Health Alert Network

​​​Last Updated:  February 25​​​, 2021

The Health Alert Network (HAN) is a nationwide system for coordinating and distributing important information about public health events. It helps us strengthen our emergency preparedness at the local, state and federal levels.

Message Categories

• Health Alert: Conveys the highest level of importance; warrants immediate action or attention.

• Health Advisory: provides important information for a specific incident or situation; may not require immediate action.

• Health Update: provides updated information regarding an incident or situation; unlikely to require immediate action. 

About the Health Alert Network

In Nebraska we use the HAN to distribute health alerts, prevention guidelines and other information. We can notify health care providers, hospitals, and local health departments immediately by e-mail and fax. We also have a voice notification system to reach our state public health employees and health departments immediately. We can also share information with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, laboratories, pharmacies, veterinarians and other health agencies. The HAN can also be used for distance learning, national disease surveillance, and electronic laboratory reporting.

The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds the HAN with grant money. Our goal is to improve the communications infrastructure for all Nebraska public health agencies and our partners.  To help meet this goal, the HAN:

• Uses high-speed, secure Internet connections for local health officials and provides access to CDC's prevention recommendations, practice guidelines, and disease data.
• Creates a secure web site and emergency messaging system for communications among health agencies for bioterrorism and all other public health threats.
• Establishes a distance learning capability to foster greater public health organizational capacity and public health professional development.

