Social isolation has been rising in the United States for the past two decades, which was only exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. This has long been a growing public health concern (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023). The strength of social connection has been shown to be a strong short- and long-term predictor of mental and physical health (OSG, 2023).
The last outbreak of cholera in Britain was in 1866; in the United States there has not been an outbreak since 1911. And yet today people are sick with this ancient disease in 32 countries, with more than 6,800 deaths reported so far this year already exceeding all of last year's toll of 6,000 deaths, which was itself a 50% increase on 2023.
The first recorded death from West Nile virus this year in L.A. County was confirmed Friday by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The individual, whose details have been kept anonymous, was hospitalized in the San Fernando Valley for neurological illness caused by the mosquito-borne virus. In Southern California, October is the middle of mosquito season. Across Los Angeles County, 14 West Nile virus infections have been documented in 2025; half have been in the San Fernando Valley.
Getty Images Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against flu over half-term as the NHS warned of rising cases of the disease. There is an early flu season, health officials say, and the latest data for England showed cases and hospitalisations were increasing. NHS England said many school children will have already received the vaccine at school but there are still options for those who have not, including pop-up clinics.
Krauss's research shows that saturated fat is relatively neutral compared with what scientists have believed in the past. His studies have shown that reducing saturated fat intake is only beneficial if you replace it with the right things. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats, like olive oil and polyunsaturated fats from other plant sources can really improve metabolic health and reduce heart disease risk, but that's not saying that saturated fat is necessarily harmful.
Cruise ships are seeing a record year for outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses. So far, there have been 20 outbreaks on the vessels, mostly of norovirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, which was also a record year for outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness, there were 18. The latest outbreak involved the Oceania Insignia of Oceania Cruises on an 11-day (October 16-27) Montreal to Boston cruise, the CDC reported.
Studies have examined sexual agreements and misunderstandings, commitment and sexual decision making, as well as drug use and sexual risk taking. A curious detail is evident in these studies. Condomless sex with a relationship partner and condomless sex with outside partners (any partner other than the primary relationship partner) tend to be positively correlated with one another, regardless of how these behaviors are assessed.
Bacon and ham sold in the UK should carry cigarette-style labels warning that chemicals in them cause bowel cancer, scientists say. Their demand comes as they criticise successive British governments for doing virtually nothing to reduce the risk from nitrites in the decade since they were found to definitely cause cancer. Saturday marks a decade since the World Health Organization in October 2015 declared processed meat to be carcinogenic to humans, putting it in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.
A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand swallowed up to 100 high-power magnets he bought online, forcing surgeons to remove tissue from his intestines, doctors said on Friday. After suffering four days of abdominal pain, the unnamed teen was taken to Tauranga hospital in the North Island. He disclosed ingesting approximately 80 to 100 5x2mm high-power (neodymium) magnets about one week prior, said a report by hospital doctors in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
Menopause screening is to be officially incorporated into NHS health checks in England for the first time. Women getting the checks - offered to adults aged 40 to 74 every five years - will be asked about the menopause and possible symptoms from next year. The aim is to identify women who may benefit from advice and support, including treatment, such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), drugs to combat hot-flushes, and counselling.
A large study led by scientists at McMaster University has found that fat stored deep inside the abdomen and liver can quietly injure arteries, even in people who seem healthy on the outside. The research, published on October 17, 2025, in Communications Medicine, questions the long-standing use of body-mass index (BMI) as a reliable indicator of obesity and heart risk. It offers new evidence that the fat people cannot see may be just as dangerous as the weight they can.
This is not where we wanted to be. We have spent the last week in talks with government, pressing the health secretary to end the scandal of doctors going unemployed. We know from our own survey half of second-year doctors in England are struggling to find jobs, their skills going to waste whilst millions of patients wait endlessly for treatment and shifts in hospitals go unfilled.
As health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr has repeatedly blamed industrially manufactured food products for the country's chronic illness and obesity crises, and urged Americans to limit their consumption of foods with added sugar, salt, fat, dyes and preservatives. Amid a slew of controversial and unbacked public health claims, his stance on ultra-processed foods is one of his least polarizing. More than 65% of Americans say they are in favor of reforming processed foods to remove added sugars and added dyes
"I live next to 3 within walking distance - we never got a heads up or a community meeting either," Santa Monica Mayor Lara Negrete wrote on Facebook. "The system is not working fairly and informing people and it's above our heads often coming from state and county - yet we have to manage the chaos."
Travelling to tropical or rural destinations sometimes feels as much about dodging mosquito bites as it does about sightseeing. Even a short trip can be spoiled by relentless itching and, in some regions, it's not just an irritant - mosquitoes and other biting insects can carry serious diseases like Zika, malaria, and dengue. That's why packing the right protection is just as essential as your passport or sun cream.
The program will distribute $50 billion to states between fiscal year 2026 and fiscal year 2030, with $10 billion released each year. That represents roughly a 50% increase in federal spending on rural healthcare, which currently totals about $19 billion per year through Medicaid. To qualify for funding, states must submit a detailed plan outlining how they intend to use the money to improve rural healthcare.
Supplies entering the besieged enclave are not meeting the nutritional needs of the people living there, aid groups announced Thursday, while the UN's World Food Programme said that supplies into Gaza were still far short of its daily target of 2,000 tonnes because only two crossings into the Palestinian territory are open. The situation still remains catastrophic because what's entering is not enough, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization said,
Despite increased societal awareness of sexual abuse perpetrated by adults, the idea that sexual abuse might occur between children, specifically minor siblings, remains largely unspoken. However, research reveals that sibling sexual abuse (SSA) impacts 1-7% of children and can occur in all families, regardless of income, ethnicity, or family composition. The effect of these behaviors on the involved children and the whole family can be severe. Child sexual abuse prevention efforts should always include a focus on SSA.
Only one prosecution for illegal wood burning has been made in the past year despite 15,195 complaints across England, data shows. Additionally, just 24 fines were issued by local authorities between September 2024 and August 2025, responses to freedom of information requests by the campaign group Mums for Lungs revealed. In smoke control areas alone, 9,274 complaints were made a 65% increase on the previous year.
We've all experienced it - that foggy, exhausted feeling after a poor night's sleep, where even simple tasks feel impossible. In today's fast-paced world, quality sleep has become a luxury rather than a necessity. With demanding work schedules, constant screen time, and endless stress, millions of Australians are struggling to get restorative rest. The result? A silent epidemic of sleep disorders affecting workplace performance, mental health, and overall well-being.
Technology has opened new doors for Americans with disabilities, especially for those receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). With the right tools and support, remote work can provide flexibility, stability and a smoother path back into the workforce while allowing individuals currently receiving SSDI to keep their benefits as they transition. The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Ticket to Work Program (TTW) helps make that possible.
It's been more than six decades since New York City banned the use of lead paint in residential buildings-one of the first cities in the nation to do so, recognizing the health risks it posed, particularly for children. But the age of the city's housing stock means lead paint is still a presence: last year, 4,655 New York City children under the age of 6 tested positive for elevated lead levels in their blood, according to public data.
