All
the Virology on the WWWhttp://www.virology.netThis site provides free virology information for both virologists and other people. A collection of all virology related sites is available from the home page. There is a link "COMPLETE TABLE OF CONTENTS" that can also give access to the virology related sites. "THE BIG PICTURE BOOK OF VIRUSES" is a link that has an index of virus pictures, and a resource for taxonomy of viruses. The link "ONLINE VIROLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY COURSE NOTES" has notes, diagrams, tutorials, and videos on different types of viruses. If more information is needed another link is "VIROLOGY BOOK SHOP" that has virology and microbiology books available. If a researcher does not know what something is, or the meaning of a word there is a link "VIROLOGY DICTIONARIES" that can help on difficult content. This site has these two links as well "VIROLOGY NEWS PAGE" and "DAILY VIROLOGY NEWS". -Ronda Mullenax
All the Virology on the WWW mainly focuses on the images of viruses through high tech microscopy. It gives you insight on studies done and techniques used in microscopy to illustrate the different structures on viruses. The main Web page has directories starting with THE PICTURE BOOK OF VIRUSES, to DAILY VIROLOGY NEWS. THE VIROLOGY BOOK SHOP links to books one might be interested in purchasing regarding notes on microbiology and related subjects. It also tells you about web sights that might need you to register, in order to look into research done. One recent research is the "Proteome Imaging of Macromolecule Assembly," which won a noble prize in 1997, the research tells you information on how a virus-infected cell is recognized. The site gives you basic information on a virus and its components, mainly on how it replicates. For the most part this is a beneficial website for someone looking for images on viruses and related links. This web site is fun and easy to navigate. -Veronica Salazar
American
Society for Microbiology Microbe Libraryhttp://www.microbelibrary.orgThe Internet site American Society For Microbiology Microbe Library is free and requires no registration. This link curriculum resource provides information on curriculum resources useful for microbiology educators with access to peer-reviewed resource materials. The microbelibrary is a collection that is linked directly to recommended core curriculum for introduction microbiology education and provides information based on the World Wide Web. This site offers helpful visual resources such as images, animations and videos under the link visual resources. The link Articles offers information about events pertinent to education members, to current issues in undergraduate microbiology curriculum. Reviews are offered that are collections of the book, video, software and website reviews which are published in ASM news throughout the year. -Renee England
This site was overflowing with information and had no registration forms or fees attached. It was simple to navigate through and had a variety of helpful materials, which included: visual images, videos, articles, lab activities, and reviews of educational materials. The website is full of resources which are provided by research from the 42,000 members of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). This site provides several useful links that enhance the educational completeness of it. The "Visual Resources" aides include: images, animations, and videos. There is also the "Curriculum Resources" which provides a tremendous amount of references and lab activities specifically geared towards "undergraduate microbiology educators." The site includes an "Article" link that provides the reader with articles from the Focus on Microbiology Education newsletter, the Microbiology Education journal, and ASM News. Then, there is the "Review" link that has direct access to Websites, books, and software to name a few. This area of the site also includes "peer-reviewed resource materials." -Jessica Rodriguez
"Bugs"
Index -Organisms http://www.medinfo.ufl.edu/year2/mmid/bms5300/bugs/index.htmlThis site is a very easy site to use. It is a part of the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease site. When first accessed to the Bug Index page a list of ways to search for a certain disease appears. This list makes it very easy to find the disease you are searching for. For example, if you do not know the name of the disease you are looking for but you think you know what may have caused it, you can click on "Sources". An alphabetical list of certain places where you can contract a disease will appear with diseases that are caused by that source listed underneath. Once you have found the disease you are looking for, just click that disease. After clicking on your disease an informational background on that disease appears including a number of things needed to be known about a disease. This includes information like Sites and Sources of the disease, Diagnostic Factors, Virulence Factors, Treatments and Prevention followed by a short commentary about the disease. What makes this site so easy to use is that there are many ways to search for one disease. You do not have to know a lot about the disease to be able to find this background information on it. You can search for a disease through several different topics including: "Pathogens", "Normal Flora", "Diagnostic Factors" and the list goes on. Each if these ways of searches will take you to the informational background page of the disease chosen. -Jayme Parker
