Shigella sonnei outbreak investigation
An investigation to an illness outbreak caused by Shigella sonnei at a daycare in The Republic of Korea in October 2014 was traced to a child who had visited Vietnam. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that improved hygiene and infection control practices are needed to prevent future outbreaks. The six children […]
Universal health coverage
Universal health coverage, or the provision of necessary health services free of financial hardship, is a priority for many health organizations. World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan stated, “I regard universal health coverage as the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer.” To this end, WHO and World Bank Group have […]
Adventure run risks
Adventure run pictures flood social media accounts this time of year. Running USA estimates that the popularity of these running events drew a record 4 million participants in 2013. It surpassed the record 2.5 million finishers of both the half-marathon and marathon combined in 2012. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn runners […]
MERS in South Korea
An outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in South Korea has claimed 19 lives over the last four weeks. One hundred and fifty additional cases have been reported, all of which can be traced back through a single chain of transmission that originated with a 68-year-old man who traveled to Saudi Arabia (where […]
USDA farmers markets
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) just launched a Farmer’s Market Directory that helps users find farmers markets in their area. The tool allows users to search by state, zip code, available products and season (winter vs. summer markets). With this directory, the USDA aims to “provide consumers with convenient access to information about farmers […]
HIV MTCT in Uganda
According to the World Health Organization, 35 million people were living with HIV in 2013. That number includes 16 million women and 3.2 children. Additionally, there were 2.1 million new infections that year while AIDS was responsible for 1.5 million deaths. Though HIV is a global epidemic, almost 70% of cases and 80% of deaths […]
Sexual violence against children
Sexual violence against children is a global problem according to a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) are available globally in collaboration with Together for Girls (TfG) and members of the organization. The surveys were administered in household, […]
Chloroquine ineffective for Ebola treatment
Chloroquine, an antimalarial drug once thought to be a viable treatment for Ebola, was ineffective in a new study using mice and hamster models. Chloroquine has been proven safe for humans and is also inexpensive. For more than 30 years, chloroquine has been effective due to its antiviral properties in HIV-1, coronaviruses, dengue, chikungunya and influenza treatments, […]
Increasing melanoma rates
A recent press release by the CDC reports increasing melanoma rates in the United Sates. From 1982 to 2011, melanoma rates tripled from slightly over 11 occurrences per 100,000 people to almost 23 per 100,000. Over 90 percent of these cases occur as a result of overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. Skin cancer is the […]
Lassa fever death in U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a death in the U.S. by Lassa fever. The patient traveled from Liberia to Morrocco and landed at JFK International Airport. Lassa fever is a viral disease common in West Africa. It was discovered in 1969 and named after the Nigerian town where it was first diagnosed […]
Journey towards polio eradication
Polio eradication remains a priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Without eradication, a resurgence of polio could paralyze more than 200,000 children worldwide every year within a decade,” says Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the CDC. The journey towards polio eradication has been a collaborative effort. In 1998, the CDC […]
Skin cancer control and prevention
Skin cancer affects nearly 5 million Americans every year making it the most common type of cancer in the U.S. But as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, skin cancer is preventable in most cases. The most preventable cases are those caused by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure from the sun or […]