Our department's injury surveillance system achieved an overall score of 86.1 percent in a Traffic Records Assessment that was just completed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. We exceeded the 24-state average score of 64.3 percent. The Traffic Records Assessment was managed by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, which worked with staff from our [...]
Earlier this week, Taylor Farms Pacific, Inc. recalled celery-containing products due to a possible E. coli risk. Some of these products, including celery sticks, diced celery, and pre-made salads containing celery were sold in Arizona at Costco, Safeway, Albertsons, Sam’s Club, and Walmart. At this time, no one in Arizona has gotten sick from E. [...]
The Food Safety & Environmental Services Program has finalized and posted the 2015 Food Safety Annual Report. The report summarizes the delegated inspections and activities that were completed by Arizona State University and the county health departments over Fiscal Year 2015. Here are some highlights and new additions to this year's report: Complex, moderate, and limited [...]
Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and spread by the kissing bug. This little bug has been in the news a lot lately. Chagas disease is NOT transmitted through the bite of the kissing bug, but actually through the bug’s feces that might be left on a person and then accidentally scratched [...]
Hospital support for breastfeeding has improved since 2007, both across the nation and here in Arizona, according to a recent Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In terms of hospitals implementing more than six of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, Arizona has gone from less than one in five [...]
The Maricopa County Superior Court’s National Adoption Day was held at the Durango Juvenile Court Center on Nov. 21. National Adoption Day is an annual event held every year to raise awareness for adoption. Adoptions for hundreds of children are finalized on this special day. This year 295 children were adopted. Our Bureau of Vital [...]
There has been on average 24 multistate outbreaks reported each year since 2010, each involving two to 37 states. In Arizona, just in the last few months, we have helped investigate several notable multistate outbreaks including: Salmonella associated with cucumbers, raw ground tuna and a truffle and mushroom product. Teamwork is crucial to a rapid [...]
Are you planning on cooking up a Thanksgiving feast tomorrow? Whether you are planning on making everything from the turkey to the pumpkin pies or just some side dishes, follow these tips to make sure the food you prepare is safe to serve: Purchase a thermometer and make sure the cooked turkey reaches an internal [...]
Dengue fever may call to mind a disease of the tropics, but dengue can actually occur right here in Arizona. Between 2007 and 2013 Arizona reported only 3—10 cases of dengue annually, all travel-associated. In 2014, 93 cases of dengue were reported, a 14-fold increase in cases among Arizona residents. Arizona has the type of [...]
We all know that the best way to protect yourself against the flu is by getting your flu shot each year, but did you know that getting vaccinated can also protect those around you? A recent community-wide study showed that when more younger and middle-aged adults (aged 18-64 years) got their flu vaccine, there were [...]
