Earlier this spring, a reporter was leaving the grounds of the U.S. Capitol when she felt a sharp pain on her left ankle. When she turned around, she saw that she had been bitten by a red fox.

Unofficially dubbed “the Capitol Hill fox,” the animal attracted plenty of attention in Washington and the rest of the country as it evaded capture by police officers. Ultimately, the fox was caught and euthanized to be tested for rabies. The test came back positive. 

Rabies is a fatal but very preventable viral disease that is usually found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and yes, foxes. Animals with rabies can spread the disease through scratching or biting. 

Luckily, the reporter that had been bitten already started post-exposure prophylaxis treatment for rabies, an extremely effective but costly treatment that usually involves a series of five shots given over two weeks. 

In fact, rabies treatment is so effective that there were only five recorded rabies deaths in 2021, and zero rabies deaths were reported in 2019 and 2020.

But that’s only in humans. Besides interacting with wild animals (or being bitten by a fox on Capitol Hill), a common way for people to get rabies is by interacting with a pet who has also been exposed to rabies. 

Any mammal can be affected by rabies, including dogs, cats, ferrets, etc. Not only is it required by law to vaccinate your dogs, cats and ferrets against rabies, but it is also the best way to keep your pet safe if it does come into contact with a strange-acting animal. 

For example, if your vaccinated dog gets into a tussle with a rabid animal, it will likely only need observation and another shot. But if your dog is unvaccinated against rabies, there is a much higher chance it will need to be put down.

Pets cannot be vaccinated for rabies until the age of 4 months, and then according to West Virginia law, must be vaccinated no later than at 6 months. An animal receives a rabies vaccine and then a booster a year later. After that, they need a rabies vaccine every three years.

Besides vaccinating your pets, there are other ways to protect your family from rabies, such as avoiding wild animals and making your home less enticing to wildlife, especially raccoons.

Raccoons are the most popular carriers of rabies in our region, and there is even a variety of rabies spread specifically by raccoons that is found only in the Eastern United States. Raccoons are also known to be attracted to people’s trash, which means you could end up with a rabid raccoon very close to your home.

To keep raccoons away from your trash and your home, make sure to keep trash cans shut and sealed. You can use ammonia or mothballs around your trash cans to mask the smell. Standing water can also attract raccoons as well as mosquitoes. Raccoons are known to be very clever, so if they keep returning, try switching tactics.

Back in 2019, Monongalia County had its own trouble with rabies. There were about 20 known cases of rabies in Monongalia County that year, sometimes originating from a rabid raccoon getting into a scuffle with a dog in a fenced-in yard. 

Even though the incidence of rabies has dropped dramatically in Monongalia County since, it’s a good thing to consider that if a dog is left unsupervised in a fenced-in yard for a long period of time, an encounter with a rabid animal can happen. In that situation, if family members come in contact with blood on the dog, they may require rabies treatment too. 

And if the dog wasn’t vaccinated against rabies, it would need to be put down.

Monongalia County Health Department deal with this problem annually by teaming up with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which operates the Oral Rabies Vaccination program. 

The program entails dropping edible oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits from airplanes, helicopters and vehicles into targeted zones. The vaccine is safe for animals to eat and will not hurt pets that might happen upon it. About 1.5 million packets are dropped annually in the West Virginia portion of the zone.

The Oral Rabies Vaccination program was successful; after the spike in 2019, there were hardly any cases in 2020 and 2021.

As the weather gets warmer and people are spending more time outdoors with their pets, there’s a higher chance of encountering animals carrying the rabies virus, so it’s a great time to make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. 

If you see sick or strange-acting wild animals that have not encountered a person or a pet, you can call the USDA during business hours at 304-636-1785 or 866-487-3297 to collect it. 

Plenty more information about what to do if you are bitten or encounter an animal with rabies is available on our website. 

