Category: Health

For Juli Skinner, a member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma who serves as senior director of the Cherokee Nation’s behavioral health center, incorporating cultural elements into addiction recovery isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.

Through her experiences in foster care, child welfare work, and tribal behavioral health, Skinner has witnessed how traditional practices provide healthy coping mechanisms and spiritual connections.

“Culture is such a protective factor,” Skinner said. “Historical trauma has hit a lot of people — Native Americans, tribes — hard. Lost language, lost traditional ways, and we’ll never get all of that back.”

While Skinner has observed these advantages firsthand, the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma has lacked inpatient treatment facilities that integrate cultural elements—until now. The tribe, where Skinner has served for over ten years, is set to change this approach.

Next year, the Cherokee Nation will launch a residential and intensive outpatient treatment facility in Tahlequah, the tribal headquarters location. The center will weave ancient customs into the recovery process, featuring traditional stickball activities and on-site cultivation of selu, the Cherokee word for corn.

Funding for this project stems from approximately $150 million the tribe obtained through legal settlements with opioid companies. The 45,000-square-foot facility will accommodate 100 residential patients and include an outpatient center offering continued support services.

Native American tribes joined thousands of state and local jurisdictions in filing lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, distributors, pharmacies and related businesses over the past decade, seeking accountability for an opioid epidemic responsible for over 900,000 American deaths since 1999.

These corporations have agreed to settlements totaling almost $58 billion, based on data compiled by Christine Minhee, who maintains the Opioid Settlement Tracker. The majority of these funds must address the ongoing crisis, though some communities have found it challenging to determine optimal usage strategies.

Approximately $1.3 billion from the overall settlement amount will be distributed among hundreds of tribes and Alaska Native corporations over several years.

As the largest among 575 federally recognized tribes, Cherokee Nation became the first to file suit against opioid manufacturers in 2017. The tribe counts more than 450,000 citizens, with many living in Oklahoma following federal policies that displaced Cherokee people from the southeastern United States.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. explained that Cherokee leadership chose to actively participate in opioid litigation after being excluded from similar tobacco company lawsuits during the late 1990s.

“There will never be another era in which there’s some industry that does damage to the Cherokee Nation, damage to the Cherokee people, where we will be bystanders looking for state legislatures, state attorney(s) general to get us justice,” he said.

The opioid epidemic has evolved through three distinct phases: initial prescription painkiller deaths, followed by heroin, and most recently fentanyl and other synthetic substances over the past decade. Native American opioid death rates matched those of white Americans until fentanyl’s emergence. Since then, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, Native Americans have experienced higher rates of opioid-related fatalities.

Ashley Caudle, a Cherokee Nation citizen, witnessed this crisis directly while operating her small business last year. She routinely stocked free Narcan outside her Stilwell storefront, located 20 miles east of Tahlequah.

“I had to restock that thing every week, almost daily,” Caudle said.

Within the 14 counties comprising Cherokee Nation territory, over 1,000 people died between 2020 and 2024. Hoskin Jr. noted that many fatalities occurred in rural communities where language and cultural practices remain strongest. He views behavioral health investment as preserving the tribe’s essential foundation.

“In many ways, our success here is part of an existential effort,” Hoskin Jr. said. “Whether what it means to be Cherokee is going to continue on; that’s only true if we have people that continue our lifeways and continue to speak our language and pass that down.”

Cultural elements are woven throughout the new treatment center’s entire design concept. During the planning process, the tribe conducted community listening sessions with members and elders. Cherokee language specialists are completing work on the center’s name.

The building features expansive windows overlooking rolling hills and grazing cattle. Its eastern orientation welcomes the sunrise, and it sits within a short distance of a sweat lodge. Residential patients will have access to a stickball court, traditional food gardens, fitness facilities, and meditation spaces.

According to Skinner, typically 50 to 70 tribal citizens require residential treatment connections monthly. Currently, when individuals seek substance abuse help through emergency rooms, primary care physicians, or local clinics, the tribe refers them to contracted facilities not owned by Cherokee Nation.

The upcoming center represents the first facility completely operated by Cherokee Nation, providing services at no cost to tribal citizens.

“I can hardly wait until we have our own,” Skinner said.

The Tahlequah treatment center will join two other reservation locations providing intensive outpatient services to Cherokee Nation citizens.

Skinner explained that the tribe is developing a comprehensive care system encompassing various treatment approaches beyond residential care. Returning to previous living environments where addiction was active can make maintaining sobriety particularly challenging.

Caudle, the Cherokee Nation citizen from Stilwell, personally knows individuals who could have benefited from the resources the tribe is developing. Her mother and brother both battled substance abuse, ultimately leading to their deaths.

Reflecting on how the new Tahlequah facility might have affected their lives, Caudle said, “I guess there’s a lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘woulda, coulda, shouldas,’ and that will never change. But the opportunities that people will have with this facility and the potential is huge.”

Caudle continues pursuing her own healing journey while sharing this knowledge with her son, Elliot.

“If he messes up, it’s not ‘get out of my house. I never want to see you again,’” Caudle said. “(It’s) let’s pick yourself back up and let’s try again. Same concept I want people to embrace as a community.”

A dramatic decline in health insurance participation is expected nationwide this year, with nearly 5 million Americans potentially losing their coverage as healthcare costs continue to climb, according to fresh research from the healthcare research nonprofit KFF.

The study reveals that individuals who maintain their insurance plans are facing significantly higher expenses, with typical deductibles jumping more than $1,000 and monthly premium costs increasing by $65 on average.

“No matter how you slice it, people are paying more,” said Cynthia Cox, a vice president of KFF who co-authored the report.

This dramatic decrease in participation, which exceeds what early government statistics indicated, demonstrates how escalating healthcare expenses are compelling Americans to make difficult mid-year choices about maintaining their health insurance. The cost increases stem partly from the January 1st end of financial assistance that had previously helped most participants afford their plans.

The findings could significantly influence upcoming midterm elections, as economic pressures remain a primary concern for voters in competitive districts nationwide.

According to KFF’s analysis, which incorporated government data from federal and state sources plus research from the actuarial firm Wakely Consulting Group, participation in the program may decrease from 22.3 million Americans in 2025 to approximately 17.5 million this year.

This represents a substantial reduction for the government’s primary subsidized health insurance option targeting working-age Americans who don’t meet Medicaid requirements. The program has gained popularity recently among gig workers, farmers, ranchers, hairstylists and other professionals who don’t receive employer-provided health benefits.

Cox explained that a major factor behind this steep decline involves automatic renewals from previous year plans. Many of these plans now carry much higher price tags due to expired financial assistance and additional market pressures.

Cox noted that when individuals can no longer afford the monthly payments during the year, they forfeit their coverage.

The research found that middle-income Americans discontinued their coverage at higher rates compared to other income brackets. This demographic earns too much to qualify for remaining program subsidies designated for lower-income participants, yet insufficient income to easily afford coverage without the pandemic-era enhanced subsidies that have now ended.

KFF discovered decreases in program participation across most states, though states operating their own exchanges maintained higher enrollment percentages than those using the federal marketplace.

The current administration attributes most of this year’s enrollment decline to federal initiatives aimed at eliminating program fraud. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, whose complete 2026 enrollment figures remain unpublished, did not immediately provide comments regarding KFF’s findings.

Last year, anticipating the conclusion of pandemic-era subsidies that had increased enrollment and reduced costs for program users over four years, KFF had predicted that premium payments would more than double in 2026.

However, the latest analysis shows premium payments increased by a more moderate 58% on average. This occurred partly because many participants switched to lower-premium, higher-deductible plans that will only cost them additional money if they actually use their coverage, according to KFF’s report.

“People are trying to hang on to their health insurance coverage any way they can, even if that means they have a deductible of $7,000,” Cox said.

She added that the potentially positive development is that insurance companies appear to have anticipated and already adjusted for many of the marketplace changes currently occurring.

This could indicate that future healthcare costs may not need to increase as dramatically.

“I’m hopeful that this could be a one-time market correction and that we might not need to see such a high premium spike in the coming year,” Cox said.

During spring cleaning season, many people view household tasks as burdensome work that causes stress and should be avoided whenever possible.

However, mental health professionals and Zen monks believe that routine cleaning activities like sweeping, mopping and organizing can offer significant psychological advantages. These activities can promote mindful awareness or allow thoughts to flow freely, while creating a tangible feeling of accomplishment from completing everyday responsibilities.

A well-known Zen teaching states:

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

Zen apprentices, known as “unsui” monks, dedicate considerable time to cleaning and organizing.

“We sweep dust to remove worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments,” Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk living in Kyoto, Japan, wrote in his book “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and a Clean Mind.” “The time we spend carefully cleaning out every nook and cranny of the temple grounds is extremely fulfilling.”

Holly Schiff, a clinical psychologist based in Greenwich, Connecticut, agrees that cleaning activities can provide relaxation and meditation-like benefits.

“I definitely think there is a link between mental health and the act of cleaning,” she said.

“Repetitive, physical activities like cleaning can be regulating for the nervous system because they’re predictable, structured and give a clear sense of completion,” she says. This provides individuals with feelings of control and stability.

Additionally, the immediate visual results of cleaning efforts “which can be satisfying in a way that many cognitive or emotional tasks aren’t,” she says.

For individuals who find cleaning overwhelming or unpleasant, concentrating on the activity itself rather than a checklist can be beneficial.

Some recommendations for approaching cleaning more mindfully:

“For people who tend to see cleaning as drudgery, I think the shift is less about forcing yourself to enjoy it and more about changing how you engage with it,” says Schiff.

Avoid hurrying through the work. Focus on the body movements, their pattern, or elements like water temperature.

