AZID2024: 11th Annual Infectious Disease Training and Exercise

At the end of June, we hosted our 11th annual Arizona Infectious Disease Training and Exercise (AZID2024). Over 400 public health partners from a wide variety of organizations joined together to share and learn about best practices and current infectious disease trends in Arizona and the region. ADHS hosted speakers from local Arizona jurisdictions, neighboring states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and several academic institutions.

The event kicked off with a tabletop exercise in which approximately 150 public health partners explored ways to enact a coordinated response to a large-scale botulism outbreak. During the remaining two days, we heard about a wide variety of infectious disease topics including: foodborne outbreaks, healthcare associated infections, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, vaccine preventable diseases, respiratory diseases, and sexually transmitted infections. We also had several sessions to improve understanding of health equity, public health surveillance, Tuberculosis outbreak control, antimicrobial stewardship, food imports, and interviewing best practices.

The event was attended by a wide variety of public health partners from state, local, and tribal jurisdictions as well as from many of our healthcare partners. Attendees included epidemiologists, environmental health specialists, infection preventionists, communicable disease investigators, disease intervention specialists, public health nurses, and clinicians to name a few. 

Events like this are critical to growing the state’s capacity to better prepare for and respond to infectious disease threats and help make Arizona a healthier and safer place to live.