Portland, Oregon, has a surging fecal bacteria contamination problem in the form of Shigella, and county health officials say it’s caused by the burgeoning homeless population, which has no easy access to plumbing facilities or hot and cold running water.
The entire situation is the city’s own fault for allowing it to occur in the first place, according to 770 KTTH TV. They tried to get a handle on it by finally enforcing a camping ban on public property, but an activist group and a sympathetic judge stopped the ban.
Now, the city is trying a counterattack with a hygiene awareness campaign and free motel rooms for infected homeless. The awareness campaign includes getting messages out to the general public about handwashing and advice to be extra vigilant about sexual contact, which can help Shigella spread. “Most cases appear to be a result of sexual contact,” KTTH said in a newscast.
SOURCE: 770 KTTH January 3, 2024