Healthy Communities Assessment Tool

The Public Health Nuisances indicator is measured by the number of reported public health nuisances per 1,000 residents. Public health nuisances are strongly tied to poor housing conditions, improper sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and exposure to animals carrying disease such as mosquitoes. Poor housing conditions are associated with a wide range of health conditions, including respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health. Features of substandard housing, including lack of safe drinking water, absence of hot water for washing, ineffective waste disposal, intrusion by disease vectors (e.g., insects and rats), and inadequate food storage have long been identified as contributing to the spread of infectious diseases. Mosquito-borne diseases are those spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Diseases that are spread to people by mosquitoes include Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, and malaria. Finally, the most common concern for a loose or stray pet is rabies. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that infects the brain and spinal cord of mammals. The virus is spread from exposure to saliva or nervous tissue from an infected animal, usually through a bite. Data for this indicator is available through request via the Jefferson County Department of Public Health.