Multidrug Resistant Tuberculosis: If it’s Anywhere, it’s Everywhere
There’s Tuberculosis (TB) and then there’s Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Compared to TB that is not drug resistant, MDR-TB takes a greater human and economic toll because it requires longer treatment (24 months on average) with more expensive drugs (about $150,000) and significantly increases a patient’s risk of death (about nine percent of patients die during treatment). More than 90 MDR-TB [...]
Bureau of Special Licensing and Office of Environmental Health Team Up
An estimated 120,000 trucks cross our southern border every year importing fresh produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers to name a few. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 4.2 billion pounds of produce crossed into Nogales, Arizona. A potential stopping point for the produce you eat may be one of approximately 110 warehouses located in Santa Cruz County. [...]
Ebola Outbreak Over in West Africa
On December 29, 2015, the WHO declared the end of Ebola virus transmission in Guinea, following up the declared end of the outbreak in Liberia in September and in Sierra Leone in November. This is the first time since the outbreak began two years ago the original chain of transmission has been halted. While sporadic small clusters of Ebola cases [...]
Oral Health in Children is a Critical Factor in Overall Health
Good oral health is important to a child’s social, physical and mental development. Even though tooth decay can be prevented, most children in Arizona still get cavities. To assess the current oral health status of Arizona’s elementary school children, our Bureau of Women’s and Children’s Health, with support from First Things First, coordinated a statewide oral health survey of kindergarten and third [...]
A New Mosquito-Borne Disease Threat in the Americas
Just when we were finally getting comfortable pronouncing “chikungunya,” a new viral disease spread by Aedes species mosquitoes has appeared in the Americas. Zika virus, which causes symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, was first detected in Brazil during May 2015. The virus has since spread to 18 Brazilian states, as well as Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, [...]