Epidemiology
Canada loses its official ‘measles-free’ status – and the US will follow soon, as vaccination rates fall
Canada loses its official ‘measles-free’ status – and the US will follow soon, as vaccination rates fall Canada has lost its official “measles-free” status due to a significant increase in measles cases over the past year, with thousands of people infected and two infants dying from the disease. The US is also at risk of […]
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Health headlines can be confusing – these 3 questions can help you evaluate them
Health headlines can be confusing – these 3 questions can help you evaluate them When evaluating health headlines, ask yourself: Are people getting this illness more often? Is it due to artifactual changes or true changes in rates? Consider the type of study that led to the claim. Is it a randomized controlled trial, observational […]
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Zombies, jiangshi, draugrs, revenants − monster lore is filled with metaphors for public health
Zombies, jiangshi, draugrs, revenants − monster lore is filled with metaphors for public health Zombie lore has parallels with public health concepts, including infectious disease outbreaks and societal collapse. The zombie apocalypse narrative echoes key questions asked by epidemiologists during real-life outbreaks, such as how to contain an outbreak and prevent its spread. Monsters like […]
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Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite
Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite, making them fascinating for environmental historians. Human actions long ago have contributed to the widespread spread of tick-borne diseases. The black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and other tick species can transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted […]
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How the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service protects public health at home and abroad
How the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service protects public health at home and abroad The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a dynamic crisis response team that has produced highly trained public health experts over its 74-year history, mobilizing domestically and internationally to help curb disease outbreaks. The EIS was founded in 1951 as a two-year fellowship […]
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