goal 3: Help Idahoans become as healthy and self-sufficient as possible

Objective: Reduce Idaho’s suicide rate

As the seventh leading cause of death, suicide is a critical public health issue in Idaho. It brings tragic loss to individuals and entire communities each year. In 2020, Idaho’s suicide rate ranked fifth highest in the United States and was 1.6 times the national average. The Division of Public Health is working to:

• Reduce Idaho’s suicide rate from 23.8 to fewer than 19.0 per 100,000 by June 30, 2025.
• Improve capacity to use data to identify and address equity and risk disparities in high suicide risk populations.
• Increase the use of the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline (988) and Behavioral Health crisis centers.

Objective: Improve conditions in socially disadvantaged communities to prevent disease, injury, and violence

Conditions where people live, learn, work, and play (also called the social determinants of health) contribute to preventable differences in disease, injury, violence, and the ability to be healthy. To address these conditions in Idaho’s socially disadvantaged populations, the divisions of Public Health, Medicaid, and Welfare are working to:

• Invest in one high-risk community each year.
• Explore a cross-division, braided funding strategy to support communities that are addressing the social determinants of health.
• Deliver childcare services to 20 percent more Idaho families whose income is higher than the federal poverty limit but who still can’t afford some necessities.

Objective: Prevent or reduce the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) across the lifespan of Idahoans

Trauma experienced during childhood severely increases the likelihood of poor physical and mental health throughout life. To address the impact of ACEs, the divisions of Public Health, Medicaid, Family and Community Services (FACS), Behavioral Health, and Welfare are working to:

• Identify opportunities to increase the number of trauma-informed providers and increase awareness of these providers.
• Implement three initiatives identified by the Suicide, Overdose, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Prevention Capacity Assessment Tool.
• Develop an ACEs continuing education training program for providers.

Objective: Reduce the department’s employee voluntary turnover rate

Economic pressure is making it difficult to hire and retain employees, which can negatively impact services to our customers. The department is looking into what more can be done to recruit, retain, and develop staff. Human Resources initiatives include:

• Implementing a “stay” interview program to assess employee job satisfaction.
• Implementing a leadership development program.
• Conducting a compensation study in each division at least every other fiscal year.

Strategic Goal 4: Strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the Department of Health and Welfare

Objective: Reduce the regulatory burden on the public imposed by our administrative rules

Rules, regulations, and oversight activities are necessary to ensure the health and safety of Idahoans but are less effective when outdated, overly restrictive, or when oversight activities are inefficient or not completed on time. The Division of Licensing and Certification is working to:

• Review and rewrite 12 administrative rule chapters by Dec. 31, 2022.
• Decrease the overall number of words, including restrictive words, in administrative rule chapters.
• Conduct at least one negotiated rulemaking session and two public hearings for each rule chapter scheduled for review and rewrite.

Objective: Build the trust and confidence of the media, employees, those we serve, and other stakeholders through communication strategies that support our mission and vision

Idahoans would be more able to make informed decisions about their health, safety, and independence if they had improved exposure to timely, clear, consistent communications from DHW. The Office of Communications is working to:

• Improve understanding of the department’s work by sharing narratives that demonstrate our compassion and trustworthiness.
• Improve our customers’ experience through use of plain language and other strategies.
• Engage more effectively with community organizations and healthcare providers.

Objective: Navigate global economic, social, and technological changes through matured strategies for resource management

Established strategies for resource planning across divisions over many fiscal years are not flexible enough to respond to emerging economic, social, and technological changes in the global environment. The divisions of Management Services and Information and Technology are developing and implementing proactive, long-term strategies for:

• Procurement of goods and services.
• Maintenance and upgrades for technological needs.
• Acquisition, maintenance, and operation of buildings and facilities.

Objective: Enhance public health and safety by improving the effectiveness and visibility of regulatory activities

Rules, regulations, and oversight activities are necessary to ensure the health and safety of Idahoans but are less effective when outdated, overly restrictive, or when they are inefficient or not completed in a timely manner. The divisions of Management Services and Licensing and Certification are working to ensure that Idahoans are safe, and feel safe, by:

• Completing at least 25 percent of overdue onsite inspections of skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.
• Offering a better user experience and more efficiency in the federally endorsed Criminal History Background Check system.
• Improving the average resolution time for criminal history background checks from 30 days to 6 days.

