Other Infectious Diseases

• About 1 in 10 US pregnant women with confirmed Zika infection in 2016 had a fetus or baby with birth defects.
• Babies born with Zika-related birth defects require specialized follow-up care and developmental monitoring.
• Health departments can coordinate pregnancy surveillance with Zika birth defects surveillance to ensure all affected babies are identified and families are connected to appropriate medical and social services.

• The latest vaccination rates show that many adults are not fully vaccinated, leaving them vulnerable to preventable illnesses.
• Find out what vaccines you may need—take CDC’s adult vaccine quiz and share your results with your doctor.
• Health department staff and healthcare professionals can share CDC materials to educate adults about vaccinations they might need.

• Vector-borne diseases are a major public health concern because they can be difficult to prevent and control.
• CDC and its partners have developed a new training about controlling vectors that can spread pathogens, like Zika.  
• Environmental and public health professionals can take the free training to access resources for controlling mosquitoes, ticks, rodents, and other vectors.

• 6 of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic diseases—diseases that are spread between animals and people.
• The One Health approach recognizes that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment.
• Physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, and other health professionals can use CDC resources to raise awareness about the One Health approach to protect people from infectious diseases domestically and globally.

• As of August 2016, more than 1,000 pregnant women in US states and territories showed laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection, which can cause birth defects.
• CDC recommends that all pregnant women in US states and territories be assessed for Zika virus exposure at each prenatal care visit.
• Doctors and other healthcare professionals can use CDC tools and guidance to help them talk with pregnant patients about Zika.

• As of August 2016, more than 1,000 pregnant women in US states and territories showed laboratory evidence of Zika virus infection, which can cause birth defects.
• CDC recommends that all pregnant women in US states and territories be assessed for Zika virus exposure at each prenatal care visit.
• Doctors and other healthcare professionals can use CDC tools and guidance to help them talk with pregnant patients about Zika.

• Adult vaccination rates in the United States are still very low, even among those at high risk for vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Adults with chronic conditions are more likely to develop serious complications from certain vaccine-preventable diseases—take the quiz and find out which vaccines you may need.
• Healthcare providers can use free CDC resources to educate patients and strongly recommend the vaccines they need.

• Too few adults are getting the vaccines they need to protect against serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases.
• Healthcare providers should assess a patient’s vaccination status every visit and recommend any needed vaccines.
• Public health professionals can use and share these helpful CDC resources to improve adult immunization practice and to encourage adults to get vaccinated.

• Antibiotic-resistant germs cause more than 2 million illnesses and at least 23,000 deaths each year in the United States.
• National initiatives for infection control and antibiotic stewardship could prevent 619,000 antibiotic-resistant and Clostridium difficile infections over 5 years.
• A coordinated approach, where healthcare facilities and health departments work together, could prevent these life-threatening infections—according to this month’s Vital Signs.

• Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating ameba found in warm freshwater, can enter the body through the nose and cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, leading to brain swelling and death.
• An investigational drug available from the CDC Drug Service helped treat the first American since 1978 to survive illness from Naegleria fowleri.
• Swimmers can lower their risk of infection by following these tips when swimming in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, where most US infections have occurred.

• CDC and its partners are closely monitoring a MERS outbreak in the Republic of Korea, the largest known MERS outbreak outside the Arabian Peninsula.
• MERS is a respiratory illness that has caused fever, cough, and shortness of breath in most people who have the disease.
• Healthcare providers should evaluate patients suspected to have MERS using CDC’s guidelines and work with health departments to consider testing for patients under investigation.

• Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a very contagious disease that can cause babies to stop breathing—here’s what you need to know about preventing it.
• Infants are at greatest risk for getting whooping cough, so pregnant women should get vaccinated in the third trimester of each pregnancy.
• Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can use CDC’s many educational resources to teach parents about vaccines for whooping cough and other childhood diseases.

