With Iowans expected to be spending extra time outdoors over the long Independence Day weekend, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding Iowans to take insect repellant along with them to their picnics, concerts, celebrations and fireworks displays to protect against mosquito bites. West Nile virus is transmitted through mosquitoes.

Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME) and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) are pleased to announce five Iowa health care systems have begun using the Statewide Alert Notification (SWAN) system. This tool provides real-time, secure notifications to care teams regarding emergency room visits, admissions and discharges of their members.

With temperatures expected to rise above 90 degrees for the first time this year, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans to keep health in mind during the hot weather.

A new report prepared by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) finds only about 25 percent of Iowa’s largest cities have policies that support streets that serve cars, bikes, buses and walkers – so called ‘complete streets’ which are accessible to everyone.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is urging Iowans to remember to protect themselves against mosquito bites this summer, not because of a Zika virus threat, but because of the much more likely consequence of West Nile virus. IDPH Director Gerd Clabaugh and IDPH Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Ann Garvey joined Governor Branstad today at his weekly press conference to discuss the realistic threat of Zika virus to Iowans.