Category: Health News

Illinois Resident Tests Positive for Tick-Borne Heartland Virus

An older person who lives in rural Jackson County has become the third individual to test positive for the tick-borne Heartland virus in Illinois since 2018. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a press release on Aug. 23 that the older individual had “recently” tested positive for the virus, for which there is…


Studies Show Social Media Use Increases Depression; Expert Tips on Getting Rid of Cellphone Dependence

Social platforms have become a part of people’s lives since the development of the internet. While the internet brings speed and convenience, it can also bring negative emotions such as anxiety and depression. A study by the University of Bath found that individuals who stopped using social media for a week saw substantial improvements in…


New Treatment May Help Cancer Patients Who Are Resistant to Immunotherapy: Study

A new treatment may bring back hope for cancer patients who had become resistant to immunotherapy, a new study from the United Kingdom suggests. Immunotherapy is a mode of cancer treatment that aims to boost the body’s own immune system to target and kill cancer cells and is employed when other options such as surgery,…


First Local Transmission of Monkeypox Confirmed in New South Wales

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has recorded its first locally transmitted case of monkeypox, the state’s Health Department confirmed on August 21. Around 42 people have been found to have contracted monkeypox in NSW so far, most of them from overseas sources and two in other states. NSW Health Executive Director of…


Chinese Herbal Medicine Improves Menopausal Symptoms: Research

The traditional Chinese medical remedy huang jing is safer and more effective than hormone therapy in improving menopausal symptoms, according to a new study from Korea. Menopause happens at the end of women’s menstrual cycles owing to a natural decline in reproductive hormones. During the process of transitioning into the stage of menopause and a short…


Bluebird’s $2.8 Million Gene Therapy Becomes Most Expensive Drug After US Approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved bluebird bio’s gene therapy for patients with a rare disorder requiring regular blood transfusions, and the drugmaker priced it at a record $2.8 million. The approval sent the company’s shares 8 percent higher and is for the treatment of beta-thalassemia, which causes an oxygen shortage in…


Back Pain More Likely to Persist Due to Anxiety Than Bad Posture

The idea that “good” posture prevents back pain is well known—but a new review of the research calls for a second look as Australian experts say that habits and mental processes such as anxiety are more likely to have an impact than lousy posture. Prof. of musculoskeletal physiotherapy Peter O’Sullivan, prof. of physiotherapy, Leon Straker,…


Growing Evidence Indicates Sex Between Men is Fueling Monkeypox

Growing scientific evidence suggests that Monkeypox is being spread via sexual intercourse between men, as opposed to skin-to-skin contact as stated by public health officials. According to a report by NBC News, a string of scientific studies and reports from health authorities across the globe in recent weeks indicate that the narrative of public health experts may…


Brain-Eating Amoeba Suspected in 2nd Midwest Death

OMAHA, Neb.—A child likely died from a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in an eastern Nebraska river, health officials said, making it the second such probable death in the Midwest this summer. The Douglas County Department of Health based in Omaha, Nebraska, reported Wednesday that doctors believe the child died of…


2 Deaths in Florida Linked to Raw Oysters From Louisiana

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—A restaurant customer in Fort Lauderdale has died of a bacterial infection after eating raw oysters. A Pensacola man died the same way this month. Both cases involved oysters from Louisiana. Gary Oreal, who manages the Rustic Inn, told the South Florida SunSentinel that the man who died had worked years ago at…