Discover Prevention of Infectious Diseases
Originating during the Black Death of the Middle Ages, face coverings were used to protect against the transmission of disease. Mark Phillips talks with medical historian Mark Honigsbaum ("The Pandemic Century”) about the purpose and style of face masks.
Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Microorganisms that cause disease are collectively called pathogens. Pathogens cause disease either by disrupting the body's normal processes and/or stimulating the immune system to produce a defensive response, resulting in high fever, inflammation, or other symptoms.
Infectious diseases can be spread from one person to another, for example through contact with bodily fluids, by aerosols (through coughing and sneezing), or via a vector, for example, a mosquito. Infectious diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
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Discover MedlinePlus
MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. Use Medlineplus.gov anywhere, anytime, on any device - for free - to discover high-quality health and wellness information that is reliable, easy to understand, and free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.
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Also discover MyHeathfinder.gov to learn how to Prevent Infections When You Get Medical Care.
Discover NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is the primary NIH organization for research on Infectious Diseases.
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Many diseases become difficult to control if infectious agents evolve resistance to commonly used drugs. Scientists are currently searching for new approaches to treat infectious diseases, focusing on exactly how the pathogens change and drug resistance evolves.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national health agency responsible for American lives by securing global health, ensuring domestic preparedness, eliminating disease, and ending epidemics.
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating the public and health care professionals about the burden, causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases across the lifespan.
Share the Latest COVID-19 Information
The purpose of the Coronavirus Self-Checker is to help people living in the United States make decisions about seeking appropriate medical care. The system is not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of disease or other conditions, including COVID-19. Embed the CDC widget on your library website. The widget is available in a variety of languages and format styles.
The virus causing coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) is SARS-CoV-2. It's a novel or new coronavirus that has not been previously identified. It is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. The novel virus presents many different symptoms. Some are so mild that you may not even notice any symptoms, while others are life-threatening.
COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. Take steps to help your community learn and protect itself from spreading the virus. Get the latest public health information from https://www.coronavirus.gov and https://usa.gov/coronavirus. For the latest research information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), visit https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus.
Show the Science
"Hands-on" activities help raise awareness of how germs and viruses are transmitted. The aim of Handshake Hazard is to raise awareness of the transmission of bacteria and to show how easily germs can spread from person to person and on different surfaces. The key message is that thorough hand washing can reduce the spread of bacteria.
Posters
Ready-to-use printable posters from the CDC can help raise awareness about hand washing. Place them in highly visible public areas, such as schools, workplaces, and restrooms. They are designed for all audiences, and some are available in multiple sizes and languages.
English: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 523K]
Spanish: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 484K]
French: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 1.5M]
Arabic: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 1.5M]
Bengali: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 1.5M]
Chinese: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 1.5M]
Portuguese: 11×17 pdf icon[PDF – 1.5M]
Urdu: 11×17 pdf icon [PDF – 1.5M]
Haitian Creole: 11 x 17 pdf icon [PDF – 470K]
Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).