EUGENE, Ore — A spike in a highly contagious bacterial infection among the homeless population is raising concerns in Lane County. Public health officials and grassroots volunteers are working to prevent the disease from spreading further.
The first sign that something was seriously wrong, a young woman lying on a tarp in Washington Jefferson Park, too sick to move.
Lisa Levsen, an organizer for Neighbors Feeding Neighbors, described the situation: “She was running a fever and had nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was on a tarp and literally couldn’t get up.”…