This site is an extensive free online database. The primary search field is the scientific name of the organism but there are 17 other indexes including | Findings(symptoms) | Diseases | Sources | Pathogens | Normal Flora | Diagnostic Factors | Virulence Factors | Treatment | Aerobic | Anaerobic | Facultative Anaerobic | Fastidious | Gram Stain and Bacterial Morphology | Parasite Morphology | Viral Family and Morphology | Viral Genome Type | and | Fungus |. When you click on the name of the organism from any of these indexes you are taken to the same page that gives you information about the organism. The | Diseases Sites and Sources | Diagnostic Factors | Virulence Factors | Treatment and Prevention | and a | Commentary | about the organism are given on this page. There is also a section containing 47 different case studies that are useful for practice in diagnosing diseases. -Jennifer Husband
Bugs
in the News!http://people.ku.edu/~jbrown/bugs.html"Bugs in the News!" is a free site about microbiology and related issues, created by John (Jack) C. Brown, a professor of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Kansas - Lawrence. He also writes all of the articles contained on the site. The site is very easy to navigate and has three main sections. The first section of the site contains a few "Feature Articles," which could be considered a hot topic section. The second part of the site contains three classifications of articles: "For the Curious" (general information in the form of "what the heck is…?), "For the Curious and Interested" (more specific site articles and articles from other sources), and "For the Curious, Interested and Who Like to More Than Scratch the Surface." In this last subsection, there are links for Books, Fun, Education, Information, and Web Search. The Education section contains links to scholarly microbiology sites on the Web. The Information section contains links to various Web resources about microbiology. The third and last section of the site is "Books" and contains one microbiology-related book feature. The site also contains general notes from the site's author, as well as contact information for him.-Alison Cabral
"Bugs in the News" is a website with articles authored by John C. Brown, a professor of molecular biosciences at University of Kansas. The site offers current science news on topics relevant to microbiology. It is a light-hearted site that includes a "disclaimer" on the home page making it perfectly clear that the articles are rooted in scientific fact, but should be given latitude for over-simplification. There are excellent conceptual explanations of biological processes that are often accompanied by visual aids. The subject matter is obviously aimed at the reader with an introductory level of understanding and is meant to help construct a sound knowledge base in the biosciences. The humorous nature of the site's contents is evident initially in the title and section headers. For example, "For the Curious….. What the Heck is….?????" is a link into a collection of articles that are very basic. However, more technical articles are available under "For the Curious & Interested" and even more in-depth articles are under a link to "For the Curious, Interested & Who Like to More than Scratch the Surface." Other links found on this site include: search engines, related sights, University of Kansas Biological Science Division, and Jack's place&emdash;the author's homepage for his students. -Jessica Ryon
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention Home Pagehttp://www.cdc.gov/The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website is a government source that provides valuable information about various diseases. This site is free and does not require registration for viewers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supplies searchable resources that include: "In the News," "Travelers' Health," "Publications, Software & Products," "Data & Statistics," and "Health Topics A-Z." The Spotlight section of the website contains "Anthrax Information and Public Health Emergency Preparedness & Response," an additional searchable site. Under this site, facts and frequently asked questions concerning anthrax are available. "Interim Smallpox Response Plan & Guidelines" discusses public health activities that should be performed in the event of a smallpox emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site also contains an interactive "Image Library" located under the "In the News" link. The "Image Library" is an expansive site displaying a collection of images and multimedia files related to public health. This website offers current health related information aimed to health care workers as well as the public. -Melissa Pahl
This is an incredibly extensive website, with a wealth of information on almost any medical topic out there. No registration is necessary, and it is free to use the website. There are many ways to search the CDC website, including a Health Topics search, as well as a Medical Terminology search. An interesting part of this website was the Public Health Image Library, which allows you to search for pictures of different diseases - even pictures of Gram stains. The CDC publishes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which is archived on the CDC website. Some other interesting aspects of this website include a Timeline of Medical Events, and a page that discusses current Rumors/Hoaxes being spread. If you are considering traveling, the Traveler's Health page is worth looking at. You can check this page to see if there are any health concerns or vaccines necessary before going on your journey.-Shelley Peebles
CDC
