May 2012

Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week

• 21.6% of Americans don’t know that swimming when they have diarrhea can make other swimmers sick, even in properly-chlorinated pools.
• Swallowing a single mouthful of contaminated pool water can cause diarrhea, viral meningitis, and other illnesses.
• CDC has resources to help you inform your community about healthy swimming and what they can do to keep germs out of the water.

• Half of the world’s population (3.3 billion) live in areas where malaria transmission occurs.
• In 2010, 1,691 cases of malaria were reported in the United States, the highest number of cases in 30 years.
• By sharing CDC’s Malaria 101 continuing education course, you can help clinicians recognize and diagnose malaria.

• Up to 75% of the 4.4 million Americans with chronic viral hepatitis don’t know they are infected.
• CDC now offers a five-minute online Hepatitis Risk Assessment that provides tailored testing and vaccination recommendations.
• May 19^th is the first ever National Hepatitis Testing Day; check to see if there are any events planned in your community.

• Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness and outbreaks in the United States and causes nearly 800 deaths annually.
• More than 20 million people get norovirus illness each year, which causes diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
• CDC's new norovirus website and widget highlight the simple steps people can take to stop the spread of norovirus.