“If you slow it down and focus on the sensory aspects of it, it can start to function more like a mindfulness exercise,” Schiff says.

For others, cleaning activities can offer a chance to let the mind wander freely.

“By gently tending to your habitat, you allow your mind to naturally settle into a peaceful, unforced clarity,” says Matsumoto.

Matsumoto describes cleaning as a method of self-care and environmental stewardship.

“In our practice, we don’t see cleaning as a chore to control the environment. Instead, we view it as ‘Habitat Care,’” he explains. “Just as our bodies maintain a dynamic equilibrium to stay healthy, cleaning is an extension of that biological process into the space we inhabit. When we clean, we are not just fixing a room; we are tending to our expanded self. It is a way of caring for the relationship between us and the world.”

Instead of seeking flawless outcomes, says Matsumoto, accept that tasks may remain unfinished without feeling worried.

“Peace is found not in the final ‘tidy state,’” he says, “but in the humble, ongoing act of emptying the space and our minds.”

Perfection doesn’t exist.

“In nature, everything is constantly changing — leaves fall the moment you finish sweeping,” he says.

Often, feelings of being overwhelmed stem not from the cleaning task but from what it symbolizes. This might include time constraints, self-criticism or other worries, according to Schiff.

“Break the task down into very small, defined actions to reduce that barrier,” she suggests. “Just choose one surface, one task or one room for starters.”

“A lot of the overwhelm comes from anticipating the entire task rather than just engaging with that first step,” she says.

“In a clean space, even if the person who cleaned it is not there, we can feel their consideration and awareness,” says Matsumoto. “This awareness creates a sense of peace and safety, similar to why sacred spaces like temples feel different from the busy streets.”

Relay Therapeutics announced Tuesday that their investigational drug demonstrated success in reducing abnormal blood vessel formations and alleviating symptoms in patients suffering from uncommon vascular conditions during a mid-stage clinical trial.

The experimental medication, called zovegalisib, decreased the size of abnormal growths by a minimum of 20% in approximately 60% of participants after 12 weeks of treatment.

According to the company, virtually every patient experienced some degree of reduction in their condition, and all continued their treatment regimen through the study’s conclusion.

Medical professionals reported symptom improvements in roughly 89% of cases, while patients themselves noted better outcomes in about 79% of instances, particularly regarding pain relief and reduced swelling after the 12-week period.

The drug demonstrated effectiveness even in patients who had previously received other medications including alpelisib and sirolimus, the company reported.

“With a mutant-selective approach, zovegalisib is able to achieve clinical activity with a much better tolerability profile,” Don Bergstrom, president of R&D, told Reuters.

The company emphasized that no participants stopped their treatment because of adverse reactions, and severe complications were minimal throughout the study period.

Researchers found that smaller doses appeared appropriate for extended treatment periods, though higher dosages were deemed unsuitable for continued development in this specific patient population.

“There have been no discontinuations on our study to date due to adverse events and currently all patients remain on therapy,” Bergstrom said.

The pharmaceutical company stated that these findings demonstrate the potential for a more precise treatment approach that could eliminate negative effects associated with earlier medications in this therapeutic category.

Moving forward, Relay Therapeutics plans to recruit additional participants at specific dosage amounts for the trial’s next phase.

The drug is simultaneously being investigated as a breast cancer treatment and earned U.S. “breakthrough therapy” designation in February when combined with fulvestrant for specific patients with advanced stages of the disease.

Vascular anomalies represent uncommon medical conditions characterized by abnormal development of blood or lymphatic vessels, resulting in pain, swelling and additional health complications.

KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s health ministry announced Tuesday that the nation’s latest Ebola outbreak has resulted in at least 131 fatalities and more than 500 suspected infections in eastern regions, prompting the World Health Organization’s top official to voice alarm about the “scale and speed of the epidemic.”

Medical experts and humanitarian workers report the disease circulated without detection for several weeks following the initial death, and this delayed identification is now hampering containment measures.

Samuel Roger Kamba, Congo’s health minister, reported 513 suspected infections and 131 fatalities, though he noted “these are suspected deaths, and investigations are underway to determine which ones are actually linked to the disease.” These figures represent a dramatic jump from Monday’s count of 300 suspected infections and reveal the largely uncertain magnitude of the crisis.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s director-general, stated he is “deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic” and announced the U.N. health agency will assemble its emergency committee later Tuesday.

He identified the appearance of infections in city areas, healthcare worker fatalities, substantial population movement in the region, and absence of vaccines and treatments as primary concerns “for further spread and further deaths.”

Medical authorities report this outbreak, initially verified Friday, stems from the Bundibugyo virus, an uncommon strain of Ebola disease lacking approved treatments or vaccines. The WHO designated the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday.

Confirmed infections have emerged in Bunia, North Kivu’s rebel-controlled capital of Goma, Mongbwalu, Butembo, and Nyakunde. Uganda has also documented one infection and one fatality in individuals who traveled from Congo.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, medical director of the country’s National Institute of Bio-Medical Research, confirmed an American physician is among the infected in Bunia, Ituri province’s capital. Dr. Peter Stafford contracted symptoms while caring for patients at a local hospital, according to a statement from Serge, his employing organization.

Three additional Serge staff members were stationed at the same medical facility — including Stafford’s spouse — but remain symptom-free.

Congo officials state the initial victim succumbed to the virus on April 24 in Bunia, with the remains transported to the Mongbwalu health zone, a mining region with substantial population density.

“That caused the Ebola outbreak to escalate,” Kamba, the health minister, explained.

Following another person’s illness on April 26, specimens were dispatched to Kinshasa for analysis, the Africa Centers for Disease Control reported.

Congolese officials said specimens from Bunia underwent initial testing for Zaire, the more prevalent Ebola strain. Dr. Richard Kitenge, the Health Ministry Incident Manager for Ebola, said the results returned negative, leading local officials to conclude it wasn’t Ebola.

On May 5, the WHO received notification of approximately 50 fatalities in Mongbwalu, including four medical workers, which triggered additional testing. Initial Ebola confirmation occurred on May 14.

Matthew M. Kavanagh, director of the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, stated that due to the incorrect negative results, “we are playing catch-up against a very dangerous pathogen.”

He condemned the Trump administration’s previous decision to exit the WHO and implement significant foreign aid reductions — “the exact surveillance system meant to catch these viruses early,” he stated.

The U.S. State Department dismissed criticism on Monday, asserting it responded immediately and has already allocated $13 million in response assistance.

Esther Sterk from the Medecins Sans Frontieres aid organization told the AP: “The situation is quite worrying and is evolving pretty quickly. It was detected quite late.” However, she noted this frequently occurs with Ebola outbreaks, which present symptoms similar to other tropical illnesses.

Ebola spreads easily through contact with bodily fluids including vomit, blood, or semen. The resulting disease is uncommon but serious and frequently deadly.

In a major Ebola outbreak more than ten years ago that claimed over 11,000 lives, many contracted the infection while cleaning bodies at community burial ceremonies.

“Ebola is very much a disease of compassion in that it impacts the people who are more likely to be taking care of sick folks,” explained Dr. Craig Spencer, an associate professor at the Brown University School of Public Health who recovered from Ebola over a decade ago after becoming infected in Guinea.

The U.S. CDC lists symptoms including fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and unexplained bleeding or bruising.

The serious nature of symptoms and climbing infection numbers are creating increasing fear in Bunia’s communities.

“I know the consequences of Ebola, I know what it’s like,” said Noëla Lumo, a Bunia resident. She previously resided in Beni, an area affected by past outbreaks. Upon learning of the current outbreak, Lumo started creating protective masks manually.

Ituri’s Mongbwalu sits in isolated eastern Congo with inadequate transportation infrastructure more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Kinshasa, the capital.

Eastern Congo has long faced humanitarian challenges and threats from armed groups that have killed dozens and forced thousands to flee in Ituri over the past year.

A Bunia-based U.N. official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization for public statements, said U.N. personnel have been instructed to work remotely and avoid physical contact and crowded locations.

According to U.N. data, Ituri contains more than 273,000 displaced individuals from a total population of 1.9 million.

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced Tuesday that 26 additional suspected Ebola fatalities occurred within a 24-hour period, as the head of the World Health Organization voiced serious alarm about the outbreak’s continued expansion.

The latest deaths push the total number of fatalities linked to the outbreak in eastern DRC to 131. Health officials report 516 suspected cases and 33 confirmed infections within Congo, along with two verified cases in nearby Uganda, according to the daily health bulletin.

The WHO Director-General declared the outbreak of the uncommon Bundibugyo strain a public health emergency of international concern this past Saturday. Health experts are particularly worried because the virus managed to circulate undetected for several weeks throughout a heavily populated region of Congo.

The city of Butembo in Congo’s North Kivu province, home to hundreds of thousands of residents, reported its initial two confirmed infections on Monday, according to the director of Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB).

AMERICANS TO BE EVACUATED TO GERMANY

The Ebola virus transmits through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals or animals, producing symptoms including high fever, vomiting, and both internal and external bleeding. The WHO states that Ebola’s average death rate hovers around 50%, though it has ranged from 25% to 90% in previous outbreaks.

“I’m deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” the WHO Director-General stated to World Health Assembly members in Geneva on Tuesday, highlighting the number of infections appearing in urban centers and among medical personnel.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that one American working in Congo tested positive for Ebola.

This person, named Dr Peter Stafford by his Christian mission organization, along with six other Americans who had exposure to the virus, are being transported to Germany for treatment and observation, the CDC reported.

The U.S. State Department announced it has allocated an initial $13 million in foreign aid for immediate response measures to combat the outbreak.

