COVID-19 may leave behind more than the memory of an infection. A large new study suggests that when the illness becomes severe, it can disturb viruses that have been quietly living in the body for years. These viruses are not necessarily new infections. Some, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus, can remain …
Thousands of Americans have fallen ill in the country’s largest recorded cyclospora outbreak. Two people have died, and iceberg lettuce has become the focus of an investigation spanning 15 states. Then an older controversy involving the company behind the recalled lettuce suddenly resurfaced. Taylor Farms has faced questions about its connection to Arizona’s prison labor …
A cancer gap has emerged among Americans under 50, and women are carrying much more of it. In 2021, women in this age group were diagnosed at nearly twice the rate of men. The reasons remain unsettled. Researchers are now examining everything from diet and biological aging to environmental exposures that may begin influencing the …
A deadly fungus has revealed a disturbing survival trick. Researchers say Candida auris can disappear from the skin’s surface and settle inside hair follicles, where it may remain for more than a month. The discovery could help explain why this drug-resistant superbug is so difficult to eliminate. It also comes as reported U.S. cases continue …
Have you ever reached for a sugar-free protein bar, piece of gum, or candy because you thought you were making the healthier choice? Sugar-free products are often marketed as a smart way to reduce your intake of added sugar, and ingredients such as sorbitol have become common replacements for traditional sweeteners. Sorbitol is a sugar …
For decades, diabetes has been described as a battle fought on two main fronts, one where the body’s own defenses destroy its ability to make insulin, and another where excess weight blunts the hormone’s effect. But far from the headlines about sugar-laden diets and sedentary lifestyles, a quieter, deadlier form has been taking root in …
What if the sound that’s been quietly following you for years a faint whoosh in your ear, a hum you barely notice anymore turned out to be the reason you’re still alive? Most of us shrug off small bodily quirks: a twitch in the eyelid, a twinge in the knee, a dull headache that comes …
A research team at the University of Florida has developed an experimental mRNA vaccine that could fundamentally change how cancer is treated. Unlike existing cancer vaccines that target a single tumor type or require customization for each patient, this “universal” approach is designed to work against any cancer by boosting the immune system’s ability to …
Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, occurs when a person is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. This additional genetic material changes how cells function and develop, leading to a range of health challenges. These can include differences in learning and memory, congenital heart defects, thyroid disorders, and an increased risk of …
Imagine living behind a fogged window that never clears. At first, the haze is barely noticeable, a little extra light needed to read, a faint difficulty recognizing faces in dim rooms. But over time, colors dull, details fade, and the world turns into a muted blur. For more than 65 million people worldwide, this slow …
What if fighting cancer didn’t mean months of grueling hospital visits, weeks of waiting for lab results, and treatments that can cost more than a home? What if the body could be taught to heal itself not over time, but within hours? For decades, scientists have dreamed of turning the immune system into a precision …
Someone had to walk into a shrinking Brazilian rainforest, find a tree that grows nowhere else on Earth, and collect its leaves before this discovery could ever make headlines. Researchers studying the plant have now found compounds that showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory experiments, with one molecule appearing to interact strongly with a …