Infectious disease new

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Sign: Protect Nurses, Patients, Public Health

NNU advocates for nurses to have the education, training, and personal protective equipment they need to be prepared for the next pandemic and effectively perform day-to-day infection control. Infection prevention and control measures must be rooted in the precautionary principle and the most up-to-date science for known and emerging pathogens. Optimal protections are essential in building a safe care environment and in preventing infections among health care workers and patients alike.

Avian influenza

A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu has spread globally, causing unprecedented outbreaks in wild birds, poultry, and mammals. Multiple measures are urgently needed to control the spread of this virus.

 

C. auris medical illustration

 

C. auris

Candida auris (C. auris) is a type of yeast that is often resistant to antifungal medications and can spread among patients in health care facilities. C. auris was first identified in 2009 and has since emerged as a global health threat.

Nurse holding sign "Protect Nurses, Patients, Public Health"

 

Covid-19

View all our resources on Covid-19 and protecting nurses and other health care workers and their patients.

Masked nurses holding signs "Stop Ebola NOW"

 

Ebola

Our successes include landmark mandatory Ebola guidelines in California and collective bargaining agreements with strong infectious disease protections.

Measles

Globally, measles cases rose 30-fold in 2023 compared to 2022. Learn about protections nurses and other health care workers need to care for a patient with suspected or confirmed measles.

Mpox

Learn about mpox, its symptoms, how it is transmitted, and what protections nurses and other health care workers need to care for a patient with a confirmed case.

Norovirus strain

 

Norovirus

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis. It is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. and worldwide, with 685 million cases globally each year.

Pertussis

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a respiratory illness caused by the highly contagious bacterium, Bordetella pertussi. Pertussis can cause severe disease, especially in infants younger than one year. Individuals that are immunocompromised or have asthma also have a higher risk of severe illness if infected. Pertussis primarily affects infants that are too young to receive the vaccine as well as older children and adults whose protection from the vaccine has waned.

Polio

Poliomyelitis, commonly referred to as polio, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects the central nervous system. Polio was a feared disease of major public health concern in the 20th century until the creation of an effective vaccine in the 1950s.