The latest version of "That Iowa Flu Game" will help Boy Scouts, civic groups and other organizations live up to the motto of "Be prepared" by helping them plan for a pandemic.

Rear Admiral Sam Shekar, M.D., M.P.H., shared his strategy to transform the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps during his visit last week at the UHL and as the featured speaker at the Spring Colloquium sponsored by the UI College of Public Health Institute for Public Health Practice.

Expanding the emergency backup plan for newborn screening (NBS) developed by the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory (MSPHL) and by the UHL was a top priority of the Second Annual Heartland NBS Laboratory Workshop held on April 17 and 18 in Jefferson City, Mo.

On May 5, the UHL will present its 40th Laboratory Symposium, a workshop for staff from water treatment and distribution laboratories, on the Ankeny campus of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC).

Food pantries in Iowa were given approval last week to resume serving deer venison to the needy after sampling of the ground meat for lead indicated only trace amounts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) reported.

The UHL Newborn Screening section in Ankeny welcomed a new fellow this month who will use the knowledge she gained in the Lab to help make prenatal diagnoses.

"Germy the Germ" is returning to classrooms across Iowa along with "Stream Critters," "Edible Aquifers" and 12 other hands-on science programs delivered over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) beginning on November 8 and continuing throughout the 2007-2008 school year.

Irving B. Weber Elementary School in Iowa City, and St. Patrick's Elementary School in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, are piloting UHL's newest innovative learning tool. "Disaster Baseball" is a question-and-answer game designed for classroom play to teach fifth and sixth graders how to prepare for emergency and disaster events.

Junior high and high school students throughout Iowa are invited to submit applications for the UHL's 2007-2008 Student Grant Program. Through the program, UHL staff members serve as mentors to students and assist them with lab testing that is used in a science project. Teachers serve as the main contact for the students and for UHL mentors. UHL generally awards one to two grants per school year.

Dr. Don Simmons, UHL environmental program manager, was recently featured on WHO-AM Radio as part of a story about testing toys for the presence of lead. WHO-AM's Sue Danielson conducted the interview.

Ninety-six health professionals and educators from 19 Iowa locations met last this summer over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) for an update about a condition that affects one million women and causes the death of 150 each year.

UHL hosted the Iowa Infertility Prevention Project (IIPP), which was designed to review emerging issues regarding sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and how they lead to the development of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). The project emphasized how repeat infections can have long-term, detrimental effects on the reproductive system. The video of that presentation is available here.

The University of Iowa College of Public Health, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health, has released the 2007 Iowa Health Fact Book, a broad-ranging report covering the health and health-related behaviors of Iowans.

The fact book, available in both printed and electronic formats, assembles health data on areas such as prenatal and infant health, infectious diseases, cancer and other chronic diseases, injury, and childhood blood lead poisoning. Population totals and age distributions as well as health and social behaviors are also presented. In most cases, data are presented at the county level.

Are you disaster-ready? If not, you can easily assemble a disaster supply kit for your family by following the "Get Your Kit Together" plan. The plan outlines what to purchase and store each week for four weeks.

Once complete, the kit is designed to provide a family's basic needs for up to 72 hours. The plan is easily modified to address special needs and ages of family members.

University of Iowa Vice President for Research Meredith Hay announced on July 17 the appointment of Christopher G. Atchison as director of the University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL), effective Aug. 1. Atchison has served as interim director at the UHL since October 2006.

There are many fun ways to enjoy the outdoors during summer in Iowa. A day or a week of camping, fishing, hiking can mean fun and relaxation for the whole family. But while you're enjoying nature, it's important to take precautions to ensure that ticks don't tag along with you on the drive back home. Otherwise, the outdoor excursion may be followed by a visit to the doctor's office or even the hospital, according to health officials and entomologists.

The UHL Iowa City lab recently completed its audit conducted by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Laboratory Quality Assurance Program (LQAP).

Two members of UHL were recognized for their leadership abilities recently at the American Industrial Hygiene Association's (AIHA's) annual conference. Pam Kostle, industrial hygiene program manager, was elected vice chair of the AIHA Laboratory Quality Assurance (LQAP) Analytical Accreditation Board. Pam also currently serves as vice chair of the group's Sampling and Laboratory Analysis Committee (SLAC). Next year, she will assume the post of chair for the group.

The state of South Dakota has selected the University Hygienic Laboratory to provide laboratory support for its newborn screening program beginning June 1. From its facility in Ankeny, UHL will screen the estimated 11,000 babies born each year in South Dakota for the presence of potentially life-threatening conditions such as PKU. UHL also performs newborn screening for infants born in Iowa, North Dakota and Louisiana.

