Ticks may be tiny, but they have a large pathogenic impact. In order to survive, these small arachnids need to gorge on blood in each of their four stages of life. Unfortunately, both humans and pets are attractive sources, making them susceptible to a range of debilitating tickborne diseases, such as Lyme disease.

The latest Occupational Health Services (OHS) Take a Hike event, held on an idyllic July day, featured a new route and welcomed several health-conscious vendors from the Frederick area.

Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus that is responsible for multiple outbreaks across Asia, including in Malaysia, Singapore, and India. The virus has been added to the World Health Organization’s 2018 Priority Diseases List, which indicates a pressing need for further research and development.

A task force led by physicians from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association has released new blood pressure guidelines in order to help doctors and clinicians better treat hypertensive and prehypertensive individuals who may be at risk of heart disease. The update, which comes nearly 15 years after its predecessor, has significantly broadened the definition of hypertension and reclassified other blood pressure categories.

From 2013 through the first quarter of 2018, NCI at Frederick has recycled over 1,667 tons of material, while incinerating or landfilling over 4,273 tons of trash. This earns us a recycling rate close to 28 percent, which is below the national average of 32 percent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and well below our goal of 50 percent. (These numbers only include operational wastes and not construction debris.) To help improve our rates, please read the following refresher on our recycling program.