Health News

(LONDON) -- An epidemiologist from the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that the suspected hantavirus cluster aboard a cruise ship is not the beginning of another COVID-19 pandemic.Eight cases are currently being reported by the WHO, including five laboratory-confirmed cases and three suspected cases. Of those eight cases, three have died.Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist and acting director of epidemic and pandemic management at the WHO, […]

(LONDON and BELGRADE, Serbia) -- The total number of suspected hantavirus cases aboard a cruise ship has risen to five as global health authorities work to contain a potentially deadly cluster of the disease.More than 100 passengers remain on the ship and the World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring their health. Officials said that the "overall public health risk remains low" but that there may be some person-to-person spread.The ship, […]

(LONDON and BELGRADE, Serbia) -- Three people have been evacuated off of the MV Hondius, a cruise ship with a suspected hantavirus cluster, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.WHO officials in Cape Verde told ABC News that the patients were to be transferred to ambulances waiting on the shore to receive them. The three were then to be taken to an airport, where they were expected to board a […]

(NEW YORK) -- An epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there may be some person-to-person spread in the suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.As of Monday, there have been seven cases reported aboard the MV Hondius, of which two are laboratory-confirmed and five are suspected. Among those seven, there have been three deaths, including a married couple from the Netherlands, one of whom has been confirmed to have […]

(NEW YORK) -- A rare rodent-borne disease may be behind an outbreak aboard a cruise ship.The World Health Organization (WHO) says there has been one laboratory confirmed case and five suspected cases. Of those six people, three have died.The deaths occurred between April 11 and May 2 and the variant of hantavirus identified in at least one patient who is currently in intensive care, according to the WHO.The WHO ⁠said on […]

(NEW YORK) -- A rare rodent-borne disease is suspected to have caused an outbreak aboard a cruise ship, leading to three deaths and several illnesses.The deaths occurred between April 11 and May 2 with a variant of hantavirus identified in at least one patient.The World Health Organization ⁠said on Monday that investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testingThis is a developing story. Please check back for updates Copyright © 2026, […]

(NEW YORK) -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Auvelity this week for the treatment of agitation in adults with Alzheimer's dementia.The extended-release tablet is the first FDA-approved medication for this condition that is not an anti-psychotic.Anti-psychotics carry serious risks including stroke, sedation and increased death in older adults, according to the FDA. Having a non-antipsychotic option may be safer for patients, experts say."We've needed a drug like this for decades, […]

(NEW YORK) -- A few months ago, a measles outbreak seemed poised to overwhelm the northern region of South Carolina.More than 100 infections were being reported every week, with the total eventually surpassing that of last year’s record-setting outbreak in Texas.However, after six months and nearly 1,000 cases, the outbreak took a dramatic turn in the right direction.Over the weekend, the South Carolina Department of Public Health said no new […]

(NEW YORK) -- Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults continues to fall to record low levels as e-cigarette use rises, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published early Thursday.Nearly 10% of adults in the U.S. smoked cigarettes in 2024, the report found. This is down from about 11% in 2023, CDC data shows.Rates of cigarette use have dramatically fallen since a landmark 1964 Surgeon General […]