Health professionals and educators from 19 locations throughout Iowa will meet on Tuesday, June 26, over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) for an update about the Iowa Infertility Prevention Project (IIPP) and emerging issues with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Dr. Bradley Stoner, medical director of the St. Louis STD/HIV Prevention Training Center, is the featured speaker for the two-hour update slated to begin at 10 a.m.

Some 1,800 students from more than 30 Iowa schools were encouraged to play in a simulated river, run a recycling relay and take part in many other interactive games as part of the 11th annual Iowa Children's Water Festival on Thursday, May 10.

The free event, held at the Des Moines Area Community College, is designed primarily for fifth graders to increase their awareness of ways to protect Iowa's water resources.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently activated the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) to test for the presence of melamine and melamine-related compounds in corn, rice, soy and wheat commodities that originated from China. These compounds have been found in rice and wheat products from China that were used in the manufacture of pet food products and have been linked to the death of animals in the United States that consumed foods that contained the substance.

Poor air quality due to weather conditions, high ozone levels and other pollutants can cause asthma and lung problems for people with chronic illnesses, for children and for the elderly.

Governor Chet Culver on April 17 signed into law a bill that requires children to be tested for the presence of lead in their blood before enrolling in elementary school. The new law stipulates that the testing be completed prior to the age of six.

More than 80 specialists who work with water treatment and testing across the state took part in UHLs annual Lab Symposium held on April 16 at the Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.

UHL is taking its Pandemic Influenza Seminar and Tabletop Exercise on the road to all six of Iowa's Emergency Preparedness Regions beginning on April 23. This hands-on, half-day session is designed for laboratorians and will focus on their role in pandemic influenza preparedness.

The Iowa Public Health Conference held April 3-7 in Ames drew representatives in the environmental and public health disciplines from across the state, including many sections within UHL. The Iowa Public Health Association (IPHA) and Iowa Environmental Health Association (IEHA) coordinated the event that is sponsored in part by UHL, the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The University Hygienic Laboratory's (UHL) "Identification of Bioterrorism Agents: Wet Workshop" drew 29 clinical laboratorians from across the state for hands-on practice in identifying, testing and packaging agents that may be potentially used in biological and chemical terrorism. The two-day event was held at the UHL Iowa Laboratory Facility in Ankeny March 27 and 28.

Are you looking for hands-on experience in a national recognized laboratory? If you are a junior high school or senior high school student with a passion for science, check out UHL's Grants for Educational Projects. UHL is the state of Iowa's environmental and public health laboratory. Through our Grants for Educational Projects, our scientists help students develop scientific projects in our lab settings.

It may not be the holiday season yet, but it is the time of year to give and receive; influenza, that is. October marks the beginning of the influenza season when people spend more time indoors during the cold-weather months and germs are easily shared.

If influenza is on the way, vaccinations should be, too, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year's supply of vaccine has increased by some 19 million doses more than was distributed in 2005, quelling concerns about past shortages.

Can you find Germy the Germ? How about taking on a consulting job to find water contaminants? If neither of these appeal to you, consider edible aquifers, genetic diseases, emergency preparedness or the myriad of other topics available to students from kindergarten through grade 12.

The University Hygienic Laboratory is opening the door to new possibilities for collaboration with the business, health and education communities through the creation of RAIC (Research and Innovation Committee).

"Our flu surveillance data shows us that influenza is widespread in Iowa, but it seems to be hitting a higher-than-normal number of school-aged children," says Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, Iowa state epidemiologist.

UHL recently confirmed the season's first two cases of influenza in Iowa. In order to track the incidence of illness, UHL partners with clinical labs across the state. These labs are asked to send the first three influenza positive specimens they detect by their rapid test methods to UHL using the "Viral Detection and Viral and Bacterial PCR Test" form.

The regulations announced last month drop the allowable limit on the level of fine particulates from 65 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 35. High levels of this inhalable dust may cause difficulty in breathing, asthma and heart-related problems. The EPA requires counties that exceed the new, lower level to receive a warning and, if left uncorrected, additional emission restrictions.

"This has been a good year in Iowa as far as pollution events; we haven't had many," says Jeff Wasson, UHL program manager for air quality. "With the new pollution regulations, though, Iowa may be affected because past monitoring data indicated that some counties are not going to be in compliance with the standard."

The number of Iowans wearing seat belts is higher than ever before, according to recent compliance rate estimates by the Iowa Sate Highway Patrol. Approximately 90 percent of Iowans wear seatbelts, an increase of 15 percent since 1997. That translates into an additional 420,000 drivers who now buckle-up.

Test your knowledge of tuberculosis, a disease that was once the leading cause of death in the United States. Even though the number of cases has drastically diminished, there were more than 14,000 reported TB cases in the U.S. during 2005, and one death in Eastern Iowa in August 2006 reportedly caused by the disease.

