Springtime sunshine and UV rays
Springtime sunshine is something many of us look forward to. But when the sun comes out in April we need to be careful if at the same time atmospheric ozone levels are low or we have ozone holes.
Health Protection
Posts about the work of the Health Protection directorate
World TB Day: Working together to tackle tuberculosis
One of the key tools to help treat disease is having a fast and precise diagnostic method. In a world-first PHE is now using a technique that is set to change the face of diagnosing tuberculosis. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) …
A firm foundation for working towards eliminating hepatitis C as a major public health threat in England
Since new direct acting antiviral drugs have become available, the initial focus has understandably been on their role in averting severe hepatitis C-related liver disease and preventing the early death that can result from this.
European HIV and Hepatitis testing week: test, treat and prevent
From 18th November 2016 we mark the fourth annual European HIV & Hepatitis testing week, an initiative focused on “Becoming aware of your status”, with hepatitis added as a focus last year. In 2015, more than 400 organisations from across …
Beating E.coli - what are you doing to break the chain of infection?
People are quite rightly increasingly concerned about antibiotic resistant bacteria and the search for new diagnostic tools and medicines, but we must never lose focus on simply preventing these infections from occurring in the first place. Anyone with an interest …
Eliminating hepatitis C as a major public health threat needs a two-pronged attack
We heard welcome news from NICE recently that a new drug, which effectively treats more genotypes of hepatitis C, has been recommended for use in the NHS. NICE concluded that the once-daily tablet sofosbuvir-velpatasvir was both clinically and cost-effective, and …
In emergencies, knowledge exchange is power
Though PHE is best known for having a domestic remit, responding to public health emergencies across the globe is also very much part of what we do as an organisation. And this isn’t just about the work of our world …
Action to tackle acute hepatitis B among men who have sex with men
Hepatitis B virus is around 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through unprotected sex, sharing needles, or through direct contact with the smallest amount of blood. Infection is often symptomless but can eventually …
Eight heatwave health myths busted
1. It only gets hot enough to be dangerous in countries warmer than the UK Clearly there are many other countries which experience much higher temperatures than the UK, and sometimes many more deaths, for example as witnessed in India …
What you need to know about Zika virus
It’s very likely by now that you’ll be well aware of Zika virus and the current outbreak in South and Central America, and the Caribbean. Zika virus causes mild or no symptoms in the majority of those infected, but the …