A New Hampshire man is battling a serious tick-borne virus that has left him in critical condition. According to friends and family, John Reagan, 66, is nonverbal after he was bitten by a tick while walking his dog. He was hospitalized in Boston, where his condition deteriorated quickly after he was admitted. “When he first … Read more
What’s worse than spreading a disease? Not even realizing when you’re doing it. Unfortunately, it happens more often than most people think because of simple, everyday behaviors that may seem harmless. Dr. Bruce Hirsch, MD, an attending physician of infectious diseases at Northwell Health, teveals the super common habits that make him squirm because of … Read more
Godfrey Baguma is the first to proclaim it: “I am the ugliest man in the world! The whole world!” Back in 2002, Godfrey, now 63, took part in the competition for Uganda’s ugliest person and won. While most people would be pretty heartbroken to earn such a title, Godfrey lives with an extremely rare life … Read more
A Red Cross official said on Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo had not yet peaked, and could last for a year. Over 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine, have been reported in Congo, 192 of them fatal. The … Read more
A parasitic tapeworm known as Echinococcus multilocularis — often called the “fox tapeworm” — has been detected for the first time in West Coast wildlife. University of Washington researchers discovered the tapeworm, which can cause a rare but potentially deadly disease in humans, in 37 out of 100 coyotes sampled near Puget Sound in Washington State. The findings … Read more
CHICAGO — The risk that a traveler infected with Ebola could arrive in the United States during the 2026 World Cup tournament that kicked off last week is low but not zero, and if that happens, US hospitals are ready to respond, US infectious disease experts say. It wasn’t always so. During the 2014 West African Ebola … Read more
Even if you’re not swapping spit, you’re definitely swapping microorganisms. Researchers in a new study found that people who lived together shared 26% of the same oral microbes. This was regardless of the relationship — participants included siblings, parents and children. Romantic partners shared even more oral microbes (44%), likely due to kissing. “Your microbiome … Read more
Infest and infect. While the world is still reeling from the hantavirus cruise outbreak — and the disease is gaining ground in the US — an entirely different rat-borne disease has claimed the life of one Berkley, California resident. In a public health release issued this week, the city confirmed that a man had died in May … Read more
Potentially deadly sepsis may be more likely in certain patients due to problems in the gut. Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology’s Infectious Disease Research Center used female mouse models to investigate why sepsis outcomes can vary so dramatically. The study, published in the journal Nature, looked at genetically similar mice … Read more
Epidemiologists will be busy this summer sifting through sewage and social media with the goal of keeping soccer fans and the public safe from severe illness during the World Cup, one of the largest and most globally diverse mass gatherings ever anticipated. A public health squad based in Washington, D.C., plans to monitor wastewater and internet … Read more
West Nile virus has been found in two dead crows in Southern California, officials have revealed — a week after it was detected in a mosquito. San Diego County officials detected the new cases in Rolando in East County and near Encanto and North Bay Terraces. While there are no current human cases reported, the … Read more
Ignore the itch that begs to be scratched. While rubbing our eyes may seem like a harmless way to relieve itching or dryness, we may want to think twice about the habit, an ophthalmologist warns. The second-nature response could actually bring a range of risks to the sensitive area, from spreading bacteria to more serious … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My daughter is in her early 30s and in a long-term relationship with a young man nine years younger. While they get along well and are starting to talk about marriage, I see things she doesn’t. I think the age gap will be an issue later, but more than that, I don’t believe … Read more
Snowflake disease is no laughing matter. While the term “snowflake” has been used to mock a fragile person who melts easily, it’s also a nickname for a rare neuromuscular disease. The condition causes the body to break down and become weak — and treatment is difficult as it becomes more complicated over the years. Myasthenia … Read more
Pam Bondi, 60, has been undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. The former attorney general was diagnosed shortly following her dismissal from the Trump Administration in early April, according to Axios. “Pam has been quietly kicking cancer’s ass the last few weeks,” podcast host and former White House official Katie Miller wrote on X. Former attorney general Pam … Read more
At 15, Emma Widmar was a healthy athlete in Wisconsin before her body began to unravel. She developed facial swelling, unexplained prolonged menstrual bleeding, fainting spells and food reactions so extreme that she required a feeding tube. She lost 60 pounds. Over a decade, she saw more than 50 specialists, each treating a symptom, but … Read more
For years, researchers have believed prolonged sitting could raise dementia risk — but new findings suggest the type of sitting may matter more than previously thought. The research, which was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in March, found that replacing mentally passive sedentary behavior with mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with … Read more
As passengers from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship are being monitored, unusually high levels of the virus have been detected in rodents in the US. Researchers found that a significant portion of rodent populations in the Pacific Northwest — specifically the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho — were carrying the Sin Nombre virus (SNV). The findings … Read more
The unofficial start of summer arrives this weekend — and ticks are wasting no time crashing the party. Emergency room visits for tick bites jumped more than 25% nationwide in April compared to the same time last year, according to CDC data, with the Northeast getting hit especially hard as the tiny bloodsuckers swarm back … Read more
A woman’s “tingly” and numb face turned out to be a brain tumor – after it was revealed by an MRI for an unrelated back problem. Amy Seager, 38, experienced numbness and tingling on the left side of her face, as well as hearing loss in one of her ears. It wasn’t until she had … Read more