TEST!

Living in LaPorte, TX, one of the public health services my local government prides itselfis the protection and maintenance of clean drinking water as a part of the 6thEssential Public Health Service—enforcing laws and regulations. The biggestthreats to safe drinking water are chemical, bacterial and hard metalcontamination. The Water Production division is responsible for ensuring safedrinking water for a system that provides treated water to the coastal citiesof La Porte, Morgan’s Point, and Shoreacres.

1 The City of LaPorte water system consists of 231 miles of water mains with an average totalconsumption of 32 million gallons per day.2 The system has regularlybeen rated as a “Superior” Public Water System by the Texas Commission onEnvironmental Quality (TCEQ), most recently in 2016. The TCEQ assesses theoperations and construction of the over 6,000 public water systems in the stateof Texas. To earn the distinction of the “Superior” rating, a water system hasto meet the rigorous standards set forth by the TCEQ and go beyond the minimumrequirements for water quality and safety.3 Less than 5% of watersystems will receive this rating in any given year and only around 10% haveever achieve in the state, according to TCEQ records.

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4The nearby watersystems of Deep Park has also been rated as “Superior”3 and isanother city that lines the ship channel and is economically supported byrefinery work.  As a longtime resident ofthis area I have always had the impression that because of these refineriesthere is concern about air and water quality.   There appears to be a strong public healthand public relations initiatives to ensure and show that these are safe placesto live.

 I do not know in how many othercities residents would know their water system ratings, but it is almost commonknowledge here.   Module2The disease Ihave chosen that has had a historical and significant public health implicationis tuberculosis (TB). To limit the scope of the topic I will be examining thedisease’s activity within the United States. The bacteria (Mycobacteriumtuberculosis) is the underlying cause of TB and typically affects thelungs. This disease is preventable, treatable and curable.1 TB is transferredfrom person to person through air particles. Someone infected with TB, while contagious, will have the bacteria intheir lungs and when they sneeze or cough, the bacteria is released into theair.

  Another individual needs only toinhale a few particles to become infected themselves.2 Remarkablynearly a third of the global population is infected with TB but in its latentstage so they are not yet ill and cannot transfer the disease.  Most will not develop the disease, but thosewith weak or compromised immune systems are at risk of developing active TB.3Itscurrent status in 2016, 9,272 case of TB reported within the United States, a 3% decline from the year before.

  The four largest states, California, Texas,Florida and New York, had the highest number of cases and a total of a little overhalf of all cases reported.1 The main institutions working to alleviate the burden of TB is the CDCand local health departments.  They surveilthe disease across the country and work together to create and distributeinformation regarding TB prevention and control.2

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