04
Sep
2020
Outbreaks

Airborne Coronavirus: What We Know Can Help Prevent Illness
14
Aug
2020
Outbreaks
by Water Quality & Health Council

Using Public Restrooms Safely during the Coronavirus Pandemic

In a nutshell… This article presents recommendations on using public restrooms safely during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These include classic infection control measures, such as good hand hygiene, as well as strategies unique to avoiding the coronavirus, including wearing face masks to avoid its transmission through airborne droplets.   As we venture out of our... Read More »
22
Sep
2017
Outbreaks
by Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Getting Hepatitis A Off the Streets of San Diego

A Hepatitis A outbreak centered on homeless and illicit drug-using populations in the County of San Diego, California, has prompted a public health emergency. Headline-grabbing responses by local officials describe washing the streets and sidewalks with chlorine bleach solution, aggressively vaccinating the vulnerable populations, and distributing personal hygiene kits. What caused this local outbreak and... Read More »
02
Jun
2017
Outbreaks
by Bob G. Vincent, MPA

Zika Virus: What Can We Expect this Summer?

As summertime approaches and vulnerable areas of the US warm up, concerns over the potential spread of Zika virus are on the rise. The virus is spread mainly through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, but also can be transmitted sexually. Zika virus is associated with birth defects (microcephaly) in infants of infected... Read More »
05
May
2017
Outbreaks
by Fred Reiff, PE

Out of the Jungle: Yellow Fever on the Rise

Yellow fever, a deadly scourge transmitted by mosquitoes that has impacted the course of human history time and time again, is on the rise in Latin America. The first yellow fever death in Brazil in 17 years occurred in January 2017, when a young person who worked in the jungle succumbed to the disease. A... Read More »
05
Aug
2016
Outbreaks
by Bob G. Vincent, MPA

Stepping up Our Game against Zika Virus

“Ground zero” for the first likely cases of locally transmitted Zika virus in the US has been identified as a one-mile square patch in the Wynwood neighborhood north of downtown Miami.  The virus has not yet been found in local mosquitoes, but Florida Department of Health officials are aggressively implementing disease and environmental surveillance while city... Read More »
22
Jul
2016
Outbreaks
by Barbara M. Soule, RN, MPA, CIC, FSHEA, and Ralph Morris, MD, MPH

Sepsis Explained

Sepsis is the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to infection. Sepsis causes inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Sepsis is a serious complication of septicemia, also known as bacteremia or blood poisoning. Septicemia occurs when a... Read More »
06
May
2016
Outbreaks
by Water Quality & Health Council

Lifecycle of the Zika-transmitting Mosquito

Mosquito borne illnesses have played a significant role the course of human history and continue to have repercussions on human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls the mosquito the “greatest menace” of all disease-transmitting insects, responsible for several million deaths and hundreds of millions of cases every year.  Malaria alone, transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes,... Read More »