San Diego City Wire

San Diego County public health staff and volunteers are set to distribute information in South County neighborhoods as part of a community health assessment led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The initiative aims to address sewage pollution issues along the Tijuana River Valley.

Over 6,000 households will receive flyers and doorhangers about the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, known as CASPER. Volunteers, who will be walking in pairs and wearing reflective vests, will be noticeable in the area.

Dr. Ankita Kadakia, interim public health officer, stated: “We know that many community members are worried about their health and the health of their families because of the sewage contamination in their beach water and the Tijuana River Valley. We are pleased to have the support of the CDC partnering with the County so that we can listen to those concerns and experiences and get a big picture snapshot of the needs in these areas.”

The CASPER survey is designed by the CDC to quickly gather data on community needs through a series of questions. Households selected for interviews come from a larger sample within 30 blocks or "clusters" in affected areas. Seven households from each block will be interviewed, totaling 210 households.

County health officials encourage participation from randomly selected households. The collected responses help public health officials make informed decisions regarding necessary actions, resource allocation, and understanding evolving community needs.

While CASPER provides a point-in-time assessment of South Region populations, county epidemiologists monitor regional public health data year-round. These disease investigators track contagious disease cases, outbreaks, and other health conditions to safeguard community well-being.

Annually, San Diego's Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch investigates over 15,000 high-priority infectious disease cases and processes more than 100,000 new reports of contagious diseases. Recent efforts have focused on hepatitis A among homeless individuals, Mpox, whooping cough, dengue fever outbreaks related to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked to oysters norovirus outbreaks linked raw milk salmonella incidents.

Regarding sewage pollution impacts in the Tijuana River Valley, weekly reports monitor spikes in gastrointestinal illness as well as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms among South Region residents. The county website provides updated information on these issues alongside links directing users towards additional resources responding specifically towards sewage-related concerns impacting families' safety measures against exposure risks associated therein too!

For further details about ongoing efforts addressing environmental hazards posed by untreated wastewater discharge events occurring downstream near border regions like those found here locally throughout Southern California's coastal communities alike please visit sandiegocounty.gov/southregionhealth online today!