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Botulism is a neuroparalytic disorder characterized by an acute, afebrile, symmetric descending flaccid paralysis. Although rare, botulism is a serious illness caused by a nerve toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

Campylobacter infection causes acute gastroenteritis. Most infections are acquired by ingestion of undercooked chicken or pork or unpasteurized milk, from handling raw poultry, or from direct contact with fecal material of infected pets or farm animals.

Cryptosporidium species are protozoa that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. The protozoa have been found in a variety of hosts such as mammals, birds, and reptiles. Outbreaks have been associated with contamination of municipal water supplies and swimming pools, as well as petting zoos.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are diarrhea-causing strains of a group of bacteria called Escherichia coli. E. coli O157:H7 is the most well-known type of STEC, but there are many other types that can cause illness in humans. While STEC infection has traditionally been associated with animal products, outbreaks associated with produce have become more common.

Giardiasis is a parasitic intestinal disease that may result in asymptomatic infection; acute, self-limited diarrhea; or chronic intermittent symptoms. The disease is spread primarily from person to person through ingestion of infective cysts.

Listeriosis is caused by the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Infection results from ingestion of contaminated foods or from maternal transmission to the neonate. In high-risk individuals, listeriosis causes meningoencephalitis and/or septicemia.

Salmonella infection most commonly causes acute gastroenteritis. Most infections are acquired by ingestion of contaminated food or water (particularly raw eggs or milk), or by cross contamination during food handling (particularly raw poultry). Laboratory diagnosis is made by stool culture.

Shigellosis most commonly causes acute gastroenteritis. Illness is often characterized by diarrhea, fever, nausea, and sometimes vomiting and cramps; mild infections can occur. Stools often contain blood and mucus. Most infections are acquired by fecal-oral transmission from an infected person, or from fecal contamination of water or food.

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. Symptoms may include tiredness, poor appetite, fever and nausea. Urine may become darker in color. A person may develop jaundice which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The symptoms may appear 2 to 6 weeks after exposure, but usually within four weeks.

This is a list of frequently asked questions about agency certification for emergency medical rescue programs and emergency medical dispatch centers.

General information about lead in drinking water.

Tips to reduce your exposure to lead in tap water.

A list of the most frequently asked questions about the New Mexico Statewide Immunization Information System New Registry.

This fact sheet explains why mental health is a public issue, how New Mexico compares to other states, what the risk factors are for mental disorders, and how we can prevent mental illness and suicides at a state level.

This fact sheet explains how adverse childhood experiences affect health, how many adults in New Mexico have a history of these experiences, who is more likely to have experienced them, and how many residents are affected by them in adulthood.

This fact sheet explains why mental health is a public health issue, how New Mexico compares to other states, how big the problem is in our state, and who is at risk.

This document contains a variety of frequently asked questions ranging from general information to licensing, renewals, out of state transition, and special circumstances. Please examine this document for answers before calling.

The separation of enzyme-digested genomic DNA to generate an organism fingerprint, which is compared to local and national databases to identify strain information and identify potential outbreak clusters.

The identification of bacterial and fungal organisms by ‘reading’ the DNA letter code and searching against a database library.

The targeting of specific DNA sequences of an organism using short primers and a labeled probe to find matching sequences in a sample and track the amplification of those matching sequences during each round of amplification by measuring the fluorescence of the probe.