Disease Sleuths Analyze Google Searches To Stop Infections
Google is sharing detailed search data with academic and public health researchers to help them fight the spread of infectious diseases. Will it work?
Infectious Disease
When Norovirus Came To Dinner, My Family Felt The Pain
Was it the enchilada pie? After three members of her family became miserably ill with gastroenteritis, a woman is determined to track down the microbial culprit. But the mystery may remain unsolved.
Loneliness May Warp Our Genes, And Our Immune Systems
Loneliness takes a toll on many aspects of health, in part because it activates a fight -or-flight immune response. That may have helped ancestors survive lonely exile, but can slowly kill us today.
Many Americans Believe They Don't Need The Flu Vaccine
An NPR poll finds nearly two-thirds of adults got this year's flu vaccine or plan to get it. Many of those who are skipping vaccination cite a lack of need and worries about side effects.
A Doctor Wrestles With Whether To Keep Wearing His White Coat
Putting on the white coat for the first time has become a rite of passage for medical students. Now some doctors want to retire white coats, despite their symbolism, because they might spread germs.
Rounding Up The Last Of A Deadly Cattle Virus
Rinderpest, or cattle plague, was declared eradicated in 2011. But many research institutes still have samples of the rinderpest virus in storage. Disease experts want those samples destroyed.
More Babies Are Dying Because Of Congenital Syphilis
Many pregnant women aren't getting adequate health care, so they aren't being tested for syphilis. It can kill or seriously disable babies. The 458 cases last year could have been prevented.
Powerful 'Gene Drive' Can Quickly Change An Entire Species
A genetic engineering technique raises hopes for eliminating diseases, such as malaria. But it is also sparking fears of unintended consequences if delicately balanced ecosystems are disrupted.
The Lone Star Tick May Be Spreading A New Disease Across America
An uptick in cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever might actually be due to a newer tick-borne bacterium. It looks like it's causing milder infections — and a lot of confusion.
Kids With Ebola, Bird Flu Or TB? Texas Children's Hospital Will Be Ready
A pediatric hospital in Houston is opening a new biocontainment wing — the first in the U.S. designed for children. Kids will even get dolls sporting mini versions of "spacesuits" doctors wear.