Infectious agents are all around us. They can be found in the food we eat, in the water we drink, in the air we breathe, and on what we touch. Modern times have brought us solutions, such as vaccines and treatments, but also problems, like air travel and globalized food distribution, which can help spread [...]
Emma is the top name for girls, and Liam is the top name for boys for the second year in a row. The top five girl names for 2017 are Emma, Isabella, Olivia, Mia, and Ava. The top five boy names for 2017 are Liam, Noah, Sebastian, Alexander, and Daniel. The list of baby names [...]
Flu is now widespread in Arizona. As of this week, there have been 2,976 cases of flu reported compared to 347 for the same time period in 2016, which is a 758 percent increase in flu activity. This is the highest number of seasonal cases this early since influenza tests became reportable. During the past [...]
I am proud to announce that Arizona is one of the top states in the nation for public health preparedness. The annual Ready or Not report from the Trust for America’s Health that was released on Dec. 19 grades all 50 states on a variety of criteria including available resources, policy environments, and healthcare systems. [...]
Food safety may not be something you think about everyday, but it is certainly on the minds of the ADHS Food Safety & Environmental Services Program and the County Environmental Health Departments. These are the programs and departments charged with preventing foodborne illness through the inspections their Registered Sanitarians and Sanitarian Aides conduct at over [...]
Arizona has a strong history supporting, implementing and sustaining Community Health Workers (CHW). The Arizona Department of Health Services Community Health Worker Program, which operates under the auspices of our Bureau of Tobacco & Chronic Disease, is a core component in our commitment to reaching disparate and underserved populations, has been a critical partner supporting [...]
Publicly displaying vital public health information can help engage community partners in understanding emerging diseases of concern as well as identify whether public health interventions are improving the health of Arizonans. Our newly established Environmental Public Health Tracking Program furthers this strategy by distributing environmental health surveillance data to help public health practitioners, healthcare providers, community members, policy [...]
National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) was established in 2005 by the CDC to highlight the continuing need to vaccinate for influenza through the holiday season and beyond. This year, NIVW is being observed December 3 through 9. Influenza causes mild to severe illness, and even death. Every season, roughly 4,000 Arizonans are hospitalized and 700 [...]
Today the Arizona Department of Health Services join all Arizonans in the recognition of World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day was established in 1988 as opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with HIV, and to remember those who have passed. This year, we also have [...]
All it takes is one breath. An estimated 150,000 people are infected each year in the U.S. by the fungus that causes valley fever (coccidioidomycosis). The fungus is mostly found in the Southwest with nearly two-thirds of all nationally reported cases residing in Arizona. Arizonans in every county are affected by valley fever year-round. Our newly released annual [...]
