School of Public Health News
The School of Public Health is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people worldwide. Our departments, programs, and research units work to provide a diverse education, practical training experience, and numerous community involvement opportunities to prepare students to become leaders and professionals in the field of public health.
Current Public Health News
The 30-member team under the direction of Abby Wood took special care after Dec. 6 to repair damage to the Student Union.
News highlights starring UNLV students and faculty who made local and national headlines.
Public Health professor Erika Marquez receives 2024 Community Engagement Award for her work breaking down barriers to reach marginalized communities.
Partnership with the Las Vegas Raiders uses sports to boost body image and mental well-being of teenage girls.
The award administered by UNLV's Office of Government and Community Engagement recognize individuals who are advancing UNLV's Top Tier goals to serve our region.
A roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV students and faculty.
Public Health In The News
There’s a new UNLV program that’s using sports to help middle school-aged girls cope with mental health and body image issues. Started in January, it’s called RUSH. The R stands for Raiders, because UNLV’s partner in the program are the Las Vegas Raiders. And it’s taking advantage of the increased popularity of flag football among young women as a recruitment tool.
Rats in New York City are becoming more than a nuisance. The New York City Department of Health has released a health advisory after recording six cases of human leptospirosis, an infection with Leptospira bacteria that can be spread through rat urine. In 2023, the city recorded 24 cases, the highest number in a single year.
Ticks are the worst kind of pest. Tiny and hard to spot on bare skin, they look like freckles or moles to the naked eye but latch onto hosts, sucking their blood and possibly spreading diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Rabbit fever (tularemia) and Lyme disease.In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported approximately 63,000 cases of Lyme disease.
Earlier this month, an assortment of Planters peanuts and mixed nuts were recalled over concerns they contained Listeria. Similarly, a variety of chocolate-covered pretzels and cookies were recalled due to fears the snacks were riddled with Salmonella. Recently, over 16,000 pounds of raw ground beef sold at Walmart were pulled from the shelves due potentially being contaminated with E. coli.
We all know that excess (atishaya in Sanskrit) of anything is bad, yet we indulge in excessive pursuits of pleasurable activities. For example, excessive eating at a buffet, excessive accumulation of wealth, excessive work to get fame, excessive gossiping, and so on. What happens with excess? Eventually, it leads to pain either in the short term or the long term. For example, if we overeat, we may, in the short term, have abdominal discomfort. If we continue excessive eating, in the long term, it can lead to us becoming overweight and obese. Hence, all this excess is a barrier on the path of living a harmonious life with nature and thus in our spiritual journey. It ultimately robs us of peace of mind and causes dissatisfaction. Excess of anything leads to raga (likes) and dvesha (dislikes) which are detrimental to the path of the development of our consciousness. How to avoid excess in our actions?
In 1988, a classic double-blind randomized controlled study of aspirin and carotene was conducted among 22,000 American male physicians of the ages 40-84 years. The study provided evidence for a 44% drop in heart attacks for participants who took aspirin. As a result, aspirin was taken by many people over the age of 40 years around the world for primary prevention of heart attacks, many of whom were not even prescribed this drug by their healthcare providers. However, 20 years later, in 2018, many studies reversed this recommendation and only advocated it for secondary prevention or for those who have had a heart attack or stroke. This message needs to be conveyed to people who have not had a heart attack or stroke and still think that daily intake of aspirin is beneficial.