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On May 13, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued interim guidance (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6518e1.htm) that recommends Zika virus rRT-PCR testing of urine collected less than 14 days after symptom onset, along with testing of patient-matched serum samples, for the diagnosis of suspected Zika virus infection (1). The purpose of this Health Alert Network (HAN) health update is to further disseminate information about the interim guidance to clinical and public health professionals.

Summer is here! For many, it is time to hit the pool or take your children on a summer outing to the waterpark. Swimming is a great way to exercise, have fun and relax while spending time with family and friends. However, like many activities, it is not risk-free.

The first thing that comes to mind when people think about the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is probably a big warehouse with lots of medicines and supplies. What many do not know is that even when the SNS does not have the specific medicines or supplies needed to combat a public health threat, SNS experts can play a key role in working with medical supply chain partners to locate and purchase products during an emergency response.

Ticks transmit over a dozen infectious pathogens in the United States, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Recent discoveries of emerging pathogens such as Borrelia mayonii and Ehrlichia muris add to the complexity of properly diagnosing and treating tickborne diseases. As we approach summer and people become more active in the outdoors, reports of tick bites and tickborne diseases are expected to increase. Clinicians can help prevent complications associated with tickborne diseases with early recognition and prompt treatment. During this COCA Call, clinicians will learn about the treatment, management, and prevention of tickborne diseases in the U.S., with an emphasis on Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and newly emerging tickborne diseases.

Animal health represents an important factor in public health as zoonoses account for nearly two-thirds of human infectious diseases—the majority are from wild species. This is especially relevant given increasing pressures on our environment that are changing human contact with wildlife, resulting in the growing threat of disease emergence to our global and local public health and economies. Leading drivers of infectious disease emergence in humans from wildlife include anthropogenic pressures such as land use change, food production systems, and trade and travel. These complex drivers require broad and novel approaches to predict and prevent disease emergence. A multi-sectoral or One Health approach that considers the human-animal-environment links can promote synergies among public health, veterinary, and medical professions with other disciplines.

May 5th is World Hand Hygiene Day! We all know that cleaning our hands helps keep threatening germs away, but unclean hands continue to contribute to infections while patients receive care in healthcare settings. On any given day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. Many germs that cause these infections are spread from patient to patient on the hands of healthcare providers.

When disaster strikes, CDC’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is prepared to provide medicine and medical supplies to any affected area within the United States and its territories on a moment’s notice. The SNS serves as the nation’s repository of medicines and supplies for use if there is a public health emergency, such as a terrorist attack, flu outbreak, or natural disaster, severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. The repository is designed to supplement or re-supply state and local public health agencies when needed.

To mark the National Day of Action, there are hundreds of little steps you can take to be better prepared at home, in your community, and on the go. Here are a few quick action steps you can take today!

Hurricane Katrina led to the largest incident of missing children in US history. Many of these missing children were too young to accurately identify themselves. Parents of missing children were among thousands of people displaced in emergency shelters, some in different states, with limited access to communication channels. Learn more. CDC’s crisis communicators are trained to speak to the public when the unthinkable happens to them, their families, and their communities. Crisis communicators use evidence-based communication strategies to deliver messages to help people stay safe and healthy during a disaster. Find out how crisis communication works and how it was used in the Ebola response. Learn more in our latest Public Health Matters blog post.

An unexpected public health emergency can happen anywhere and to anyone. The right health or safety message at the right time from the right person can save lives. However, poor communication can also make an emergency situation much worse. CDC’s crisis communicators are trained to speak to the public when the unthinkable happens to them, their families, and their communities. Crisis communicators use evidence-based communication strategies to deliver messages to help people stay safe and healthy during a disaster. Find out how crisis communication works and how it was used in the Ebola response. Learn more in our latest Public Health Matters blog post.