Parasitology Diagnostic Web Sitehttp://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdxThe site is free and does not require online registration. It is a searchable resource designed for strengthening diagnosis of parasitic diseases in the US and abroad. DPDx offers two complementary functions: a Reference and Training function, and a Diagnostic Assistance function. The Parasites and Parasitic Diseases page contains their description by category and in alphabetical order. From the Image Library visitors can directly access all parasites' images contained in the site. The page on the Diagnostic Procedures details them for blood, stool, serum/plasma and other specimens. Laboratorians and pathologists can use the Diagnostic Assistance on the site to identify parasitic diseases. This site also provides free of charge training for professionals by offering CD-ROMs and a monthly parasitology case study. It has links to government sites and numerous resources for students, such as peer-reviewed journals and relevant Internet databases. -Viktoriia Tyschenko
The CDC Parasitology Diagnostic Web Site is a very informative site at no cost to anyone! It offers a large amount of information on numerous parasites. One can look up concise reviews listed alphabetically containing information about the casual agent, life cycle, and geographic distribution of the parasite in the "Parasites and Parasitic Diseases" link. The "Image Library" link allows one to select a parasite of interest alphabetically and then view various images of it. The "Diagnostic Procedures" link allows one to choose from blood specimens, stool specimens, serum/plasma specimens, and other specimens to give one a variety of information on safety, collection of the particular specimen, staining it, etc. This excellent web site also provides diagnostic assistance. Helpful information is available in order to use the site to fullest extent by adding a "Requirements" link as well as a link called "About DPDx". -Elizabeth Romano
Dr.
Fungushttp://www.doctorfungus.orgIf you're interested in all of the different aspects of fungi, this is definitely the website to come to. Just an initial "please read and okay this before you go on" sheet that entails instructions to consult a professional doctor before trying any of the remedies listed, and you can start a fungal journey. With links ranging from Learn about Fungi, which gives the reader a general discussion along with pictures and descriptions, to Antifungal Agents or every drug to use that will cure a fungal infection. The Laboratory contains lab procedures and ways of diagnosing fungal infections by way of histopathology. This website also has a Lecture and Video bank however, the video bank is not quite ready for use. -Sarah Lehrmann
Observing doctorfungus.com I noticed a lot of useful tools and information. This website will allow one to browse through images, learning about people, plants, and animals that have fungal infections by using image bank. Lecture bank is another link that permits one to share, exchange and collaborate on slides and lectures or interesting individual case histories. Think you have a fungal infection? Simply click on learn about fungi and get the facts, descriptions, taxonomy and nomenclature on all fungi. Introducing a new feature to this website is video bank. Soon video footage will be available. FAQ will help answer most commonly asked questions, and View in other languages will translate the text in many languages. Education and tools will direct you to more links helping you with abbreviations, glossary, and good books about mycology. -John Cantu
Gateway
to Government Food Safety Informationhttp://www.foodsafety.gov/This site has been developed to help people educate themselves on food handling. The developer of this site had created several web pages that are generally friendly to people of all ages and different ethnicities. People can come to this site to make a report on an illness, ask questions on any kind of food safety or just to educate themselves. This site has fun activities for kids and teens such as quizzes and drawings that can help them learn on how to handle food properly. The VIDEO LIBRARY has many videos that people with the right viewing equipment are able to make use of. In the FAQ ( frequently asked questions) people come and view questions that other people have asked. In LANGUAGES there are many languages like German, France, Japanese and many more. People with all kinds of ethnicity can come and learn about food safety. This site is very educational; parents can visit the site with their kids and learn together on how to prepare, handle and store foods. This is very useful for keeping food from getting contaminated. -Molly Huynh
The government's food safety website, The Gateway to Government Food Safety Information is searchable databases dedicated to providing food safety tips and general consumer advice to the public at large. The site is very easily navigated, and any time a link from the main page is selected a navigation bar appears to the left to allow quick access to the rest of the site. The "frequently asked questions" link will cover most questions anybody would have about food from storage to licensing a food establishment. One link, which may be of special interest to microbiology personnel, would be the "Foodborne pathogens". This link provides numerous links dedicated to foodborne pathogens such as the CDC's The Bad Bug Book and the NIAID's Foodborne Disease fact sheet. The sight also has an excellent search and site index, which will allow any user to find specific information very quickly. When links are chosen the site will typically provide the user with federal government and state and local websites concerning the subject at hand. In addition, most of the links will provide additional links to other government website which may be of use. The site also provides many videos concerning food safety along with providing the entire website in numerous languages. -Joshua Crixell
