viruses

Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated as new information emerges.An unidentified, flu-like illness has killed dozens of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to news reports.The deaths were reported in the Kwango province, which is located in the southwestern portion of the country and shares a…

The patient: A 56-year-old woman in MarylandThe symptoms: The woman was hospitalized after experiencing fever, cough and chest pain for about two days.What happened next: Scans of the patient's chest revealed signs of pneumonia, and lab results suggested she had a higher-than-normal number of immune cells in her blood. Suspecting an infection, doctors tested the…

In a rare medical case, parasitic worms grew underneath a woman's upper eyelid.The woman, who was 41 and lived in Beijing, went to the hospital in June 2022 after feeling like she had something in her right eye. Upon examining the eye, doctors noticed that its outer surface, the cornea, appeared damaged. They prescribed the…

Disease name: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), also known as "stone man disease" or "Münchmeyer disease"Affected populations: FOP is an extremely rare disease that is estimated to affect around 1 in 1 million people. It does not affect one demographic more than others; anyone may develop FOP, regardless of their sex, race or ethnicity.Causes: FOP is…

Cervical cancer deaths have fallen sharply among young women in the United States since 2013, new research reveals.According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, a government agency, around 13 women aged younger than 25 died from cervical cancer between 2019 and 2021, compared to 35 between 2013 and 2015 — a 62%…

H5N1 bird flu is spreading through poultry and cattle in the United States, and some cases have been reported in people.No human-to-human spread of the virus has been documented, and the vast majority of infections stem from contact with farm animals. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk…

A child in California is recovering from H5N1 bird flu after becoming the first kid in the Unites States to get infected with the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.The source of the child's infection is still unknown, but possible routes of exposure are being investigated by the California Department…

Infectious diseases make up three of the ten slots in the World Health Organization's top 10 causes of death and account for millions of deaths annually across the globe. Despite these high numbers, however, diseases like COVID-19 and tuberculosis don't kill the majority of people they affect: COVID-19 kills an estimated 1% of those infected,…

Approximately 167,277 pounds of ground beef products have been recalled across the United States due to potential contamination with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced in a statement on Nov. 20.Officials have so far identified 15 people sickened in the outbreak, but the true number may be…

Disease name: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), or "butterfly disease"Affected populations: Butterfly disease is estimated to affect around 1 in 50,000 children, if you count all subtypes of the disease together. EB is equally common among males and females, as well as across races and ethnicities.Causes: Butterfly disease refers to a group of rare, inherited diseases that…