Health & Safety

December brought storm clouds to the Porter Ranch neighborhood in Southern California's San Fernando Valley.

Families Near The Huge Gas Leak Wonder: Is Home A Safe Place To Be?

7:57pm February 05, 2016

by Kelly McEvers

Most health officials say the small amounts of benzene and other components of the natural gas still leaking in Southern California are probably not a health threat. Still, some parents worry.

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High Costs For Drugs Used By A Few Are Starting To Add Up

5:12pm February 05, 2016

by Pauline Bartolone, CALmatters

A cystic fibrosis drug that is expected to be taken by only a few hundred people may drain almost $36 million from California's general fund over two fiscal years.

Officials Question Reports Of Zika Transmission Via Urine, Saliva

5:00pm February 05, 2016

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, talks with Mary Louise Kelly about how the Zika virus may spread.

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How Do Pharmaceutical Companies Establish Drug Prices?

4:54pm February 05, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

Drug companies are under increasing pressure to keep prices under control. At a hearing on Capitol Hill Thursday, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle blasted two companies that have instituted huge price increases. NPR explores how drug companies establish prices for a drug.

Some researchers say we're losing our critical thinking and memory skills by relying on search engines.

OK, Google, Where Did I Put My Thinking Cap?

4:37pm February 05, 2016

by Zhai Yun Tan

It can be too easy for students to Google an assignment before they stop to think about it. Some researchers say we're losing our critical thinking and memory skills by relying on the search bar.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says it's not clear whether Zika virus can spread through saliva.

Zika May Not Spread In Saliva Or Urine, Health Officials Say

3:40pm February 05, 2016

by Rob Stein

Discovery of Zika virus in the saliva and urine of infected people is concerning but may not mean the pathogen can actually be transmitted through those fluids, experts caution.

Mapping Zika: From A Monkey In Uganda To A Growing Global Concern

1:38pm February 05, 2016

by Marc Silver

The virus was first identified in 1947 in a rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest. Our maps show how it spread slowly at first, then last year began a rapid invasion of the Americas.

Is It Time To Stop Using Race In Medical Research?

1:15pm February 05, 2016

by Angus Chen

Medical researchers often use race to define health risks. But a geneticist and a sociologist say racial categories don't accurately reflect who people are, and that science has to change.

Sporadic dengue fever outbreaks in Florida in 2009 and 2010 spurred mosquito control efforts in Key West and Miami Beach, shown here. The same mosquito that carries dengue, Aedes aegypti, can transmit Zika.

Florida Governor Ramps Up Mosquito Fight To Stay Ahead Of Zika

12:33pm February 05, 2016

by Greg Allen

It's only a matter of time, Gov. Rick Scott figures, before the Zika virus shows up in Florida mosquitoes. He's called for increased spraying and other moves to keep Zika and other diseases in check.

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Women Blast CDC's Advice To Use Birth Control If Drinking Alcohol

8:07pm February 04, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is getting flamed for saying that sexually active women should be on birth control if they drink alcohol, or stop drinking before getting pregnant.

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