For many people Independence Day wouldn’t be complete without fireworks. There are dozens of public fireworks shows around the state, but some people like shooting them at home. Fireworks are legal in Arizona although some communities have banned them due to wildfire concerns . The best thing you can do to keep your family safe [...]
In public health, we know that flu is unpredictably affecting different populations at different times with different strains (remember the drift in 2014). Last week, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that due to low vaccine effectiveness, the nasal spray flu vaccine not be used this upcoming flu season. Once finalized by CDC, these recommendations will [...]
Mosquito season is upon us, which means it’s time to find ways to prevent and control mosquitoes around your home. Let’s all mark National Mosquito Control Awareness Week this week by protecting our families and communities from mosquito-borne disease. Arizona is home to more than 40 different types of mosquitoes, including the Culex and Aedes [...]
Our Human Resources team will be hosting on-site career events at the Arizona State Hospital (ASH) as well as increasing our recruiting efforts for the rest of the agency. The career events at ASH will be recruiting for critical positions including: Registered Nurses, Behavioral Health Technicians/MHPS 3's and Hospital Security at ASH; Epidemiologists in Public [...]
Last week we hosted a two-day workshop on improving surveillance capacity for diseases spread by mosquitoes with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the International Society of Disease Surveillance (ISDS). ISDS's mission of bringing ideas to actions with measurable impact on public health practice, helped our Office of Infectious Disease Services to develop new ways to better inform our response [...]
We’re seeing a downward trend in Arizona with youth tobacco prevalence that is similar to the national trend , according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey. The percentage of Arizona’s high school youth who have ever tried smoking has decreased from 46.5 percent in 2011 to 37 percent in 2015, a decrease of almost 20 [...]
The high temperatures over the past few days have resulted in 13 out of 15 Arizona counties to be under an Excessive Heat Warning. Exposure to these temperatures can put you at additional risk for a heat-related illness. Most vulnerable are adults age 65 and older, those who work or exercise outdoors, infants and children, the [...]
During the school year in Arizona, nearly 650,000 meals are served at schools each day. Last summer, the Summer Food Service Program served 16,007 meals each day at schools and other sites. Meals are served at a variety of community sites, but many families do not know about the program. Our staff and the Arizona Department [...]
A recent CDC Vital Signs has highlighted Legionnaire’s Disease, a serious lung infection (pneumonia) caused by a type of bacterium “Legionella”. In the United States every year, about 5,000 people are infected with Legionnaire’s disease and about 10 percent who get sick will die due to these infections. The number of people with Legionnaire’s disease grew by nearly four [...]
Last Saturday our Healthcare-Associated Infections Program and Antimicrobial Stewardship Subcommittee members presented at the 2016 Arizona Pharmacy Association Annual Convention. Their presentation “A National Action Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: Are You Prepared?” was attended by over 200 Arizona pharmacists. Discussions included: Global initiatives to improve the use of antibiotics, including programs in the United States Major elements of the White [...]
