The FDA is preparing to respond should bird flu begin circulating more widely among humans, though the threat the disease currently poses to humans remains low, the agency's commissioner Robert Califf, MD, told senators May 8. 

Three people have contracted Mycobacterium abscessus after receiving stem cell treatments in Mexico, according to a May 9 report issued by the CDC.

A little-known parasitic infection in the brain has come into the spotlight following presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.'s admission that he once suffered from it, NBC News reported May 8.

A new COVID-19 variant now makes up 25% of cases in the nation, the CDC said.

 New research has found that nearly all people with two copies of the gene variant APOE4 develop biological markers of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the gene may be its own, distinct form of the disease rather than only a risk factor. 

As it stands, federal health officials say the risk avian flu poses to public health is low. If that were to change, hospital leaders say they don't feel any more prepared in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they fear they would face a repeat of challenges in securing adequate supplies to care for patients and protect the workforce. 

Americans living in rural counties are more likely to die of preventable causes than those living in urban areas, a new CDC study suggests. 

Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University documented the world's first known case of brain disease from fentanyl inhalation.

Strange symptoms in syphilis cases are appearing sooner and in higher incidence rates than normal, CNN reported April 26. 

There have been at least nine mpox cases reported in Cuyahoga County — which encompasses Cleveland and surrounding suburbs — since February, health officials said April 25. 

The CDC reported the first-known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections after several middle-aged women were diagnosed with HIV following "vampire facials".

On April 23, the FDA said remnants of the bird flu virus have been detected in samples of pasteurized milk in the U.S. The agency said the finding does not change its assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe. 

While emphasizing that no human-to-human transmission has occurred, global health officials are urging countries to closely track bird flu to detect any potential changes in the virus that may make it more adept at spreading to and among humans.

Health officials are now investigating at least 22 reports of harmful reactions linked to counterfeit or mishandled Botox injections in 11 states, the CDC said in an April 19 update. The agency first announced the probe earlier this. At that time, it was investigating illnesses in five states. 

Starting in 2026, CMS could ask hospitals to report emissions.

Following several years of collaboration with major public health agencies, the World Health Organization has broadened its classification of airborne diseases — a move that could have significant influence over infection control policies in countries around the world. 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated its syphilis screening guidelines April 18, encouraging physicians to screen for the sexually transmitted infection three times during pregnancy.  

July and August 2023 had the highest rates of heat-related illness emergency department visits across the nation, and the risk was three times higher than in other warm months — demonstrating a rising trend in heat-related illnesses compared to the previous five years, the CDC said in an April 18 report.

The Commonwealth Fund released a new report April 18 examining racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access, quality and outcomes across the U.S.

Children's Mercy Kansas City (Mo.) researchers found a way to reduce the time to diagnosis for rare disease by 5.5 months.