The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a case of poliomyelitis, or paralytic polio, in New York state in an unvaccinated patient who presented to an emergency room with lower limb weakness and fever. CDC urges all healthcare providers to ensure their patients are current on the primary polio vaccination series. Healthcare providers should consider polio in the differential diagnosis of patients with sudden onset of limb weakness, especially in unvaccinated...

A recent article in Fast Company magazine speaks to the importance of making global health and sustainability locals actionable at the local level. The authors contend that "it can be difficult to determine how to address large and complex national issues. These need to be translated from theoretical commitments into measurable goals to create a sense of commitment and urgency. For example, emission targets need to be broken down into actionable objectives at the city level, which would make...

Throughout our Extension careers, most all of us have been introduced to a variety of readings that include lists of the characteristics associated with great leaders. On those lists are such things as humility, trust, and vision. But a recent article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Jacqueline Novogratz and Anne Welsh McNulty identifies a less commonly mentioned characteristic that may be more important that any. "We see moral courage as the single most important attribute that...

A recent research brief by Nader Mehri and Jennifer Karas Montez at Syracuse University reveals that the chances of dying young differ dramatically across U.S. states. Individuals living in Minnesota, California, New York, and Massachusetts have the lowest rates of death by age 65, whereas those living in Southern states, including West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma have the highest rates of premature death. If current conditions...

The latest issue of the Journal of Human Sciences and Extension is now available online (Volume 10, Number 2). To access it, visit JHSE’s website at: Journal of Human Sciences and Extension | Mississippi State University (msstate.edu) This special issue of JHSE focuses on Extension engagement in urban communities. The 35 authors who contributed to this issue represent a range of geographic and programmatic viewpoints. Insights shared in this special issue demonstrate that diversity in our...

High-speed internet service is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. But too many families go without high-speed internet because of the cost or have to cut back on other essentials to make their monthly internet service payments. Lowering prices—including the cost of high-speed internet service—is President Biden’s top priority. In early May 2021, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced that they have secured private sector commitments that will lower high-speed internet costs...

Bonnie Braun of the University of Maryland Extension and Maria Pippidis of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will be presenting a webinar on Engaging Communities through Issues Forums on June 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM EDT as part of the Skill Building for Extension Professionals series offered by the Extension Foundation. Registration is required at: https://pages.extension.org/extension-skills What questions will be answered? • Have you ever thought that something beyond your...

CDC confirmed the bird flu virus detected in a person in the US is an H5N1 virus. H5N1 bird flu viruses first emerged in mid-90s to cause poultry outbreaks and human infections with a greater than 60% mortality rate. Over time H5N1 viruses have evolved. Current H5N1 viruses spreading in wild birds and poultry in the US and globally are genetically different from earlier versions of the virus. Learn more about the emergence and evolution of the H5N1 bird flu here.

A new CDC study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases external icon underscores the burden of influenza (flu) among children (0-17 years old) during nine flu seasons after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Researchers looked at pediatric flu hospitalizations recorded in the US Flu Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET) from 2010-2019. The study found that pediatric flu-related hospitalization rates were consistently highest among children younger than 6 months who are too young to get...

The 2022 National Health Outreach Conference will be held May 4-6 in Kansas City, MO and features 45 concurrent sessions, 30 posters, and four engaging keynote speakers. Don't miss out on the early bird registration and opportunity to reserve a room in the conference hotel. Also know that an updated conference schedule and a detailed listing of the current sessions are now available at the conference web site. Sessions focus on such topics as coalition building, PSE change, workforce...

Although the 2022 National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) hosted by the University of Missouri is still a couple of months away, now is the time to consider whether your institution would be interested in hosting the 2023 conference. Originally known as the Priester Conference, NHOC is an annual gathering of Extension faculty and staff, cross-campus collaborators, and external partners focused on the role that they can collectively play in improving the health of the nation. A copy of the...

Collective impact initiatives utilize shared measurement systems to identify key metrics of success that align partners toward a common vision. But a recent article by Justin Piff in the Stanford Social Innovation Review suggests that the specific data we chose to track loudly signals what we believe to be important. In the article, the author shares four lessons from his work that can help collective impact initiatives use data more effectively for social change. They are: 1. Prioritize the...