Hardin
MD: Infectious Diseases and Microbiologyhttp://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/micro.html
Health
Canada: Public Health Informationhttp://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/phi_e.htmlHealth Canada is a web site created by the Canadian Population and Public health Branch, formerly known as the Canadian Laboratory Center For Disease Control. This site is primarily directed towards keeping Canadians informed on the latest news in biology and disease control topics such as travel medicine, recommended immunizations, flu prevalence, and disease surveillance. Health Canada presents thirty-three program listings ranging alphabetically from AIDS Laboratories to Tuberculosis, as well as many national and international links, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center For Disease Control and Prevention USA, and the Canadian Nurses Association. The site is free, searchable, and offers a subscription, which provides bi-weekly e-mail concerning the latest site updates. This web site contains a wide range of information suitable for the health care curious or the health care professional. -Marc Beardsley
Karolinska
Insitutet: Diseases, Disorders, and Related Topicshttp://www.mic.ki.se/DiseasesThe Karolinska Institutet is Sweden's only university of medicine. The Institutet provides many services regarding research in Sweden and around the world. The research that they do spans a number of different areas and provides the public with useful, free information. The Karolinska website is easy to move around in and to understand. The Karolinska website provides access to their expansive "Library", which is a national research library for medicine. Their research goes beyond simple medical research to include dental sciences, nursing sciences and health care. The "Research" section displays projects, dissertations, and networks that take place at the Karolinska Institutet. The "Resources" contained on their page includes links to Oxford reference online, images, online articles and journals, and other biomedical sites. The Karolinska Institutet website is very beneficial for providing the latest up-to-date information as well as the old background information on a topic. -Jamye Coffey
Martindale's
Health Science Guide - Pathology and Virologyhttp://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/HSG/MedicalPath.htmlMartindale's Health Science Guide is a free site and requires no online registration. It is extensive and includes information on multiple topics ranging from infectious diseases to travel warnings to contacting the local Red Cross/Red Crescent Blood bank. Almost every page includes links to other sites such as the CDC homepage and the US Department of Defense for an update on the war on terrorism and biological agents. Some interesting characteristics include links to medical journals, medical dictionaries, and encyclopedias. The Resource Guides offers a Buyer's Guide to enable health care workers to order supplies and gives information for people to find the right doctor for them. Moreover this site is usable for both the advanced physician with its resourceful medical data and the average individual with simple, accessible information pertaining to their interests. -Elizabeth Gregoire
Medscape's
Infectious Disease SiteThis site is free but requires online registration. It is a searchable resource designed for better patient care. Medscape contains peer-reviewed articles, medical news, and medical humor. It also has a free link to search "Medline", the medical abstracts database of the National Library of Medicine and a link to ProMED for the latest information on emerging infectious diseases. The Journal Room links to online journals of medical importance. The Library has a medical dictionary, an online publications database, and a list of keywords to access infectious diseases information. The Exam Room has interactive case studies, some of which concern infectious diseases and a feature, "Bug of the Month" which has case studies about a particular microbe. Infectious Disease Links has links to governmental sites, journals, and other Internet sites. (This is an example of what I expect you to do for your site - D'Maris Allen)http://ID.medscape.com/Home/Topics/ID/InfectiousDiseases.html
MedWebPlus
- Communicable Diseaseshttp://www.medwebplus.com/subject/Communicable_Diseases.html
Merck
& Co., Inc. Home Page with links to Disease Infopark and Merck
Manual This site is designed to provide information on health care issues and issues surrounding Merck & Co., Inc. This website has an interactive version of the Merck Manual of Medical Information publication. This section includes videos, animations, photos, illustrations, and pronunciations relative to the online version of the manual. There is a text only version available also. The "Health Infopark" section has a fun menu that allows you to gather information on different diseases and some products (some product information available to U.S. citizens only). The "Medi Quiz 2002" section tests your knowledge about health related issues and gives you a chance to win a free t-shirt. The quizzes are changed on a monthly basis, but all past quizzes are available in the "Retro Quiz" section. The "Merck Publications" section allows access to other Merck publications including Merck Manual of Geriatrics, Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, and