Trisha Kreman, a public health microbiologist for the University Hygienic Laboratory, is one of five scientists selected to train laboratory technicians in India to test for H5N1 avian influenza, often referred to as bird flu. The team, which departs for India on October 2, consists of three clinicians from state public health laboratories and two from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Warm water, soap and 15 seconds can mean the difference between catching influenza and staying well. That's the message that the Iowa Food Safety Task Force is sending throughout the state as part of National Food Safety Education Month.

Take a look at the UHL Limnology section of this website to learn more about the work of limnologists and how they make a positive contribution to life in Iowa.

Looking for an alternative to regular petroleum products or just the cheapest gas prices in town? If so, these websites are your ticket to ride in the green lane.

The University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) is assisting clinical laboratories throughout the state that perform rapid influenza testing to prepare for their role in a pandemic influenza outbreak. UHL received a grant from the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) to fund the training for the two-part influenza surveillance and biosafety program.

IOWA CITY, IA (February 23)
The University Hygienic Laboratory reported on Thursday that it successfully isolated Salmonella enterica serotype Tennessee from an open jar of Great Value peanut butter provided to the health department by a patient diagnosed with the disease. To date, more than 329 people in 41 states have been sickened by this strain of Salmonella; six of those patients are in Iowa.

Influenza is on the radar of the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), or at least it will be once the first cases of the season are identified in the state. In order to track the rate and prevalence of influenza, IDPH created the Iowa Influenza Surveillance Network through which doctors, schools, long-term care facilities and businesses voluntarily report cases of the influenza. This information, which is tracked on a web-based system maintained by IDPH, helps determine the age groups most affected and estimates when the illness is at its peak. New to the program this year are hospitals throughout the state.

When Iowans want to confirm that a high pollen or ragweed count is the cause of their sniffles, knowledge is just a click away. Daily pollen and ragweed levels are collected every weekday from late summer to early fall in Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Council Bluffs, and then logged online at the National Weather Service site.

Participants at the April 3-7 Iowa Public Health Association conference in Ames will be exploring "New Directions for Public Health."

Featured speakers include Michael Fraser, Ph.D., Deputy Executive Director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO); Teri Dreussi Smith, M.Ed., author and former supervisor of prevention services at a community alcohol/drug treatment and prevention organization; and Steve Siemens, founder and CEO of Siemens People Builders.

Old Man's Creek and East Nishnabotna River may have no obvious relevance to most Iowans, and few could pinpoint the location of Bouton, Yale or the numerous other small towns that are the destination of UHL limnologists. But the hundreds of waterways that meander through Iowa towns, large and small, are the harbinger for the environmental health for the entire state.

UHL employees, retirees and supporters gathered on Wednesday, October 25 on the corner of Oakdale Drive and Highway 965 in Iowa City for groundbreaking ceremonies to commemorate construction of a new, 112,500-square-foot facility.

Brisk temperatures and bright blue skies welcomed the assembled crowd, which included Meredith Hay, University of Iowa vice president for research; Gary Fethke, University of Iowa interim president; Senator Robert Dvorsky and Representative David Jacoby.

Area high school students experienced the working world of science on March 8 during a job shadowing program at the University Hygienic Laboratory in Iowa City. Coordinated by The Workplace Learning Connection, the onsite observations gave the juniors and seniors a preview of careers in chemistry and microbiology at the states public health and environmental laboratory.

Curious about the environment in your home town? How about in your own backyard? Check out the Environmental Protection Agency's EnviroMapper. Just log in your zip code to view a map and to pinpoint locations for a wide spectrum of EPA activities, including toxic release inventory sites, cleanups, Superfund National Priorities List locations and many others.

A western Iowa woman is recovering from the shock of finding a drowned bat in her tea mug ... after she had been sipping from the cup all day.

The brown bat, about the size of two tea bags, made its way into the mug overnight and was undetected when she or her husband poured sun tea the next day, said Chuck Cipperley, environmental service director for Siouxland District Health in Sioux City.

Cipperley, who has been with the department 35 years, took the call from the couple.

"I knew the person, so I knew it was no joke," he said of the 60-year-old Woodbury County woman.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Friday issued an air quality warning for Iowa to due an elevated level of fine particulates in the northwestern town of Emmetsburg and throughout many locations in eastern Iowa. The Environmental Protection Agency standard for fine particles is 35.5 micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3). The sites with elevated readings ranged from 35.5 to 45.4 ug/m3.

Mark your calendar on August 2 and 3 to attend "Barn Raising VI: Celebrating Healthy Communities." This annual event is the Governor's Conference on Public Health. The event, held at Drake University in Des Moines, is an opportunity to share success stories in community health, develop strategies for strengthening the public health system and responding to new forces that shape healthy communities.

Who knew that hand washing could be fun? Henry the Handy, of course. Henry (a creation of Dr. William Sawyer) is on a mission to reduce the spread of respiratory illness. (Listen to Henry the Hand songs and watch his videos).