Deb Balzer (@DebBalzer)
Deb Balzer is a Senior Communications Specialist at Mayo Clinic. She began her career as a TV news producer in Rochester, NY, before joining CONUS Communications, a pioneering national news satellite organization. She also field produced for ABC, CNN, the Rachael Ray Show and Farmers’ Almanac TV. Joining Mayo Clinic in 2015, Deb writes, produces and collaborates on medical stories with Mayo Clinic’s leading experts, providing trusted health and medical information to help patients.
The Zika virus pandemic has grown to a global health concern. As world health leaders learn more about the mosquito-borne virus that causes birth defects[...]
An outbreak of infections caused by a bacterium called Elizabethkingia (Eleeza-beeth-kin-gea) anophelis (a-na-fa-leez), first reported in Wisconsin, has now spread to Illinois and Michigan. The Centers for[...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that Zika virus causes a severe birth defect called, microcephaly. The CDC report, published in the New[...]
Mosquitoes are more than a menace. The World Health Organization says these tiny insects spread many diseases, including Zika virus, malaria, dengue and yellow fever, which,[...]
More than 422 million adults live with diabetes — nearly four times as many since 1980, according to the first global report on diabetes by the World[...]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidelines to help couples who are thinking about pregnancy after exposure to Zika virus. The[...]
The spread of yellow fever, which kills an estimated 60,000 people a year, has global health officials concerned. The World Health Organization says the first imported case[...]
A new study suggests that women with endometriosis, a painful gynecologic disease, may be at higher risk for coronary heart disease. Mayo Clinic reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Gaurang Daftary says the[...]
Many students and families are heading to the beach during spring break to enjoy sun-soaked time away. The first seasonal exposure to the sun can[...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) says research has strengthened the association between Zika infection and the occurrence of birth defects and neurological disorders. Transmission of Zika virus[...]
Drinking water is essential to good health. However, drinking too much water causes low sodium levels and can result in a mild to life-threatening condition called hyponatremia.[...]
Understanding epidemiological terms such as pandemic, endemic, and outbreak can be confusing, especially as more news emerges about Zika virus and dengue fever. Mayo Clinic infectious diseases[...]