The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting the 2018-2019 season's first flu-related deaths. One of the reported deaths occurred in a child in the 0-4 age group. The two adult patients who died were in the 50-64 age group.

As the state of Washington declares an emergency in response to an outbreak of measles, the Southern Nevada Health District is urging everyone to ensure they and their children are appropriately immunized.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is observed each year on February 7 to increase testing and treatment among black communities. This year the Southern Nevada Health District will commemorate the day by offering free Express Testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia at its Sexual Health Clinic between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. During American Heart Month, the Southern Nevada Health District encourages Southern Nevadans to work with their health care providers to learn about their heart disease risk factors and the ABCS of heart disease.

The Southern Nevada Health District, the Clark County School District (CCSD), and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces are launching a new program called the Slam Dunk Health Challenge to encourage students to eat healthy and participate in physical activity. The Slam Dunk Health Challenge kicks off in February.

The County Health Rankings measure the health of nearly all counties in the nation and rank them within states. The Rankings are compiled using county-level measures from a variety of national and state data sources and then standardized using scientifically-informed weights.

An investigation by the Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed an internationally imported case of measles in Clark County. The patient is an international visitor and the potential Las Vegas exposure occurred between Saturday, March 9 and Monday, March 11. The patient’s immunization status is unknown. The Health District is notifying individuals who might have had contact with this patient and will not be releasing any additional information about the patient.

Clark County ranks 8th healthiest in Nevada according to the annual County Health rankings, up from 10th in last year’s ranking. The County Health Rankings are released each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI). The full rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District has tested 187 individuals as part of its contact investigation related to a person diagnosed with active TB disease who was at Durango High School while potentially infectious.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting 465 cases of measles in 19 states so far this year. This is the second-greatest number of cases reported in the United States since measles was eliminated in 2000. The Southern Nevada Health District reported two confirmed cases of measles in Clark County the last six months. The CDC is urging people to protect themselves before traveling, especially to international destinations.

In 2017, Clark County ranked first in the nation for rates of primary and secondary syphilis and second for rates of congenital syphilis. Cases of congenital syphilis have been steadily increasing at an alarming rate in Clark County. In 2016, there were nine reported cases, in 2017 there were 20 cases, and in 2018 there were 24 cases of congenital syphilis in Clark County.

The Southern Nevada Health District’s third annual Environmental Health Expo is a fun event for kids and the whole family. There will be informative and interactive exhibits that include a working model of a milking cow, how to pack a safe lunch, the big 8 food allergens, information about trash and recycling, and mosquito fish and equipment.

LAS VEGAS - The Southern Nevada Health District is informing individuals and the public who were at different locations listed below that they might have been exposed to a person who was confirmed to have a case of measles. Because measles can be highly contagious, the Health District is advising people who may have been exposed to review their immunization status and contact their health care providers if they are not fully immunized against measles or have not already had the disease. This measles case was reported in a visitor. There have been no additional cases reported in Clark County residents.

The Solid Waste Hearing Officer, under authority granted in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 444.629, conducts monthly hearings to settle cases involving illegal dumping and other solid waste matters. At the August 19, 2019 hearing, the following cases were adjudicated:

Dr. Joe Iser, Chief Health Officer of the Southern Nevada Health District, announced his retirement from the Southern Nevada Health District today. Dr. Iser has served as the Chief Health Officer since September 2013. His retirement is effective January 3, 2020.

As part of this year’s National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD), the Southern Nevada Health District is partnering with the Southern Nevada HIV Awareness Consortium for the “Big Oh” Health Fair between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Nucleus Plaza, 916 W. Owens Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89106. For more information, visit the Southern Nevada HIV Awareness Consortium’s Facebook page,

LAS VEGAS – Nevadans will be breathing in a healthier New Year when updates to the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act take effect on January 1. During the 2019 legislative session, Nevada’s clean indoor air law was modernized to protect children and adults from secondhand aerosol from electronic vaping products in most public places and indoor places of employment.