Binational surveillance allows public health on both sides of the border to investigate potential exposures and cases of infectious diseases. Our relationship with our border state of Sonora, Mexico has been long standing and we have had shared a surveillance system since 2007. In early August, representatives from the Office of Border Health and the Bureau [...]
In 2013, our Licensing and Infectious Disease Services teams partnered with the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Program to develop a day-long ADVICE Collaborative conference aimed at improving infection control practices. The ADVICE Collaborative brings together licensed dialysis providers, the dialysis network, federal partners and public health professionals to find new ways to promote infection control, build relationships, and identify how public health can [...]
Our Office of Infectious Disease Services has released their 2015 Infectious Disease Outbreak Summary Report, documenting outbreak detection, response, and reporting throughout Arizona. An outbreak is an unexpected increase in the number of people with the same disease at the same time or in the same place. The public health response to outbreaks is a team effort, utilizing knowledge, [...]
The 2015 Arizona Health Status and Vital Statistics Report, also known as the “Big Book,” is now available. The Big Book presents an annual update of information on vital statistics and the health status of Arizona residents . It provides statewide numbers and rates of vital events such as births, stillbirths, and deaths, and population-based data on pregnancies, [...]
Ever wonder about the likely transmission pathway of Zika Virus, or maybe about the symptoms of Brucellosis? Now you can easily look up this information and more in our new mobile app, the AZ Infectious Disease Resource (IDAZ). The official launch of the app coincides with our annual Arizona Infectious Disease Exercise and Training (July [...]
This is the time of year when we start closing out all of our infectious disease data from the previous year. That means our epidemiology and data entry staff will be hard at work to identify potential duplicate cases, make sure reported disease cases are classified correctly and similarly between the state and local health [...]
It’s bad enough to be sick, but worse is the thought of passing your illness to someone else. Have you ever wondered when you’re contagious and when you’re not? Some diseases can keep people infectious for a while. For example, people with pertussis (whooping cough) can be contagious for two weeks. People with infectious tuberculosis [...]
On September 17 we held the first ever Viral Hepatitis Summit sponsored by Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI). There were 85 healthcare personnel and public health professionals in attendance, including physicians, social workers, nurses and pharmacists from all over Arizona. Some of the topics included adhering to hepatitis B and C testing guidelines, accessing treatment for hepatitis C, and [...]
Throughout the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, local health departments in Arizona have worked with ADHS, CDC, and other federal partners to monitor travelers returning from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for signs and symptoms of Ebola. Since October 17, local public health in Arizona has monitored more than 200 returning travelers. As disease prevention and [...]
Our epidemiologists and food safety specialists have been hard at work, alongside partners at the county health departments, CDC, and FDA to investigate a large national Salmonella outbreak. As of today, a total of 66 cases of Salmonella Poona have been reported in 6 counties in Arizona. Many of these cases (75%) are in children [...]