Merck Veterinary Manual. There is also a section called the "Health Info Minute" that gives a new tidbit of health infromation every time the screen is refreshed. This site is free and requires no registration. -Gordon SimonMerck.com is a magnificent web site. However one cannot fully explore it unless they register (registering requires an e-mail address) themselves first. Once you are in I recommend going directly to the site map because it is a little less convoluted than the home page and easy to follow. Here you will find fifteen subjects that embody what Merck is all about. The three most interesting subject links are the Your Health (this page contains an info pack that helps to expand you knowledge about health by exploring topics both visually and interactively. There is also a link for professionals that is in depth and gets to the nitty-gritty of what health care workers currently need to know about their work), Health Infopark (includes the latest information about aging, arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, hair loss, heart disease, HIV infection & AIDS, hypertension, men's health, migraine, osteoporosis, preventable diseases, travel health, women's health and related sites), and medIQuiz (here you will find the topic of the month and several highlighted issues). All things considered; this web site is really interesting. I recommend that you go to it because there is a lot there and I have only briefly described some of the contents. One could spend a good hour or two just surfing around the topics of Merck.com. If you have one scientific bone in your body I believe that you will find this resource to be valuable and useful. So try it, you might like it. -Jason Williams
National
Center for Infectious Diseaseshttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/The National Center for Infectious Diseases website is free and requires no online registration. It has an extensive search library on infectious disease information. Each disease index has several articles to choose from. You can also search the website by topic of interest, ranging from antimicrobial resistance to food and travel. The CDC releases a monthly newsletter updating the public to the latest news and journal publications. The website offers the public a free online look at the articles published in the current issue. In addition, there is an educational resource for teachers and students with an extensive collection of still images and multimedia files related to public health. The latest and most pressing issues in public heath are outlined on the home page with reference to issues such as bioterrorism preparedness and current epidemic updates. A comprehensive viral and bacterial taxonomy index is included along with a wide-ranging medical dictionary. The site also contains an extensive list of web links to other sites relating to public health resources and associated scientific references. -Marc Varhely
This is a free site that requires no online registration. This website is designed to provide extensive information concerning infectious diseases and preventative medical options available. The CDC website contains articles pertaining to health, breaking news, in addition to, articles on disease prevention. It also has a free link to _Emerging Infectious Diseases_, which provides the latest articles pertaining to current event medical concerns. Infectious disease outbreak links to an index of infectious diseases, furthermore, a list indexed by topics of concern. Current topics listed range from; new infectious diseases, pets and travel infectious concerns. The news room has the latest CDC informational articles. The prevention room is an informative approach in a question/answer format, of how you can protect your family against infection. Additionally, within this site we have the ability to access divisions and programs where we are able to read the research that is currently in work, which is quite interesting. -Marlese Rodriguez
National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseaseshttp://www.niaid.nih.gov/The National Institute of Health has a website entitled the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that provides information on current research and news regarding allergenic and infectious agents. The home page of this site is very well organized and is easy to navigate. The home page is simple and provides four subject headings each with their own subheadings. This page also includes a side column that provides instant access to the latest news stories in this field and to a search engine for the entire site. The most useful of the four subject headings are "Information" and "Research Divisions." The "Information" pages provide material on the most current diseases affecting the population, links to other NIH sites, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions about diseases and general areas of study such as vaccine production and women's health. The "Research Division" pages give insight into the types of studies being conducted on infectious diseases and the findings of these studies. Preventative medicine and treatment options for a number of diseases are also described. Many of the pages on this site include a side column that offers headings and links to other pages that pertain to the material on that page. This site is easy to navigate and one can search for specific topics from any of the site's pages. The site provides an abundant amount of links to other credible sites such as PubMed and the NIH site. Overall, this site is very useful for gathering background information on infectious diseases as well as finding information on current areas of research for those diseases. -Dorothy Weir
