September is Sepsis awareness month. Get Ahead of Sepsis is a national effort to protect people from the devastating effects of sepsis. This initiative emphasizes the importance of early recognition and timely treatment of sepsis, as well as the importance of preventing infections that could lead to sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to [...]
Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In Arizona, heart disease is the leading cause of death. While we applaud the work of the many health care professionals who play a critical role in reducing heart disease and preventing stroke in the United States and [...]
The Arizona Cancer Registry and Office of Cancer Prevention and Control received good news last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – their grant application was approved for a total of $3,930,027 per year for the next five years. This represents a 13.5% increase in funds of $466,909 per year. The [...]
We continue to make steady progress in addressing the statewide opioid epidemic. Last week we expanded blood screening at the State Public Health Lab, announced a $505,104 grant award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and issued emergency rules for licensed healthcare facilities. The State Public Health Lab is now screening blood samples [...]
This World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization continues to build upon its strategy to combat viral hepatitis and achieve the final goal of eliminating hepatitis. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is often caused by a virus. The three most common viruses that cause viral hepatitis in the U.S. are hepatitis A, [...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report this week in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) about five Arizona children diagnosed with Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM). AFM is a rare but serious condition that affects the nervous system causing a sudden onset of arm and/or leg weakness and loss of muscle [...]
Parents, are you ready for the new school year? Meeting teachers, organizing backpacks, and packing lunches are some of the many things you are prepared for, but what about your child’s vaccination status? As the first day of school approaches, take a quick second to review Arizona’s state mandated immunization requirements for children entering child [...]
While summer may be in full swing, the influenza season is lingering longer than usual here in Arizona. In June, we typically see around 200 laboratory confirmed influenza cases. This year there were nearly 1,300 confirmed influenza cases in June . Our ADHS disease detectives and county health departments monitor influenza activity all year. In [...]
The CDC's Office on Smoking Health published an article in the JAMA Pediatrics titled "Secondhand Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Among US Youths." The report says the extent to which youth are exposed is unknown. Through self-reporting, about 40 percent of teens reported being exposed within the past 30 days. The article calls for education [...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation's health protection agency, working 24/7 to protect America from health and safety threats, both foreign and domestic. In 1951, CDC established the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), a two-year postgraduate fellowship for health professionals interested in public health and epidemiology. EIS officers are physicians, veterinarians, [...]
