News and Announcements

2009 H1N1 Influenza

For the latest information on 2009 H1N1 Influenza (also being called swine influenza and North American influenza), please see the following links.

Current investigations:

• In Texas: The Texas Department of State Health Services describes the current investigation in Texas and provides resources for the public and for healthcare professionals.

• In the US: The CDC provides information on the national investigation of swine influenza.

Resources:
To view and download resources on infection prevention, such as toolkits for classroom and workplace settings, as well as materials in Spanish, please click here.
 
Other toolkits, including Infection Prevention for School Nurses, are available on CD-ROM.  Please email USACenter@srph.tamhsc.edu with your contact information if you would like to receive a copy. 

HIKER

The USA Center was very involved in response activities during Hurricane Ike last fall.  Those efforts have not faded.  The USA Center is working to create a registry of individuals affected by Hurricane Ike.  Click here for local news coverage of the USA Center’s activities.  You can find out more about the Hurricane Ike Registry by clicking here.

Once again, the USA Center is offering the Texas Training Initiative for Emergency Response (T-TIER).  This weeklong course will be held in College Station from April 27 – May 1, 2009.  T-TIER addresses a wide range of emergency preparedness topics, including Chemical Weapons, Risk Communication, the Strategic National Stockpile, the Laboratory Response Network, and the Perspective of the FBI, among others.  This training culminates with a day-long tabletop exercise for participants to utilize the knowledge and skills learned in the previous four days of instruction.  For more information, or to reserve your place, click here.

October marks the start of Flu Season.  Here are some tips that can help keep you healthy:

• Wash hands frequently with soap, water, and friction.  Use hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.
• Sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice when cleaning hands.
• Protect yourself with a flu vaccination each year.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue, your upper sleeve, or your elbow.
• Stay at home when sick and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Keep hands away from your face to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

In addition, be sure to brush up on information about pandemic influenza, which is different from seasonal influenza.  For more information on pan flu, including planning checklists, guidelines, and the latest numbers on human cases of H5N1 (avian/bird flu), click the button below.

In the summer of 2008, the Texas Department of State Health Services Region 2/3 contracted with the USA Center for a program entitled: "Disease Reporting: Protecting Texans through Early Detection."  As part of this project, the USA Center was responsible for the creation of information packets designed to increase the reporting of notifiable conditions.  These packets were sent to over 16,000 health care providers in the 49 counties that make up HSR 2/3.  To find out more about the project, click here.