EXPERTS TRY TO DEVELOP TREATMENTS AND VACCINES

Unlike the more frequently occurring Zaire strain of Ebola, no approved virus-specific treatments or vaccines exist for the Bundibugyo strain.

The U.S. is working to create a monoclonal antibody therapy as a possible treatment option, the CDC stated Monday.

A group of experts under WHO leadership will also convene Tuesday to evaluate potential vaccine alternatives for addressing the outbreak.

The U.S. formally withdrew from the WHO in January, a decision President Donald Trump attributed to the organization’s inadequate handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A previous outbreak of the Zaire strain occurring from 2018-2020 in Ituri and North Kivu provinces ranked as the second most lethal on record, claiming nearly 2,300 lives. The international response during that period faced complications from extensive armed conflict in eastern Congo that persists currently.

One Ebola infection has been verified in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, which fell under M23 rebel control last year.

GENEVA, May 19 – The World Health Organization’s top official on Tuesday voiced alarm about how rapidly an Ebola outbreak is expanding, citing rising case numbers.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola since this latest outbreak started.

Beyond those figures, he noted one confirmed death and one confirmed case in Kampala, Uganda, along with 30 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern Ituri province.

Global health authorities are gathering to explore potential vaccination strategies for addressing a severe Ebola crisis unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s eastern region.

The World Health Organization is spearheading an expert panel scheduled to convene Tuesday, focusing on identifying possible vaccine approaches to combat the ongoing health emergency.

The outbreak has claimed 131 suspected lives with 500 documented cases involving the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, World Health Organization data shows. Both the WHO and Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have classified the situation as a public health emergency.

Currently, no licensed vaccines or therapeutic treatments exist specifically for the Bundibugyo Ebola variant, which carries a mortality rate reaching 40%.

One potential option under consideration is Ervebo, a Merck-produced vaccine designed for the Ebola Zaire variant. Laboratory research involving animals has indicated this vaccine may offer some degree of protection against Bundibugyo. Officials plan to evaluate this possibility alongside other potential interventions.

“When you have an outbreak with a strain that does not have countermeasures, we are going to advise on the best approach to take,” said Dr Mosoka Fallah, acting director of the science department at Africa CDC. “We will look at what evidence we have and make a decision.”

An uncommon strain of Ebola responsible for a deadly outbreak in Congo has claimed close to 120 lives, and medical experts say the response efforts face significant challenges due to the lack of targeted vaccines or treatments for this particular variant.

“There’s nothing even close to ready for clinical trials,” said Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist who treated patients in West Africa during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. “And so that means responders, healthcare workers and other aid workers are really back to the basics.”

The strain responsible for the current crisis is known as Bundibugyo virus, representing a less frequently encountered form of what health authorities classify as Ebola virus disease.

According to Dr. Tom Ksiazek, a University of Texas Medical Branch virologist and veterinarian, Bundibugyo has triggered two previous outbreaks, all occurring within the same Congo River basin area. Ksiazek previously led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Special Pathogens Branch, the team that originally discovered this virus in 2007.

The transmission methods mirror those of other Ebola strains: direct contact with bodily fluids from infected or deceased individuals, including sweat, blood, feces or vomit. Medical personnel and family members providing care to patients face the greatest exposure risk, according to specialists.

“So very often we see doctors and nurses among the first to be infected and to die,” said Gounder, editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News.

Based on limited outbreak data available to researchers, Bundibugyo appears somewhat less lethal compared to the Zaire virus, which represents the most frequently occurring species.

“I think a 30%-plus mortality rate is still quite scary, but it’s hard to say with a lot of precision because we don’t have a lot of experience,” Gounder said.

During the two earlier Bundibugyo episodes, health officials detected initial cases quickly, Ksiazek noted, enabling rapid public health interventions: providing healthcare workers with appropriate protective gear, locating and quarantining exposed individuals, and delivering supportive medical treatment to patients. Adequate medical attention “reduces mortality significantly,” he explained.

This supportive care includes administering substantial amounts of IV or oral fluids, Gounder explained.

Medical teams are currently focused on identifying and isolating cases, tracking their contacts, and educating communities about virus prevention. During the West African epidemic, implementing safe burial practices proved essential for halting transmission, Gounder said, as people contracted the disease while preparing deceased relatives for funeral ceremonies. Ensuring healthcare workers receive proper protective equipment remains equally vital, experts emphasized.

“Of course, it’s problematic because vaccines are some of our best tools for combating infectious diseases,” said Lina Moses, an epidemiologist and disease ecologist at Tulane University. However, other public health strategies — community education, contact tracing, rapid testing — remain effective, she added.

“It’s important to keep in mind that every single Ebola outbreak that has occurred in the (Democratic Republic of the Congo) — we’re on our 17th now — has been stopped,” she said.

A food company has announced the withdrawal of a tahina product from store shelves following concerns about bacterial contamination.

Nassar Investments issued the recall for Malazi Tahina sold in 1-kilogram bottles bearing the expiration date of December 30, 2026, and UPC number 6 224011 088244. The company cited salmonella contamination as the reason for the product withdrawal.

Health officials warn that salmonella is a dangerous bacteria that can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening infections. The risk is particularly high for young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.

The recall announcement was made on May 19, 2026, from Raleigh, North Carolina. Consumers who have purchased the affected product are advised to dispose of it immediately and not consume it.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Medical authorities trace the current Ebola outbreak in Congo back several weeks before it was officially identified.

The World Health Organization has designated the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, with fatalities now surpassing 100. Uganda has reported two cases, one resulting in death.

Below is a chronological breakdown of events as they unfolded, after health officials initially faced challenges identifying the outbreak due to an uncommon virus strain not typically linked to Congo’s previous Ebola cases:

A medical worker, representing the initial suspected case known to officials, becomes ill and passes away in Bunia, Ituri Province’s capital in northeastern Congo. According to Congo’s health minister, the individual’s remains were subsequently moved to Mongbwalu, a nearby mining community.

The health minister reports the person’s death occurred on April 24. However, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the death happened on April 27 following severe hemorrhaging symptoms.

A person who had close contact with the initial suspected victim also dies after developing similar symptoms, the Africa CDC reports.

Laboratory tests conducted on specimens in Bunia show negative results for the standard Ebola virus strain, also called the Zaire virus, which has been the predominant type in Congo’s past Ebola outbreaks.

Multiple viruses cause Ebola disease. According to WHO, three are responsible for major outbreaks: Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus. Health officials require an additional two weeks to determine that the less common Bundibugyo virus is responsible for this outbreak.

The World Health Organization receives notification of what it describes as a “high-mortality” outbreak involving an unidentified disease in Mongbwalu. Medical personnel are among those who have died. Community reports indicate approximately 50 fatalities at this point.

The Congolese health minister subsequently states that officials suspect the first victim’s body, which was transported to Mongbwalu, may have initiated the outbreak in that location. Corpses of Ebola-infected individuals can remain extremely infectious.

A 59-year-old Congolese man with fever and body pain is hospitalized in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, located 700 kilometers (434 miles) from Ituri. Ugandan officials confirm he crossed the border from Congo.

A WHO emergency response team travels to Mongbwalu and the adjacent Rwampara health districts in Ituri to conduct investigations as the outbreak continues expanding.

Medical personnel analyze thirteen blood specimens from suspected Ebola patients in Rwampara at a laboratory facility in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital.

The same day, the Congolese patient dies at the Ugandan hospital. His remains are returned to Congo.

Laboratory testing in Congo identifies Bundibugyo virus in eight of the thirteen Rwampara specimens. Ugandan health officials subsequently examine a sample collected after death from the man who died in their country, which also tests positive for Bundibugyo virus. No approved treatment or vaccine exists for this strain.

Congo’s Health Ministry officially announces an Ebola outbreak, with the Africa CDC reporting 246 suspected cases and 65 fatalities. This number quickly increases to over 300 cases and more than 100 deaths within days.

Uganda confirms its outbreak remains contained to two cases, both involving individuals who had traveled from Congo.

This marks Congo’s 17th major Ebola outbreak since the disease’s initial discovery in 1976.

The WHO formally designates the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. The U.N. health organization clarifies the outbreak doesn’t qualify as a pandemic emergency like COVID-19 and recommends against border closures.

Nevertheless, it urges countries sharing land borders with Congo or Uganda to immediately strengthen surveillance systems and ensure medical workers receive training to investigate and treat Ebola cases.

Congolese authorities report that an American physician working in Congo is among the confirmed outbreak cases.

Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, medical director of the country’s National Institute of Bio-Medical Research, confirms the doctor is among the Bunia cases. According to his employing organization, he had been providing patient care at a local hospital.

Federal health officials have pulled back a charter for an important vaccine advisory committee due to what they’re calling an administrative mistake, according to a Monday notice in the Federal Register.

The Department of Health and Human Services explained that the withdrawal happened because they failed to follow proper timing rules required under federal regulations for making such changes.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had established a new charter on April 6 for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the group that provides guidance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccine recommendations across the United States.

This committee has been central to Kennedy’s wider push to transform how the country approaches vaccine policy. He previously dismissed and replaced all 17 independent specialists who had been serving on the committee last year.

The updated charter came after a March 16 ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston, who was handling a lawsuit challenging some of Kennedy’s vaccine policy modifications. The charter broadened the committee’s responsibilities to include examining vaccine dangers, safety data, and membership qualifications.

Murphy’s decision had temporarily suspended the committee’s operations, determining that its current members didn’t meet the requirements outlined in their own charter.

Last month, the Trump administration filed an appeal against Murphy’s ruling, which had prevented significant policy shifts under Kennedy’s direction, including plans to reduce the number of standard childhood vaccine recommendations.