This website is free and is a searchable resource. The "News Room" link provides a separate search for news releases and any research performed by the organization. The "Publications" link gives health information provided by the organization for particular diseases. Examples of diseases found under this link include food borne diseases, Lyme disease, and other tick-borne diseases. Another link, "Common Questions" provides yet another search of common questions. There is also a link to other websites of other National Institutes of Health. The link "Research Divisions" takes you to the websites of the divisions under the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. An example of a research division found here is a link to the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Division. -Kathy Freeman
Pan
American Health Organizationhttp://www.paho.orgPAHO, Pan American Health Organization is working to help improve health and living standards in the Americas. They work with countries and other international agencies to target disease vulnerable groups. The PAHO site is an excellent source for one planning to travel outside the country and is concerned with health risks. This site offers adequate resources for searching articles, facts and information related to various diseases through out the Americas. In the Health Data section one can see demonstrations and resources in which data is collected by PAHO. Information resources are available in the Resource link that consists of announcements, books, community interactions and databases. The online Book Store includes books on subjects ranging from domestic violence to Hemorrhagic Fever. Also more information concerning PAHO can be found in the link titled About PAHO. -Lisa Havard
Parasites
and Parasitological Resourceshttp://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/home.htmlThe "Parasites and Parasitological Resources" website is an informative website that has an array of links to explore. Links include the capability to search for parasites alphabetically, and also taxonomically. The link entitled "Images of Parasites" provides clear and graphic images of parasites. The browsing of this link is also divided into either taxonomic or alphabetical categories. Biological information such as life cycle and distribution of the parasite can also be found using the "Images of Parasites" link. The link "Parasite life cycles" provides a brief overview of the life cycle of numerous parasite species. There is also a link that shows labeled images of chosen parasites. The images include labels of sexual and asexual characteristics of parasites. The link called "Parasites and your pets" is an informative link that is in a question and answer format. Questions are posed about the transmission, life cycle, and prevention of the parasites that infect our pets, then these questions are answered in a lengthy discussion. This website also contains information of the morbidity and mortality rate of parasite infections. -Tonya Elliott
Texas
Department of Healthhttp://www.tdh.state.tx.us/This is a free site that requires no registration. This is a searchable resource that is designed to give information that will enable the people of Texas, and those who visit this state, ways to protect and improve their health. TDH online also has links that allow visitors to access other sites such as Federal Agencies and Public Health Agencies in other states. What's New has new links and features in the TDH home page. The News link gives current releases and updates from the TDH. On the home page, TDH Today has information on current health topics. Health Data links to news on subjects like epidemiology, HIV/STD, AIDS, and infectious diseases. Other health information can be obtained through the Search option. Lastly, Health Regions allow the users to find their local TDH office. -Raquelle Garcia
This is a free web site that has information pertaining to a wide variety of topics. Information on the Board of Health, Birth and Death Records, Career Opportunities, Grants and Funding, Health Data and Regions, Law's and Regulations, License and Certification, Medicaid, Programs and Services, Publications/Library and Kid's Corner are all available on the web-site. Verification and Certificates of birth and death are available from the Birth and Death Records link. Lots of information about disease are found in Health and Data Regions with sections on Epidemiology, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Surveillance, Behavioral and Risk factors and Breast & Cervical Cancer Control. The License/Certification link has additional links such as Drug and Medical Devices which has information on distributors, tattoo studios, tanning facilities etc. Manufactured foods, Product Safety, Meat Safety Assurance and Health Facility Licensing & Compliance Division are also found in License/Certification. Additional links to other web-sites are found in many sections such as Health Data and Regions. Overall I would rate this an excellent web-site for information pertaining to the state of Texas and diseases that are common state wide. -Shawn Armstrong