• Influenza (flu) patients at high risk for serious complications can get very sick and die from the flu.
• Antiviral drugs for treating the flu, available by prescription, can lessen symptoms and shorten the flu’s duration.
• All high-risk patients and all hospitalized patients with suspected flu should be treated with antivirals as soon as possible, without waiting for confirmatory flu testing.

• CDC has released updated guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by healthcare workers during management of patients with Ebola virus disease in US hospitals, including procedures for putting on (donning) and removing (doffing).
• Starting October 27, public health authorities will conduct active post-arrival monitoring of all travelers whose travel originated in the Ebola-affected countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, or Guinea.
• CDC reminds healthcare workers to “Think Ebola” [PDF–149KB] by taking a detailed travel and exposure history for any patient with fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained hemorrhage.

Get real-time CDC Ebola content on your website.

• Many children in almost every state are getting severe respiratory illnesses from enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) this year.
• Children with asthma are especially at risk for severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing and wheezing. See what all parents need to know about EV-D68.
• Healthcare providers should follow CDC guidance for identifying patients who may have EV-D68, testing of specimens, and reporting to health departments.

• One trillion germs [PDF–345KB] can live in one gram of poop!
• Washing hands with soap for just 20 seconds can significantly reduce rates of colds and diarrhea.
• You can promote handwashing and Global Handwashing Day on October 15 with these tools and materials.

• Just one recreational water illness outbreak can sicken thousands.
• Recreational water illnesses are spread by swallowing, breathing in mists or aerosols of, or having contact with contaminated water in pools, hot tubs, water parks, lakes, rivers, or oceans.
• You can use the new Model Aquatic Health Code to create or update pool codes and reduce the risk for recreational water illness outbreaks, drowning, and pool-chemical injuries.

• CDC, along with domestic and international public health partners, is responding in West Africa to one of the largest Ebola outbreaks in history.
• Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with a sick person’s blood or body fluids (urine, saliva, feces, vomit, or semen), contaminated objects (such as needles), or animals in Africa known to spread the disease (such as monkeys, apes, and bats).
• You can use CDC resources—including infographics, posters, and brochures—to promote awareness and correct misconceptions about the Ebola outbreak.

• According to the new CDC Vital Signs report, infected food workers cause about 70% of reported norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food, often by touching ready-to-eat foods with their bare hands.
• Norovirus is the leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States. Outbreaks are most common in food service settings, such as restaurants.
• Health departments can help by adopting and enforcing FDA model Food Code provisions and more thoroughly investigating and reporting norovirus outbreaks from contaminated food.

• CDC’s Winnable Battles Progress Report, 2010–2015 [PDF-785KB] describes the progress being made in addressing these critical public health challenges.
• CDC and partners are on track to decrease teen birth rates by 20% [PDF-420KB], reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities by 31% [PDF-453KB], and reduce certain healthcare-associated infections in hospitals by 60% [PDF-178KB] by the 2015 target date.
• Identifying and focusing on Winnable Battles has helped promote progress. CDC will continue to work closely with partners at the national, state, and local levels to achieve Winnable Battle targets.

• The flu vaccine cannot cause the flu. The viruses in the vaccine are either killed or weakened, which means they cannot cause infection.
• If given during pregnancy, the flu shot has been shown to protect both the mother and her baby (up to age 6 months) from flu.
• You can take 3 steps to fight flu: get vaccinated, practice healthy habits, and take antiviral medications if prescribed.

• Obstetric and neonatal healthcare providers can quickly access patient-specific guidance on managing group B Streptococcus (strep) infections with a new CDC mobile app.
• Group B strep can cause pneumonia, blood infections, and meningitis and is one of the most common causes of infectious illness and death for US newborns in the first week of life.
• You can download the free app from the CDC iTunes App Store or access a web version on your computer.