Federal health authorities announced new protective measures Monday designed to minimize Ebola transmission risks in America following reports of a fresh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while emphasizing that Americans face minimal immediate danger.

According to CDC officials, travelers who have visited or departed from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan within the previous 21 days will undergo screening and monitoring procedures.

The new protocols will exempt U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents, the CDC stated in announcing the order, which remains active for 30 days.

“The risk of Bundibugyo virus disease introduction into the United States is heightened by the virus’s incubation period, which can extend up to 21 days, allowing infected individuals to travel internationally while asymptomatic and therefore unlikely to be detected through routine symptom-based screening measures,” the CDC said.

Federal authorities will additionally enhance contact tracing efforts, expand laboratory testing capabilities and strengthen hospital preparedness across the nation, officials added.

The CDC’s announcement follows the deployment of medical teams to combat the outbreak in eastern DRC after the World Health Organization issued a public health emergency declaration, expressing concerns about potential spread following two confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda.

Health authorities in Colorado confirmed Monday that an adult has died from hantavirus in an isolated case that has no connection to a recent outbreak on a cruise vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Officials noted that the particular hantavirus strain responsible for this fatality typically appears in Colorado during this season, and they are currently working to determine how the individual was exposed to the virus.

While rodents serve as the main carriers of hantavirus, the disease can occasionally spread from person to person through extended close contact, though such transmission remains uncommon. The virus can remain dormant for approximately six weeks before symptoms appear.

Meanwhile, the MV Hondius, flying under a Dutch flag, arrived at Rotterdam on Monday. The vessel had been transporting roughly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 different nations when health authorities first notified the World Health Organization about a group of serious respiratory infections on May 2.

The cruise ship has recorded three fatalities. Combined with these deaths, WHO reports eight confirmed cases and two additional probable cases among those aboard the vessel.

Pharmaceutical company Merck announced Monday that its investigational cancer treatment achieved primary endpoints in advanced clinical testing for patients battling cancer of the uterine lining.

According to the company, the experimental medication sacituzumab tirumotecan demonstrated improved survival outcomes and slowed disease advancement when compared to standard chemotherapy treatments in patients whose endometrial cancer had continued to progress after receiving conventional therapies.

The clinical study included 776 participants diagnosed with advanced or recurring endometrial cancer.

Congo’s health minister revealed plans Sunday evening to establish three Ebola treatment facilities in the eastern Ituri region during a visit to the area affected by the current disease outbreak.

Samuel Roger Kamba, the health minister, spoke while in Bunia, Ituri’s capital and most populous city, stating: “We know that the hospitals are already under stress because of the patients. But we are preparing to have treatment centers at all three sites in order to be able to expand our capabilities.”

On Sunday, the World Health Organization issued a declaration naming the Ebola disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, following reports of more than 300 suspected cases and 88 fatalities in Congo, along with two deaths in Uganda. While the outbreak’s center is in Ituri, cases have emerged in the capital city Kinshasa and in Goma, eastern Congo’s largest urban area.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa posted on X Sunday that a 35-member expert team from the WHO and the Congolese Ministry of Health had reached Bunia, the Ituri province capital, bringing 7 tons of emergency medical supplies and equipment.

The Ebola virus spreads easily through contact with bodily fluids including vomit, blood, or semen. While uncommon, the disease it produces is serious and frequently deadly.

The WHO’s emergency designation aims to mobilize donor organizations and nations to respond. According to WHO criteria, this classification indicates the situation is grave, poses international transmission risks, and demands coordinated global action.

Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke to Sky News on Sunday, saying: “Currently I’m on panic mode because people are dying, I don’t have medicines, I don’t have vaccine to support countries. Yesterday I called for a meeting of all partners, we have some candidate vaccine, some candidate medicine, we are pursuing this route. We hope that we can have something in the next coming weeks.”

Medical officials report the present outbreak, initially confirmed Friday, stems from the Bundibugyo virus, an uncommon Ebola strain lacking approved treatments or vaccines. Despite more than 20 Ebola outbreaks occurring in Congo and Uganda, the Bundibugyo virus has been identified only twice before.

The Bundibugyo virus initially appeared in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak affecting 149 individuals and causing 37 deaths. Its second occurrence was in 2012 during an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, resulting in 57 cases and 29 fatalities.

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — A cruise vessel affected by a fatal hantavirus outbreak is set to dock at Rotterdam’s port in the Netherlands Monday morning.

The MV Hondius completed a six-day voyage from the Canary Islands, where the final passengers were removed from the ship by staff wearing complete protective equipment and put on aircraft bound for over 20 nations for quarantine purposes.

The virus outbreak aboard the vessel has infected 11 individuals, with nine cases receiving confirmation. Three travelers have lost their lives, including a Dutch couple whom health authorities believe were initially infected with the virus during a visit to South America.

The Public Health Agency of Canada reported that one of four Canadian citizens in isolation following their departure from the ship tested positive on Sunday, and they would provide details about the case to the World Health Organization.

The ship completed its voyage from Tenerife along the African and European coastlines carrying 25 crew members and two medical staff. Ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions stated that no one aboard the vessel is showing any symptoms.

Crew members unable to travel home will undergo quarantine in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch health ministry’s announcement last week. Approximately two dozen passengers and crew are currently quarantined in the Netherlands after reaching the country through multiple flights during the past two weeks.

Eighteen Americans are presently under medical supervision at specialized treatment centers in the United States equipped to handle patients with hazardous infectious illnesses.

Following the disembarkation of all individuals on board, the vessel will undergo decontamination according to Dutch public health protocols. “Personal protective measures are being taken to ensure that the cleaners do not need to quarantine after the cleaning,” the health ministry stated in correspondence to the Dutch parliament last week.

Public health authorities will examine the ship before permitting it to resume operations. The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius represents the first documented incident on a cruise vessel.

The Dutch company operating the cruise ship indicated it does not anticipate any modifications to its business operations. The company has an Arctic voyage departing from Keflavik, Iceland, scheduled for May 29.

France’s Pasteur Institute announced Saturday that it completed full genetic sequencing of the Andes virus identified in a French passenger from the MV Hondius cruise vessel and determined it corresponds with viruses previously identified in South America, showing no indication of new features that would increase transmission or severity.

The Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to a new blood pressure medication that could help millions of Americans struggling with uncontrolled hypertension, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced Monday.

The newly approved medication, called Baxfendy, represents a fresh approach for patients whose high blood pressure remains problematic even while taking current medications. Federal regulators have authorized its use alongside other blood pressure treatments.

Company officials project the medication could bring in over $5 billion in yearly revenue at its peak sales period.

Unlike traditional blood pressure medications such as water pills and ACE inhibitors, Baxfendy works by blocking the creation of aldosterone, a hormone that can elevate blood pressure and heighten the chances of heart and kidney complications. This hormonal targeting represents a departure from older treatment methods that don’t tackle these underlying hormone issues.

Researchers are also investigating whether Baxfendy could treat chronic kidney disease and heart failure conditions.

The approval gives AstraZeneca a competitive edge over U.S. biotech company Mineralys Therapeutics, which is working on a competing medication called lorundrostat. Federal regulators are currently reviewing Mineralys’ drug, with a decision anticipated in December.

According to World Health Organization statistics, approximately 1.4 billion people globally suffer from high blood pressure, making it a leading contributor to early death. Government figures show nearly half of American adults – roughly 120 million people – deal with elevated blood pressure.

Federal drug officials based their approval on results from an advanced clinical trial where the medication substantially lowered blood pressure in patients whose condition remained uncontrolled or resistant to existing treatments.

During the study, participants taking a 2 mg dose of Baxfendy along with standard care saw their systolic blood pressure drop by 9.8 millimetres of mercury from starting levels after 12 weeks, when compared to those receiving a placebo. The 1 mg dose reduced the pressure created by the heart’s pumping action by 8.7 mmHg.

AstraZeneca obtained the medication through its $1.8 billion purchase of CinCor Pharma in February 2023.

A luxury cruise vessel struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak reached Rotterdam Monday morning, where Dutch officials had arranged quarantine protocols for the 27 people still aboard the MV Hondius.

Local officials confirmed they established isolation facilities for some international crew members, though uncertainty remains about whether they will complete the full 42-day recommended quarantine period.

The Dutch-registered vessel was transporting approximately 150 passengers and crew from 23 nations when health authorities first notified the World Health Organization about a cluster of serious respiratory cases on May 2.

The outbreak has claimed three lives — a Dutch couple and a German citizen — since it began.

Oceanwide Expeditions operates the ship, which became stranded near Cape Verde this month when local authorities refused to allow passengers ashore because of the health emergency. Following WHO and EU requests, Spain coordinated an evacuation at the Canary Islands, after which the vessel headed to Rotterdam with minimal crew and two additional medical personnel.

The virus spreads mainly through rodents but can occasionally transmit between humans during extended, close contact. The incubation period can extend up to six weeks.

Crew members, passengers who previously departed the vessel, and their contacts have been placed in quarantine across multiple countries worldwide.

This outbreak involves the Andes virus strain, which has been present in Argentina and Chile for many years. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that ship samples show no significant virus mutations.

The WHO updated its case total Friday to 10 from 11 after an uncertain U.S. case came back negative. As of May 15, there were 10 WHO-documented cases — eight confirmed and two probable — including the three fatalities.

British Columbia’s government announced Saturday that one Canadian former passenger of the Hondius had tested positive for hantavirus. The WHO stated Sunday it awaits official confirmation but noted this would bring the total to 11 cases.

Health officials indicated earlier this month that additional cases were anticipated but emphasized the situation differs completely from COVID and does not represent a pandemic threat.

