Our physical environment is where we live, learn, work, and play. We interact with our physical environment through the air we breath, the houses and apartments we live in, and the transportation we use to travel to work and school.
Clean air and safe water are necessary for good health. Air pollution is linked to increased asthma rates and lung diseases.
Within Whatcom county’s Physical Environment, we consider the following topics:
Built Environment
Air & Water Quality
Transportation
For review of all Health Determinants, as well as Health Outcomes, you can access the Population Health Framework here.
Indicators on this page:
Enteric Disease Rate
Why this is important: Enteric diseases are a group of illness that primarily affect the GI tract. In the U.S., enteric illnesses were the fourth leading cause of death 100 years ago, but today they are not usually life threatening. Enteric diseases may be contracted from exposure to contaminated water or food or from infected animals. Human-to-human transmission can also occur. Exposure can occur locally, but also commonly occurs during travel, especially travel internationally. Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns and extreme weather events can influence the incidence and distribution of these diseases.
Definition: Number of cases of enteric diseases per 100,000 people
Trend: The rate of enteric disease in Whatcom County has not been changing significantly from 2002 to 2021.
Geography: The rate of enteric disease in Whatcom County was not significantly different from Washington State in 2021.
Disparities: There is a disparity in the enteric disease rate in Whatcom County among residents in different age groups. Hover over the data in the subpopulation tab to discover more.
Learn more:
- Food Safety, WA State Department of Health.
- What you need to know about foodborne illness, US Food and Drug Administration, 2022.
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