Health News

(MICHIGAN) -- A "large and growing" outbreak of a parasitic infection is spreading in Michigan, health officials warned this week.As of Thursday, more than 300 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, have been confirmed, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told ABC News. Typically, the state only sees about 50 cases per year, according to MDHHS.The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the Centers for […]

The cruise ship MV Hondius docks in the Port of Rotterdam to be disinfected following the recent hantavirus outbreak, on May 18, 2026 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Omar Havana/Getty Images) (GENEVA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship is over.It came after the final contact of a person exposed to the virus on the cruise ship completed their quarantine period, according to […]

(NEW YORK) -- A record number of West Nile virus cases have been recorded for this time of year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend.At least 48 cases of West Nile have been reported so far this year compared to an average of 10 typically by the end of June. This is the highest number of infections reported at […]

(NEW YORK) -- New guidelines from the American Cancer Society are expanding colon cancer screening options beyond colonoscopies and established stool-based tests.The recommendations still call for colorectal cancer screening in people at average risk starting at age 45 and continuing through age 75 for those with a life expectancy of 10 more years.And colonoscopy is still considered the gold standard test.But for the first time, the updated guidelines now include […]

(NEW YORK) -- For the first time, Medicare will cover GLP-1s for obesity-related weight loss, without any other medical conditions.Starting Wednesday, eligible Medicare beneficiaries can receive GLP-1s for obesity for $50 per month by prescription. Medicare is the primary federal health insurance program in the U.S. for individuals 65 and older.Federal rules ban Medicare Part D -- which helps cover prescription drug costs -- from covering drugs solely to treat […]

(WASHINGTON) -- Millions of Americans have dropped health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The report, which was published on Friday, showed that about 19.2 million people were enrolled under the ACA in the first two months of 2026, down by about 3 million people compared to the same time last year.HHS attributed the lower number of enrollees […]

(GENEVA, Switzerland) -- The head of the World Health Organization warned on Monday that a rapidly growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda "will get worse before it gets better."More than 900 cases and more than 220 deaths have been reported in the DRC, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a virtual briefing. Of those totals, 101 cases and 10 deaths have been confirmed.Additionally, […]

(NEW YORK) -- The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is "spreading rapidly," the head of the World Health Organization warned during a press briefing on Friday.WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the U.N. health agency has upgraded its risk assessment for spread at the national level from "high" to "very high." At the regional level, the risk remains "high" while the global level […]

(PHILADELPHIA) -- Health officials in Philadelphia are recommending certain patients of a dental clinic accused of following "unsanitary practices" get tested for hepatitis and HIV due to potential exposures from April 2025 to May 2026, the city's Department of Public Health said in a statement this week.Officials on Wednesday identified the dental clinic in Center City Philadelphia as Smiles at Rittenhouse Square, also called Smiles on the Square, and said it is […]