On a windy early spring day, a group of nursing and public health students, along with members of the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT), gather on a hilltop at Bartlett Housing Solutions, toting supplies that include underwear, socks, snacks and COVID-19 vaccines.

Michael McCawley, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at West Virginia University’s School of Public Health, assembles the volunteers for instructions before they get to work meeting with unsheltered individuals.

“Our calling card is underwear and socks,” he said as members of the group known as Multidisciplinary UnSheltered Homeless Relief Outreach in Morgantown (MUSHROOM), prepare to interact with and find ways to help individuals staying at Bartlett House in a building that once housed the Ramada Inn hotel, now called Hazel’s House of Hope.

McCawley tells the group that living on the streets can be a recipe for disaster, and that he often sees situations in which someone with a medical condition, such as a tumor, might not  get it checked out until it’s too late.  

“If we had seen that two years ago, we could have treated it,” McCawley said. “Now the chance of survival is zero.”

That’s why McCawley notes that one of the most important things the volunteers can give these individuals is their time and attention, to listen to them and connect with them.

“When we go out, we are … humanity. That’s what we do. Giving the people we meet time and attention is the street definition of humanity.”

McCawley has been involved with MUSHROOM since about a year and a half after its inception in 2005. He’s also a member of the Monongalia County QRT, a multi-group organization created through funding obtained by Monongalia County Health Department that works to reduce opioid use and overdoses in the community.

Information McCawley gets as a QRT member has helped him when he makes his MUSHROOM rounds. 

“We see people with drug issues, and some who have mental issues,” McCawley said. “Sometimes, the drugs are just self-treatment for the folks using them.”

As a QRT member, for instance, he can learn about the presence in the community of fentanyl, an opioid that is often mixed with other drugs. Fentanyl poses a very high risk of overdose, especially when individuals are unaware they are ingesting it.

“I’m telling people, ‘You should be careful. It will kill you if you are not careful.’ You want to prevent that overdose, that death, by education and making people aware.”

On this evening, as MUSHROOM members set about to give COVID shots and figure out who needs a new vaccination card, one volunteer asks McCawley if he has any naloxone, also known as Narcan, which reverses the effect of an opioid overdose. McCawley gathers a kit from a bag and hands it over.

If socks and underwear are MUSHROOM’s calling card, naloxone is a distinguishing feature of the QRT, which distributes doses and also provides training on the medication. In fact, the Monongalia County QRT will be holding its second Save a Life Day at 11 stations around Monongalia County from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7, for anyone who wants to learn how to administer it.

Joe Klass, chief of operations at MCHD Threat Preparedness and a founding member of the QRT, actually went out on MUSHROOM rounds as one of McCawley’s students in 2013. It’s how he met his girlfriend, Dr. Katie Hill, who also serves on the QRT. 

Klass, along with members of West Virginia Sober Living, provides naloxone training in the community. Since their involvement with the QRT, Klass and Dr. Hill have started going back out on MUSHROOM rounds, which take place every other week.

“Now that MUSHROOM is part of the QRT, it has allowed other organizations to collaborate and provide their expertise to support the objectives of MUSHROOM,” Klass said. “It also gives the QRT additional information about what is happening on the street.”

Brittany Irick, the Monongalia County QRT coordinator, got a master’s degree from the WVU School of Public Health after she was encouraged by McCawley, who was her employer at a job she worked during her undergraduate years. 

“It’s great that we can have him involved in this,” Irick said of McCawley. “We’ve been able to offer COVID vaccines and give out Narcan. Dr. McCawley has been really receptive to our input on any sort of services or resources we can provide to the target population during MUSHROOM rounds. It allows MCHD to offer new services and resources to these individuals.”

Recently, members of WV PEERS, who have lived experience with substance misuse and serve as peer recovery coaches (PRCs), also started going out on rounds. During their first time, in mid-April, they were able to engage 10 individuals, according to Russell Wyatt of the QRT and WV PEERS, which is part of West Virginia Sober Living.