Because of the extended incubation period, the search for new cases may persist for months, challenging authorities’ post-COVID communication strategies.

The WHO advises monitoring and quarantining high-risk contacts for 42 days following exposure, while recommending low-risk contacts monitor themselves and seek medical attention if symptoms appear.

Some Rotterdam residents voiced mild concerns about the MV Hondius’s arrival, worrying people might not comply with quarantine requirements, but told reporters they don’t anticipate a new pandemic.

“What is concerning to me is how well will people … stay in quarantine,” said 35-year-old Rotterdam resident Claudia Eduardo. “Because we know during the pandemic a lot of people didn’t abide to the rules.”

Eighteen-year-old Aleks Mladenovic said hearing about the hantavirus outbreak initially frightened him, but research helped calm his fears. “It’s not a new thing. We’ll probably figure something out and get on top of it again,” he said. “I am not worried at all.”

Multiple American citizens currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo are believed to have come into contact with suspected Ebola cases during the nation’s recent outbreak, according to a report published Sunday by STAT News. Several of these exposures are considered high-risk situations.

The report indicates that at least one person among this group may have shown signs of illness.

Reuters was unable to immediately confirm these details.

The World Health Organisation has designated the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak has resulted in 80 suspected fatalities.

Health authorities in Canada have verified on Sunday that one passenger among four Canadians who came back from a cruise vessel experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has been confirmed to carry the virus.

The Public Health Agency of Canada validated the positive result one day following an announcement by British Columbia’s provincial public health officer that the individual had received a “presumptive positive” result, with additional testing scheduled at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.

“One individual’s sample was confirmed positive for hantavirus,” the national agency said in a statement.

According to the statement, a second person who traveled with the confirmed case has tested negative for the virus. Both individuals, described as a couple in their 70s from the Yukon, are currently receiving care at a hospital in Victoria.

The group of four Canadian passengers arrived back in British Columbia the previous Sunday. In addition to the couple, the group included someone in their 70s from Vancouver Island and a person in their 50s from British Columbia who resides overseas.

All four individuals remain in isolation.

The outbreak aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius has resulted in three fatalities. The Canadian case represents the tenth person from the ship to receive a positive test result.

Health authorities believe a Dutch couple, who are among the three deceased, were initially exposed to the virus during a visit to South America.

Officials with Canada’s public health agency stated they are implementing precautionary measures to safeguard citizens.

“The overall risk to the general population in Canada from the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship remains low at this time,” the statement said. “All confirmed cases to date have been passengers or crew on the MV Hondius cruise ship.”

The agency reported that it has shared details about the positive case with the World Health Organization and will continue providing information to assist the ongoing worldwide investigation into the outbreak.

The World Health Organization announced Sunday that it has classified an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.

According to the WHO, this outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and while it doesn’t qualify as a pandemic emergency, nations that share borders with the DRC face elevated risk for additional spread.

Here’s what health officials know about this current Ebola outbreak and its progression:

UNDERSTANDING EBOLA

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola disease represents a serious and frequently deadly virus that triggers fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. The disease transmits through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals, contaminated objects, or those who have died from the illness.

This marks the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 17th outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.

ABOUT THE BUNDIBUGYO STRAIN

Bundibugyo represents one strain of the virus. The WHO reports that this particular strain has caused two previous outbreaks.

The WHO describes this outbreak as “extraordinary” because no approved treatments or vaccines exist specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, which differs from Ebola-Zaire strains.

“Unfortunately, Bundibugyo has fewer proven countermeasures than Zaire ebolavirus, where vaccines have been highly effective in controlling outbreaks,” stated Amanda Rojek, Associate Professor of Health Emergencies at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford.

AFFECTED NATIONS

Both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have confirmed cases through their governments, with the DRC experiencing the most severe impact from the outbreak.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday that it is working with South Sudan to monitor border activity and prevent additional international transmission.

INFECTION NUMBERS

The WHO reported Sunday that eight laboratory-confirmed cases have been documented, along with 80 suspected deaths and 246 suspected infections.

M23 rebels controlling the eastern DRC town of Goma confirmed an additional case in their Sunday statement.

Ugandan authorities also verified a second case on Sunday.

However, the WHO cautioned that “there are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time.”

In a terrifying moment following his daughter Olivia’s premature birth, Marlon White watched his wife lose consciousness as their 2-pound baby was rushed to intensive care without making any sounds. Born at just 29 weeks, Olivia required immediate medical attention while White stood helplessly in the hospital corridor.

Despite the crisis, White returned to his welding job the following day. His wife, Farra Lanzer-White, also resumed work duties two days later, managing emails and meetings from a workstation at the Denver medical facility. For the next two months, she balanced professional responsibilities while medical alarms signaled each time Olivia experienced breathing difficulties, all while preparing for her own cardiac surgery related to complications discovered during pregnancy.

This Fort Collins, Colorado family faced a difficult decision common among parents of critically ill newborns: continue working during the hospital stay to preserve any available parental leave for after discharge. Their experience reflects a broader campaign pushing for specialized NICU leave within America’s fragmented family leave system, which varies significantly across states, municipalities, and employers.

Seven months following Olivia’s arrival, Colorado made history by implementing the nation’s first paid NICU leave policy. The program provides up to 12 weeks for parents with babies in intensive care, supplementing the existing 12-week parental leave under the state’s family and medical leave system. Illinois will launch a more limited version next month, guaranteeing 10 to 20 days of unpaid leave for NICU families.

Advocacy groups are working to expand these policies while building momentum for federal legislation that would incorporate NICU leave into the Family and Medical Leave Act, the 1993 federal law providing unpaid leave for family and medical situations. Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a nonprofit promoting paid leave and family-supportive workplace policies, sees potential for cross-party cooperation.

“We think it’s promising in terms of bipartisan support, because as we’ve approached people, it seems that they intuitively understand it,” Chettiar explained.

Colorado Democrat U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen is developing federal legislation that would provide up to 12 weeks of NICU leave beyond the standard 12 weeks of parental leave under FMLA.

While the United States lacks federal mandated paid family leave—a longstanding partisan divide—Pettersen aims to build bipartisan consensus around NICU leave and elevate it within parental leave discussions, despite FMLA excluding many workers unable to afford unpaid time off.

The legislative outcomes in Colorado and Illinois demonstrate mixed bipartisan potential. Colorado’s paid leave passed primarily along party lines, while Illinois’s shorter unpaid leave received strong bipartisan backing.

Illinois lacks an existing paid family leave framework to integrate NICU leave, according to state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, the Democratic sponsor whose twin sons were born at 27 weeks in 2014 and remained in intensive care for three months.

Multiple Republican legislators joined as co-sponsors, including state Rep. Nicole La Ha, whose daughter required 45 days of NICU care in 2017 after premature membrane rupture at nearly 30 weeks.

“Unless you have had this experience, you can’t fully understand why something like this is so meaningful,” La Ha stated. “You have an infant who is struggling to eat and breathe. The last thing you want to think about is work but unfortunately you have bills to pay.”

Although Colorado’s legislation lacked Republican support, Colorado State Sen. Jeff Bridges described “the quietest opposition you could hear,” with minimal public resistance from Republicans or business organizations. Bridges introduced the measure following his son Kit’s birth two months premature at just 2 pounds.

“I wanted to share stories that were so moving that the lobbyists would look like monsters if they opposed it,” Bridges stated.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, approximately one in ten American babies require NICU admission.

During intensive care, newborns develop essential functions including swallowing, independent breathing, and temperature regulation, explained Dr. Karen Puopolo, section chief for Newborn Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and chair of the Committee on Fetus and Newborns of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parental presence offers “a multitude of advantages both ways,” Puopolo noted. Direct skin contact stabilizes the baby’s heart rate, enhances breathing patterns, and supports maternal milk production.

Several companies have recently implemented dedicated paid NICU leave, including Morgan Stanley, Pinterest, and organic baby formula manufacturer Bobbie, while others have expanded parental leave duration or added caregiving leave policies that could benefit NICU families.

However, the challenges facing NICU parents have largely been overlooked, according to Sahra Cahoon, executive director of Love for Lily, a Colorado organization supporting NICU families that championed the state’s new legislation.

Cahoon established the organization following the death of her daughter Lily, who was born at 24 weeks and five days and survived three-and-a-half months in intensive care. Operating a jewelry business at the time, Cahoon continued working while maintaining hope for her daughter’s recovery.

“It’s probably one of my biggest regrets,” Cahoon reflected, though she felt fortunate to work remotely from the hospital and couldn’t afford to lose her income. “We did not know that our story was going to end that way.”

Since Colorado’s policy launched in January, nearly 800 individuals have requested neonatal care leave, according to Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division.

Chris and Stevie Madden were among the first recipients after their son arrived almost eight weeks early on January 11.

Stevie Madden, a mental health professional who was hospitalized due to elevated blood pressure and bleeding, felt overwhelmed about managing the emergency while handling work responsibilities, having planned to begin maternity leave much later.

A hospital nurse informed Chris Madden about the new NICU leave option, which both parents utilized.

Chris Madden, an oil field mechanic, said he couldn’t have maintained focus on his dangerous job while his son struggled for survival. He learned proper techniques for handling his baby’s sensitive skin—applying gentle pressure rather than rubbing—and developed confidence that proved crucial when Roczen stopped breathing after coming home and required emergency hospitalization.

He shared information about NICU leave with every parent he encountered at the hospital.

“It was life changing not to have to think about money and stress and just be present with your baby,” Madden said.

