Maine CDC Public Health Update

Maine CDC Logo

Public Health Update

April 14, 2016

In this update:

Zika virus

As of March 30, 2016, 312 cases of travel-associated Zika have been identified in the U.S.  There have been no locally-acquired cases in U.S. states, but 349 locally-acquired cases in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

U.S. CDC has issued new recommendations for prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus for couples in which a man has traveled to or resides in an area with active Zika virus transmission:

  • Couples in which a woman is pregnant should use condoms consistently and correctly or abstain from sex for the duration of the pregnancy
  • Couples in which a man had confirmed Zika virus infection or clinical illness consistent with Zika virus disease should consider using condoms or abstaining from sex for at least 6 months after onset of illness
  • Couples in which a man traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission but did not develop symptoms of Zika virus disease should consider using condoms or abstaining from sex for at least 8 weeks after departure from the area
  • Couples in which a man resides in an area with active Zika virus transmission but has not developed symptoms of Zika virus disease might consider using condoms or abstaining from sex while active transmission persists  

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. Though less common, Zika can be transmitted through sexual contact from a male to his partner. Only one in five people infected with Zika show symptoms, which include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. 

For more information:

 

May Health Equity Trainings

The Hanley Center is hosting health equity and culture competence workshops in Ellsworth and Augusta in May.

Positive health outcomes are not evenly distributed across the public. Some populations face much greater challenges in achieving and maintaining good health. Public health leaders can play a crucial role in understanding the reasons for these differences and leading strategies to promote greater health equity. The workshop will explore the concepts of health and health care disparities, build greater insight into unconscious/implicit bias and delve into models for developing individual and organizational cultural competence.

Below are links to the EventBrite pages with additional information and tickets:

Ellsworth Training – May 16th

Augusta Training – May 17th

Additional questions can be sent to jaclynbuck@hanleyleadership.org


Online Learning Opportunities

U.S. CDC has launched a redesigned and improved CDC Learning Connection website. The site is a source for information about public health training developed by U.S. CDC, its partners and other federal agencies. Many include free continuing education credits. The site is available at http://www.cdc.gov/learning/index.html


You may also find training of interest on Maine CDC’s public health training site:  http://www.maine.gov/pht