• Fungal diseases, including fungal meningitis, pose a threat to public health nationally and globally. Early and accurate diagnosis by healthcare professionals is essential.
• Valley fever is sweeping across the Southwest. Learn more about this disease and its costly consequences [PDF-2.9MB]—affecting more than 20,000 people each year.
• CDC is taking action [PDF-391KB] to understand why and how different fungal diseases are more common in certain geographic regions by responding to outbreaks, monitoring long-term trends, and promoting cost-effective prevention measures.

• Routine childhood immunization prevents an estimated 20 million cases of disease and 42,000 deaths per year.
• Every year, scientific and medical experts review the latest research on how to control vaccine-preventable diseases to update the schedule of recommended vaccines. See the 2013 schedules for children, teens, and adults.
• New posters, videos, PSAs, tweets, Facebook posts, and more are available to share during National Immunization Awareness Month in August and year-round.

• Some pets and other animals can make people sick; animals can shed bacteria even when they appear healthy and clean.
• CDC is investigating several human Salmonella outbreaks linked to small turtles, backyard flocks, and mail-order hatcheries.
• You can find free posters, formatted articles, and other educational resources to raise awareness about preventing Salmonella infections from animal contact.

• Public pools are frequently contaminated with feces. Swallowing pool water with feces in it can make people sick.
• Contrary to popular belief, chlorine does not kill germs instantly.
• Health promotion materials are available to educate the public on how to prevent recreational water illnesses.

• Thanks to vaccines, many diseases that once killed thousands of US children have been eliminated or are near extinction—one of the 10 greatest achievements in public health.
• While immunization rates for children remain at or near record highs, recent outbreaks of measles and pertussis show the importance of keeping immunization rates high.
• New public service announcements, animated videos, and print ads are available to download and share during National Infant Immunization Week (April 20–27) and year-round.

• Global Disease Detection (GDD) Regional Centers help host countries build on-the-ground capacity to detect deadly outbreaks in accordance with International Health Regulations.
• GDD Regional Centers supported 242 outbreak responses [PDF-5.6MB] across 20 countries in five continents last year, most within a span of 24 hours.
• CDC’s global health videos highlight our work with partners around the world to control health threats and protect the health of Americans at home and abroad.

• Nearly 1,600 cases and 65 deaths (as of August 29, 2012) from West Nile virus have been reported in the United States this year, the highest year on record since 1999.
• West Nile virus can lead to severe health complications, including meningitis, encephalitis, paralysis, and even death.
• CDC has a number of health education materials public health professionals can use to inform the public about how to protect themselves from West Nile virus.

• Measles is brought into the United States by people who get infected abroad and spread to others; in 2011, there were 222 reported cases of measles and 17 outbreaks in the United States.
• Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis, and even death.
• Now is the time to promote measles vaccination for travelers to international destinations, including the Summer Olympic Games.

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.

• 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.

• Worldwide polio cases have declined by more than 99% due to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
• Not a single case of polio has been reported in India, a previously endemic country, for more than a year.
• You can be part of the polio success story by promoting vaccination during National Infant Immunization Week and World Immunization Week (April 21–28).

• Babesiosis, a disease caused by a microscopic parasite that infects red blood cells, is most commonly spread through tick bites.
• Blood transfusion-associated cases of babesiosis in the United States have also been documented over the past 3 decades.
• State health departments are encouraged to share information with CDC about cases of babesiosis, a nationally notifiable disease.

• Some pets can make people sick with Salmonella; animals can shed bacteria but appear healthy.
• CDC is currently investigating human Salmonella outbreaks linked to animals: amphibians and live poultry.
• Educational resources on reducing the risk of Salmonella infection from animal contact are available to local and state public health officials.

• Salmonella infection causes more hospitalizations and deaths than any other type of germ found in food.
• The United States has seen a nearly 50% reduction in a serious food-borne illness caused by E. coli O157 in the last 15 years, although Salmonella infections remain steady.
• Health departments are the front line in foodborne outbreak investigations, but everyone has a critical role to play—from the farm to the table—to make our food safer to eat.