When Marlon White’s daughter Olivia arrived at just 29 weeks and weighing around 2 pounds, his world turned upside down. His wife collapsed after delivery, and their silent newborn was whisked away to intensive care while he stood helplessly in the corridor as medical staff worked to save both his wife and child.

Despite this traumatic beginning, White returned to his welding job the following day. His wife, Farra Lanzer-White, went back to work just two days later, managing emails and attending meetings from a Denver hospital while alarms sounded each time Olivia struggled to breathe and while she herself faced heart surgery for complications discovered during her pregnancy.

This Fort Collins, Colorado family made the same difficult decision countless NICU parents face: continue working while their baby fights for life in order to preserve any available leave for when their child finally comes home. Their experience has made them advocates in a growing campaign to establish specialized NICU leave within the nation’s complex web of family leave policies that vary dramatically across states, municipalities and employers.

Colorado made history in January by becoming the nation’s first state to provide paid NICU leave, granting up to 12 weeks for parents of intensive care newborns in addition to the existing 12 weeks of parental leave under state family and medical leave programs. Illinois will implement a smaller program next month, providing between 10 and 20 days of unpaid leave for NICU families.

Advocates are working to expand these policies to additional states while building momentum for federal legislation that would incorporate NICU leave into the Family and Medical Leave Act, the 1993 federal law providing eligible workers with unpaid leave for family and medical emergencies, according to Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, a nonprofit promoting paid leave and family-supportive workplace policies.

“We think it’s promising in terms of bipartisan support, because as we’ve approached people, it seems that they intuitively understand it,” Chettiar explained.

A Colorado Democrat in the U.S. House, Brittany Pettersen, is developing federal legislation that would provide up to 12 weeks of NICU leave beyond the 12 weeks of parental leave currently available under FMLA.

While the United States lacks any federal mandate for paid family or parental leave—a longstanding point of division between Democrats and Republicans—Pettersen believes the goal is building bipartisan consensus around NICU leave and elevating it within broader parental leave discussions, even though FMLA excludes many workers who cannot afford unpaid time off.

The legislative outcomes in Colorado and Illinois send conflicting messages about bipartisan possibilities. Colorado’s paid leave legislation passed primarily along party lines, while Illinois’s shorter, unpaid leave measure received strong bipartisan backing.

Illinois state Rep. Laura Faver Dias, a Democrat who sponsored the bill after her twin boys spent three months in intensive care following their birth at 27 weeks in 2014, noted that unlike Colorado, Illinois lacks an existing paid family leave framework to build upon.

Multiple Republican legislators signed on as co-sponsors, including state Rep. Nicole La Ha, whose daughter required 45 days of NICU care in 2017 after early labor complications at nearly 30 weeks.

“Unless you have had this experience, you can’t fully understand why something like this is so meaningful,” La Ha said. “You have an infant who is struggling to eat and breathe. The last thing you want to think about is work but unfortunately you have bills to pay.”

Although Colorado’s legislation lacked bipartisan support, Colorado State Sen. Jeff Bridges described “it was the quietest opposition you could hear,” with minimal public resistance from Republicans or business organizations. Bridges introduced the measure following his son Kit’s birth two months premature at just 2 pounds.

“I wanted to share stories that were so moving that the lobbyists would look like monsters if they opposed it,” Bridges explained.

According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, approximately one in every 10 babies born in the United States requires NICU admission.

During their NICU stay, newborns are developing basic survival skills like swallowing, independent breathing and temperature regulation, said Dr. Karen Puopolo, section chief for Newborn Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital and chair of the Committee on Fetus and Newborns of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parental presence provides “multitude of advantages both ways,” Puopolo noted. Direct skin contact stabilizes the baby’s heart rate, enhances breathing patterns and supports maternal milk production.

Some companies have recently implemented dedicated paid NICU leave, including Morgan Stanley, Pinterest and organic baby formula company Bobbie, while others have expanded parental leave duration or added caregiving leave policies that could benefit NICU families.

However, the challenges facing NICU parents have largely remained overlooked, said Sahra Cahoon, executive director of Love for Lily, a Colorado-based organization supporting NICU families that championed Colorado’s new legislation.

Cahoon established the organization following the death of her daughter Lily, who was born at 24 weeks and five days and died after spending three-and-a-half months in intensive care. Cahoon, who operated a jewelry business then, continued working while believing her daughter would survive.

“It’s probably one of my biggest regrets,” Cahoon reflected, though she felt fortunate to work remotely from the hospital and couldn’t afford to lose her income at the time. “We did not know that our story was going to end that way.”

Learning about Colorado’s NICU leave law last year transported Rebecca Herrera-Moreno back to her son’s intensive care experience six years earlier, prompting her to begin advocating for similar legislation in her home state of California.

When her son Nico arrived at 32 weeks in 2020, Herrera-Moreno was already on disability leave after experiencing preterm labor weeks earlier. Her husband, Martin Moreno, qualified for six weeks of paid parental leave under California law then, but they chose to reserve that time for Nico’s homecoming, which occurred three weeks later.

She found it difficult to cherish moments with her tiny son while holding him amid machines, monitors and medical staff. She expressed love to him daily before departing while battling guilt that those feelings hadn’t fully developed yet. Weeks afterward at home, she confided in her husband, Martin Moreno, who admitted experiencing similar emotions.

Moreno, a health director for a labor union, said work consumed him during that period as his responsibilities intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival. His clearest memory from that time isn’t of his son in the NICU, but of producing a video demonstrating proper handwashing techniques for workers.

When he finally came home, he felt unprepared to care for Nico, who required side feeding to prevent choking. He had been unaware of his wife’s emotional struggles.

“I wish I would have had more preparation with the medical staff to really feel like I had everything set. And that’s speaking to the medical piece of it — not even addressing being absent for Becky during so much of this,” Moreno said.

According to Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division, nearly 800 people have requested neonatal care leave since Colorado’s policy launched in January.

Chris and Stevie Madden were among the first recipients when their son arrived almost eight weeks early on January 11.

Stevie Madden, a mental health professional who was hospitalized after experiencing high blood pressure and bleeding, said she panicked about managing the crisis and work responsibilities when she realized her planned maternity leave was still weeks away.

A hospital nurse informed Chris Madden about the new NICU leave option, which both parents utilized.

Madden, an oil field mechanic, said he couldn’t have maintained focus on his dangerous job while his son fought for survival. He learned proper techniques for handling his baby’s fragile skin—gentle pressure rather than rubbing—and developed confidence that proved crucial when Roczen stopped breathing after coming home and required emergency hospitalization.

He shared information about NICU leave with every parent he encountered at the hospital.

“It was life changing not to have to think about money and stress and just be present with your baby,” Madden said.

The World Health Organization has officially designated an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern, following reports of 80 suspected fatalities and nine confirmed laboratory cases.

According to the WHO, this outbreak stems from the Bundibugyo virus and while it doesn’t qualify as a pandemic emergency, nations that share borders with the DRC face elevated risks for additional transmission.

The U.N. health agency reported on Sunday that as of Saturday, officials documented 80 suspected deaths, eight confirmed laboratory cases, and 246 suspected cases within the DRC’s Ituri province spanning multiple health zones, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

M23 rebels confirmed a ninth case in Goma, located in eastern Congo.

The DRC health ministry announced on Friday that 80 individuals had perished in this latest outbreak within the eastern province.

This marks the 17th outbreak in the country where Ebola was initially discovered in 1976, and the WHO suggests the actual scope could be significantly larger due to high positivity rates in initial testing and growing numbers of suspected cases.

The WHO characterized this outbreak as “extraordinary” because no approved treatments or vaccines exist specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, unlike the Ebola-Zaire strains. Nearly all previous outbreaks in the country resulted from the Zaire strain.

The agency stated that the DRC-Uganda outbreak creates public health risks for neighboring countries, with documented evidence of international transmission already occurring. The WHO recommends nations activate disaster and emergency management protocols while implementing border screenings and monitoring major internal roadways.

In Kampala, Uganda’s capital, health officials reported two unconnected laboratory-confirmed cases on Friday and Saturday, including one fatality, involving travelers from the DRC.

Additionally, the WHO confirmed a laboratory case in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, from someone returning from Ituri.

The WHO stated that individuals with Bundibugyo virus-disease contacts or cases should avoid international travel unless requiring medical evacuation.

The agency recommends immediate isolation of confirmed cases and daily contact monitoring, with restricted domestic travel and no international travel for 21 days following exposure.

However, the WHO cautioned countries against closing borders or imposing travel and trade restrictions based on fear, as this could force people and goods through unmonitored informal border crossings.

The DRC’s thick tropical forests serve as a natural habitat for the Ebola virus.

Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stated he had sought technical guidance and recommendations regarding the potential declaration of this outbreak as a public health emergency of continental security.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the frequently deadly virus causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea, and transmits through direct contact with infected individuals’ bodily fluids, contaminated materials, or deceased persons who died from the disease.

The World Health Organization’s top official announced Sunday that an Ebola outbreak affecting Congo and Uganda has been classified as an international public health emergency, following reports of more than 300 suspected infections and 88 fatalities.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the declaration after reviewing the situation. In a social media statement, the World Health Organization clarified that this outbreak does not qualify as a pandemic-level emergency similar to COVID-19, and recommended against shutting down international borders.

The deadly virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids including blood, vomit and semen. While Ebola outbreaks are uncommon, the disease typically results in severe illness and frequently proves fatal.

Medical experts have identified the current outbreak as stemming from the Bundibugyo virus, an uncommon form of Ebola for which no authorized treatments or preventive vaccines are available. Despite more than 20 previous Ebola outbreaks occurring across Congo and Uganda, the Bundibugyo variant has only appeared twice before.

