Health Department

What is bird flu? Bird flu is a disease caused by avian influenza A viruses that typically spread between birds, not people. What is happening with bird flu in the U.S. right now? Avian influenza virus A (H5) virus is spreading among wild birds and causing outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy cows. There have also been instances of infection in mammals and in rare cases, humans. Human cases have mostly occurred in poultry and dairy farm workers after working with infected animals. There has been no evidence of human-to-human spread in the current outbreak. Should I be worried about bird flu? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report the risk of H5 bird flu for the public remains low. There are enhanced precautions recommended for those who might be at greater risk if they have job-related or recreational exposure to birds or infected animals. To keep you and your family safe, do not handle sick or dead wildlife and do not consume raw or unpasteurized animal products. What should I do if I find sick or dead wild birds on my property? The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has guidelines for when to report sick or dead wild birds. Any unusual poultry illnesses or deaths in Virginia backyard flocks should be reported to the State Veterinarian’s Office at 804-692-0601. What should I do if I am experiencing flu-like symptoms? If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, etc.), contact your primary care physician. Stay home and away with others until you feel better and practice other respiratory prevention strategies like using good hand washing and covering your coughs and sneezes. If you have had recent contact with sick or dead birds or are a poultry or dairy farm worker, contact your healthcare provider and tell them about your exposure.

On Feb. 7, 2025, the Fairfax County Health Department welcomed partners from local skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to its annual Skilled Nursing Facility Symposium. This full-day event provided an opportunity for healthcare professionals to enhance their infection prevention and control (IPC) skills, exchange best practices, and strengthen regional collaboration.  “The symposium, and the health department’s collaboration with SNFs throughout the year, reflect the value we and our partners place on protecting some of the county’s most vulnerable residents from seasonal threats like flu and ongoing challenges such as multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs),” said Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, Fairfax County Health Department’s director of epidemiology. “It’s been great to see relationships continue to deepen and participation in the symposium grow each year.”  Since its inception in 2018, the symposium has served as a key resource for SNF staff, offering expert-led sessions on emerging public health concerns, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement initiatives. This year’s event focused on pressing issues such as respiratory illness updates, antimicrobial stewardship, and improving hospital-SNF communication.  Attendees engaged in discussions on COVID-19 vaccination compliance, laboratory specimen collection, and strategies for managing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Other highlights included sessions on Candida auris prevention, enhanced barrier precautions, and the importance of education in infection control.  The Fairfax County Health Department extends its gratitude to all speakers and participants for making the 2025 Skilled Nursing Facility Symposium a success. We look forward to continuing this tradition of learning, collaboration, and innovation in the years to come.  Learn more about local public health and the Fairfax County Health Department.

How did you come to work at the Health Department? How long have you been at the Health Department? I have been with the Fairfax County Health Department for 4 years, but I have been working with the county for 5 years. After 10-years as a Public Health Analyst in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, I transitioned to local government and have not looked back.  What is your role at the Health Department?   I am the Health Safety Net Coordinator for the Fairfax County Health Department. It is a small but mighty team that works to engage, develop, support, provide subject matter expertise, technical assistance, and leverage existing relationships with safety net community providers (e.g., Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), free clinics, and others), local health systems (e.g., INOVA), and other Fairfax County government agencies (e.g., Community Services Board, Department of Family Services, and others) to expand access, foster service integration among its various partnerships, improve population health, and increase equity across patient populations.  What inspired you to work in public health?   It was a combination of academic and life experience. I have always wanted a career in healthcare, but also wanted to have an impact on communities, especially places where socioeconomic factors impede the ability of residents to live optimal lives. As a kid, I wanted to be a dentist. In high school, that changed when I injured my knee playing football as I was inspired when the orthopedic surgeon showed me pictures of the procedure and I learned that he was a former NFL doctor! In college, I majored in sports medicine, aspiring to be an orthopedic surgeon. However, the arrow pointing toward public health changed during my Senior year in one of my health studies classes. While studying the top chronic conditions in the U.S., we looked at a CDC chart highlighting AIDS cases over time that showed African American cases rising while other racial/ethnic populations declined or remained steady. This stark disparity planted a mustard seed of inquiry to look further into population health disparities (a burgeoning topic at the time), which eventually led to learning more about public health. What finally sold me into public health was the multidisciplinary platform it utilizes to improve population health. Keyword: multidisciplinary. It takes more than one discipline, more than one person, more than one approach. It’s a shared responsibility. It wasn’t just about chronic conditions but the underlying factors, largely socioeconomic, that impact optimal health and well-being. My desire to work in healthcare and experiences growing up as a "city-kid” felt like a natural fit into a field where I could be a team player contributing to the greater well-being of society. What is something that you wish people knew or understood better about your job?  It is a challenge to obtain understanding that we do not provide direct client services or manage a specific program, like chronic disease intervention. Our work is primarily in engagement, relationship, and partnership building.  We support our partners financially and non-financially (e.g., technical assistance, subject matter expertise). Yes, we have goals, objectives, and support our work with data as well as utilize evidence-based studies. On the other hand, we are also guided by values recognizing systemic inequities experienced by individuals with limited resources and/or circumstances.    Can you describe a time when our community has inspired you/your work?   I am inspired by learning from individuals with more experience, knowledge, and insight. As a kid, I always loved listening to stories because you get to learn about others. For me this is a lifelong journey, so watching, listening, and learning from, people that I work with (directly or indirectly), is inspiring enough