Author: Claudinne Miller
What you eat for lunch could influence your immune system just hours later
Scientific American Our food choices could play an important, short-term role in how our bodies respond to infections, new research suggests. “Starve a cold, feed a fever” is a myth—but according to new research, the timing of when we eat in the short term may play a role in how our bodies fight off infections. Researchers analyzed […]
Apr 29, 2026
2 Legionnaires’ disease cases linked to Las Vegas Strip hotel
8 News Now The Southern Nevada Health District announced on Tuesday that two cases of Legionnaires’ disease were associated with stays at the Wynn Las Vegas, and guests who have stayed at the resort recently are urged to complete a health survey. According to a release from the district, both cases are associated with travel. […]
Apr 29, 2026
Measles deaths are coming. Doctors are fighting an uphill battle.
Washington Post OPINION This November, the Pan American Health Organization will review whether the United States has lost its measles elimination status — a designation held since 2000. As of April 23, 1,792 confirmed cases have been reported across the U.S. Utah is the latest epicenter: nearly 600 cases since last summer. At one to three deaths per […]
Apr 29, 2026
5 Logical fallacies in the era of RFK Jr.
You Can Know Things How do we address the firehose of inaccurate information that is flooding the internet right now? It’s tempting to try to play whack-a-mole, tackling one rumor after another, and there is certainly value in addressing individual claims. But emerging research shows a better (and less exhausting) method: “prebunking” — or teaching people to […]
Apr 29, 2026
Rheumatic Disease Drugs Help COVID Virus Stick Around Longer, Study Suggests
MedPageToday Lengthy viral antigen persistence far more common, regardless of prior vaccination. Drugs commonly used to treat systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) may keep the SARS-CoV-2 circulating after COVID-19 infection in patients with these conditions, with researchers documenting substantially increased viral antigen persistence compared with other post-COVID patients. Tests for 40% of SARDs patients remained […]
Apr 29, 2026
Long a dream, it’s now real: a fast and accurate TB test that doesn’t need phlegm
NPR That has been the question for nearly 150 years, when Dr. Robert Koch first identified the rod-shaped bacterium that causes tuberculosis. This serious respiratory illness is currently the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing more than a million people a year. The most common test to determine if someone has tuberculosis hasn’t really changed since the […]
Apr 29, 2026
Mystery illness in Burundi kills five
Medical Brief At least five people have died in Burundi, and another three dozen become ill from unexplained causes. The case-fatality rate of 14% has alarmed officials, who say symptoms have included fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache and dark urine, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). In severe cases, people may display […]
Apr 29, 2026
Influenza at the human-animal interface summary and assessment, 31 March 2026
WHO From 23 January to 31 March 2026, based on reporting date, detections of influenza A(H5N1) in four humans, influenza A(H9N2) in five humans, influenza A(H10N3) in one human, an influenza A(H1N1) variant ((H1N1)v) virus in one human, an influenza A(H1N2)v virus in one human, and influenza A(H3N2)v virus in one human were reported officially. […]
Apr 29, 2026
Backyard Chickens Are Spreading Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella Across the US, CDC Warns
Gizmodo Backyard chicken lovers beware: an outbreak of drug-resistant Salmonella bacteria linked to these birds is spreading across the country. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported on the outbreak late last week. There have been over 30 reported cases in multiple states, along with several hospitalizations. In some of the cases, the […]
Apr 29, 2026
CDC delay of infant hepatitis B shot likely to raise infections, studies show
Washington Post Federal vaccine advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voted in December to recommend delaying the first shot until at least two months of age for infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus. The Trump administration’s decision to drop the long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine […]
Apr 29, 2026