Dr. Gib Morrow shared good news of a sort not often seen about substance abuse for the Kitsap Public Health District at its Sept. 3 board meeting.
The county’s chief health officer’s report also included the announcement of a rare communicable disease that has appeared in the county, after a biologist did a necropsy on a harbor seal.
“Overdose deaths and EMS responses increased over recent years,” Morrow said. “But our recently published overdose dashboard is showing some good news. Emergency department and EMS responses dropped in the second quarter of 2024, and more Kitsap residents are receiving medication treatment for opioid use than ever before.”
The number is down from 2023, when Kitsap had a record 73 opioid deaths.
Morrow also said drug abuse education appears to be having a positive impact. “We are seeing improvements in de-stigmatizing this issue and integrating and coordinating services and sharing information and resources,” he said.
Morrow cited the Scala Northwest program, which provides evidence-based medicine options for physicians treating overdose patients, as one of the programs helping people addicted to narcotics. “Scala Northwest makes it easier to use buprenorphine outside of traditional settings, including in emergency departments and even by paramedics.”
Recent work by the district has included more efforts by the KPHD to recognize and prevent overdose deaths, and focus on rehabilitation for drug addiction in the form of more public discussion, education and providing information on where to access Naloxone, or Narcan, as it’s often known. “We’re optimistic that recent investment in opioid prevention and treatment are going to continue to reverse trends we’ve seen in the past decade,” Morrow said.
Meanwhile, the KPHD communicable disease team identified the first case of “tularemia” transmitted from a marine animal to a person. The team reported it to the CDC. “This bacteria, Francisella tularensis, infects about 200 people nationwide each year,” Morrow said. “About ten happen in Washington.” While tularemia is typically transmitted from rabbits and rodents, it can infect seagoing mammals. “The CDC has listed it as one of the top potential bio-weapons—though we’ve not seen it used that way,” he said.
A biologist accidentally nicked herself with a scalpel and developed a skin infection while doing a necropsy on a seal. She was treated with an antibiotic and completely recovered. “It’s important to be aware of the risks when interacting with wildlife, and try to keep those interactions to a minimum,” Morrow said.
