Infectious Disease

Airport officials screen for possible cases of the novel coronavirus at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, where the illness originated.

Health & Safety

Can Airport Screening Help Stop The Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus?

9:51pm January 23, 2020

by Lesley McClurg

A new illness is spreading throughout China and other parts of the world, including one confirmed case in the U.S. As airports ramp up screening efforts, public health experts question if they help.

A color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph shows HIV particles (orange) infecting a T cell, one of the white blood cells that play a central role in the immune system.

Bone Marrow Transplant Renders Second Patient Free Of HIV

2:04pm March 05, 2019

by Richard Harris

British doctors report the apparent eradication of HIV from a patient who was undergoing treatment for cancer. It's only the second time this has been accomplished, despite many attempts.

Antibiotics might be appealing as a remedy, but often aren't the answer.

Health & Safety

When A Trip To The Doctor Leads To A Chat About Antibiotics

6:23pm January 16, 2019

by Scott Hensley

The latest NPR-IBM Watson Health Poll finds that medical visits for symptoms of infections are common and that many people get an antibiotic under those circumstances. But a talk is in order first.

Alex Schwartzman, a law student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is one of only 8 to 39 percent of college students who get the flu shot in a given year.

Health & Safety

Think You Don't Need A Flu Shot? Here Are 5 Reasons To Change Your Mind

10:08am October 01, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

College students are among the least likely to get vaccinated against the flu, which killed more than 80,000 people last winter. Experts say the reasons are a combination of fear and misperception.

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The search for the cause of Alzheimer's has so far come up dry. Some researchers are now asking if germs play a role.

Infectious Theory of Alzheimer's Disease Draws Fresh Interest

7:30am September 09, 2018

by Bret Stetka

Money has poured into Alzheimer's research, but until very recently not much of it went toward investigating infection in causing dementia. A million dollar prize may lead more scientists to try.

A blacklegged tick like this one can be hard to spot.

Health & Safety

Ticks And Lyme Disease: 3 Factors Determine Risk Of Infection

5:14pm July 24, 2018

by Paul Chisholm

The chance of catching Lyme disease from an individual tick ranges from zero to roughly 50 percent. Three factors matter: the tick species, where it came from and how long the tick was feeding.

An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide would lead to a decrease in the nutritional content of many foods, such as rice, seen here growing in Malaysia.

Health & Safety

How More Carbon Dioxide In The Air Could Lead To More Human Disease

4:02pm July 03, 2018

by Paul Chisholm

Nutrients in crops fall as carbon dioxide rises. People who don't get enough of the right nutrients are more likely to get sick. Researchers have now estimated the effects.

Hepatitis C virus is typically transmitted through blood, but an infected person who spits at someone can run afoul of the law in some jurisdictions.

Laws That Criminalize Spread Of Infectious Diseases Can Increase Their Stigma

4:15pm June 22, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

About a dozen states have added hepatitis C to the list of medical conditions for which people can face criminal prosecution if they knowingly engage in activities that could spread the disease.

Mice may be adorable, but the droppings and the bacteria they contain, not so much.

Health & Safety

New York City Mice Carry Bacteria That Can Make People Sick

8:24pm April 17, 2018

by Rob Stein

An analysis of mice in the Big Apple finds that many harbor bacteria that can make humans sick if exposed to the animals' droppings. Some of the bacterial strains were resistant to antibiotics.

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Are There Zombie Viruses In The Thawing Permafrost?

12:57pm January 25, 2018

by Michaeleen Doucleff

There's a new fear from climate change: bacteria and viruses buried in frozen ground coming back to life as the Arctic warms up. We went digging in permafrost to find out how worried we should be.

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