Health Alerts

If you, or a male sexual partner are considering travel to Central or South American countries this year, you should be aware of the risk of infection with Zika virus, a disease new to the Americas.

The JCC Health Center has been very busy with students presenting with gastrointestinal illness this week.

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa appears to have ended in December 2015. Learn more at “CDC - About Ebola Virus Disease”.
(Archived link:  Learn the "Top Ten Things You Really Need to Know" about Ebola.)

Summer is a great time to spend outdoors! It is also a time when ticks are out. Protect yourself and your children from tick borne diseases by taking measures to prevent tick bites.

The CDC has issued a public health alert regarding a highly drug resistant strain of Shigellosis. Shigellosis is highly contagious, and can spread quickly.  Avoid infection by paying particular attention to proper hand washing and hand hygiene before eating and drinking.

Used syringes and needles have the potential to spread HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.  If you find a discarded syringe or syringe needle on campus, immediately call Security at 2222. Needle sticks may require medical treatment

Jefferson County Public Health reports STD syphilis cases from unprotected sexual contacts have surged in the county. Signs of syphilis infection are often overlooked.  Some late stage patients have experienced severe consequences from untreated infections, including blindness.

April is STI Awareness Month. Did you know that undiagnosed chlamydia infection is a leading cause of infertility? Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted, treatable infection.

If traveling to the Caribbean, or to Central or South America, travelers should be aware of a mosquito transmitted disease caused by the chikungunya virus.  Limited locally acquired cases have also occurred in Florida.