Health Headlines
How to stay safe while traveling during extreme heat
PARIS (AP) - As travelers prepare to set off on summer trips, scorching temperatures lie in wait. Above-average temperatures could be on the books this summer, according to forecasters, and a developing El Nino event could spell out warmer weather later in the year or next summer. Sizzling temperatures are more than an inconvenience: They can cause heat exhaustion and life-threatening heat stroke. Travelers can take precautions to have fun with heat preparedness in mind. “The same way that we prepare for more extreme travel in the cold, we should start to consider those tips to keep us safe in the summer months,” said Dr. Alexander Azan with NYU Langone Health, who co-directs the Project HEATWAVE initiative. Before taking off, ... Read More
US measles cases surpass 2,000 for the 2nd year in a row: CDC
Human crowd surrounding an injectable measles vaccine bottle on purple background. Horizontal composition with copy space. ( MicroStockHub/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Measles cases in the United States have surpassed 2,000 for the second year in a row, according to data updated Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).So far in 2026, 2,030 confirmed cases have been recorded in 38 states and the District of Columbia, CDC data shows.Cases have been confirmed in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin ... Read More
New guidelines could help millions more Americans get colon cancer testing
(STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- New guidelines from the American Cancer Society are expanding colon cancer screening options beyond colonoscopies and established stool-based tests.The recommendations still call for colorectal cancer screening in people at average risk starting at age 45 and continuing through age 75 for those with a life expectancy of 10 more years.And colonoscopy is still considered the gold standard test.But for the first time, the updated guidelines now include a blood-based screening test done in a doctor’s office. They also add new stool sample kits and a recently FDA-approved at-home test that looks for blood and different molecular markers in stool samples.Experts note that offering more choices is critical to address gaps in screening for this highly ... Read More
Texas reports state’s 1st human case of West Nile virus this year
Female Aedes mosquitoes, including the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), are observed feeding on human blood in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on May 01, 2026. These mosquitoes are known to transmit diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, yellow fever, and West Nile virus. Rising temperatures are contributing to their survival. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)(TEXAS) -- Texas health officials on Tuesday confirmed the state's first human West Nile virus case this year, an indication that mosquito season is beginning in the United States. Public health officials have been warning that rising temperatures have allowed mosquitoes to thrive, increasing the risk of the diseases that they spread, including West Nile. Last year, the U.S. reported 2,076 ... Read More
As Ebola outbreak spreads in DRC and Uganda, what is risk to US?
Health supplies are seen as healthcare workers receive training on administering the Ebola vaccine in a study carried out with the support of the World Health Organization as part of the fight against the Ebola virus in Kampala, Uganda on February 14, 2025. (Nicholas Kajoba/Anadolu via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- A deadly Ebola outbreak is continuing to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with officials on Tuesday saying there were more than 600 confirmed and suspected cases and more than 100 suspected deaths.The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, and at least one American in the DRC has tested positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ... Read More
Hantavirus doesn’t linger, requires close contact: Officials
Medical staff direct some of the last passengers to be evacuated from the MV Hondius on May 11, 2026, in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain. (Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Health experts tell ABC News that the current science behind the hantavirus that circulated throughout the MV Hondius does not show the same levels of transmission as with COVID-19, while acknowledging that the scenario may seem similar to the beginning of the 2020 pandemic."Our current understanding is that person-to-person transmission of Andes virus is relatively rare and generally associated with prolonged close contact," the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention public health assessment said. "There is also no documented evidence of presymptomatic transmission."Officials around the globe have taken major steps ... Read More
At least 65 dead after Ebola outbreak confirmed in Democratic Republic of the Congo, officials say
Healthcare workers walk outside the Ebola treatment centre in Beni, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (2019). (Photo by Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)(NEW YORK) - An Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the Ituri province in Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.As of the latest update, about 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, officials said.Africa CDC said that preliminary lab results from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) have detected Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples tested. Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases.The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo's last Ebola outbreak was declared ... Read More
Dr. Marty Makary intends to resign as FDA commissioner: Sources
Marty Makary attends an executive order signing in the Oval Office on April 18, 2026.(Allison Robbert/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary intends to resign on Tuesday, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.His departure was in the works after he clashed publicly with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and President Donald Trump himself. He was scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.Trump was asked by reporters about Makary's possible resignation on Tuesday and signaled that Deputy Commissioner Kyle Diamanta would temporarily take on the role.The president said, "Marty is a great guy," but added that he was "having some difficulty." "Everybody wants that job," Trump said.The FDA and White ... Read More
‘Some human-to-human transmission’ possible in suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard cruise ship: WHO official
The logo of the WHO is seen on panel in front of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 23, 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. (Robert Hradil/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- An epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there may be some person-to-person spread in the suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.As of Monday, there have been seven cases reported aboard the MV Hondius, of which two are laboratory-confirmed and five are suspected. Among those seven, there have been three deaths, including a married couple from the Netherlands, one of whom has been confirmed to have been infected with hantavirus."We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that's happening among the really close ... Read More
After nearly 1,000 cases, here’s how South Carolina officials beat back a measles outbreak
A sign outside a mobile clinic offering measles and flu vaccinations on February 6, 2026 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- A few months ago, a measles outbreak seemed poised to overwhelm the northern region of South Carolina.More than 100 infections were being reported every week, with the total eventually surpassing that of last year’s record-setting outbreak in Texas.However, after six months and nearly 1,000 cases, the outbreak took a dramatic turn in the right direction.Over the weekend, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said no new cases had been confirmed for 42 days, leading to an announcement on Monday that the outbreak is officially over.Public health experts told ABC News that the combination of a ... Read More
CDC warns additional measles cases in US are expected amid upcoming travel season
Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium on February 27, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- With a busy travel season approaching, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that additional measles cases in the U.S. can be expected over the next few months.The agency sent the alert to state and local health departments, reminding them to report measles cases to the CDC within 24 hours and to have measles cases reported in hospitals and to public health authorities.The CDC has encouraged public health departments to conduct contact tracing for exposed individuals as well as perform outreach to under-vaccinated communities. "With continued measles transmission in ... Read More
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