Here Or Not? – TDH & Haslam’s Office Refuse To Tell

The Tennessee Department of Health has declined to identify the county of residence of two individuals that have contracted the Enterovirus D68, a virus that has struck more than 700 and has been confirmed as the cause of death in at least two cases and is suspected in others. Severe symptoms result in respiratory stress and the Center for Disease Control qualifies it on its information page as a “nationwide outbreak”. Two cases have been confirmed in Tennessee, one being in the East Tennessee region, and there has been local speculation that Jefferson County is the site of that case.

In an effort to confirm the counties involved in the identified Tennessee cases of Enterovirus D68, the Jefferson County Post contacted the Tennessee Department of Health. Bill Christian, representing Tennessee Department of Health, and Shelly L. Walker, Assistant Director of Communications and Media Relations, responded to the request for information via email from Walker, stating that they would not identify the counties where the Enterovirus has been confirmed because it could potentially lead to identifying the individuals infected. The stance on release of information regarding Enterovirus D68 is contrary to the Tennessee Department of Health’s previous distribution of information regarding other viruses, such as the West Nile Virus that was identified in Shelby County as recent as June of this year.

Governor Haslam’s media representative, David Smith, also declined to share the information with the public, citing privacy laws, however no personal health information was requested beyond the location of the confirmed cases in Tennessee and status of the cases in regard to recovery.

Source: K. Depew, News Director