Stay Healthy
Use these links to jump to a topic.
- The air you breathe
- Handwashing
- Heat stress
- Head lice
- West Nile Virus
- Whooping cough
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Information
The Air You Breathe
Use this link to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to learn more about air quality in North Carolina: NCDENR Ozone Forecast Center.Handwashing
Print this Handwashing Campaign Poster and post it to provide information about washing your hands this cold and flu season. Note: This file is a large Adobe Acrobat file. It is advisable to right click (or click and hold for Macs) and choose the option to save the file to your harddrive, rather than opening it from the website.Listen to a fun jingle envouraging hand washing and flu prevention.
Heat Stress
Use the following resources to get tips and information to avoid heat stress during the summer months.- CDC Prevention Guide
- About Heat Index
- Be Safe in Hot Weather
- Suggestions for Preventing Heat Stress
- Heat Stress Policy
- UNC EHS's Heat Stress Page
Head Lice (Pediculosis)
Use the following resources to get information on who is at risk and how to treat head lice.- CDC: Head Lice Infestation (who, what, how)
- CDC: Treating Head Lice Infestation
- CDC: Treating Head Lice Infestation with Malathion
West Nile Virus
This Adobe Acrobat document describes UNC-Chapel Hill's Plan for minimizing the risk of West Nile Virus to students, faculty, staff and visitors.State Health Director: Avoid mosquito-borne diseases - use DEET outdoors. You can take yourself off the mosquito menu with the appropriate mix of repellent and common sense.
Whooping Cough
Learn more about Pertussis (Whooping Cough) with the CDC Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases Pertussis (Whooping Cough) document.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Information
Staphylococcus aureus are bacteria commonly found on the skin of healthy people. S. aureus is a common cause of skin infections. Most of these skin infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) but some can be serious (such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.MRSA infections in the community are usually skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people. In the outbreaks of MRSA, the environment (i.e. surfaces) has not played a significant role in the transmission of MRSA. MRSA is transmitted most frequently by direct skin-to-skin contact. You can prevent MRSA skin infections by practicing good hygiene:
- Wash your hands.
- Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.
- Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.
- Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.
NIOSH has posted a new web page with information and recommendations to help employers and workers address workplace concerns associated with MRSA.