Stay safe and healthy on this Labor Day weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Several lakes and reservoirs have health advisories because of cyanobacterial blooms so far this summer. Most of the year, Idaho’s lakes and reservoirs are safe to enjoy. But when water temperatures increase and the right type of nutrients are available, some bodies of water can produce blooms of harmful bacteria that can be dangerous for humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife. Those blooms are called cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms, or HABs for short.

What causes a bloom?

The blooms are caused by bacteria that can produce toxins. The blooms are also referred to as cyanobacterial blooms. When weather conditions are calm and there is an increase in water temperature and nutrients, bacteria can rapidly increase and produce a bloom. Blooms can occur at any time, but they most often occur in late summer or early fall.

What do these blooms look like?

They can be blue, bright green, brown, or red. They may look like paint or anti-freeze floating on the water. As the bloom develops, it may look like foam, scum, or mats on the surface of lakes and ponds.

What are the symptoms of an exposure to a bloom?

The most common health effects are irritated skin and eyes. Other more severe effects can include:

• Difficulty breathing
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Numbness and tingling in lips, fingers, and toes

If you experience mild irritation, rinse with clean water immediately. If you experience severe symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Are the symptoms the same for animals?

Pets and livestock exposed to blooms may show symptoms such as:

• Weakness
• Staggering
• Foaming at the mouth
• Difficulty breathing
• Convulsions/seizures

If your pet encounters a bloom, rinse them with clean, fresh water immediately. If they start to have symptoms, call a veterinarian. In severe cases, animals can die within minutes and up to several hours after they have been exposed to harmful blooms.

Is it safe to eat fish from a lake with a bloom?

If you choose to fish in water with a bloom, wear protective clothing such as gloves or waders, and wash your hands thoroughly with clean water. Information about the risk of eating fish from affected waters is limited. However, fish fillets are less likely to have toxins compared to other parts of the fish. If you decide to eat fish from affected waters:

• Remove the skin, organs, and fatty deposits from the fish.
• Avoid cutting into organs while you’re cleaning the fish.
• Rinse the fillets with clean water before you cook the fish.

What should we know to avoid a bloom?

• Be sure to look at the water before anyone gets in it. If it has an unusual color or looks different than you expected, do not go in or allow your children, pets, or livestock to go in or even near it.
• Check current information on potential blooms by visiting Idaho Recreational Water Health Advisories.
•  Avoid any water sports in areas with harmful algal blooms.
• Do not use untreated water for drinking, bathing, cleaning, or cooking. Boiling water that has been contaminated by a bloom will not remove the toxins, and it may cause more toxins to be released.
• Remember: When in doubt, stay out.

Resources:

• Recreational Water Health Advisories
• Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Report and view HABs near you
• Idaho Fish Consumption Advisory information
• DHW Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom FAQ

Brigitta Gruenberg is a health program specialist in the Environmental Health Program, Division of Public Health, Department of Health and Welfare.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.

In 2021, 353 Idaho residents died from a drug overdose.

From 2010 to 2022, more than 2,900 Idahoans have died from an overdose.

Those numbers are distressing to me because they mean so many Idaho families are missing a loved one today, because of an overdose.

A person develops tolerance in response to various levels of drugs, depending on how much they use. An overdose happens when the strength of the drug exceeds a person’s ability to tolerate it.

Because of fentanyl’s strength, small amounts of it can result in overdoses and deaths. This leaves people who have low tolerance levels, such as recreational drug users, at risk for overdose.

Idaho has been seeing an increase in fentanyl-related overdoses and overdose deaths. With the increased presence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl in drugs sold illegally (also called street drugs), anyone who uses street drugs is at risk for an overdose. Unknown amounts of fentanyl can be found in pills, powders, and liquids that are sold illegally.

Overdose deaths are avoidable. There are things we all can do to prevent those tragic deaths. Talk to your loved ones about their substance use, and guide them toward resources to help.

Another way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get doses of naloxone. Naloxone is a medication that reverses an opioid overdose. It is available in two forms — as a nasal spray and as an injection. Naloxone nasal spray is known by the brand names Narcan and Kloxxado. All are available through pharmacies and community organizations. Find naloxone near you at FindIdahoTesting.org

Visit the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s website and search for “drug overdose prevention” for resources and additional help.

