Each year, Tracking Awareness Week highlights how environmental health information can help communities make informed decisions. This year's theme, Beyond Data, recognizes that data is only the beginning. The real impact happens when information is used to support public health action, planning, and education.
Topics Related to Epidemiology
A dangerous heat wave is expected in North Carolina this Fourth of July Weekend. High temperatures will likely exceed 100 degrees. Combined with humidity, it could feel like 110 degrees.
Who says you can’t be Sherlock Holmes when you grow up? NC public health professionals track and test for diseases to help stop them and keep communities safe.
Or maybe you want to keep playing in the dirt as a grown-up. NC environmental health experts dig holes, test the soil and make sure our groundwater is safe.
You can now learn more about public health careers in a new TV series called “Health Heroes.” The children’s educational series is on PBS North Carolina.
This Earth Week, we are reminded that the environment around us affects our health.
The air we breathe, the water we use and the places where we live all shape how healthy we are. The NC Environmental Public Health Tracking Program uses data to help people understand these connections.
Why Environmental Health Data Is ImportantOur program brings together information about the environment and health from across NC. This data helps people:
In North Carolina, many families get their drinking water from private wells. Unlike city water, which is tested regularly by water providers, private well owners must test their own water. That means it is up to each family to make sure their water is safe.
Water from private wells can contain harmful germs or chemicals you can’t see, smell or taste. If well water is not routinely tested, families may drink unsafe water without knowing it. This can lead to stomach problems, skin rashes or more serious health issues over time.
To keep the public informed, NCDHHS has launched a new Measles Cases and Outbreaks Dashboard. The dashboard will be updated around noon twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, with new case and exposure information. To protect privacy, no personal details about people who are sick will be shared.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is called the silent killer for a reason. You can't see it or smell it, but it can make you very sick — or even be deadly. Every year, more than 400 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide exposure, and thousands more get sick and need medical care.1
November is National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month. It's a good reminder to check your home, car and workplace for ways to prevent CO exposure. All CO poisonings can be prevented.
What is Carbon Monoxide?Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by:
Protecting Our Communities, One Sample at a Time
Did you know we can track viruses in our communities through wastewater?
When you flush the toilet or wash something down the drain, you might not think about it again. But that wastewater can actually help protect your community’s health.
NCDHHS tests samples from select wastewater treatment plants across NC to see how COVID-19, flu and RSV are circulating.
North Carolina has reported its first flu-related death of the 2025-26 season. An adult in the western part of the state died from flu complications in early October.
“This is a sad reminder that flu infections can be serious and, in some cases, even fatal. We encourage everyone to take preventative measures against flu and other respiratory illnesses like getting your yearly flu shot, regularly washing your hands, covering your cough and staying home when sick to avoid infecting others.”
— State Epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore