We’ve been hearing a lot about the swine flu, or the H1N1 virus. It was given pandemic status by the World Health Organization in 2009, and many people have been concerned about it. Of course, the H1N1 virus was not the first pandemic, and it certainly won’t be the last. If you want to be prepared for the next pandemic — and kept up to date — here are 50 tools and tips to bookmark so that you are ready for next time:

Government Information and Resources

One of the best places to go is the government if you are looking for up-to-date information on pandemics and tools to track outbreaks. Here are some government and public health information resources that can help you in the event of a pandemic.

1. PandemicFlu.gov: Just what it sounds like, this site is set up to help you keep up with the latest developments in a pandemic flu situation.
2. Office of Medical Services Pandemic Influenza Plan: This site provides the plan for dealing with widespread illness, developed by the U.S. State Department.
3. Department of Health and Human Services: Turn to the HHS if you are interested in the latest news and tips for dealing with any current public health emergency.
4. Centers for Disease Control: This site contains tips for protecting yourself and includes outbreak maps for pandemics.
5. UN Pandemic Influenza Contingency: See the United Nations plan for pandemic preparedness, and get tips on personal protection.
6. World Health Organization: This site offers alerts on global pandemics and coordinates worldwide responses. You can get helpful tips on protecting yourself, as well as helping to organize relief efforts.
7. Public Health Agency of Canada: Get information from Canada about public health threats and how to protect yourself from pandemics.
8. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: The European Union has its own web site devoted to helping to track pandemics and provide information.
9. American Red Cross: This is not a government resource, but the Red Cross does have valuable public health information and tips for what to do in a pandemic situation.

General Pandemic Preparedness

Be prepared for a pandemic, or any other health emergency. These sites offer helpful insights and tools for general emergency preparation.

10. Ready America: This is a U.S. government site that is devoted to emergency preparedness, and can help you get yourself ready in advance for the next pandemic.
11. Top 20 Ways to Prepare for a Pandemic: This helpful tip sheet is from the British Columbia Ministry of Health Services.
12. Pandemic Influenza: What You Can Do To Be Ready: The Minnesota Department of Health offers a handy list of things you can do to prepare for a pandemic.
13. Answers to Swine Flu Questions: Get the answers to the most important H1N1 questions from CNN.
14. Swine Flu FAQ: Not everything is covered in the CNN list, so you can read this FAQ from WebMD to get a little more information.
15. Oregon Public Health Emergency Preparedness: This site, while aimed at Oregonians, also provides helpful information for anyone else interested in tools and tips. Check your own state for something similar.
16. Flu Checklist: Use this checklist from the Red Cross to determine if you are ready for a pandemic.
17. Questions About Swine Flu: The New York Times provides a video about swine flu and how you can protect yourself from a pandemic.

Family Preparedness

You want to make sure that your family is properly prepared for a pandemic. Here are some helpful resources to help you make a plan for family preparedness.

18. Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Guide for Individuals and Families: Get help on how to create a plan, and learn the differences between protecting yourself from seasonal flu and a strain of pandemic flu.
19. Make a Plan: This emergency preparedness site helps you make a plan for emergencies, including a form to help you get started.
20. Family Emergency Planning: While this is aimed at members of the LDS Church through the Provident Living site, the tools and tips can help any family with emergency planning.
21. How to Swine Flu Proof You and Your Family: This is a helpful guide from eHow on how to get your family prepared for and protected from pandemic flu.
22. Talking with Children about a Flu Pandemic: Helpful tips and resources on explaining a pandemic to your children.
23. Preparing for Pandemic Flu: A Family Checklist Video: This video is helpful for families who are interested in preparing for pandemics.
24. Let’s Get Ready!: This resource from Sesame Workshop helps you get ready for emergencies with your family.
25. Pandemic Flu…What to do, what to do!: This is a kids’ page from the National Institutes of Health aimed at helping children learn about public health emergency preparedness.

Online Tools

Interested in keeping track of pandemics online? Want the latest information and emergency tips? You can use these online tools to stay updated during the next pandemic.

26. Google Alerts: Set up alerts using desired keywords to help you get the latest information delivered right to your inbox.
27. QuickShare My Emergency Information: This tools helps you create an email message with emergency information that can be easily and quickly shared with the important people in your life.
28. Twitter: Everyone is on Twitter. And it can also help you find tips and news updates on pandemics. Search keywords and use hashtags to find the latest.
29. Global Map of Pandemic Risk: This offering from Maplecroft is accessible through docstoc and can help you see where the biggest pandemic threats are.
30. CDCemergency: This is the Twitter account for the CDC’s emergency updates. Follow to get tips and resource hints from the Centers for Disease Control.
31. HealthMap: This global disease map offers an interactive resource to keep you updated on pandemics.
32. Where You Live: This interactive map from Flu.gov helps you find out what is happening where you are right now.
33. Widgets from HHS: The Health and Human Services deparment has widgets that can direct readers to the latest pandemic information.
34. Google Maps: Where there is a pandemic, there is a Google Map that can help you plot it out. Most recently, there was a Swine Flu map with confirmed and probable cases.

iPhone Apps

You can track disease outbreaks and pandemics with the help of your iPhone.

35. Outbreaks Near Me: This app from the Children’s Hospital in Boston helps you find local pockets of disease.
36. FDA Mobile: Get the latest health information and tips for protecting yourself while on the go from the Food and Drug Administration.
37. Mobile World Disaster: If you want to know immediately when disaster strikes, this iPhone app will keep you in the loop.
38. HealthMap: This is an iPhone app that can help you see, on your phone, exactly where health issues are most prevalent.
39. Diagnose the Disease: This app is designed to help you identify diseases. While not a true substitute for a medical professional, it can nevertheless provide some needed help and information.
40. CDC News Reader: Get the latest from the Centers for Disease Control — no matter where you are.
41. PEPID Elements Infections Disease & Travel Medicine: Keep track of where diseases are, and what you can do to protect yourself with this handy iPhone app.
42. Emergency Radio: This iPhone app lets you listen in to emergency radio stations from all around the country in order to get the latest information.

Pandemic Tips

You want to be adequately prepared, and you also want to be calm and collected. Here are some tips that can help you protect yourself in a pandemic situation.

43. Wash your hands: You want to be as clean as possible. One of the best things you can do to protect yourself from a pandemic is to properly wash your hands.
44. First Aid kit: Put together, or purchase, a First Aid kit that can be used in a number of situations, including a pandemic.
45. Have a stockpile: Before a pandemic hits, make sure you have some food storage, as well as emergency money. You should also have other items on hand, in the event you are in the house for an extended period of time.
46. Telecommute: If you have a job that can be performed, at least temporarily, from home, ask about telecommuting to avoid being involved in the spread of a pandemic.
47. Consider a facemask: If you are truly concerned, you can find CDC approved facemasks to help protect you from a pandemic.
48. Stay healthy: Maintaining healthy diet, exercise and sleep habits can keep your immune system in good shape, helping you ward off pandemic illness.
49. Be educated: Learn about what to do, and how to do it. Get information from reliable sources so that you are prepared for a pandemic situation.
50. Don’t panic: It is very important to realize that pandemics have been happening throughout history. If you prepare properly and take precautions, you can reduce your chances of falling victim.

With the new iPhone release, it is clear that more than ever can be done with this device. Indeed, the new sophistication of the iPhone means that it can be all about your health, and doing what you can to remain healthy. Additionally, with the new ability to be more connected than ever before, the iPhone offers you the chance to get the latest health information, and to keep track of where you are most likely to see health threats. Whether you want to keep track of your own symptoms, or whether you want to know how to watch out for others, here are 10 useful iPhone apps that can help you track disease outbreaks.

1. Outbreaks Near Me

Get the latest information on local disease outbreaks. Right now, the most popular use of this app is to track the swine flu. This iPhone app is a “grassroots” epidemiology effort based on HealthMap. It is possible for you to check the app and see whether a disease outbreak has been reported in your area. You can upload your own information and create your own reports using Outbreaks Near Me.

This app was developed by researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston, along with help from the MIT Media Lab. It does more than track swine flu — it can trace outbreaks from a number of infectious diseases.

2. Mobile World Disaster

If you are looking to keep track of what’s going on in the world, Mobile World Disaster news is a good choice. This iPhone app, developed by Crossgates AC, provides a helpful search feature, and includes Meta tags to make things easier for you. You can receive emergency updates about a number of disasters, from earthquakes to tornadoes to hurricanes.

And it’s not just natural disasters. Mobile World Disaster can help you stay on top of epidemics and pandemics. If you are concerned about travel to distant places, you can check to see what kinds of diseases you will have to worry about. This app also helps you track the spread of pandemics, and keeps you informed with the latest news. It’s no surprise that, right now, the most recent version has been updated with helpful information on Swine Flu.

3. Swine Flu News Tracker

Concerned about swine flu? Well, now you can keep track of the latest news with regard to swine flu. Crossgates AC has taken the same type of technology used for the Mobile World Disaster iPhone app and applied it specifically to swine flu. If you are more concerned about what is being considered the next pandemic (especially this fall as back to school is expected to see an increase in swine flu), this app can help keep you abreast of what is going on.

Swine Flu News Tracker includes information on where the latest outbreaks are, and what others are doing to combat the disease. Additionally, this iPhone app includes helpful information on how to protect yourself and your family from swine flu, and tracks where the disease is most prevalent in the world — so you can avoid it.

4. Influenza A (H1N1) Tracker

This is another iPhone app based on the public’s desire to keep up with the swine flu. This is a very simple application from Web it Up. This application is designed to help you keep track of where the swine flu is, how many people have been infected, and how many deaths there have been. It’s actually rather helpful, since the information is arranged by country.

For the United States, the information is further broken down according to state. If you are interested in knowing where the swine flu is most active, and where it is doing the most damage, it is relatively easy to find that information in a very simple format. This application also includes the assessment level offered by the World Health Organization.

5. FDA Mobile

This is a neat application straight from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If you are looking for the latest health news and disease outbreak information, you can have delivered straight to your iPhone. It is possible to get the latest on disease epidemics, and to track smaller outbreaks. Right now, of course, the main focus for many people is the swine flu. However, the FDA Mobile app can provide information for any disease that threatens to go pandemic. Updates with press reports of the spread of the disease, along with the latest WHO assessment, can be had quickly and easily.

You can also get access to non-outbreak related information. Find FDA warnings (searchable) on products and services. Find human clinical trials data, look for drug shortage information and get the latest news and releases, including the latest medical devices and treatments to be approved. This app is helpful on a number of levels that have to do with your health.

6. CDC News Reader

The Centers for Disease Control is one of the places to go if you want the latest disease outbreak information. You can get all of the latest happenings in the world of infectious diseases right on your iPhone. This news reader takes the top stories issued from the CDC, and sends them to you. This includes outbreaks, such as a multi-state E. Coli outbreak, and even the swine flu. If you want to track diseases and see where the danger lies, the CDC News Reader can keep you informed. A share feature can help you keep those you love in the loop as well.

In addition to tracking diseases, the CDC News Reader also provides other useful information, including emergency preparedness, environmental health alerts, travel notices and other updates. The application also includes a landscape mode, so that you can get a better view.

7. PEPID Elements: Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine

This iPhone application is ideal for the traveler. If you are concerned about what sort of disease you might get when you travel overseas, you can consult this iPhone app for an idea of what’s out there. Not only can this application help you figure out where you are most likely to catch something, but it can actually help you identify whether or not you have it. You can get advice on how to manage infectious diseases, and steps you can take to curb its spread.

This iPhone app also offers dynamic medical calculators and provides information on drug interactions, possibilities and more. The Platinum version, designed for physicians, also has helpful features that can help those who practice medicine better perform their duties.

8. Swine Flu Tracker

IntuApps has the Swine Flu Tracker. This can help you keep track of where the swine flu, and where it might be going. This application is aimed specifically at travelers who still want to globe trot — but in relative safety. Swine Flu Tracker makes use of Google Maps to help you monitor the spread of the disease.

In addition to providing travel warnings and information about the global spread of swine flu (including World Health Organization data), this app also includes helpful information on symptoms of swine flu, what to do if you think you have become infected. This interactive application also features information from the CDC and other respected sources, helping you sift fact from fiction when it comes to the most recent pandemic.

9. The Swine Flu Tracker

This final swine flu app is available from GPS Kit developer Garafa. The company uses its GPS savvy to create a disease outbreak tracker that can help you keep tabs on a number of diseases. Right now, swine flu is quite understandably the focus. However, the app is not limited to swine flu. Other infectious diseases can be tracked using this application, and it also includes information on the disease in question.

Using a map, you can visually see where there have been confirmed cases of the disease in question, as well as see where deaths have taken place. The application works world wide, so you can check up on different countries, and see the places you should avoid.

10. iEmergency

It isn’t exactly a disease tracker, but if you succumb to something, iEmergency can help. This iPhone app by KAVAPOINT is designed to provide your health and emergency information to others if you are incapacitated. The idea is that you can store your allergies, an emergency contact and other information on you iPhone, to be seen if there is a problem. You can even create a lock banner if your iPhone is password protected. There is also one touch emergency calling to make things easier to get in touch with your emergency contacts.

There really is no substitute for peace of mind. You never know when an emergency will come, and you can use this app to make sure you are prepared — and make sure that your loved ones are contacted and know what happened.

It is always helpful to be able to learn more about the human body. Whether you are studying for medical exams, brushing up on your knowledge or just want to know how your body works, it is possible to find out through open courseware. A number of universities and colleges offer free courses on the human body and how it works. Here are 50 resources that can help you learn more about the body:

Introduction to the Body

Before you dive into the minute workings of the body, it helps to have a basic overview of how the body functions. These classes will help you build a foundation with regard to the body’s development.

1. Human Growth and Development from Tufts University offers helpful information on the way the body grows and develops from birth to death.
2. Adolescent Health and Development from Johns Hopkins University provides an insightful look at how youth develop.
3. General Human Anatomy from the University of California Berkeley focuses on the basics of the body’s systems, and what goes on inside of it.
4. Introductory Biology from MIT provides an overview of biology. This is necessary for understanding how the body works as a biological entity.
5. Introduction to Cardiac Care from Columbia University offers a look at how the heart works, and a basic foundation for understanding heart disease.
6. Introduction to Clinical Pain Problems from Tufts University looks at the issue of pain and how the body deals with. A course that can help you learn about evaluating and treating paid.
7. Introduction to Health Policy from Johns Hopkins University can give you a basic understanding of how policy affects the way the body is treated in medical settings.
8. Issues in complentary and alternative medicine from The Open University provides an overview of health practices that fall outside the Western medical tradition. Also addresses how these practices work with the human body.

Body Systems

The human body is made up of different systems that have separate functions. Get an idea of what system is designed to do.

9. A Clinical Approach to the Human Brain from MIT offers a look at how the brain works. Includes information on the differences between a healthy brain and an unhealthy brain.
10. Gastroenterology from MIT provides a look at the gastrointestinal system and how it works.
11. Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology from Tufts University is designed to help you learn about diseases that affect the digestive system.
12. Renal Pathosphysiology from Tufts University explores the importance of the renal system — especially the kidneys. Provides an overview of how the renal system works, and how it can be affected by disease.
13. Cardiovascular Pathophysiology from Tufts University looks at the way the heart and the rest of cardiovascular system work.
14. Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology from Tufts University provides information on how the muscles and the skeleton work together. Also explores the effects of degenerative diseases on the musculoskeletal system.
15. Opthamology Grand Rounds from Tufts University provides interesting insight into how the eyes work. There is also special cases of eye care and disease from the New England Eye Center Grand Rounds.
16. Molecular Biology for the Auditory System from MIT provides a look at how the ears work.
17. Acoustics of Speech and Hearing from MIT looks at the ways the human ear transforms sound into something intelligible to the hearer.

Reproduction and Genetics

Learn about reproduction, as well as learn more about how genetics form the building blocks of the body and determine how it works.

