UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Author: Claudinne Miller

An Apocalypse of Toxic Fungi Could Threaten Millions of Lives Within 15 Years

Popular Mechanics A new study analyzing different climate scenarios discovered that toxic fungi will likely spread into new areas in the future, possibly threatening millions. Life-sustaining fungi that break down plant and animal matter could also be at risk of extinction in some of the warmest regions of the Earth—particularly on the African continent. It’s […]

May 21, 2025

Costa Rica: U.S. Family Infected With Airborne Fungal Disease After Touring Bat-Filled Caves

Gizmodo A family vacation to Costa Rica turned sour after 12 of 13 relatives developed symptoms of a fungal lung infection following an excursion through bat-filled caves. In season two of The Last of Us, the cordyceps fungus—spoiler alert—becomes airborne, meaning the fungal infection can spread not just through bites but also when humans inhale its […]

May 21, 2025

As Bird Flu Spreads, Vaccine Shows Promise for Protecting Cattle

Yale Environment 360 Since bird flu was first discovered in U.S. cattle last year, the virus has spread to more than 1,000 herds across the country. A new vaccine for cattle has performed well in early tests, raising hopes that it could protect livestock and help prevent an outbreak in humans. New research, which has not […]

May 21, 2025

World Crazy for Chicken Is Losing Its Biggest Supplier

Bloomberg The detection of bird flu in a single poultry farm in southern Brazil is reverberating around the world, cutting supplies to voracious consumers from China to Europe. Shipments to top destinations, which also include Mexico and South Korea, have been suspended as the world’s largest chicken exporter seeks to stop the deadly H5N1 strain […]

May 21, 2025

MAHA has a new think tank.

STAT The Make America Healthy Again movement is coalescing around a new effort to turn its goals into federal policy. The Trump administration is listening. The Make America Healthy Again movement is coalescing around a new effort to turn its goals into federal policy. The Trump administration is listening. The MAHA Institute, a policy center […]

May 21, 2025

Here’s How We Know Vaccines Are Safe and Effective

MedPageToday Statements from a federal official about potential changes to the way vaccines are evaluated have left experts with more questions than answers. Earlier this month, an apparent policy change appeared in a statement to the Washington Post in which an HHS spokesperson told the paper that “All new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior […]

May 21, 2025

Person may have spread measles at Shakira’s New Jersey concert, health officials warn

USA Today A person who attended a Shakira concert at MetLife Stadium was infected with measles and may have spread the highly contagious virus at the event, New Jersey health officials said. The person, who lives out of state, attended the concert in East Rutherford on May 15 while infectious, according to a statement released by the New […]

May 21, 2025

Measles Updates: Texas Cases Pass 700 As Illness Reported In 30 States

Forbes Texas has reported over 700 measles cases since January, according to the latest numbers from the state’s health department, representing the bulk of measles cases that have been reported in the U.S. this year. There have been 1,024 confirmed cases of measles across 30 states so far this year, according to the latest update from the […]

May 21, 2025

In El Paso, measles is infecting more adults than children

Texas Tribune As soon as measles started spreading in West Texas, El Paso health officials began preparing schools and day care facilities for the day the virus would inevitably arrive. But now that it’s here, it’s not kids who are making up the brunt of the cases — it’s adults. Two-thirds of El Paso’s cases […]

May 21, 2025

Separating Snake Oil From Science

The Dispatch When the lines between expert and huckster are increasingly blurry, how do we determine what’s authoritative? Health communication—especially across social media—has become that pooling equilibrium. It used to be the case that when the results of scientific studies were disseminated, the messaging came from your doctor or national organizations like the American Academy of […]

May 21, 2025