As of yesterday, New York City has declared a public health emergency in response to a widespread measles outbreak in Brooklyn. Measles is a viral infection that can be very dangerous for small children, but has been preventable with a vaccine since the 1960s. Common measles symptoms include a cough, runny nose, fever, and a red skin rash. Measles symptoms do not appear until 10 to 14 days after the initial exposure, which allows for easy transmission of the virus during the initial days of infection. Continue Reading
Is the CDC Museum worth a trip?
Smallpox prevention poster at the CDC Museum
To anyone interested in the topic of public health, a visit to the David J. Sencer CDC Museum in Atlanta is a must for two reasons:
1) The exhibit provides a comprehensive, yet easy to understand overview of the history and the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2) It shows the various battles fought against global diseases in the past and in the present, in great detail.