CDC is ending the Public Health Matters blog. The agency will not publish new content to the blog after this post. We will continue to publish translations of existing posts and provide an archive of past content. The Public Health Matters blog started in May 2008. The first entry, “New Brain Disease is Blowing Minds,” was about an investigation into an unusual cluster of Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy (PIN). Slaughterhouse workers in Minnesota and Indiana were experiencing symptoms that ranged in severity from minor weakness and numbness to paralysis of their legs. Early findings suggested the patients all worked at or

Batteries power many of the things we use and rely on every day. They might also be the only available power source in an emergency. Being prepared to power your personal need devices—things like cellphones, medical devices, and assistive technologies—during a power outage is a step toward individual resilience. Planning for power outages can include creating an emergency supply of batteries and other power sources. Here are some things to know about batteries that can help you create a supply that meets your needs. Battery Types & Kinds Contemporary batteries come in two primary types (primary and secondary) and kinds

Personal health preparedness isn’t only about collecting supplies. Level up your emergency preparedness. Learn practical skills you can use to help yourself and others. Here are 10 skills you can learn to prepare for an emergency, in no particular order. How to wash your hands the right way. Washing your hands is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can help stop the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections from one person to another. Follow these five steps to wash your hands the right way every day, including during an emergency. How to

Winter is here, and it’s not alone. It comes bearing weather that can make it dangerous to travel. Driving in wintery conditions such as snow, freezing rain, and ice puts drivers at increased risk of car crashes.(1) About 21% (or 1,235,000) of the over 5,891,000 vehicle crashes each year are weather-related. Most weather-related crashes happen on wet pavement (70%) and during rainfall (46%). A smaller but no less significant number of them occur during snow or sleet (18%), on icy pavement (13%), and on snowy or slushy pavement (16%).(2) Over 70% of the nation’s roads are in regions that average

January is the time many of us make resolutions for the new year. Sometimes resolutions feel too big and long drawn out. As a result, our motivation to see them through can peter out before the end of the year. Last year, we suggested 12 micro-resolutions to help you prepare your health for emergencies. Here are a dozen more ways to resolve to be ready this year. January Be prepared to prevent data loss. Data loss happens more often than you might think. This month’s micro-resolution is to back up your important files. These include medical records, financial documents, family