A virus that virtually nobody has ever heard of has spread across the United States, causing a 36 percent spike in cases in 2023, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is a respiratory disease that causes symptoms much like the common cold: cough, fever, congestion, … Read more
Lyme disease, the notorious illness spread by ticks, has a deadly cousin that’s spreading fast. Doctors are warning that ticks are also rapidly spreading the Powassan virus, which causes a little-known disease that’s incurable and can be deadly. This month, a 58-year-old Maine man died of complications caused by Powassan, the Washington Post reported, marking … Read more
NYC is home to the first known cases of antifungal-resistant ringworm in the US, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ringworm is a highly contagious infection of the skin, hair or nails typically treated with antifungal medications. This particular treatment-resistant strain emerged in South Asia. Two NYC … Read more
It literally made his skin crawl. A sewer worker in Spain had the internet gagging after he showed up at the hospital with worms squirming about under his skin, as detailed in the New England Journal of Medicine. The 64-year-old sewer treatment employee had reportedly realized something was awry after experiencing mild diarrhea and an … Read more
Urinary tract infections are more than an uncomfortable nuisance. Foodborne bacteria could be behind more than a half-million UTIs in the US each year, according to worrisome new findings from experts who also warn that deaths caused by the same bacteria that bring about UTIs — E. coli — could be on the rise. “We’re … Read more
It’s snot a laughing matter. The color of one’s nasal mucus can reveal what sort of health they are in, according to ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Raj Sindwani of the Cleveland Clinic. “If your snot is changing color, you need to see what else is going on,” Dr. Sindwani said, adding that reasons can … Read more
Keep your eye on this disturbing developing story. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 68 patients in 16 US states have been diagnosed with a rare bacterial infection likely caused by preservative-free eyedrops. The health organization says a rare strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is resistant to antibiotics, has resulted in the death … Read more
Ain’t no mountain high enough — to keep germs from getting to you. Humans aren’t the only organisms to scale the world’s tallest mountain: An analysis of soil samples taken from Mount Everest revealed that our coughs and sneezes are getting preserved in the mountain’s ice for hundreds of years. The alarming findings were published … Read more
Children who contract lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) at two years of age or younger could be more likely to die prematurely from that same condition as adults, a new study has found. These types of infections were linked to one-fifth of the deaths. The new study was conducted by a group of London researchers … Read more
One woman from England was given just hours to live after developing sepsis and a flesh-eating bug following a routine Caesarean section. After Amy Hiner, 40, gave birth to her second child, daughter Evie, she developed necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis from the C-section, causing her to lose half of her stomach. “It just keeps spreading … Read more
Don’t want an infection? Catch some Z’s — but not too many. A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry concluded that a full night’s sleep can be an effective way to ward off sicknesses — but it turns out you can have too much or too little of a good thing. Scientists at the University … Read more
Lawrence Okoye, a former NFL defensive tackle and recent British Olympian, has shared a horrifying TikTok clip of the skin on his legs, which dimpled when pressed. “THIS IS NASTY,” the football player wrote on the clip, which has been viewed some 8.5 million times since it was first posted in December. Upon pushing his … Read more
Jo O’Farrell was a chronic yo-yo dieter, often turning to fast food and takeout for comfort while struggling with her weight for a decade. The British mother, 40, could never keep the pounds off — that is, until she nearly died. O’Farrell reported contracting sepsis in 2021 after a sinus infection went unnoticed. The “hidden … Read more
For most people who are suffering from fever, cough and fatigue, the likely culprits are cold, flu or COVID-19. But for those living in the southwestern U.S., the symptoms could point to Valley fever — and some scientists predict that this illness eventually could spread to other regions. Named after the San Joaquin Valley in California, Valley … Read more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is eye-balling this artificial tear brand closely. The CDC has urged several doctors and patients to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears as it has been linked to 50 bacteria-resistant infections and one death in 11 states, according to a report. Most of the people infected said they used … Read more
The widespread use of antibiotics has long been implicated in the rise of drug-resistant infections. Now, scientists wonder whether unrelated drugs play a role too. In a new study, antidepressants — designed to regulate the brain chemistry of patients with mental illness — were also linked to Escherichia coli (E. coli) antibiotic resistance. Researchers reported that … Read more
A Perth, Australia woman has been told she could lose a thumb after contracting a terrifying bacterial infection from a manicure. Sue, 48, has lived with a searing pain in her thumb for the last two years after contracting a staph infection while getting a manicure at a Perth beauty salon. She claims the technician … Read more
It left him with a sliver of hope. A UK carpenter’s life nearly splintered apart when he suffered a stroke and nearly lost his sight after a splinter in his hand sparked a ferocious infection. “He deteriorated through the evening and was in intense pain,” the poor soul’s mother, Jackie Parkyn, 65, told SWNS of … Read more
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email What started as a common bacterial infection ended in death for fifteen children infected with Strep A in Britain. Health authorities have issued a dire warning to parents in the UK … Read more
Repeat COVID-19 infections could lead to severe health consequences, including organ failure and even death. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system found that people who were infected with the virus numerous times were twice as likely to die and three times more likely … Read more