CEUfast Blog: Infectious Diseases

Antibiotics are life-saving drugs given when a patient is diagnosed with a bacterial infection. With an increasing number of infections, the rate of antibiotic use is also increasing rapidly. However, . . .

With a historical background shrouded in myth, stigma, and dread, leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a bacterial illness that has recently made headlines in the news. Though mostly eradicated . . .

A large portion of the Sunshine State comprises natural wetland habitats that create a soggy, swampy environment – perfect for breeding pesky mosquitoes that enjoy the warm, humid weather in the summe . . .

While the nature of Lyme disease symptoms makes it difficult to know exactly how many people get Lyme disease each year, the CDC reported that there were 23,453 cases in 2019. Lyme disease frequency m . . .

What can we learn from pandemic movies, television shows, video games, and books about the ramifications of viral outbreaks? Explore fictional viruses in this creative, and compelling ways, in this in . . .

Although it sounds like it should be the name of the next hero or villain that enters the Hollywood scene, Omicron has become the next coronavirus variant to make its way around the world. It’s still . . .

Although RSV has been around for quite some time and might seem like just another cold, it’s been recently making national headlines due to climbing rates of cases around the United States. RSV, or re . . .

As if one strain of the coronavirus wasn’t enough, recent headlines have swept the nation about a “Delta variant” and possible other variants of the Coronavirus going around. This highly contagious st . . .

About a year ago, millions flocked to their closest grocery or convenience store in a hurry to buy up bottles of disinfectant, cleaning wipes and supplies, and – oddly enough – toilet paper. As news b . . .

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on millions of people, businesses and societies around the world for over a year now, causing global implications and a never-ending feeling of getting back . . .

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a defining time for many people and nations around the world. Whether you know someone who has been infected by the virus or not, everyone’s way of life is being affecte . . .

Up until now, the majority of Neisseria meningitidis cases in the United States have been successfully treated with antibiotics. It has now been discovered that meningococcal cases that contain a blaR . . .

From an early age, you are taught one of the most essential lessons of hygiene – washing your hands. You are taught to wash your hands before you eat, after using the restroom, after playing outside i . . .

The recent shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) have stretched across the globe and have brought to light the important role these items play to workers that spend most of their time in ha . . .

While many Americans, and people around the world, have been asked to stay home in self-isolation to combat the ever-spreading coronavirus or COVID-19, healthcare workers have been placed on the front . . .

See how the world's deadliest viruses compare in size, death toll, mortality rate and more. Includes the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19).

If you’ve been paying attention to the national news lately, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard someone talking about the Chinese Coronavirus. It’s a potentially deadly virus that has sickened mo . . .

The recent number of Hepatitis A cases reported in the state of Florida has escalated dramatically over the past year with over 3,100 confirmed cases, according to the Florida Department of Health. Fr . . .

The HIV/AIDS epidemic, 30 years ago, was an interesting time filled with much uncertainty for people working in the healthcare industry. At the time, there was little known about what exactly caused t . . .

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the part of your brain that’s responsible for movement, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. People living with this disea . . .

In September of 2017 scientist engineered an antibody that attacks 99% of HIV strains. With this discovery, the potential for preventing or suppressing the HIV infection is closer to becoming a realit . . .

More than 30 million people are living with diabetes, a chronic disease where there is a high level of sugar in the blood. Of those millions, nearly 28 percent do not know they even have this disease . . .

According to the CDC, 1 in 25 hospital patients have at least one healthcare - associated infection on any given day.

A rising mice population results in a surge in the number of Lyme disease cases diagnosed.

Although gluten free may be a household term, most aren’t aware why such a need for wheat-free products exists and why it’s important for those living with celiac disease to manage its effects.

A new day, a new patient; no two patients are ever the same. In fact, one patient might not seem like the same person from one moment to the next. While it can be something as simple as a temporary re . . .

One thing that nurses always need more of is time, but it’s a limited commodity that’s not for sale and you can’t get it back. So many of us make up for it with hard work and long hours energized by o . . .

A lot has changed since the HIV epidemic hit the United States in the 1980s, but nurses have always been at the helm of treating these patients since the beginning. Nurses have worked all over the U . . .

In February, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika a global health emergency. As of May, 49 countries reported new infections and the number of Zika cases are continuously rising, particul . . .

The Center For Disease Control says about 2 million people get sick from a superbug each year and 23,000 die from super bugs. So imagine how frightening it is to learn that 1 in 4 senior citizen pat . . .

As health professionals, many have heard a lot of buzz about the Zika Virus. It’s a disease that’s not exactly new, but the details as to “where” the virus is showing up and “how” it’s transmitted tr . . .

Hospitals across the nation are filled with some of the most educated, brightest minds in medicine. So sometimes, it’s a bit baffling that something as simple as washing hands is a huge problem for ma . . .

As nurses, you dedicate your lives to taking care of others, so you know first-hand just how easy it is to ignore your own health and make poor food choices.

In a continued effort to keep nurses safe when treating patients with Ebola, the Center for Disease Control recently updated their personal protective equipment procedures.

When the 2014 outbreak of Ebola began to wreak havoc in West Africa back in February, multiple reports stated that health care givers attempting to treat patients became infected with the disease them . . .

If you are practicing medicine in New York state, you are required to take infection control courses every four years at a minimum.

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable form of dementia that progressively becomes worse and eventually leads to death. The disease typically affects seniors over the age of 65, but may strike those youn . . .

As I look back on the AIDS pandemic over the last 32 years, I’m amazed at how far we have come in finding treatments for this horrible disease