Health Alerts 

Type    Name    Title    Effective Date    UPDATE02252021 COVID-19 Antigen Testing, Reinfections, Sequencing & Antibody Test Reporting 2/25/2021 ADVISORY02182021 2021 Winter Storms - Clinical Guidance for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 2/18/2021 ADVISORY02162021 Extensively Drug-Resistant Salmonella Typhi infections Among U.S. Residents Without International Travel 2/16/2021 ADVISORY01042021 Increase in Fatal Drug Overdoses Across the United States Driven by Synthetic Opioids Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic 1/4/2021 ADVISORY12242020 Monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19 12/24/2020 UPDATE09082020 Updated Testing Guidance for COVID-19 9/8/2020 ADVISORY07092020 CDC HAN: Serious Adverse Health Events Associated with Methanol-Based Hand Sanitizers 7/9/2020 ADVISORY06242020 Multistate Outbreak of Cyclospora Infections Linked to Bagged Salad 6/24/2020 ADVISORY06192020 Covid-19 Serology Testing 6/19/2020 ADVISORY 06192020 West Nile Virus disease in Nebraska 6/19/2020 ADVISORY06022020 COVID-19 and Remdesivir Use 6/2/2020 ADVISORY06012020 Lyme disease in Nebraska 6/1/2020 ADVISORY05182020 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19 5/18/2020 ADVISORY05062020 Tick borne diseases in Nebraska May 06, 2020 5/6/2020 ADVISORY04212020 Need for Increased COVID-19 Testing: Increased In-State Capacity 4/21/2020 ADVISORY04022020 Ordering COVID-19 Test at Nebraska Public Health Lab 4/3/2020 UPDATE03292020 Updated Guidance on Evaluation and  Testing Persons for COVID-19 CORRECTED 3/29/2020 ADVISORY03232020 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Nebraska Dental Health Community 3/23/2020 ADVISORY 03232020 Recommendations to returning out-of-state travelers 3/23/2020 ADVISORY03192020 COVID-19 Updated Recommendations 3/19/2020 UPDATE03162020 Information and Guidance about Global Travel on Cruise Ships due to COVID-19 3/16/2020 UPDATE03132020 Updated guidelines for laboratory testing for COVID-19 3/13/2020 ADVISORY03112020 Updated guidance on evaluating and testing persons for COVID-19 3/11/2020 UPDATE03032020 COVID-19 Outbreak Update 3/3/2020 ADVISORY02252020 COVID-19 Outbreak 2/25/2020 UPDATE02012020 Update and Interim Guidance on Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus 2/1/2020 ADVISORY01302020 2019 Novel Coronavirus Update 1/30/2020 ADVISORY01232020 Wuhan Novel Coronavirus 2019 1/23/2020 ADVISORY01142020 Outbreak of Pneumonia of Unknown Etiology in China 1/14/2020 ADVISORY01132020 Elevated Influenza Activity 1/13/2020 ADVISORY12062019 Risk Associated with Unapproved Products Derived from Stem Cells, Placenta, and Umbilical Cord Blood 12/6/2019 UPDATE11202019 Antimicrobial Resistance Threats and Antibiotic Awareness Week 11/20/2019 UPDATE 11202019 Hepatitis A Outbreak Linked to Fresh Blackberries Purchased at Fresh Thyme Grocery Stores 11/20/2019 ADVISORY11082019 Increased Number of Hepatitis A Cases in the Metro Omaha Area 11/8/2019 ADVISORY11042019 2019-2020 Influenza Vaccination and Testing Guidelines 11/4/2019 UPDATE09112019 STD Public Health Update on Trichomoniasis 9/11/2019 ADVISORY09032019 Severe Pulmonary Disease Associated with Using E-cigarette Products 9/3/2019 ADVISORY08292019 Mumps Outbreak 8/29/2019 ADVISORY08222019 Severe Pulmonary Disease related to Vaping 8/22/2019 UPDATE07082019 Influenza Summer Update July 8, 2019 7/8/2019 UPDATE07032019 Cluster of NDM CP-CRE July 3, 2019 7/5/2019 ADVISORY06252019 Black legged tick in Nebraska June 25, 2019 6/25/2019 ADVISORY06132019 Increase in antibiotic resistant organisms, June 13th, 2019 6/13/2019 ADVISORY05312019 West Nile Virus diseases Nebraska May 31, 2019 5/31/2019 ADVISORY05032019 Measles Outbreaks in the United States May 3, 2019 5/3/2019 ADVISORY042319 Lyme Disease in Nebraska 4/23/2019 ADVISORY041119 Outbreaks of Hepatitis A among people using drugs or experiencing homelessness 4/11/2019 ADVISORY031919 Tick borne diseases Nebraska 3/19/2019 UPDATE122118 Influenza Update 12/21/2018 ADVISORY122018 M. Chimaera Infection 12/20/2018 ADVISORY121018 Spke in Norovirus Outbreaks 12/10/2018 ADVISORY111518 Antibiotic Resistance 11/15/2018 UPDATE110918 AFM Update: What Providers Need to Know 11/9/2018 ADVISORY092118 False-positive Vibrio and Yersinia results on Culture-Independent Diagnostic Testing (CIDT) 9/21/2018 UPDATE090518 AFM Update 9/5/2018 UPDATE060818 Diagnosing and Managing Shigella Infections 6/8/2018 UPDATE052918 2018 HAN Summertime WNV Update May 29, 2018 5/29/2018 ADVISORY043018 Multi-state outbreak of serratia marcescens bloodstream infections 4/30/2018 ADVISORY062018 Tick borne diseases in Nebraska 4/23/2018 ADVISORY122817 Influenza A activity and antiviral treatment 12/28/2017 ADVISORY110617 HIPPA and the Opioid Crisis 11/6/2017 UPDATE102517 Zika Update 10/25/2017 UPDATE080717 Zika Lab Testing Recommendations 8/8/2017 Advisory071117 Patients Receiving Eculizumab (Soliris®) at High Risk for Invasive Meningococcal Disease Despite Vaccination 7/11/2017 UPDATE060217 HAN Summertime WNV Update 2017 6/2/2017 ADVISORY051817 Potential for Falsely Low Blood Lead Test Results from LeadCare Analyzers 5/18/2017 ADVISORY051517 Prolonged IgM Antibody Response in People Infected with Zika 5/17/2017 UPDATE041717 Measles Update 4/17/2017 UPDATE040517 TICK-BORNE DISEASES IN NEBRASKA 4/5/2017 UPDATE032717 Additional exposure identified from confirmed case of Measles 3/27/2017 Advisory032317 Confirmed case of Measles with exposures in Omaha, Papillion, La Vista 3/23/2017 UPDATE020617 Reportable Disease Regulations Update 2/6/2017 ADVISORY012717 Seoul Virus Outbreak 1/30/2017 ADVISORY011117 Norovirus 1/11/2017 UPDATE121216 Follow-up: Contamination of heater cooler devices with M. chimaera 12/14/2016 ADVISORY121416 CDC Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection Related to the Investigation for Local Mosquito-borne Zika Virus Transmission in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas 12/14/2016 UPDATE120616 Contamination of Open Heart Surgery Heater-Cooler Devices with M. chimaera 12/7/2016 UPDATE111816 Increase in Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Acute Flaccid Myelitis Cases 11/18/2016 UPDATE103116 2016-17 Influenza Vaccination and Testing Guidelines 11/1/2016 ADVISORY101916 Updated Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Zika 10/27/2016 ADVISORY101316 CDC Advises Hospitals to Alert Patients at Risk from Contaminated Heater-Cooler 10/21/2016 UPDATE092016 CDC Updates Guidance for Travel and Testing of Pregnant Women and Women of Reproductive Age for Zika Virus Infection 9/22/2016 UPDATE072916 Addition of Acute Flaccid Myelitis to Nebraska Reportable Disease List 7/29/2016 ADVISORY070516 Subsequent Zika virus IgM Antibody Testing 7/5/2016 ADIVISORY062916 Multi-state outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia infections 6/30/2016 UPDATE060816 Measures to Control Mumps Outbreak Including Mumps Vaccine 6/9/2016 ADVISORY053116 Mumps Outbreak Update 5/31/2016 ADVISORY051916 Mumps Outbreak 5/20/2016 ADVISORY041416 Laboratory Handling and Diagnostics for Francisella tularensis 4/14/2016 ADVISORY032816 Tick-Borne Diseases in Nebraska 3/28/2016 ADVISORY022516 Pediatric Influenza Death 2/26/2016 UPDATE021816 Influenza Health Advisory 2/18/2016 ADVISORY020916 Zika Virus Background and Recommendations 2/9/2016 ADVISORY020816 Increases in Fentanyl Drug Confiscations and Fentanyl-related Overdose Fatalities 2/8/2016 ADVISORY012716 CDC Urging Dialysis Providers and Facilities to Assess and Improve 1/29/2016 UPDATE100215 CDC/FDA Health Update about the Immediate Need for Healthcare Facilities to Review Procedures for Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sterilizing Reusable Medical Devices 10/2/2015 ADVISORY092215 LB 390 Expanded use of Naloxone 9/22/2015 ADVISORY091715 Laboratory Handling and Diagnostics for Francisella tularensis 9/18/2015 ADVISORY051315 Tick-Borne Diseases in Nebraska 8/14/2015 ADVISORY061915 Clinical Considerations for the Evaluation of Ill Travelers from Liberia to the United States 7/2/2015

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