International Infection Prevention Week occurs globally from October 13 - 19 to raise awareness of healthcare-associated infections. Healthcare-associated infections are infections people can get while receiving health care for another condition. This year’s theme is “Vaccines are Everybody’s Business” and highlights the important role that vaccines play in preventing infections from spreading and protecting public health. [...]
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) have surged for a fifth consecutive year, reaching an all-time high nationwide. What is most concerning is the rise in syphilis, which has led to multiple stillbirths and many more babies spending their first 10 days of their life hospitalized for syphilis treatment. Last year, Arizona reported 61 cases of syphilis [...]
Ja'Maryn H., 2018 winner Valley fever is one of the most commonly reported infectious diseases in Arizona, with over 7,000 cases reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) this year. Still, most Arizonans do not know the symptoms of this debilitating and potentially deadly fungal infection, which include cough, fever, and [...]
A new report was released by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) that shows 29.5 percent of Arizona adults are obese, ranking our state 34th in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. We are tied with Alaska and Nevada at that ranking. Nine states have adult obesity rates above 35 percent in [...]
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is excited to announce we have published the 2019 Update to the Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP). The purpose of the AzHIP is to describe how ADHS and our community partners are working together to improve the health and wellness of all Arizonans. Receiving annual updates, the AzHIP [...]
At the end of June, we hosted our 10th annual Arizona Infectious Disease Training and Exercise (AZID 2019), where about 400 partners from a wide variety of organizations joined together to learn and share about best practices and current infectious disease trends in Arizona and surrounding states. We hosted speakers from local Arizona jurisdictions, other [...]
Think it’s too hot for mosquitoes? Think again! Arizona is home to several mosquito species, including the Culex species that can carry West Nile virus and Saint Louis Encephalitis virus. West Nile virus causes symptoms in about 20% of infected people, which can range from fever, headaches, and body aches, to more serious things like [...]
The birth of a child is a joyous time of new beginnings and experiences. Tragically, nearly 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of complications during pregnancy or delivery. The loss of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery, or soon after delivery is devastating. This tragic outcome can be related [...]
Our agency serves a vital role in protecting its residents and visitors against the summer heat. Arizona’s high temperatures increase the risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In 2018, Arizona hospitals had nearly 3,000 emergency department visits for heat-related cases. Additionally, each year we see an average of 108 deaths caused by the heat [...]
The Arizona monsoon season is in effect. We can expect strong winds, dust storms, heavy rain, flooding, and other extreme weather hazards to be the norm during this time of year. ADHS recognizes the many health threats that come with the monsoon season. To prepare for these hazards, ADHS brought together health safety tips in [...]
