CDC and Public Tracking

Ok, so this is my first ever blog post. I don’t really know what I’m doing yet so bear with me. This blog is about the CDC (Center for Disease Control). More specifically about the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network. The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network is best defined as, a system of integrated health, exposure, and hazard information and data from a variety of national, state, and city sources. On the Tracking Network, you can view maps, tables, and charts with data about: chemicals and other substances found in the environment, some chronic diseases, and conditions about the area where you live .The main reason the site was created is so that an ordinary person can learn how the environment might affect a person's health and how people might affect the health of the environment. The site is very easy to navigate. Let me show you an example. The first thing you do is go to the CDC website.  Then go to National Environmental Health Tracking Network. Click Basic, then All, then any disease. Select indicator, select the measure of it, select whatever state you wish to see, and then you can put any date you want. Take pesticide related illnesses for example. With the click of a button I was able to look at how many major pesticide related illnesses were present in the United States in any year that I want. Example here... http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/QueryPanel/EPHTNQuery/EPHTQuery.html?c=-1&i=-1&m=-1  Not only could I do that I could also search in detail specific cases of related pesticide illnesses. The opportunities are endless with this website. This website could help an average Joe save someone’s life. With this resource you can do things that would take an occupational health worker days to research if they didn’t have access to this website. Take less developed countries for example. If there is an outbreak of cholera in a small 3^rd world village, they are going to be in really big trouble because they don’t have the resources of technology to access the CDC website which could in turn help stop the spread of the cholera disease and save some lives. The CDC website and The National Environmental Tracking network are very valuable resources for Occupational health workers, and even everyday people. Thanks for reading my first blog. I’ll be back next week. Let’s stay healthy!