To observe International Overdose Awareness Day, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will host an event at 10 a.m. MT Aug. 31 at the Idaho Capitol Building steps, featuring speakers from state agencies as well as community members affected by overdose. Speakers will share their experiences about the overdose epidemic in Idaho and the spectrum of substance use, community resources, and personal experiences with overdose. We hope you can join us.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Idaho is publishing COVID-19 data from samples collected at participating wastewater treatment facilities around the state. The Wastewater testing tab on the state’s COVID-19 case, laboratory, and hospital data dashboard.  Click “Wastewater Testing” at the  dashboard to see a clickable map, that lists participating locations, and clearly-illustrated trends.

People infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 often shed the virus in their feces, even if they don’t have symptoms. The virus is detectable in wastewater, which allows wastewater surveillance to serve as another way to monitor how COVID-19 is spreading in a community.

In Idaho, wastewater surveillance is becoming an important tool for monitoring COVID-19. Samples are collected by participating wastewater treatment facilities two or three times per week and sent to one of five testing laboratories at Idaho-based universities and the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories. Testing done at the laboratories determines the concentration of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the wastewater samples.

Viral concentration data is uploaded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Wastewater Surveillance System, where it’s aggregated and analyzed with data from similar programs across the U.S. The Idaho data is then pulled from the CDC’s central database and published on the state’s dashboard.

Wastewater system trends are estimated by analyzing recent concentrations obtained for individual wastewater facilities. If a statistically significant trend is identified for a given site, the treatment site is noted as an increase or decrease. If no significant trend can be identified levels of virus in samples from that treatment site are considered to be stable.

Challenges remain as this new program expands in the state. Participation in wastewater monitoring is voluntary for all contributing treatment facilities, and occasionally sampling may be missed or delayed at either the sampling or testing locations. This is especially true when staffing is strained as can happen when COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing.

New sites are regularly being added to the network. Trends from new test sites are expected to swing wildly at first but then stabilize over time as additional data are added.

There are hundreds of wastewater treatment facilities in Idaho. Capacity is not yet large enough to sample and test wastewater from all facilities, so sites have been prioritized based on the size of the population served, the location of the facility, and the facility’s ability to collect and submit samples using standardized techniques.  Currently, we have contributing facilities from each region in Idaho, which will help us continue to monitor how COVID-19 is spreading.

Dr. Christopher Ball is the laboratory bureau chief for the Division of Public Health, Bureau of Laboratories, where he serves as the laboratory director and clinical consultant. Dr. Ball is certified in molecular diagnostics by the American Board of Bioanalysis and serves as co-chair of the Governor’s Coronavirus Testing Task Force. Since February 2020, he has been focusing on providing testing, developing guidance, and expanding testing capacity to support Idaho’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new, streamlined guidance last week to help people better understand their risk for getting COVID-19, how to protect themselves and others, what actions to take if exposed to COVID-19, and what actions to take if they are sick or test positive for the virus.

COVID-19 continues to circulate in Idaho and around the globe, but with so many tools available to reduce COVID-19 severity, there is much less risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death compared to earlier in the pandemic.

The best, most consistent protection against serious illness, hospitalization, and death continues to be obtained with use of vaccination and boosters. As children head back into the classroom, please make sure they are up to date on all their recommended vaccinations, including those for COVID-19.

If you are exposed to COVID-19 the guidance now is:

• You should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days after the day you were exposed and get tested five days after the day you were exposed.

If you have COVID-19, the guidance now is:

• Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others.
  • You should also isolate if you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms, but do not yet have test results.
    • If your results are positive, follow CDC’s full isolation recommendations.
• Stay home for at least five days after your positive test and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first five days. Wear a high-quality mask when you must be around others at home and in public for 10 days after your positive test.
  • If after 5 days you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medication, and your symptoms are improving, or you never had symptoms, you may end isolation. Wear a high-quality mask for 10 days after your positive test result.
  • Regardless of when you end isolation, avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 for 10 days after your positive test.
• If you had moderate illness (if you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) or severe illness (you were hospitalized) due to COVID-19 or you have a weakened immune system, you need to isolate for the full 10 days after your positive test result.
  • In addition to isolating for 10 days after a positive test, if you had severe illness or have a weakened immune system, consult your doctor before ending isolation. If you are unsure if your symptoms are moderate or severe or if you have a weakened immune system, talk to a healthcare provider for further guidance.
• If your COVID-19 symptoms worsen after you have ended isolation, restart your isolation the day your symptoms become worse. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have questions about your symptoms or when to end isolation.
• Physical distance is just one component of how to protect yourself and others. It is important to consider the risk in a specific setting, including local COVID-19 Community Levels and the important role of ventilation.

