This overview of the public health significance of Lyme disease includes the microbiological specifics of the infectious spirochete, the entomology and ecology of the ticks which are the primary disease carrier, the clinical aspects and treatment stages, the known epidemiological patterns, and strategies for disease control and for expanded public…

The rate at which the epidemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is spreading in North America, Asia, Latin America, and Africa is discussed. The number of people infected globally and in low-risk urban populations is presented. (KR)

Examines the results of a household survey of measles vaccination coverage among Hispanic American children aged 12 to 59 months. Between 81 percent and 91 percent of the children have been vaccinated, a percentage insufficient to stop the high rate of measles transmission within this population. Recommends that public health efforts be focused on…

Discusses the threat posed by the Legionnaire's Disease bacterium and the germ's ability to thrive in heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially in standing water. Describes ways to minimize disease risk through HVAC system design (such as locating cooling towers away from air intakes) and ways to maintain a clean…

Examines the different indoor air pollutants that can be found in schools and tips for controlling them. Also discussed is building analysis for monitoring biocontaminants including allergens and molds. (GR)

Reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been tracking the levels of lead, which is linked to increased behavioral disorders, retardation, and anemia in children, in the United States since the 1970s. Provides statistics on the current state of chronic diseases in the U.S. and asserts that there is a need for a nationwide heath…

Most days, Cynthia Davis is an exasperated trooper who can always be found teaching and preaching from the frontline of the AIDS epidemic in Los Angeles. The very disease that's crippling and killing those she's trying to save with prevention, education and intervention is also what fuels her resolve to return day after day to a place where…

Hantavirus, caused due to close contact with mice in a dwelling, first emerged in the spring of 1993 on the Navajo Reservation and although it is by no means an Indian disease, there are four times as many cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) among non-Indians. Inadequate rural housing, especially common in western Indian Country,…

This article describes a 1-hour behavioral intervention designed to promote female condoms and safer sex to women at a high risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The intervention includes a promotional videotape; a skills-oriented counseling session with a nurse clinician; assorted take-home items, including a videotape for men; and free…

The challenges involved in the design of ethical, nonexploitative research projects with sex workers or any other marginalized population are significant. First, the size and boundaries of the population are unknown, making it extremely difficult to get a representative sample. Second, because membership in hidden populations often involves…

Administrators of various education schools have vowed to ready their institutions for the next major disaster of flu pandemic. While a few colleges with expertise or interest in the area are trying to determine how their campuses should react to a flu pandemic, most seem to be struggling with how to fit all the unknowns of such a crisis into…

Prenatal exposure to alcohol is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. Individuals exposed to alcohol during fetal development can have physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities, with lifelong implications. These conditions are known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Health care…

The threat of HIV/AIDS to African American's health has become the focus of much concern. This study investigated the potential differences between African Americans' and white college students' current and future sexual behaviors and safer sex behaviors with HIV/AIDS awareness, condom use self-efficacy, and safer sex attitudes. A convenience…

In 2004 UNAIDS and its development partners first introduced the Three-Ones Principles. Since then, many governments have developed national strategic frameworks and guiding policy documents to help coordinate more effective national responses in the battle to overcome AIDS. In this article, I outline how essential it is for government agencies,…

This issue of ERCMExpress presents the topic "Schools Respond to Infectious Disease." Every year, schools confront a range of infectious diseases such as chicken pox, lice, ringworm and seasonal influenza. In response, faculty and staff work together to control the outbreak, quell fears and dispel rumors. For example, school administrators may…