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Public Health

Informing Pennsylvania public health and safety on deer ticks
A tiny deer tick in the palm of a hand.

Ticks are active when the temperature is above freezing, but their activity intensifies during the warmer months. Late-spring and summer are peak Lyme season, with the highest transmission occurring between May and August.

(Image: Olga Pankova)

Informing Pennsylvania public health and safety on deer ticks

A study of deer and ticks at the Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine could shape public health and safety across the Commonwealth.

From Penn Vet

2 min. read

More people need to know how to prevent SIDS, survey shows

More people need to know how to prevent SIDS, survey shows

New health survey data from Penn’s Annenberg Public Policy Center& finds that many people do not know two consequential facts that could help reduce the number of SIDS deaths: First, babies under one year old should be put on their backs to sleep at all times, including naps. And second, babies exposed to secondhand smoke in a home are at greater risk for SIDS.

Red Ribbon Connect links Penn with HIV/AIDS researchers worldwide
Timethius Terrell standing upright in a bright outdoor setting, while smiling and facing forward.

Timethius Terrell serves as program lead for Red Ribbon Connect. He’s dedicated to promoting global collaboration in HIV/AIDS research.

(Image: Elliot Sipila)

Red Ribbon Connect links Penn with HIV/AIDS researchers worldwide

Organized by a recent Penn alum on the Community Advisory Board of the Penn Center for AIDS Research, the newly launched Red Ribbon Connect program entails a monthly virtual exchange for HIV/AIDS researchers at Penn and worldwide to swap insights and perspectives.

5 min. read

Food insecurity linked to elevated mortality risk among cancer survivors

Food insecurity linked to elevated mortality risk among cancer survivors

A new study from the Perelman School of Medicine shows that cancer survivors experiencing food insecurity had a 28 percent relative increase in risk of death versus those who were food secure.

Eric Horvath

1 min. read

Survey finds some confusion over mammogram guidelines

Survey finds some confusion over mammogram guidelines

A recent survey question by the Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that some Americans appear to be confused about when women with an average risk of breast cancer should begin a regimen of regular mammograms. The survey finds that nearly half of those surveyed know that age 40 is when women at an average risk of breast cancer should begin to have mammograms every other year, and 11% are not sure.

Keeping food safe and animals healthy
A lab technician injecting small eggs with a substance via syringe.

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Keeping food safe and animals healthy

As part of the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS), Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center helps to protect animals and humans from health threats and minimize agricultural economic loss.

7 min. read

Penn Medicine outreach addresses health-related social needs
A volunteer with Penn Medicine SHARE Food Program hands a box of food to a bike courier.

Image: Courtesy of Penn Medicine Magazine

Penn Medicine outreach addresses health-related social needs

For five years, Penn Medicine’s Social Needs Response Team has connected patients to vital support foundational to good health.

From Penn Medicine Magazine

2 min. read

Many Americans unaware high blood pressure usually has no noticeable symptoms

Many Americans unaware high blood pressure usually has no noticeable symptoms

In a recent Annenberg Public Policy Center health survey, over one-third of respondents report having been diagnosed with high blood pressure, but the survey also shows that few U.S. adults—including those who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure—can correctly identify what blood pressure reading doctors consider “high.”