U. S. Government's Healthfinderhttp://www.healthfinder.orgThe Healthfinder website is a free online health guide. It has an extensive range of reliable consumer health information on the web and also offers a variety of facts to inquiring researchers. For example, it researches diseases from A to Z, touches on healthcare, and even has a link that tells you when National Health Observance Days are. The website itself is very user friendly and it is easy to find just about any topic that you are looking for. The links help make this easier because the majority of them have a brief description about what they do. The Health Library link gives information about all different types of diseases. This includes prevention, wellness, and alternative treatment. The link Just For You talks about illnesses related to gender, age, and ethnicity. Health Care not only links you to information about Medicare and Medicaid, but to doctors, health fraud, nursing homes, and health insurance as well. There are also other links to government sites, an online check-up, and Health News. -Holly Frankenberg
This site is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Sevices. This site is available in both English and Spanish. It also contains a section devoted to kids. Kids can link to sites and articles that deal with everything from eating healthy to alcohol and smoking. The site has a directory of organizations that deal with every health topic that one would want more information about. It is set up so the user can choose the subject and then links are found to answer those questions. Everything from A to Z is covered. Each day they have a different health topic and quiz to test users' knowledge. There is even a link that you can click on to get information on all the National Health Observances for the current year. The link deals with getting the word out about certain dieases and trying to prevent them. This site is very informative and helpful. It explains things in a easy to understand format. Overall this site is easy to explore and a valuable tool for anyone who wants information they can trust. -Amanda Savoy
World
Health Organization WWW Home Pagehttp://www.who.ch/This website is developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). It's a free and unique site because this site can be viewed in three major choices of language: English, French, and Spanish. An up-to-date information on current disease emergencies by country is available for comparison. Also, the WHO website shows important health topics in different categories which include infectious diseases, vaccines, and major health related-problems. Users that access the WHO documentation are amazed by the WHO library catalog which provides worldwide bibliographic references. Information resources include library, publications catalogue, multimedia resources and make this website a worlwide health,medical, and ambitious center. -Emile K. Nguettia
The World Health Organization is a free website, and does not require registration. It can be accessed through three different languages, which include English, French, and Spanish. Through a "Search" link, information can be obtained throughout the WHO website. A Library Catalog link is available for researching worldwide health and medical data from the WHO headquarters and other health workers. The website gives a complete list of health topics and site indexes in alphabetical order, as well as categories associated to some different sites. On the main homepage, there is a brief overview of the Director-General of the WHO, and some of her recent speeches concerning world health. An extensive synopsis of the latest press releases and fact sheets can be accessed through the WHO Mediacentre. There are also links to guide a person though the current disease outbreaks, and any information on current emergencies in any country. A traveler can find this website useful through a link that gives any information available on vaccination requirements for any country. In general, this site is valuable to anyone exploring or researching any facts or information throughout the world. -Brooke Bierhalter
Your
Gateway to the World of Microbeshttp://www.MicrobeWorld.orgThe Microbe World is free to all users and is sponsored in part by, American Society for Microbiology (www.asmusa.org). This web site is a learning tool for undergraduate students and as a teaching tool for professors. There are three links available on the home page. First the "Microbiology Library", allows users to access articles from "Microbiology Education Journal", "Focus on Microbiology Newsletter", and "ASM news" (available only to members). The link also provides curriculum and visual resources for educators. The second link, "The Microbial Literacy Collaborative" introduces teachers and students to activities and information in microbiology. The third link, "Microbe.org" invites students and kids on a visual tour of the microbial world (also available in Spanish). Visitors can help microbiologist, Sam Sleuth, solve microbe mysteries and answer questions like; "What is a microbe?" and "Where do they live?" One such case, "Friend or Foe" challenges the reader to question whether or not scientists should wipe out all microbial bugs. Visitors can also check out news-making microbes and read about "Infections and sports", "Microbial Magic Tricks", "All About Prions", and the "Microbiology of Farts" to name a few. Experiments are available, giving students detailed instruction and information as well as pictures and diagrams of the selected activities, some of which were experiments performed in Microbiology Lab for 2002. The site also informs guests to the importance of hand washing and encourages a career based on science and in microbiology, answering frequently asked questions. Although there is an abundant amount of information available, it is general and limited to pre-selected subjects. The web page also does not provide a search option to find information of particular interest quickly. This site is great for casual reading and enjoyment, but not recommended as a source for research. -Kino Gonzalez