Two residents of Connecticut died in July after being infected with a bacteria found in shellfish and seawater, state health officials announced. A third resident was hospitalized with the same infection, caused by Vibrio vulnificus bacteria. All three cases occurred in people between 60 and 80 years old. Two of the cases were caused by … Read more
Cooling off in lakes, rivers and streams is a hallmark of the summer — but for an unlucky few, it can lead to an infection caused by Nagleria fowleri, a bacteria more commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba. In the U.S., there have been at least three reported deaths this year from the infection, which occurs when … Read more
In May, the COVID-19 emergency was officially declared over — but the coronavirus is still a significant concern, according to a some in the medical community. The latest data from the New York state Department of Health, released Aug. 2, shows that COVID cases spiked by 55% since the prior week, with an average of … Read more
Health experts are alarmed at a spike in typhus cases in Los Angeles County, where three recent deaths have been blamed on the disease. The disease is spread by fleas that have come into contact with animals — cats, possums, dogs and rodents — that are carrying the illness. In the 1930s and 1940s, typhus … Read more
Star student Megan Ebenroth, 17, tragically died last month after contracting a rare, brain-eating amoeba while swimming in Georgia. The death was reported last month, but the victim’s identity wasn’t confirmed until now. “I’m still in shock,” the teen’s mother Chrissy Ebenroth told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution while discussing the “extraordinary” pupil’s passing. “But I can’t … Read more
A Georgia resident has died from a rare “brain-eating amoeba,” the state’s health department confirmed last Wednesday. The resident likely became infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond in Georgia, the health department said. “Naegleria fowleri” is a rare infection that destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death. The amoeba lives in soil and warm, … Read more
Madonna is in the mood to “Celebrate.” The “Material Girl” singer posted a health update Sunday claiming that she was “lucky to be alive” after she received a small gift from her manager, Guy Oseary, while surrounded by loved ones. According to the singer’s Instagram account, the present was a Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol … Read more
Cases of leprosy — an infectious disease that’s been around since ancient times — have increased dramatically in Florida, and health experts fear the infectious disease is now endemic in the Sunshine State. Central Florida accounts for nearly one-fifth of all cases in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), … Read more
A national state of emergency has been declared in Peru as doctors battle an outbreak of a rare disease that can cause lifelong paralysis or death. More than 230 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, or GBS, have been reported in the South American country, with more than half the cases occurring in a brief five-week period … Read more
A 2-year-old boy named Woodrow Bundy tragically died after contracting a deadly brain-eating amoeba while swimming in Nevada. The boy’s mother, Briana, broke the heartrending news in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Woodrow Turner Bundy returned victoriously to our father in heaven at 2:56 am,” she wrote. “He is my hero and I will forever … Read more
When they call her name, it’s like a little prayer. Pop icon Madonna thanked her many fans Tuesday for their continued support as she recovers from her brief but brutal hospital stay after contracting a bacterial infection. The “Material Girl” singer posted an image of herself on social media, embracing a bunch of pink roses … Read more
Carolyn Gower was like any other healthy woman her age when suddenly she was struck down by a mystery illness that would have killed her if it wasn’t for an eleventh-hour act. The Australian woman was found by her adult children in bed on the evening of March 14 suffering from delirium and a high … Read more
Nursing homes and their residents were on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. But despite how vulnerable nursing home residents are to severe illness and death from the disease, most of them never received lifesaving drugs — including Paxlovid, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May this year, after more than … Read more
A potentially deadly form of typhus that’s spread by chiggers has been detected in the United States for the first time. Scientists from the CDC discovered that chiggers — also called trombiculid mites — in North Carolina parks are infected with the bacteria that causes scrub typhus. Scrub typhus can cause severe multi-organ failure if … Read more
An Arizona woman is fighting for her life after she contracted fungal meningitis from cosmetic procedures she flew to Mexico to have done for cheap. Alondra Lomas, 27, traveled to Clinica-K3, a private clinic in Matamoros, Mexico, to get liposuction and a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) after two C-section births that left her with sagging … Read more
Madonna’s loved ones fear the Queen of Pop danced herself into an ICU hospitalization after trying to compete with younger stars like Taylor Swift and Pink. The 64-year-old legend had been pushing herself to her physical limit ahead of her much-anticipated “Celebration” tour, which led to her sudden collapse and multi-day intubation, insiders told the … Read more
A UK teen’s presumed ear infection turned out to be an extremely aggressive brain tumor that tragically killed him soon after it was discovered. Now Claire Kavanagh is urging fellow parents to take every symptom seriously after losing her “fit [and] healthy” 19-year-old son who loved to play soccer and socialize with friends. “Losing him … Read more
What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? How about a whole nest of them in your leg? A Colombian woman was left horrified after discovering that her innocuous-seeming rash was actually a bunch of parasites that had colonized her leg. She detailed the skin-crawling tale in a TikTok video with over 257,000 views. … Read more
Malaria, a potentially deadly disease caused by a mosquito-borne parasite, is making inroads into the US. Three new cases of malaria — one in Texas and two in Florida — are alarming to officials because they were locally acquired, meaning a mosquito in the US was carrying the parasite. That hasn’t happened since 2003 in … Read more
Doctors are alarmed over a new strain of gonorrhea — a common sexually transmitted infection — that is almost incurable. And gonorrhea rates continue to climb: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1.6 million new cases each year, and half of those are resistant to antibiotics. To clap back against the scourge of … Read more