Nearly all cases have emerged in Congo, with just two confirmed infections in neighboring Uganda, according to WHO reports.

Health officials initially documented the disease’s spread in Congo’s eastern Ituri province, located near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. By Saturday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had tallied 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths.

“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time. In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases,” Tedros said.

Ugandan authorities confirmed Saturday that one patient who had traveled from Congo died at a medical facility in the capital city of Kampala. The WHO reported a second case also in Kampala. Both patients had journeyed from Congo, and officials found no connection between the two cases.

The Bundibugyo strain first appeared during a 2007-2008 outbreak in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district, affecting 149 individuals and causing 37 deaths. Its second occurrence was documented in 2012 in Isiro, Congo, resulting in 57 cases and 29 fatalities.

The WHO’s emergency status aims to mobilize international donors and governments to respond. Past emergency declarations have produced varying levels of global action.

When the organization declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and other African nations a global emergency in 2024, health experts noted the designation failed to rapidly deliver essential supplies including diagnostic equipment, medications and vaccines to impacted regions.

The World Health Organization announced Sunday that it has designated an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a “public health emergency of international concern.”

Health officials stated that while the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, it does not qualify as a pandemic emergency under current criteria.

According to the U.N. health agency’s statement, as of Saturday there have been 80 suspected fatalities, eight laboratory-confirmed infections and 246 suspected infections documented in the DRC’s Ituri province spanning at least three health districts, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

Health officials from the DRC announced Friday that 80 individuals had perished in this new outbreak occurring in the nation’s eastern province.

The WHO reported that in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, two seemingly unconnected laboratory-confirmed infections were documented Friday and Saturday, including one fatality, involving individuals who had traveled from the DRC.

Health authorities also confirmed a laboratory-verified case in the DRC’s capital city of Kinshasa involving someone who had returned from the Ituri region, according to WHO officials.

A Canadian passenger has been confirmed to have contracted hantavirus following their departure from a luxury cruise vessel that experienced an outbreak of the Andes strain, according to British Columbia government authorities on Saturday.

Hospital staff in Victoria, B.C. conducted testing that confirmed the individual’s positive status for the virus, officials reported.

The interim leader of the Food and Drug Administration’s drug division announced her termination from the federal agency on May 16.

Tracey Beth Hoeg revealed her dismissal through a post on social media platform X, confirming earlier reports that she was expected to depart the FDA on Friday.

Her removal follows closely after Commissioner Marty Makary stepped down from his role earlier this week.

Hoeg, who works as both an epidemiologist and sports medicine doctor, previously questioned the effectiveness of COVID vaccines throughout the pandemic period.

During her tenure, she played a key role in reforming America’s childhood immunization guidelines, helping to streamline the recommended vaccine schedule from 17 shots down to 11 this past January.

The dismissal occurs during a broader reorganization within the health department, as the White House has increased its oversight of the agency in recent months.

The administration placed Chris Klomp in the position of Kennedy’s deputy, and Klomp has subsequently brought in a group of more mainstream candidates for senior health leadership roles, including positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the office of Surgeon General.

Following Makary’s Tuesday resignation, Klomp has been working to remove contentious appointees from the FDA and install more conventional replacements, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Women face a puzzling dilemma when determining the right time to begin regular breast cancer screenings. Medical organizations offer varying recommendations, with some advocating for screenings to start at 40 or 45 years old, while others recently suggested waiting until age 50. The frequency recommendations also differ, ranging from annual to biennial screenings.

This contradictory guidance exists partly because breast cancer screening recommendations target women with average risk levels who show no cancer symptoms. However, given breast cancer’s prevalence, determining who truly falls into the “average” category and weighing screening benefits against potential drawbacks proves challenging.

“Breast cancer is not one disease,” said Dr. Laura Esserman of the University of California, San Francisco. “So how in the world does it make sense to screen everybody the same when everyone doesn’t have the same risk?”

Dr. Esserman leads research efforts aimed at better identifying women with varying risk levels and ultimately providing more personalized screening recommendations.

According to the American Cancer Society, over 320,000 women in the United States will receive breast cancer diagnoses this year. While mortality rates have declined for decades due to improved treatments, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American women, and new cases continue to rise slightly.

The American College of Physicians recently issued new recommendations suggesting that women with average risk between ages 50 and 74 receive mammograms every two years. For women aged 40 to 49, the guidelines suggest consulting with physicians about advantages and disadvantages, and if they choose screening, to schedule appointments biennially.

These recommendations, released last month, surprised many in the medical community. Most other American health organizations have encouraged women to begin screenings during their 40s. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently modified its guidance to recommend biennial mammograms starting at 40 rather than 50.

The American Cancer Society has maintained its recommendation for annual mammograms for women aged 45 to 54, though it acknowledges women may choose to begin at 40. For those 55 and older, the organization suggests women can transition to biennial screenings or continue annual examinations.

The American College of Physicians’ new guidelines also suggest physicians may discuss ending routine screenings with women 75 or older. Conversely, the cancer society maintains there’s no need to discontinue screenings for healthy women in this age group.

Women with higher breast cancer risk receive greater benefits from frequent screenings. However, beyond well-established risk factors like BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations, determining individual risk levels remains difficult. Age serves as a general indicator since breast cancer risk increases with advancing years.

Mammography has limitations, occasionally missing cancers or failing to detect aggressive tumors that develop between routine screenings. Guidelines attempt to balance early cancer detection benefits with potential negative effects, including anxiety and discomfort from investigating suspicious findings that prove benign.

“We’re not saying there’s no benefit” from mammograms in the 40s, cautioned Dr. Carolyn Crandall of the University of California, Los Angeles, who chaired the American College of Physicians report. But “there’s a narrower balance between the benefits you could get and the harms in 40- to 49-year-olds.”

The American Cancer Society supports beginning annual mammograms at 45 after finding breast cancer rates in 45- to 49-year-olds exceeded those in the early 40s, resembling patterns seen in 50- to 54-year-olds, explained public health researcher Robert Smith, the organization’s early cancer detection specialist.

What remains unclear is identifying who might develop aggressive versus slow-growing breast cancers, Smith observed.

Almost half of women over 40 have dense breast tissue, which complicates tumor detection on mammograms and slightly elevates cancer risk.

Women receive breast density notifications following mammograms. Many specialists remain uncertain whether women with dense breasts would benefit from supplemental ultrasounds or MRI screenings. However, the American College of Physicians’ new guidance suggests considering 3D mammography, medically known as digital breast tomosynthesis or DBT.

Future developments may include genetic testing examining factors beyond the well-known BRCA genes, combined with comprehensive risk assessments, to help determine optimal mammogram scheduling for individual women.

A recent study involving nearly 46,000 women, known as the WISDOM trial, utilized age, genetic testing, lifestyle factors, health history, and breast density to categorize participants as low, average, elevated, or high risk. Risk classifications determined whether women delayed screenings until 50, received biennial or annual mammograms, with the highest-risk group undergoing twice-yearly screenings using both mammography and MRI scans. Researchers compared risk-based screening approaches to standard annual mammograms.

Dr. Esserman’s team reported in the medical journal JAMA that risk-based screening performed as effectively as annual screening. One unexpected finding revealed that approximately 30% of women whose genetic testing showed increased risk had no family history of breast cancer. While additional research continues, Dr. Esserman anticipates these preliminary results will begin influencing future guidelines.

Researchers are also developing artificial intelligence tools designed to evaluate women’s short-term breast cancer risk using mammogram data, potentially providing another method for determining appropriate screening frequency.

Currently, women can discuss family cancer history, personal health status, and other risk factors with their physicians, including reproductive history and childbearing age.

Regardless of chosen mammogram timing and frequency, maintaining consistency provides the best outcomes, according to the cancer society’s Smith: “Breast screening works best when it’s done regularly.”

Health authorities in Congo’s eastern Ituri province report that fatalities from a fresh Ebola outbreak have climbed to at least 80, as medical teams work urgently this weekend to expand screening efforts and track contacts to stop the virus from spreading further. The outbreak was initially disclosed on Friday with 65 fatalities and 246 suspected infections.

Associated Press reporters in Bunia, the provincial capital, spoke with local residents who described their terror and the relentless funeral processions taking place.

“Every day, people are dying … and this has been going on for about a week. In a single day, we bury two, three, or even more people,” said Jean Marc Asimwe, a resident of Bunia. “At this point, we don’t really know what kind of disease it is,” said Asimwe.

Congo’s Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba announced Friday evening that laboratory testing has verified eight cases, including four fatalities.

Laboratory analysis identified the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of the disease that has appeared less frequently in Congo’s previous outbreaks. This represents Congo’s 17th outbreak since Ebola was first discovered in the nation in 1976.

Ebola spreads easily and can be transmitted through body fluids including vomit, blood, or semen. The illness it produces is uncommon, but serious and frequently deadly.

The believed first case in this latest outbreak is a nurse who passed away at a medical facility in Bunia, Kamba stated. He indicated the case traces back three weeks to April 24.

He did not specify whether specimens from the nurse underwent testing, but noted the individual showed signs consistent with Ebola.

Congo possesses expertise in handling Ebola outbreaks but frequently encounters logistical obstacles in delivering specialists and materials to impacted areas.

As Africa’s second-largest nation by territory, Congo’s provinces are distant from each other and primarily dealing with armed conflict. Ituri, for example, sits approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the country’s capital, Kinshasa, and suffers from attacks by Islamic State-affiliated fighters.

The illness has been verified in three health districts within Ituri province, including the capital Bunia, plus Rwampara and Mongwalu where the outbreak is most concentrated.

