Health News

(WASHINGTON) -- Cases of norovirus are rising across the United States, doubling over the last few months, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Nearly 14% of tests came back positive for norovirus during the most recent week ending Nov. 15, compared to roughly 7% about three months ago.Test positivity is a metric used to identify how many people are confirmed to have norovirus after an illness […]

(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. has surpassed 2,000 measles cases for the first time in more than 30 years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.As of Dec. 23, a total of 2,012 cases have been reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 24 were reported among international visitors to the U.S.States with confirmed cases include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, […]

(NEW YORK) -- From robotic surgery performed 7,000 miles away to the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease, 2025 has been a year full of medical breakthroughs.Scientists discovered a brain implant to give some patients back their independence, prevented others from needing to take opioids and made a discovery that could help solve the organ shortage crisis.Here are seven of the biggest innovations in the health and science […]

(NEW YORK) -- Flu activity is increasing across the U.S. amid holiday travel and gatherings, according to the latest data the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The CDC estimates there have been at least 4.6 million illnesses, 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths from flu this season so far, according to data updated as of Dec. 19, and experts expect these numbers will continue to rise.Public health experts previously told ABC News […]

(NEW YORK) -- As measles continues to spread across the United States, questions have emerged about whether the country will retain its measles elimination status.The U.S. is currently experiencing the highest number of measles cases reported in more than three decades, in large part due to an outbreak in western Texas that infected more than 700 people and spread to New Mexico and Oklahoma.Meanwhile, an outbreak in Arizona and Utah […]

(NEW YORK) -- A federal appeals court is deciding whether to revive more than 500 lawsuits filed by parents who claimed their children's autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was caused by prenatal exposure to Tylenol.The lawsuits were dismissed in December 2023 by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote after finding that the plaintiffs' scientific experts did not provide credible evidence linking use of Tylenol, or its active ingredient acetaminophen, […]

(NEW YORK) -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a final version of its report on pediatric gender-affirming care on Wednesday, claiming it found "medical dangers posed to children," which is receiving pushback from medical groups.The report alleged that gender-affirming care -- including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgeries -- caused significant, long-term damage.It comes after HHS published in May an early version of what it […]

(NEW YORK) -- The global rise of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide poses a major public health threat, according to experts who published a series of papers in medical journal The Lancet.The authors cite studies that show ultra-processed diets are linked to chronic health conditions like increased risk of becoming overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and overall higher death rates. Common examples […]

(NEW YORK) -- Just 100 cigarettes over the course of someone's life may be enough to raise their risk of heart disease and death, a new study suggests.Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, who looked at the smoking habits of more than 300,000 adults for almost 20 years, found that men and women who smoked as few as two cigarettes daily had a 60% increased risk of death from any cause […]