Residents in South County neighborhoods should expect a knock at their door this coming Thursday. County Public Health staff and volunteers in reflective vests will distribute information about an impending CDC-led health assessment to gauge the impact of sewage pollution from the Tijuana River Valley. The outreach is to prep folks for the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER survey as reported by County News Center.
Over 6,000 households are slated to receive flyers detailing the forthcoming survey, which sees the CDC partnering with the County to canvas selected homes within a statistically significant sample of households. As interim public health officer, Dr. Ankita Kadakia noted the collective concerns, according to County News Center, "We know that many community members are worried about their health and the health of their families because of the sewage contamination in their beach water and the Tijuana River Valley." The volunteers walking in pairs to convey this message will have noticeable reflective vests. Kadakia added, "We are pleased to have the support of the CDC partnering with the County so that we can listen to those concerns and experiences and get a big picture snapshot of the needs in these areas."
The CASPER tool deploys a series of questions to rapidly gather data on the needs of a community faced with public health issues. From within 30 specified blocks or clusters, seven households will be randomly chosen for interviews, making up a sample size of 210 households. Officials are urging community members to partake and share their experiences if selected to ensure a robust assessment that can shape public health responses and resource allocation.
Aside from this snapshot provided by CASPER, the County's public health epidemiologists are on watch year-round. Tracking public health data daily, they respond to contagious disease cases and outbreaks, targeting specific areas and populations of concern. Whether hepatitis A among the homeless population, Mpox, or salmonella linked to raw milk, these epidemiologists are the front line of the region’s health defense, having investigated "more than 15,000 high priority cases of infectious disease" annually, as per County News Center. Similarly, for residents living with unpleasant sewage pollution odors in the Tijuana River Valley, officials monitor weekly for reports of hikes in gastrointestinal or respiratory issues.
Anyone seeking concrete information on navigating health risks associated with the Tijuana River Valley sewage issues or to deepen their understanding of what the CASPER survey entails can visit sandiegocounty.gov/southregionhealth for updates and resources.