“It went well,” Wyatt said. “We were able to hand out preventative supplies for opioid overdoses to help combat the epidemic.”

On this day, Klass organizes COVID vaccinations. Along with a nursing student and fellow MCHD Threat Prep employee Colton Cooper, who helps round up anyone who wants to get a shot, the group gets six jabs into arms at this location. 

“MUSHROOM rounds do a lot of good not only for the people we serve, but also for the students,” Klass said. “It provides experience interacting with a population that students likely do not have a lot of experience interacting with, and it also helps build their medical assessment skills.”

Founded by a group of medical students, one of whom is McCawley’s daughter, Dr. Sarah McCawley Taylor, MUSHROOM was modeled after a Pittsburgh program called Operation Safety Net. 

According to information on its WVU’s School of Medicine web page, MUSHROOM “brings together medical, nursing, dental, social work and other health professional volunteers on “street rounds.” … “We go by foot to those places where we are needed most: along the rivers and creeks, down the back alleys of downtown, and under the bridges. Our goal is to reach out to those most marginalized from society.”

The number of unsheltered individuals in Monongalia County fluctuates. According to Rachael Coen, the chief programs officer for the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness (WVCEH), a count in January found 44 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and 51 in shelters in Monongalia County. 

Earlier this month, we celebrated National Public Health Week. It’s always been a time to showcase the importance of public health, the variety of issues it encompasses, and even give ourselves a little pat on the back.

This was the third NPHW that Monongalia County Health Department has spent this observance testing and vaccinating members of the community for COVID, while also promoting our other programs.

After all, just because we are living with a pandemic doesn’t mean we no longer need to tend to other health department duties, such as taking care of teeth (MCHD Dentistry); providing all the other types of vaccines (flu, shingles, pneumonia, Tdap, hepatitis A & B, etc.) (Clinical Services); inspecting restaurants, schools, hotels, motels, tattoo studios, and more (Environmental Health); helping expectant and new mothers and caregivers with nutrition and breastfeeding counseling (MCHD WIC); preparing for weather, radiological or other events (Threat Preparedness); and working to reduce opioid use in our community (Monongalia County QRT).

In fact, it’s been an exciting year at Monongalia County Health Department for a few reasons. One is a $1 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) that has allowed us to hire more outreach employees, buy vehicles which we’ve wrapped and branded and taken out into the community to give COVID vaccines and provide vaccine information as well as make a series of radio ads and videos to reach different audiences.

At the same time, we’re ramping up our efforts to treat other public health issues, which has meant moving Environmental Health off-site so we can expand MCHD Dentistry and MCHD Clinical Services. (Threat Preparedness was moved a year ago because of its growth due to the pandemic).

And while the pandemic definitely had negative impacts on opioid use in our community, the rise in online conferencing has expanded the members of the Monongalia County QRT and made it easier for us to provide naloxone, services and treatment options to more people.

After another tough year with COVID, which saw the rise of both the delta and omicron variants, COVID cases are low now as the weather gets warmer. But it’s no time to be complacent. There is another variant, BA2, on the horizon and vaccine boosters are now recommended for individuals 50 and up. 

That’s why we expanded our vaccine hours from 9-11 a.m. on Wednesdays at the WVU Rec Center and on Friday afternoons at MCHD. Sign up online for an appointment at book.novelhealth.ai/MCHDC or call 304-598-5119 to make an appointment at a different time at MCHD Clinical Services. 

If you haven’t gotten a vaccine, why not? Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are about 90-95% effective in preventing the virus and even more effective in preventing serious illness. Our new videos showcase accounts of individuals such as Mayor Jimmy Marino and Debbie Wilfong of Philippi who got COVID before they could get vaccinated. The videos can be viewed on YouTube or at our website at monchd.org/video-library.html.

We realize everyone wants to get back to normal, and to that end, for the first time in three years, MCHD will hold a little lunchtime National Public Health Week celebration in our parking lot this week, thanks to a couple of food trucks (and, coincidentally, MCHD Environmental Health inspects food trucks, among many other entities).

