Public Health Matters Blog

Sharing our stories on preparing for and responding to public health events

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Test Your Knowledge: Hurricanes

Categories: General, Natural Disasters, Preparedness

June 1st, 2012 10:01 am ET - Blog Administrator

The 2012 Hurricane Season starts Friday, June 1^st, but we’ve already seen some action with two storms, Alberto and Beryl, that battered Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina with heavy rains and strong winds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) unveiled its 2012 predictions last week, estimating between 9-15 tropical storms this year, with up to 8 storms reaching hurricane strength and up to 3 major hurricanes.

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Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: A Mother’s Perspective

Categories: Disease Outbreak, General

May 22nd, 2012 11:14 am ET - Blog Administrator

By Kara Stephens

Memorial Day weekend last year, I was changing my daughter, Kinsey, when I noticed a blister on her finger and a few red marks near her diaper line and on her knees. I really didn’t worry too much about it at first, thinking it may have been some sort of mild allergic reaction or bug bites from playing outside all day. Later that afternoon, she took a drink from her sippy cup and began to cry as she shoved her hands into her mouth, desperately trying to figure out what was causing the pain. Thinking it was just the budding of new baby teeth I went and got some Orajel from the medicine cabinet. Only when I went to apply it I noticed the pain wasn’t caused by her teeth, but several blisters that had formed on the back of her throat and tongue. At this moment I knew something was wrong and all of my epidemiology and infectious disease coursework came flooding back to me.

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Zombie Nation: Move over Dorothy, Zombies are Taking Over

Categories: General, Zombie Nation, Zombies

May 19th, 2012 8:00 am ET - Blog Administrator

By Devan Tucking-Strickler, Kansas Division of Emergency Management

When people hear “Kansas,” many think of a yellow brick road, ruby slippers, and a cute little dog named Toto. I’ve never met anyone that heard “Kansas” and thought of zombies… until a year ago. That’s when we started the “Prepare for the Unexpected” campaign. Who would have thought that zombies could bring so much attention to disaster preparedness?! Throughout October 2011 the Kansas Division of Emergency Management and other county Emergency Management offices used brain-eating, decaying sci-fi monsters to get Kansas citizens thinking about disaster preparedness, and it worked!

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Zombie Nation: Teaching Preparedness through a Zombie Outbreak

Categories: General, Zombie Nation, Zombies

May 18th, 2012 10:30 am ET - Blog Administrator

By Carol Okupniak, RN, MSN, BC, Drexel University College of Nursing & Health Professions

CDC’s Zombie Preparedness Campaign was the catalyst that inspired Drexel University’s College of Nursing & Health Professions, Center for Interdisciplinary Clinical Simulation and Practice, to prepare medical professionals for ANY disaster by creating a Zombie Apocalypse in our own lab.

Zombie Nation: Required Reading…“World War Z”

Categories: General, Zombie Nation, Zombies

May 17th, 2012 11:43 am ET - Blog Administrator

Yesterday we heard about a Michigan State Professor using zombies to make course work compelling. So who else is incorporating zombies into the curriculum? The University of Rhode Island has also realized students can learn a thing or two from the undead.

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Zombie Nation: A Degree in…Zombies?

Categories: General, Zombie Nation, Zombies

May 16th, 2012 9:58 am ET - Blog Administrator

By Glenn R. Stutzky

Glenn Stutzky is a clinical instructor of social work at Michigan State University. He recently made headlines for his unusual course syllabus, which, you guessed it, included Zombies! We asked Glenn to share his story and are looking forward to hearing his students feedback at the end of the semester.