The Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists and the CDC selected ADHS as an award recipient for the 2016 Influenza Education among Youth in Agriculture Project. This project will be conducted in collaboration between our Vector-borne and Zoonotic Disease Program, Arizona Department of Agriculture, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and Midwestern University College of Veterinary [...]
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 [...]
ADHS Office of Infectious Disease Services published a report last week in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing concurrent outbreaks of West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus disease in Arizona. These outbreaks occurred from May through October this year, and resulted in over 100 illnesses . Co-outbreaks of these two diseases [...]
Dengue and chikungunya are two mosquito-borne viruses that Arizonans can contract when traveling outside the country. If a mosquito in Arizona bites an infected person during their illness, it would be possible for the virus to start spreading in the state. To prevent this from happening, it is important for public health to identify suspected [...]
Our vector-borne disease team is partnering with the University of Arizona, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and other local health departments in a project with high schools around the state to learn more about the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This mosquito was introduced to Arizona in the past 20 years and can transmit dengue and [...]
Back in July, Arizona’s first case of West Nile virus was confirmed in Maricopa County. Unfortunately, the disease hasn’t stopped there. We’re continuing to see an increase in mosquito-borne illnesses statewide. So far this year, 46 cases of West Nile virus and 12 cases of Saint Louis encephalitis (another virus spread by the same mosquito that causes West Nile) have been confirmed in [...]
Over the last few weeks, I’ve written about how a city’s General Plan is one tool for communities to define how they want their city or town to grow and improve population health and how city planning can have a real impact. I wrote about how community residents can use a recently developed Toolkit put [...]
October 24th is the 2nd annual Food Day in the US. It’s a nationwide celebration and movement towards more healthy, affordable and sustainable food. We’ve been collaboratively planning a “Phoenix Real Food Tour” with Maricopa County Department of Public Health, the The Orchard Community Learning Center garden, Tiger Mountain Foundation, Central Farmers’ Market, and the Arizona Department [...]
Maricopa County Department of Public Health’s Office of Preparedness and Response is conducting a full-scale emergency preparedness exercise that will test the strength and completeness of County and City plans during a simulated Anthrax attack. Pre-registered volunteers will drive their cars through the site as simulated medications are dispensed. We anticipate each driver will make several [...]
Your health is influenced by lots of things- genetics, behaviors, and the environment into which you're born, grow, work, and live. A “Health Impact Assessment” is a way of assessing and influencing policy or project decisions to improve health. A simple example is that if your neighborhood has safe, accessible sidewalks or walking or biking paths, you’ll be more likely to be physically active. [...]
