Health & Safety

This illustration depicts a yellow fever victim in a Jefferson Street home in Memphis. It's from a series of images entitled "The Great Yellow Fever Scourge — Incidents Of Its Horrors In The Most Fatal District Of The Southern States."

Yellow Fever Timeline: The History Of A Long Misunderstood Disease

5:50pm August 28, 2016

by Susan Brink

An outbreak in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised concerns about the infamous and fearsome disease — once a scourge of the U.S., Panama and Spain.

Prevention 'Is The Key' In Fighting Zika, Surgeon General Says

5:10pm August 28, 2016

The CDC advised pregnant women to avoid parts of Florida after cases of the Zika virus emerged there. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about what people should know about how the virus can spread.

The amoebas that can cause rare brain infections resemble white blood cells under the microscope.

A Young Woman Dies, A Teen Is Saved After Amoebas Infect The Brain

2:00pm August 28, 2016

In Florida, perfect timing and alert medical staff saved a teen from almost certain death. But in North Carolina, one young woman died of an amoeba infection after rafting at a popular tourist site.

Microcephaly Could Be Just The Tip Of The Effects Of Zika Virus

9:08am August 28, 2016

The devastating birth defect microcephaly may be just a warning sign for the range of problems babies will suffer. Rob Stein tells Linda Wertheimer about what else scientists are learning about Zika.

Life, Death And Remembering Those Bright College Years

7:28am August 28, 2016

by John Henning Schumann

We think of college reunions as a time of fond memories. But as the years pass, those memories increasingly are of friends gone too soon. The lesson now is to learn to meet loss with grace.

Mother Calls EpiPen Price Hike 'A Matter Of Life And Death'

5:15pm August 27, 2016

Lawmakers are demanding answers after the maker of an allergy treatment raised the price from about $100 per pack to about $600 per pack in seven years. Parents say they can't afford it.

World Scrabble champion Wellington Jighere, 33, (right) is one of Nigeria's many masters. His strategy: "When you are expecting me to do the traditional thing, I will just choose to do something that is uncharacteristic."

And The No. 1 Scrabble Nation In The World Is ...

10:04am August 27, 2016

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Wellington Jighere of Nigeria was crowned world champ last year. He's one of many Nigerians who excel at the game. What's their secret?

Rising U.S. Mortality Rate For Mothers Is Highest In Texas

8:39am August 27, 2016

The maternal mortality rate in Texas doubled from 2010 to 2014. Dr. Lisa Hollier of Texas' Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force tells NPR's Scott Simon it's a complex problem.

A New Course At Arkansas Colleges: How To Not Get Pregnant

5:30pm August 26, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

Arkansas, a Bible Belt state that emphasizes abstinence-only in high school, is launching a mandatory program in its colleges and universities on strategies to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

Mosquitoes hover around South Korea's bronze medalist Ki Bo Bae during the medal ceremony for archery, held on Aug. 11 at the Rio Games.

Guess How Many Zika Cases Showed Up At The Olympics?

5:08pm August 26, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Before the games, computer scientists weren't worried about the spread of Zika. But some public health experts were. What does the data show?