The Significance of 9/11 and Public Health in Arizona
In our recent history, national catastrophic events such as the 9/11 attacks, anthrax letters, Hurricane Katrina, and the threat of pandemic influenza led to an entirely new era in public health emergency preparedness. Policy makers from across the nation saw the need to further integrate public health into the emergency management, first responder, and health care sectors. Because of congressional [...]
Water Screening in Child Care Facilities
Starting this month, ADHS will be launching a project to screen water in many licensed child care facilities for lead. Our Child Care Licensing surveyors will collect water from a sample of drinking water sources at facilities while they’re out to conduct facility inspections. The surveyors will bring the water samples to our Arizona State Public Health Laboratory for lead [...]
The United States and Canada Experiencing Cyclospora Outbreak
Currently, the United States and Canada are experiencing an outbreak of Cyclospora, a foodborne parasite. People who swallow this parasite become sick with ongoing diarrhea, often going away and coming back (relapsing), loss of appetite, gas, stomach pain, and fatigue. Symptoms usually start a week after the parasite is swallowed, but can be as short as 2 days or as [...]
Prevent Childhood Obesity with Small Steps
One in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news is that childhood obesity can be prevented. In recognition of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the Arizona Department of [...]
Strengthening Binational Partnerships Through Surveillance
Binational surveillance allows public health on both sides of the border to investigate potential exposures and cases of infectious diseases. Our relationship with our border state of Sonora, Mexico has been long standing and we have had shared a surveillance system since 2007. In early August, representatives from the Office of Border Health and the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control [...]
Take the Fruits and Veggies–More Matters Pledge
September brings not only the hope for cooler weather but a chance to eat more fruits and vegetables as we celebrate Fruits and Veggies-More Matters Month. The latest Dietary Guidelines and the nutrition recommendations from ChooseMyPlate are specific in how many fruits and vegetables each of us should eat each day, but most of us fall short. To get the [...]