Elke Shaw-Tulloch is the administrator of the Division of Public Health, and the state’s public health officer. She has worked for the department since 1996 and was promoted to division administrator in 2012. Since February 2020, she has focused most of her time on responding to the coronavirus pandemic. 

COVID-19 resources:

• Idaho’s Coronavirus website
• CDC COVID-19 website
• Masks are available for Idahoans: KN95 masks (one pack of 10 per household) are available for free at various locations around the state. Call the Idaho CareLine by dialing 2-1-1 or 800-926-2588 or your local public health district to find a location near you. https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/community-health/public-health-districts
• Free, at-home COVID-19 tests are available from the federal government at covidtests.gov. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free, at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests. Orders will usually ship in seven-12 days.
• Find COVID-19 and flu vaccines/boosters near you: Use vaccines.gov to find a location near you, then call or visit their website to make an appointment. 

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

West Nile virus (WNV) positive mosquitoes were detected in Ada, Payette, and Elmore counties this month, and public health officials are urging Idahoans to protect themselves from biting mosquitoes when they’re outdoors.

Every year the risk for acquiring WNV goes up later in the summer as Culex mosquito populations increase. Culex tarsalis and Culex pipiens are the most likely mosquito species to carry and transmit WNV in Idaho, and we fully expect to find additional WNV-positive mosquitoes in additional counties this summer. That means the risk of acquiring the infection from mosquitoes will remain elevated until a killing frost eliminates the risk sometime this fall.

Last year, 14 Idaho counties reported WNV-positive people, mosquitoes, horses, and/or birds. WNV infections were reported in 16 people, 15 horses, and two birds. WNV contributed to 2 human deaths last year.

WNV is not spread from person-to-person through casual contact and is usually contracted from the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms of infection can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash. Infection can result in severe illness, especially in people 50 years and older. If you feel ill, talk to your healthcare provider about testing for WNV.

It is important for people to protect themselves from mosquitoes, particularly between dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active. In addition, everyone should:

• Cover up exposed skin when outdoors and apply DEET or other EPA-approved insect repellent to exposed skin and clothing. Carefully follow instructions on the product label, especially for children.
• Insect-proof your home by repairing or replacing screens. 
• Reduce standing water around homes and properties. Check and drain toys, trays, and pots that are outdoors and can hold water.
• Change bird baths, static decorative ponds, and animal water tanks weekly to reduce suitable mosquito habitat.

WNV does not usually affect domestic animals but can cause severe illness in horses and some species of birds. Although there is no vaccine for people, there are several vaccines for horses, which should be vaccinated annually.

For more information, please visit http://westnile.idaho.gov.

Kinship care is when relatives or important adults in the lives of children take on the responsibility of parenting when the child’s parents are not able to take care of them. We are celebrating Idaho’s kinship families in September during National Kinship Care Month and every month.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 4 percent of all children across the nation – more than 2.6 million children – are in kinship care. In 2020 in Idaho, 10,819 grandparents were caring for their grandchildren younger than 18 years old. This does not count for the thousands of children living with relatives informally. 

Most kinship caregivers are not receiving resources and supports they are eligible for. Many are unaware that such help even exists. The challenges in these families can feel huge, but the stories they tell touch my heart.

DHW will be hosting Idaho Kinship Family Day to celebrate families caring for relative children and family friends who have agreed to care for children who aren’t their relatives from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 10 in Meridian, Idaho Falls, and Coeur d’Alene. I invite you to join us for the celebration. Please RSVP at Idaho Kinship Family Day Celebration.

My Family. My Story. entries are due Aug. 21

DHW also organizes the annual My Family. My Story. art and expression series, which is a chance for children and caregivers in kinship families to talk about their families in their own words and with art that often includes drawings, paintings, and even sewing projects. The series includes our community partners who work alongside kinship families as they navigate the challenges of kinship care. 

Entries over the years have included everything from drawings from young children expressing what they love about their families, to stories and artwork reflecting personal growth, family dynamics, and their feelings of safety and stability. 

All participants are entered into a drawing for cash and prizes. All entries must be received or postmarked by Aug. 21. Please visit My Family. My Story. art and expression series for more information.

Please call 2-1-1 from an Idaho area code or visit 211.idaho.gov for more resources and supports, Idaho Kinship Family Day, and My Family. My Story.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend! 

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.