Health News

(NEW YORK) -- Respiratory illness activity – a measure of how often conditions like the common cold, flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus are diagnosed – is currently "high" in the United States, according to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Currently, New Hampshire is listed as having "very high" respiratory virus activity, and 11 states – Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas […]

(NEW YORK) -- Cases of norovirus appear to be on the rise in various parts of the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.More than 90 norovirus outbreaks were reported during the week of Dec. 5, the most recent week for which data is available, according to the CDC.CDC data from previous years for the same December week show a maximum of 65 outbreaks reported.National CDC […]

(NEW YORK) -- Three states -- Louisiana, Kentucky and New Hampshire -- are reporting high levels of respiratory illness, including common cold, flu, RSV and COVID, according to the CDC. In addition, children under four are currently experiencing the highest levels of RSV hospitalizations.Dr. Neil C. Bhavsar, an emergency medicine resident at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, said that those illnesses come out […]

Los Angeles County health officials reported the first human case of bird flu in the area less than a week after a statewide emergency declaration was announced.In a statement released on Monday, the L.A. County Department of Public Health said the human case of H5 bird flu was detected in an adult who was exposed to livestock infected with the virus at a worksite.The unnamed adult had mild symptoms, has […]

(NEW YORK) -- From a pig kidney transplant to restoring genetic deafness, 2024 was a year full of medical breakthroughs.The breakthroughs include the discovery of a cause of an autoimmune disease, the development of a "game-changing" drug and potential hope for those experiencing end-stage organ failure.Here are five of the biggest highlights in medical achievements this year:Gene therapy restores hearing in childrenChildren with hereditary deafness regained their hearing thanks to a […]

Scott Olson/Getty Images (NEW YORK) -- The FDA has expanded the approval of Eli Lilly’s obesity medication Zepbound to include treating moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea for people with obesity -- the first medication approved for the condition.The new, expanded Zepbound approval means that insurance providers, including Medicare, will likely cover the medication for people with sleep apnea and obesity. Some insurance providers, including Medicare, do not offer reimbursement […]

(NEW YORK) -- Nearly 12 years ago, Jessie Owen's life changed forever."My family was going over a mountain pass and a tree fell on our car. In that moment, my parents passed away, my siblings were severely injured, and I became quadriplegic," Owen said. "I lost my independence. I lost my job. I lost my apartment. I lost my autonomy and the life that I dreamed for myself."Like Owen, more […]

(NEW YORK) -- A deadly, undiagnosed disease that has been spreading in one region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may be linked to malaria, health officials said Thursday.As of Dec. 14, the latest date for which data is available, 592 cases have been reported with 37 confirmed deaths and 44 deaths under investigation, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the public health […]

(NEW YORK) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States.The federal health agency said Wednesday that the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana. No identifying details about the patient were made available.Genomic data showed the Louisiana patient was infected with a version of the virus recently found to be spreading in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., […]