Rabies warning issued by ADHS

Twenty-six people have been exposed to rabid animals and have received post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) this year. PEP is an anti-rabies serum and vaccine given to prevent rabies infection from occurring in victims.

Most recent rabies exposures in Arizona have come from contact with bats, according to the department.

"Almost all bites occur when people handle or bother these animals," said Craig Levy, manager for the ADHS Vector-borne and Zoonotic Disease Section.

"However, we have seen a slightly higher number of human exposures to bats than we normally see this time of year," Levy said. "Almost all of these exposures are avoidable."

He said any bat that is found on the ground or caught by a child should be considered potentially rabid. The animal should be reported to local animal control officials for testing.

This year, 20 bats, five skunks and one horse have tested positive for rabies at the ADHS State Laboratory.

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system and is always fatal once symptoms appear.

UMC ranked among nation's top hospitals

U.S. News and World Report's annual guide to "America's Best Hospitals" ranked UMC among the nation's best hospitals for cardiology and cancer treatment.

The University Medical Center ranked 18th for cardiology and 29th for cancer treatment, marking the first time UMC has been listed for cardiology.

U.S. News, in conjunction with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), assesses hospital care for 17 specialties, including cardiology and cancer at 1,800 nationwide hospitals. Any institution ranking among the top 40 is considered a leading center, according to the publication.

NASA, UA agree to promote research and teaching

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the UA have agreed to establish a Cooperative Center for Atmospheric Science and Technology to promote research and teaching in Earth system science.

The University of Arizona's Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, along with the space center will manage and coordinate the program.

"The center will benefit students, the department, the university and the state of Arizona," said Benjamin Herman, professor and head of atmospheric sciences at the UA.

A board of directors will meet in October to name the center's director, who will be a member of the UA atmospheric sciences faculty. Goddard will fund two graduate student fellowships in the department this fall.

The center will create new research opportunities for both UA graduate and undergraduate students, Herman said. The new center will also allow individual UA and Goddard scientists to draw upon a large pool of expertise in a broader range of disciplines, h e said.