Public Health Matters Blog Posts
A Time to Remember
By Captain Tracee Treadwell Ten years ago, the September 11th tragedies devastated our country and forever changed our lives. On this anniversary, we remember those we lost, as well as those who worked tirelessly and courageously during the response efforts. I had the honor of working with these heroic individuals near Ground Zero. Although a Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsOutbreak Investigation: A Cheat Sheet
With the approaching release of the movie Contagion, I thought it would be appropriate to post my cheat sheet on how to investigate a disease outbreak. Aspiring disease detectives take notes! What do you think of when you hear the word “outbreak”? Maybe you envision a population decimated by a terrible, novel, and incurable disease Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsTen Years Later, What’s Changed?
The events of 9/11 will forever be engrained in our memories. The attacks on the twin towers, Pentagon, and the anthrax attacks which followed were unimaginable at the time. Ten years after these tragic events, what’s changed? Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentBreakbone Fever Attacks Enchanted Island: Battling the 2010 Dengue Epidemic in Puerto Rico
by Tyler M. Sharp, PhD Paradise Has Its Risks Given the choice I prefer my bones to remain unbroken. For that reason I began to worry when I found out that the disease I would be studying for the next two years in Puerto Rico was also referred to as “breakbone fever.” Read More >
Posted on by 19 CommentsTornado Survivors Battle Deadly Fungus in Joplin, Missouri
By Molly Gayden Disaster Strikes On May 22, 2011, an F5 Tornado ripped through the heart of Joplin, Missouri, a city of more than 50,000 people. Almost 160 people were killed and thousands of lives were completely uprooted. The tornado damaged more than 7,000 buildings, one third of the city. St. John’s Regional Medical Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsBorders, Budgets, and the Rising Risk of Disease
Borders, Budgets, and the Rising Risk of Disease Is there a perfect storm brewing along our nation’s southern border? Let’s take a look at the numbers in El Paso, Texas where I recently visited: There are 27 million crossings per year alone at the El Paso Point of Entry (POE) Cuts to federal funding including Read More >
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