Public Health

Slide Show: Sequestration and Public Health

As Congress debates strategies to avoid the fiscal cliff, we look at the impact that sequestration would have on public health and infectious disease control and prevention. ...More
November 19, 2012
Posted in Galleries, Policies and Practice
Sequestration Could Cripple U.S. Public Health

Under the Budget Control Act, most Federal programs face an across-the-board cut in January 2013 if Congress does not enact a plan before then to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion. This inaction, and the resulting sequestration, has serious consequences for public ...More
November 16, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
Better Risk Communication Needed When Foods Pose Public Health Danger

The recent decision by supermarket giant Kroger to stop selling fresh sprouts is important for public health and shows why risk communication messages must be improved at all levels, according to a Kansas State University food safety expert. Doug Powell, professor of food ...More
October 30, 2012
Posted in News
Pennsylvania General Assembly, Health Department Asked to Step Up Regulation of Tattoo Parlors

Pennsylvania auditor general Jack Wagner today called on the General Assembly and the state department of health to step up the state's role in regulating the tattoo parlor industry because of potential health risks to the general public, including hepatitis C. Wagner said ...More
October 10, 2012
Posted in News
CDC, WHO Monitoring Severe Respiratory Illness Associated with a Novel Coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to better understand the public health risk presented by a recently detected novel coronavirus. This virus has been identified in two ...More
October 5, 2012
Posted in News
Survey Reveals Country-Specific Differences in Preventive Behaviors During 2009 Influenza Pandemic

Many important strategies to reduce the spread of pandemic influenza need public participation. To assess public receptivity to such strategies, Steel-Fisher, et al. (2012) compared adoption of preventive behaviours in response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic among the ...More
October 5, 2012
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene, PPE & Standard Precautions
Public Health Messages Can Influence Infectious Disease Stigmas

Crafting public health messages about a disease may create stigmas that influence how likely people are to endorse certain interventions, such as isolating infected persons, forcing treatment on them and mapping their location, according to a Penn State researcher. Rachel ...More
October 1, 2012
Posted in News
Public Health Experts Get Vaccinated, Urge Importance of Influenza Vaccines at NFID News Conference

Public health officials and medical experts practiced what they preach by getting vaccinated against influenza during a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) news conference Sept. 27. Urging the public to follow suit, experts cautioned that influenza is ...More
September 28, 2012
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Slide Show: A Primer on Rabies

In acknowledgement of World Rabies Day, Sept. 28, 2012, we present a primer on rabies infection and strategies for disease prevention. ...More
September 21, 2012
Posted in Galleries
New Web-Based App Leverages Twitter for Real-Time Early Warning of Disease Outbreaks

Local public health officials can use a free new Web-based application, MappyHealth, to track health concerns in real time in their communities using Twitter, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ...More
September 21, 2012
Posted in News