Autumn has been a difficult season for San Diego, thanks to a large hepatitis A outbreak.

The outbreak was officially declared a local public health emergency by the San Diego Public Health Officer on September 1, 2017. The outbreak progressed and spread to nearby areas like Los Angeles and Santa Cruz. This prompted California Governor Jerry Brown to officially declare a state of emergency on October 13.

Hepatitis A is a virus spread through contaminated food and water. This usually occurs when the food or water is polluted with the fecal matter of someone who’s infected.

[Read more…]

From the first cholera vaccine created in 1885 to the one approved by the FDA in 2016, the world has a much better understanding of the disease and its epidemics. That’s why knowing how vaccination prevention works is such an important tool.

Cholera is a bacterial disease the can be transmitted in water or food contaminated with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.

Symptoms from the disease can range from mild to fatal. Cholera typically causes symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Both of which can lead to death due to dehydration if left untreated.

Origins of the disease trace back to approximately 500 B.C. Since then, there have been two “first” genuine discoveries of cholera’s bacteria, once in the 1850s and once in the 1880s.

[Read more…]

From hurricanes to earthquakes and floods, no country is invincible against Mother Nature.

Recent natural disasters show that even developed regions can struggle with the long-term effects. Events like Hurricane Katrina in the United States and more recently, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and tsunami created a myriad of problems for the public.

A lasting image for these storms will often be floods or decaying buildings. Many people will miss another dangerous problem: disease.

[Read more…]

You’ve heard of chickenpox and smallpox, but what about monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, similar to smallpox but considerably milder.

Surprisingly, it’s not a new discovery as you may have suspected.

[Read more…]

Backpackers can attest there’s no better way to fully experience a country than by walking through it.

Staying in a hostel or tent in the woods and interacting with locals. Grabbing food from a street cart and trekking through roving landscapes. The experience isn’t for everyone, but backpacking is a fulfilling and unique way to see foreign countries.

Whether you’re searching for history, food, culture, art, nature, good prices, or a mixture of everything, here are six of the best countries for backpacking:

[Read more…]