And then we’ll get back to work, helping to keep members of the community safe from COVID and other diseases, through our promotion, prevention and protection efforts.

Being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. From staying home with a sick child to keeping up with chaotic sports schedules, being a parent requires you to constantly be aware of what is best for your child. 

On top of the regular parenting responsibilities, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the past two years seem even more challenging for families. 

One troubling example of the pandemic’s effect on families with young children has been a significant drop in routine childhood vaccinations.

This is probably a result of two years’ worth of public health recommendations to stay at home. This is also a factor for why many people have neglected their own routine medical and dental checkups, especially during the early months of the pandemic.

This year, April 24-30 is National Infant Immunization Week. This observation is part of the World Health Organization’s World Immunization Week: an initiative to promote immunization, advance equity and universal access to vaccination and enable cooperation on cross-border immunization. 

Parents, this is a great opportunity to think about how your child’s routine medical needs might have been disrupted within the past few years and to make sure you are up to date on every immunization your child needs.

We have now reached the point where COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone 5 and older, but there are so many more immunizations that are important for your child.

For all you new parents out there: You can protect your baby from 14 serious childhood diseases — such as whooping cough and measles — simply by making sure they have all their recommended vaccinations by age 2.

It can be hard to keep track of so many immunizations, especially on top of other daily parenting responsibilities. But it’s important to stay on track. The CDC provides a helpful immunization schedule for children and adolescents.

Of course, it is also important to often communicate with your child’s pediatrician, your No. 1 source of information for your child’s health needs. 

National Infant Immunization Week is also an opportunity to emphasize just how important childhood immunization is. The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately led to skepticism about vaccines and their effectiveness, but vaccines have shown to be one of the most successful and cost-effective public health tools to prevent death and illnesses.

In fact, among children born during 1994-2018, vaccination will prevent an estimated 419 million illnesses, 26.8 million hospitalizations, and 936,000 deaths over their lifetimes.

Immunization is a community effort — something that will only work if we are all in it together. As part of your community, Monongalia County Health Department can help. You can make an appointment for immunizations through MCHD Clinical Services by calling 304-598-5119. 

And don’t forget to consult MCHD WIC for other types of health services for children. MCHD WIC provides nutrition and breastfeeding counseling and food packages to pregnant and postpartum people and children up to the age of 5 who qualify financially.

Yes, you’ve probably heard the message countless times, but it cannot be understated: vaccines are safe and very effective. We all want to see today’s children safe and protected, so protect your children today by making sure they are vaccinated.

Last September, members of the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT), along with dozens of volunteers, handed out more than 1,400 doses of naloxone ¬— which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose — and trained individuals how to use the medication at several stations around the community.

Seven months later, the QRT hopes to exceed those results, with more than 2,000 doses that will be available for another Save a Life Day, held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at 11 locations around Monongalia County. 

And for anyone who would like to join the fight and work as a volunteer, this online signup sheet will allow them to do just that.
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“Our goal is to save as many lives as possible. Recovery is only possible if the individuals are still breathing,” said Jon Dower, director of operations of West Virginia Sober Living and a member of the Monongalia County QRT.

“Education and dispelling myths related to naloxone allow for a reduction in stigma and encourages our community to be part of the solution to this disease plaguing our community and our state.”
 
The opioid epidemic that has afflicted the nation has hit West Virginia and other parts of Appalachia hard. It’s been exactly three years since members of the Monongalia County QRT began meeting at Monongalia County Health Department, which secured grant funding for the group. 

While the COVID pandemic has definitely had negative effects on individuals struggling with addiction, the rise of online virtual meetings, such as Zoom, has allowed our QRT to grow beyond county and state borders and made it much easier to exchange ideas and find solutions to help people.

