Northern Kentucky Health Department

What's Going Around?

This page will be frequently updated to reflect illnesses that are currently circulating at a higher rate than usual in Northern Kentucky (Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties).

West Nile Virus
Northern Kentucky has had 1 confirmed and 1 probable case of the West Nile Virus in humans in 2012. No deaths have been report. Learn more about West Nile.

Pertussis

A higher than usual number of cases of pertussis, commonly referred to as "whooping cough," have been reported in Northern Kentucky recently. In 2011, the Health Department received reports of 49 confirmed cases of pertussis. So far in 2012, 92 cases have been reported to the Health Department. In a typical year, 25 cases are reported in Northern Kentucky.

In 2010, an outbreak of pertussis occurred in Northern Kentucky. In that year, 127 cases were reported to the Health Department.

For more information on pertussis and how to protect yourself and children from the illness, please see our fact sheet on the disease.

Syphilis

Through September 10, 2012, there were 19 syphilis cases reported to the Health Department or a rate of 2.8 cases per 100,000. Rates of syphillis have decreased since 2011.

For more informaiton on syphilis, please see our fact sheet on the disease.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, there are three main types: A, B and C.
Hepatitis A is transmitted fecal-oral (it enters the body through the mouth from something contaminated with an infected persons feces, usually via hands or by food).
Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and body fluids, but is most commonly transferred through sexual contact with an infected person.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through direct blood to blood contact, often by sharing of needles.

On average, four to 22 cases a month of acute or chronic hepatitis B are reported. With hepatitis C, about 10 to 77 cases a month that are acute or chronic are reported.

The graph below shows the number of acute cases of hepatitis B and hepatitis C reported over the past five years. Intravenous drug use continues to rise in the community, which could play a role in the increased number of cases in 2010, especially with hepatitis C.