San Diego Begins Bleaching Streets To Contain Outbreak Of Hepatitis A

Dear ATS Readers, Writers,

This is like Chapter 2 to a situation that starviego brought to ATS almost exactly 1 month ago.

It would appear the situation may have only gotten more hazardous to your health.

the process is lengthy and must be repeated every two weeks to combat the outbreak.

The procedure, as prescribed by the county, involves first spraying down hazardous items such as human waste or needles, waiting 10 minutes, removing the contaminated items, then spraying the area again with bleach. After that, it calls for pressure-washing the area with water.

It is set to be repeated every two weeks, with weekly “spot maintenance,” according to county guidelines. –NPR

Contractors started spraying down certain areas on Monday with a diluted household bleach solution. They continued spraying bleach Wednesday, and are set to hit the final zone of downtown San Diego by Friday, according to a city spokesperson.
Mike Saag, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham focusing on infectious diseases, told NPR that he finds San Diego’s street washing approach reasonable for stemming the spread of hepatitis A. “If there’s a sanitation problem, then the thing to do is clean up the area, and bleach is probably the best disinfectant that we have for this type of viral infection,” Saag said. He added that “once hepatitis A starts to be transmitted in a community like this, it’s kind of hard to stop.”

San Diego Begins Bleaching Streets To Contain Outbreak Of Hepatitis A

Not good at all. It would put me off to going out for dinners, or going where lots of people go, like public busses, etc..

Hope they get it under control and eliminated.

Pravdaseeker

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Never heard of anything like this before unless they are cleaning up known contaminated sites.
What, are there thousands of needles and blood all over the place or something?
Seems a bit overkill and scaremongering to me. Here where I am the council just pick up the needles and let the rain do the rest.

This song has aged pretty well.

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Set up a needle exchange! You really do not encourage drug use but you keep from having to try sterilizing your streets!

Cuts down on other diseases too. You also see who the regular users are and start the conversation towards treatment. Sickens me to see a syringe lying on the street. Seeing people with the 1000-mile vacant stare; the gaunt look; you know what they are doing what you don't know is what they are going through.

This is just sad news to hear! In a modern society and a proven solution this still needs to be done.

a reply to: pravdaseeker


This is environmentally friendly bleach right?

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: pravdaseeker


This is environmentally friendly bleach right?

Monsanto's finest, no doubt!

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: pravdaseeker

Set up a needle exchange! You really do not encourage drug use but you keep from having to try sterilizing your streets!

Cuts down on other diseases too. You also see who the regular users are and start the conversation towards treatment. Sickens me to see a syringe lying on the street. Seeing people with the 1000-mile vacant stare; the gaunt look; you know what they are doing what you don't know is what they are going through.

This is just sad news to hear! In a modern society and a proven solution this still needs to be done.

If they are too lazy to not throw the needle on the street, why would they bring them to an exchange?

Doesn't make sense.

a reply to: MisterSpock

There is that. Flat out laziness. Guess you're right on that account.

Getting dope sick is not much fun either. Clean needles keep that from happening. So it would be in their best interest to exchange.

originally posted by: TJames
a reply to: pravdaseeker

Never heard of anything like this before unless they are cleaning up known contaminated sites.
What, are there thousands of needles and blood all over the place or something?
Seems a bit overkill and scaremongering to me. Here where I am the council just pick up the needles and let the rain do the rest.

I believe it was mostly a issue for the homeless, but they are having fecal issues and are probably just trying contain the spread.

There goes the [Environment !!

It's not necessarily due to needles. From the Mayo Clinic regarding Hepatitis A:

"You're most likely to contract hepatitis A from contaminated food or water or from close contact with someone who's infected."

More likely due to an outbreak in the vast homeless community there (due to the great weather). So maybe the street spraying is the only answer.

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: MisterSpock

There is that. Flat out laziness. Guess you're right on that account.

Getting dope sick is not much fun either. Clean needles keep that from happening. So it would be in their best interest to exchange.

But there's the rub, it's not really an exchange. You don't have to bring an amount back to receive that amount. That's why I disagree with it mostly, it may help contain the spread of disease amongst the user. I think it puts the public in more danger for those that already have a disease and are "liberal" with their needle placement.

originally posted by: TEOTWAWKIAIFF
a reply to: MisterSpock

There is that. Flat out laziness. Guess you're right on that account.

Getting dope sick is not much fun either. Clean needles keep that from happening. So it would be in their best interest to exchange.

Hepatitis can be transmitted by sharing cigarettes, bottles, cups, pipes, not just needles. I guess they are spraying streets because people walk on them, then walk around in their home, and kids play on the floor, pets too.

Hardly effective to spray bleach around, the reservoir of affected carriers hide 'off the streets' in alleyways, back lots, abandoned buildings and under bridges.

They are making a show of this for some other reason, you ask me.

This is kinda what happens when u don't have places for the homeless to use the bathroom

There should never be a need to go in the streets but treating other humans like dogs will make the act as such

a reply to: TheLead

I think it puts the public in more danger for those that already have a disease and are "liberal" with their needle placement.

Single use needles are discarded after use because they can get another one, and the cops will find them in a frisk. The current policies of LE and the City are responsible for discarded needles 'laying around'.

If they opened 'safe' houses for addicts to use, then offer them treatment , they would do more to improve the problem. Where did I read that program is working in Europe?

All them illegal immigrants who never had any health screenings are starting to fester in Lefty Land.

a reply to: intrptr

I think I meant "blood sick" (dope sick is when you need more but don't have any. My bad. Don't hang with junkies so forget the lingo).

That is a great question. Why? Why now?

There are too many variables you can throw in there: the Wall; Opioid Epidemic; good old politics; Money.

Might be too naïve to only see this as a health issue. Oh, they have a problem on their hands but the real reason... I may have missed a few in that list!

a reply to: pravdaseeker

Sounds like they are really cleaning the streets up.

I just hope they don't catch something that bleach can't clean off.

Only in California.

I guess someone will misconstrue what they are doing and say it is racist, because bleach makes things white.

a reply to: bluesjr

This is what im thinking is the biggest cause.

I've worked in downtown areas of cities, and have seen things that would turn off your desire to eat at a mere mention. The worst was working across from Travis Park in San Antonio.

What is done in the streets, between cars (on a good day) would contaminate anything it touched.

The needle problem is still a problem. But as long as our military operates in a theater where opium is the major illicit cash crop, and so long as prescription opiates are a cash cow for cartels, I wouldn't expect the opiate problem to change.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

The needle problem is still a problem. But as long as our military operates in a theater where opium is the major illicit cash crop, and so long as prescription opiates are a cash cow for cartels, I wouldn't expect the opiate problem to change.

That is one way they get it in.