Rowan County Public Health releases 2024 infectious disease report
Published 12:07 am Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Rowan County Public Health released its 2024 Communicable Disease and Epidemiology Annual Report last week, which outlines communicable disease trends, outbreaks and prevention initiatives.
The report highlights the work of the county’s epidemiology response team, composed of a multitude of health professionals, and provides information on the 20 outbreaks of communicable diseases that occurred during 2024, primarily at long-term care facilities throughout the community, as well as the number of cases of infectious diseases that have been determined to pose “threats to the health of the public.”
Three emerging and current infectious diseases were identified and treated in 2024:
Mpox
The county had one confirmed case of Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. The response team performed contact tracing for that individual and identified one person in a neighboring county that was at risk. The team worked with that county’s health department to communicate the need for testing and further investigation. The health department is currently focusing on vaccinating high-risk individuals, which include:
- Anyone who has or may have multiple or anonymous sex partners
- Anyone whose sex partners are eligible per the criteria above
- People who know or suspect they have been exposed to mpox in the last 14 days
- Anyone else who considers themselves to be at risk for mpox through sex or other intimate contact.
Pertussis
The county’s pertussis cases increased “sharply” in 2024, according to the report, ending at nine cases last year compared to only three in 2023. Three of the confirmed cases were from the same household, and several school-aged children with pertussis were confirmed to have contacted others at school or church. The epidemiology response team worked with the affected churches and schools and “Rowan County did not experience a pertussis outbreak as a result of the number of cases,” according to the report.
Tuberculosis
Rowan County had one confirmed TB case in 2024, with three people identified as contacts. One of those three contacts was being treated for latent TB infection, according to the report, meaning they tested positive but exhibited no symptoms.
The report also identified 20 outbreaks for communicable diseases in 2024, 19 of which were respiratory illnesses and one which was gastrointestinal:
COVID-19
Seventeen COVID-19 outbreaks were identified during the past year, all of which occurred in long-term care facilities. None of the outbreaks became cluster outbreaks, meaning that they did not progress to five confirmed cases within seven days.
Pneumonia
One pneumonia outbreak was confirmed, which affected 30 middle school students and two faculty members across grades and classrooms. According to the report, the Rowan-Salisbury School System notified parents about the rise of illnesses and applicable prevention measures through emails. No cases were reported after the school outbreak, and RCPH stated in the report they are continuing to monitor schools for spikes.
Salmonella
Two cases of Salmonella infections were confirmed in 2024, with each being attributed to a potluck event in Cabarrus County in November. Both affected Rowan County residents had a recovery and did not require hospitalization, according to the report. The investigation into the outbreak was still ongoing at the time the report was published.
HIV/STI Prevention Efforts
RCPH expanded its outreach to young adults, presenting educational sessions on STI prevention at local colleges. These efforts aim to address chlamydia and gonorrhea infections among 15- to 29-year-olds, who represent the majority of cases, and work to ensure timely testing and treatment.