18. Human Reproductive Biology from MIT looks at both the female and male reproductive systems. Looks at reproductive development, and diseases that can result.
19. Biology of Sex from San Diego State University provides materials that help you understand how sex works from a biological standpoint.
20. Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemology from Johns Hopkins University tracks how reproduction works, as well as devotes time to addressing issues related to infertility, contraception and public policy.
21. Preventing Infant Mortality and Promoting the Health of Women, Infants, and Children from Johns Hopkins University addresses the issues of how to better take care of those directly involved in child bearing and rearing.
22. Gene Expression an its Regulation from the University of Alberta probes genetic function, as well as the biological processes behind the way genes are put together.
23. Genetics from Tufts University focuses on genetics and how they can be applied to modern medicine. Also includes information on how genetic diseases work in the body.
24. Genomic Medicine from MIT addresses the concept of using genes to enhance medicine. Also addresses the latest genomic technologies.
25. Genomics and Computational Biology from MIT looks at the relationships seen in genes, and how to model them using computers.

Conditions, Illness and Disease

Different conditions of illness and disease can change the way the body works. Learn how diseases and other adverse conditions affect the human body.

26. Microbiology from Tufts University looks at the microbes that cause diseases. Learn how microbial pathogens work in the body.
27. Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases from Johns Hopkins University provides a look at understanding infectious diseases and looks at the development of acute infections.
28. Pathophysiology of Infectious Diseases from Tufts University follows the development of diseases, and the courses they take in the human body.
29. Images of Memorable Cases: 50 Years at the Bedside is a collection resource from Connexions that provides a look at medical diagnosis, providing interesting case studies in illness.
30. Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnoses and Pathophysiology from Tufts University provides helpful insights into diabetes and how it works in the human body. Looks at both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
31. Impact of Pandemic Influenza on Public Health from Johns Hopkins University looks at the development of different kinds of flu in the human body, as well as its rapid spread and how it affects societal response.
32. America’s Battle for a Cure: The Culture and Politics of Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment from Columbia University provides a look at breast cancer, and the issues surrounding it. Also addresses the progression of the disease.
33. Biography of the AIDS Epidemic from Columbia University looks at the development of AIDS as a disease, as well as how it affects the human body.
34. Malariology from Johns Hopkins University looks at malaria and how it affects humans. Also looks at parasitic diseases in general.
35. Brain injury: Recovery from Psychology Wiki looks at he impact of brain injury, and treatments for helping someone recover.
36. Confronting the Burden of Injuries from Johns Hopkins University provides insight into the human body and how it (and the mind) reacts to injuries.

Mental Health

The mind is an important part of the body. And, while the brain still remains in large measure shrouded in mystery, it is possible to learn to improve mental health and enhance the working of both mind and body.

37. Mental Health practice: Bonnyrigg from The Open University approaches issues relating to mental health. Also distinguishes mental illness from mental health.
38. General Psychology from the University of California Berkeley provides a good overview of how the brain works, and looks at mental health.
39. Clinical Psychology from the University of California Berkeley offers a look into the theory and practice of psychology and dysfunction.
40. Psychiatric Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University addresses mental illness and psychiatric disorders that can occur and affect the body as well as the mind.
41. Psychology of Personality from University of California Berkeley looks at how personality is developed, and how it works in humans.
42. Challenging ideas in mental health from The Open University provides a look at how mental health is addressed, including policy questions.

Nutrition and Fitness

What we eat and how we exercise impacts our bodies’ function. In order to understand how the human body works, it is important to understand the effects of nutrition and fitness.

43. Introduction to Human Nutrition from the University of California Berkeley looks at how the digestive system and the metabolism work, and how nutrients impact the body.
44. Critical Analysis of Popular Diets and Dietary Supplements from Johns Hopkins University explores how diet fads and the supplements we take affect the human body.
45. Principles of Pharmacology from MIT looks at different pharmacological agents affect the human body.
46. Principles of Drug Development from Johns Hopkins University looks at how drugs are developed, and the kinds of effects they have on the body.
47. Nutrition and Medicine from Tufts University addresses nutrition as part of the medical establishment, and looks at how it affects the human body.
48. Food and Nutrition Policy from Johns Hopkins University looks at how the policies adopted can affect human health.
49. Alcohol and Human Health from The Open University provides a look at how alcohol affects the human body and its function.
50. Improving aerobic fitness from The Open University provides insight into the helpful effects of fitness on the body.