Summer's here!

Wow has it been a long time since I've posted. Sorry about that! It's been busy here at CSTE, and we've been working quite hard on everything from international influenza consultations to CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellowship interviews to Annual Conference planning.

Now it's April 5, and in Atlanta that means summer is here! Some summer public health tips:

• Food safety
  Summer means picnics, baseball games, hikes, and lots of outdoor eating. Keep yourself salmonellosis free this summer, and follow tips from organizations like this one. The basics are clean, separate, cook, and chill. And if you do have a foodborne illness, notify your local health department!
  
• Tick/bug bites
  Summer means bug bites, that's a fact, and there are a few things to do to keep yourself healthy and hopefully bite-free. This article gives some tips: stay on well-traveled paths, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants in the woods, wear DEET-containing bug repellants, and check yourself, children, and pets carefully after walking in the woods. Here is some info from CDC about vectorborne and rickettsial diseases. Finally, some "Fight the Bite!" info about West Nile Virus.
  
• Fun in the sun
  Use sunscreen - cover that delicate skin! Use safe sun practices to avoid the dreaded sunburn.
• Be safe
  And, last but not least, be safe. Injury accounts for a huge number of deaths during the summertime, so keep an eye out for yourself and your loved ones. Fireworks, boating and swimming, and general injury prevention - all important.