Where to find current news and information about infectious diseases.

The other day I was noodling around the Internet, looking for information on viral infections, as one does, when I came across a new Website that focuses strictly on infectious diseases. “Ah ha! The mother load!” I thought. This was very exciting! Ok – don’t touch that mouse – this really is interesting. Why?

Well, infectious diseases are usually what make your children ill and miss school, you miss work, get cruise ships quarantined, and make airplane travel such a delight. They are, essentially, bacterial and viral infections – so we’re talking everything from the heavy hitters like Avian Flu, Ebola, SARS, Small Pox, and MRSA to the less dramatic West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, the Flu, Chicken Pox, Pneumonia, and Poison Ivy. Some can kill, some make your life miserable, and others are just irritating. No matter. Whatever the case, given the way we move around the globe these days, it’s essential to stay informed about these illnesses.

For example, just recently the first case of human-to-human Avian Flu was confirmed in Pakistan. If I were traveling to Pakistan I would want to know about that. Or, say you’re planning on traveling to a country that may have malaria; you might find it interesting to know that there is counterfeit malaria medication surfacing in Asia at the moment. I had no idea about this prior to reading the article on the infection protection blog.

Or, say you’re concerned about the possibility of contracting Lyme disease on your next hike, or even poison ivy. Or suddenly you need information on chicken pox, whooping cough, or the measles… knowing where to go to get reliable information quickly would be useful, no?

Tthe site, www.care-mates.com/blog, is a blog intended to keep health care professionals, the media, and the general public up-to-date on breaking news in infectious diseases.  The content is updated daily, by correspondents around the world. And the funding for the site comes from Shepard Medical Products, a company that provides products like latex gloves, sanitizing gel, and other related products to the medical and food industries. “It’s the only daily, public health blog on the internet dedicated to news about infectious diseases and infection control education,” the editor-in-chief, Gene J. Koprowski, told me.

There’s also information on pet diseases, and links to sites like the Centers for Disease Control in the USA, which is always a good resource.

So, overall, a good online resource, and one worthy of bookmarking.