Архив рубрики: Здоровье Америка

The Los Angeles wildfires have killed at least two dozen people and decimated thousands of structures. Yet even in areas that aren’t burning, plumes of smoke remain a serious and ongoing public health threat—especially as the region braces for dangerous winds that could fuel the spread of ash and smoke.

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“Certainly air pollution problems are nothing new for people who live in Los Angeles and Southern California, but this is a little bit different,” says Dr. Jeremy A. Falk, a pulmonologist and associate professor of medicine at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. “What we’re really worried about is the PM2.5 levels,” or the fine particles in wildfire smoke, which have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers. In order for particles to enter your lungs’ air sacs, he says, they have to be just the right size; if they’re too tiny, you’ll breathe them in and out without experiencing any problems, and if they’re too big, they’ll get stuck in your nose or mouth. PM2…

Norovirus is surging across the U.S., with case numbers higher now than they’ve been at the same time in more than a decade, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There is no antiviral treatment for the miserable but thankfully short-lived illness, and no vaccine—yet. But scientists at Moderna are in the late stages of testing what could be the first such shot, using mRNA technology against the virus. Here’s what to know about norovirus and where things stand with the development of a stomach-bug vaccine.

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Why norovirus is raging right now

“Commonly known as the stomach flu, norovirus has been around forever, and has become the leading cause of gastroenteritis or inflammation of the intestinal tract that causes vomiting and diarrhea,” says Dr. Edmund Milder, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Rady Children’s Hospital and UC San Diego Health.

There are nearly 50 different subtypes, or genotypes, of norovir..

Several fires continued to ravage the Los Angeles region on Thursday, killing at least five people and forcing thousands to flee their homes. Firefighters are still struggling to control the blazes, which have led to wildfire smoke that’s worsening the air quality in the region.

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Wildfire smoke can travel long distances and affect the air quality far beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire. In 2023, smoke from wildfires in Canada spread along the eastern coast of the U.S. and beyond, prompting officials to issue air quality warnings in places including New York, North Carolina, and Ohio.

TIME spoke to experts about the dangers of wildfire smoke andhow LA-area residents can best protect themselves.

Read More: How to Help Victims of the Los Angeles Wildfires

How does wildfire smoke affect your lungs?

Wildfire smoke contains many pollutants, including tiny particles that can get into your lungs and even your bloodstream, says Sara Adar, a professor ..

Any time a person catches H5N1, or bird flu, their infection is a chance for the virus to mutate in the wrong direction. When someone dies from the bird flu—as an elderly Louisiana man did on Jan. 6, becoming the first U.S. death from the disease—experts get especially concerned.

Could this person’s deadly infection signal that the H5N1 virus is becoming more adept at infecting people and causing severe disease in humans?

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Here’s what experts say.

A closer look at the recent death

So far, 66 people in the U.S.—most of them farmworkers who spent time around infected cattle and poultry—have been infected with H5N1, but all have recovered after mild illnesses.

Health officials get samples from these infected individuals in order to keep tabs on the virus, monitoring it for any signs that it might be mutating to become more adept at infecting people, spread more easily among people, or cause more serious disease. So far, there have been no indicatio..

Dr. Vivek Murthy served two terms as U.S. Surgeon General—first under former President Obama, then under President Biden. During his tenure, Murthy was a calm and reassuring voice during COVID-19, one of the biggest health challenges the country has faced in recent years.

But most of the time, the “nation’s doctor” highlighted public-health issues that usually fly under the radar: loneliness, gun violence, the dangers of social media, overwhelming parental stress.

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As he prepares to leave office, Murthy wrote a “parting prescription” for the country, reflecting what he feels Americans need most to become healthier and happier. In an interview (lightly edited for clarity and length), Murthy shared with TIME his learnings and his hopes for the health of the nation.

TIME: Is a “parting prescription” a tradition for Surgeon Generals to leave behind?

Murthy: It’s not a tradition that I’m aware of. But for me, this was important to do. I realized over tw..

Your skin is your largest organ, but it doesn’t get the attention it deserves—especially when it comes to skin checks for cancer.

That should change, says Dr. Susan Massick, associate professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, because a skin cancer screening exam is one of the easiest you’ll ever have. “There is nothing to fear, dread, or be anxious about. There is no preparation needed beforehand, no bloodwork or imaging studies required during it, and no downtime afterward,” she says. Not only is a skin check straightforward and painless, but it can also give you peace of mind while being proactive about your skin health, she adds.

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Here’s what dermatologists say you should know about skin cancer screenings.

Who should get a skin cancer screening?

Does everyone need to get an annual skin check with a dermatologist? Can you just do it at home yourself?

In 2023, the United States Preventative Services Task Force, ..

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday set maximum levels for lead in baby foods like jarred fruits and vegetables, yogurts, and dry cereal, part of an effort to cut young kids’ exposure to the toxic metal that causes developmental and neurological problems.

The agency issued final guidance that it estimated could reduce lead exposure from processed baby foods by about 20% to 30%. The limits are voluntary, not mandatory, for food manufacturers, but they allow the FDA to take enforcement action if foods exceed the levels.

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It’s part of the FDA’s ongoing effort to “reduce dietary exposure to contaminants, including lead, in foods to as low as possible over time, while maintaining access to nutritious foods,” the agency said in a statement.

Consumer advocates, who have long sought limits on lead in children’s foods, welcomed the guidance first proposed two years ago, but said it didn’t go far enough.

“FDA’s actions today are a step forward and..

NEW YORK — The first U.S. bird flu death has been reported — a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms.

Louisiana health officials announced the death on Monday.

Health officials have said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. They also said a genetic analysis had suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to the more severe illness.

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They have disclosed few other details about the person.

Since March, 66 confirmed bird flu infections have been reported in the U.S., but previous illnesses have been mild and most have been detected among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows. In two cases — and adult in Missouri and a child in California — health officials have not determined how they caught it.

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The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health data.

“A lot of flu out there,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Carrie Reed.

Of course, there are a number of bugs that cause fever, cough, sore throat, and other flu-like symptoms. One is COVID-19. Another is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be dangerous for infants and the elderly.

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The most recent CDC hospitalization data and other indicators show that the flu virus is trending higher than the other germs, Reed said. Several seasonal flu strains are driving cases, with no dominant one, she added.

Pediatric hospitals have been busy since November with RSV, but “influenza has now joined the party,” said Dr. Jason Newland, an infectious diseases specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, ..

The way people with disabilities are treated is backsliding in the U.S., advocates say. Cruel names are slung around without a second thought; fingers are pointed; “jokes” are whispered just out of earshot of their target—or not. In other words, even now, decades after the disability rights movement began, people are mean.

“So much of what we’re seeing is behavior that’s grounded in either fear, ignorance, or the normalization of incivility,” says Katy Neas, CEO of the Arc of the United States, a nonprofit that promotes and protects the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. What’s particularly baffling to her is that, at some point, most of us will be disabled—whether that means losing our ability to hear as we age or suffering from an acute or chronic illness. “We’re one illness or car accident away from being disabled,” she says.

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It’s important to speak up when someone rudely comments on or otherwise insults a person’s ..