QRT members also hear about the latest trends of what drugs are out on the streets. "Recently, there has been an increased incidence of fentanyl added to other drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines and ecstasy,” said Joe Klass, chief of operations of MCHD Threat Preparedness and a paramedic.

“There are also numerous reports of fentanyl being pressed into pills to resemble other types of medications,” Klass continued. “These types of counterfeits are often very difficult to spot. One of the takeaways from this is the importance of having naloxone and naloxone training even if you don't think you will have any interactions with opioids or opioid use."        
Dower also believes that individuals should consider having naloxone in first aid kits and medicine cabinets, where it has been vital in saving the lives of children who might sample something or individuals with memory issues who have difficulty taking the correct dosage of their medications.

“The community should understand that not all overdoses are related to substance misuse,” Dower said. “There are accidental ingestions of pain medication by children and the elderly. If a home has opioid pain medication, I also encourage that naloxone also be kept nearby.”

He added: “Through education, our community members can understand warning signs of an opioid overdose and feel prepared to administer this life-saving medication.”

Locations for the second Save a Life Day are: five McDonald’s restaurants — Sabraton, Star City, Westover, Suncrest Towne Centre and Pierpont Center; the green space at the West Virginia University Mountainlair and also at the WVU Rec Center; Pierpont Landing Pharmacy; 7-Eleven in Blacksville; Hotel M on Saratoga Avenue and Woodland United Methodist Church on the Mileground.

For this Save a Life Day, the Monongalia County QRT will not only offer naloxone training and doses, but also, at some locations, COVID vaccines and rapid HIV testing. COVID vaccines will be available at the Sabraton and Westover McDonald’s, the Mountainlair, Hotel M and Woodland United Methodist Church. If you are getting a second COVID dose or a booster, please bring your vaccination card if possible. HIV rapid testing will be conducted at the Sabraton McDonald’s.

Like last year, anyone who wants to learn more about naloxone can visit one of the locations between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. “We’ll just train them as they arrive, however it works best,” said Dan McCawley of WV PEERS, a network of certified peer recovery coaches (PRCs) with lived addiction experience. “If just one person rolls up, we’ll teach them too.”

The Monongalia County QRT is made up of members representing Monongalia County Health Department; WV PEERS; other addiction specialists; law enforcement; EMS; health care workers; social agencies; faith groups and more.

When MECCA 911, EMS or a police department get a report of an individual who has overdosed, it is shared to a HIPAA-compliant Dropbox account. WV PEERS members check reports frequently and try to make contact with the individual within 24 to 72 hours of the incident.

The main goal is to get the person into treatment. However, whether or not the individual is ready to commit to recovery, PRCs can also help with connections to health and social services as well as naloxone.

Between members of WV PEERS and Klass, about 2,200 individual naloxone trainings have been held in Monongalia County since the QRT’s inception, with around 6,000 doses of naloxone distributed.

“The training is fast, easy and, more importantly, it will give participants the knowledge, skills and confidence to save a life,” Klass said. “In medicine, it’s rare to have a drug that is easy to administer, highly effective and that works quickly. Naloxone is all three of these things, and it’s important that we promote its use and give access to this life-saving drug in all populations.”

Added Dower: “I think from watching TV, people think administering naloxone is difficult, but it’s not. Naloxone is a single-use package that goes up one nostril and then it’s pressed. It’s as simple as that. We’re not asking individuals to engage in interactions that involve bodily fluids. It’s a quick administration of medication and the goal is to get 911 involved to get more help.”

Also, instructions on the box provide a quick refresher course for those administering naloxone, he added. Individuals can also watch the QRT’s naloxone video to learn more.
And when Dower has saved someone’s life by using naloxone, he realizes it’s not just that individual he has helped.
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“As a person with a decade in recovery, I understand the impact of substance use disorder on the family,” Dower said. “If I can save someone’s mother, father, sibling or child with naloxone, then I am saving one of the worst experiences of those family members’ lives. Not one person needs to die from an opioid overdose, when there is access and training on naloxone.”