Just 13 blood specimens have undergone testing at the National Institute of Biomedical Research, with eight testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain. The other five samples could not be examined because of inadequate sample volume, the health minister explained.

In Bunia, Ituri’s primary city, commerce and routine activities at public locations seemed normal on Friday.

Resident Adeline Awekonimungu expressed hope the outbreak would be swiftly controlled. “My recommendation is that the government take this matter seriously and that it takes charge of the hospitals so that this matter can be brought under control,” she said.

Uganda has also verified an Ebola case that officials described as “imported” from Congo. The individual died at a medical facility in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention expressed worry about the potential for additional spread because of how close the affected regions are to Uganda and South Sudan.

A senior Food and Drug Administration official who oversaw safety reviews of COVID-19 vaccines, antidepressants and other medications has been dismissed from her position directing the agency’s drug program.

Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg will be succeeded by Dr. Mike Davis, who currently serves as deputy director, according to an internal email to agency personnel on Friday that was obtained by The Associated Press.

In a social media statement posted Friday evening, Hoeg confirmed she was “fired” from the agency, stating: “I learned so much and leave with no regrets.”

This dismissal represents another change in the continuing leadership upheaval at the influential regulatory body. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary left his position earlier this week, while Dr. Vinay Prasad, who headed the agency’s vaccine and biotech division, departed last month amid sharp criticism from pharmaceutical companies, patients and investors.

The agency simultaneously announced Friday that Karim Mikhail will assume the role of acting director for the vaccines center. Mikhail, who has extensive pharmaceutical industry experience, joined the agency under Makary’s leadership last spring.

Makary’s removal from his leadership position at the FDA came after weeks of criticism from President Donald Trump’s political supporters, including anti-abortion organizations and vaping industry advocates, who expressed dissatisfaction with the agency’s current direction.

Hoeg, who shares close ties with Makary and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has overseen the FDA’s drug program since December, becoming the most recent official to temporarily fill this role during a period of frequent FDA leadership transitions.

Makary orchestrated Hoeg’s swift advancement within the agency, elevating her from her role as his special assistant to head the agency’s most significant center, which oversees regulation of most prescription and over-the-counter medications in the United States.

Typically, FDA center directors are career agency scientists with extensive experience spanning decades. Hoeg lacked prior government service or management background.

Following her arrival at the FDA last March, Hoeg directed safety investigations into injectable RSV medications for children, antidepressants and COVID-19 vaccines.

These investigations aligned with Hoeg’s established interests and concerns from her time before entering government service.

As a sports medicine physician and public health researcher, Hoeg became prominent during the pandemic for criticizing masking requirements, school shutdowns, vaccine mandates and other government policies. She collaborated on research papers with other medical contrarians who later joined the Trump administration, including Makary and Prasad.

Similar to Makary and Prasad, Hoeg regularly shared her views through blog posts and podcasts, including one called “Vaccine Curious.” The podcast explored various debunked theories, including claims that mRNA vaccines might contain dangerous DNA contaminants.

As a Danish American citizen, Hoeg played a key role in the Trump administration’s recent initiative to eliminate several federally recommended childhood vaccinations, including flu shots and hepatitis B vaccines given at birth. A federal judge in Boston has temporarily halted these changes, though the administration intends to challenge the ruling.

During her FDA tenure, Hoeg conducted an “initial analysis” of vaccine injuries that connected COVID-19 shots to 10 reported pediatric deaths — without presenting supporting documentation. These conclusions were outlined in an internal memo Prasad distributed to staff last November, though the FDA has not publicly released the findings or detailed their methodology.

FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials have previously determined that serious vaccine side effects occur extremely rarely.

Most recently, Hoeg participated in the agency’s examination of a formal request to add prominent new warnings to antidepressant medications regarding unsubstantiated pregnancy risks, including fetal abnormalities potentially linked to autism and other conditions.

In March, she tried to recruit the petition’s author as a senior adviser at the FDA, according to individuals with knowledge of the situation. This action concerned some agency personnel because Hoeg had repeatedly described this person as a friend, according to sources who spoke to the AP anonymously to discuss confidential FDA business.

Federal health leadership is closely tracking a deadly hantavirus outbreak that claimed three lives on a luxury cruise vessel earlier this month, with daily briefings being provided to the White House and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to a senior health official.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya confirmed Friday that no infections have been detected within American borders, and the threat to the public continues to be minimal.

Currently, 41 Americans are under surveillance for potential infection. Among these individuals, 18 were cruise passengers who had already returned to U.S. soil before health officials identified the outbreak. These returnees are now isolated in facilities in Nebraska and Atlanta.

The federal response has faced scrutiny from some public health experts who characterized the initial reaction as too slow. Kennedy has previously faced similar criticism regarding his management of a measles outbreak.

“The Secretary is getting daily detailed updates, as is the White House, and I’ve participated in several of those. I can tell you firsthand, they’re both following this outbreak very, very closely,” Bhattacharya, who also serves as director of the National Institutes of Health, stated during a press briefing.

The CDC has released protocols for identifying and tracking individuals who may have been exposed, according to Dr. David Fitter, who manages the agency’s hantavirus response efforts.

According to Fitter, anyone aboard the vessel from April 6, when the initial case emerged, through May 10, when the final passengers departed, is classified as high-risk.

Additional high-risk individuals include those who had direct contact with infected persons or their bodily fluids, as well as passengers who sat near sick individuals during flights, Fitter explained.

“I want to reinforce that Andes virus does not transmit easily,” he emphasized, explaining that transmission requires close, extended contact.

Those considered high-risk should remain at home and minimize contact with others for six weeks, he advised. They must also coordinate any necessary travel through their state health departments and be prepared to immediately self-isolate if symptoms develop.

WASHINGTON, May 15 – Federal health authorities are closely tracking Ebola cases in two African countries and offering technical support to help contain the outbreaks, officials announced Friday.

The nation’s top disease control agency is keeping watch on the situation in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda while providing expertise to local health officials, according to Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya.

“CDC has extensive experience and expertise in responding to Ebola outbreaks, and we are working closely with the DRC Ministry of Health through our country office to support our response efforts,” said Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya.

During a Friday briefing with reporters, Bhattacharya also addressed the situation in Uganda, noting recent confirmation of cases there.

“This morning we also heard from the Government of Uganda confirming an Ebola outbreak there, and we are also coordinating with our country office in Uganda and our colleagues there to track and help with the outbreak there,” Bhattacharya told reporters on a media call.

A Utah-based manufacturer is pulling certain batches of its Parmesan Ranch seasoning from store shelves due to concerns about salmonella contamination.

Blackstone Products, located in Providence, Utah, announced the voluntary withdrawal of specific lots of their Blackstone Parmesan Ranch seasoning products. The company says the products may contain salmonella bacteria.

The recall was triggered after California Dairies, Inc. issued its own recall for dry milk powder that could be contaminated with salmonella.

A California ice cream manufacturer has issued a voluntary product recall affecting certain batches of its organic frozen dessert products on May 14, 2026.

Straus Family Creamery, based in Petaluma, California, announced the recall of a limited number of production batches for specific varieties and package sizes of its organic ice cream line. The company cited concerns over possible metal fragments that may be present in the affected products.

According to the recall notice, only certain production batches are involved in this safety action. Consumers can identify the affected products by checking the “best by” date printed on the packaging.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Health authorities in Congo have confirmed a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation, reporting at least 246 suspected cases and 65 fatalities.

The deadly disease, which frequently proves fatal, was initially discovered in 1976 following two rapid outbreaks in present-day South Sudan and Congo, the World Health Organization reports.

Every significant Ebola outbreak has occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, the native region for the viruses responsible for the disease. The most devastating episodes have struck West and Central Africa.

A collection of viruses causes Ebola disease. WHO identifies three known to trigger major outbreaks: Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus.

Fruit bats are considered the natural carriers of Ebola-causing viruses, while apes and monkeys can also become infected, WHO states.

Humans can contract the infection from these animals, and transmission between people occurs through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, feces or vomit from infected individuals, or contaminated surfaces.

Signs of illness emerge anywhere from two days to three weeks following exposure, though they typically appear within approximately one week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes.

Initial symptoms resemble flu, featuring fever, body aches, exhaustion and throat pain. Subsequently, patients may develop digestive issues, skin rashes, seizures and hemorrhaging.

WHO reports Ebola’s average death rate stands at roughly 50%, with previous outbreaks ranging from 25% to 90% fatality rates.

Approved vaccines and treatments exist solely for the Ebola virus.

A decade-old outbreak spanning multiple West African countries holds the record as the most severe.

More than 28,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths occurred as the highly transmissible disease spread extensively through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, affecting neighboring countries. Limited cases also appeared in the United States, the U.K., Italy and Spain, connected to African travelers or healthcare workers returning from outbreak assistance.

Researchers believe the epidemic began in southeastern Guinea when a child — “patient zero” — encountered infected fruit bats.

The second-largest outbreak in recorded history followed shortly after in Congo’s North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, with some cases reaching neighboring Uganda. Friday’s newly announced outbreak is also located in Ituri, along the Ugandan border.

That outbreak eight years ago recorded over 3,400 reported cases and more than 2,200 deaths, achieving a 66% fatality rate, CDC data shows.

Similar to the 2013-2016 outbreak, Congo’s epidemic resulted from the Ebola virus.

Congo has experienced more than a dozen notable previous outbreaks, including one as recently as late 2025.

An outbreak in Uganda recorded 425 reported cases and 224 deaths, this time caused by the Sudan virus.

East African country officials received recognition for their rapid outbreak response and containment efforts. Community initiatives focused on public education about the disease and correcting misinformation regarding transmission methods.

Uganda has also experienced multiple outbreaks.

Ebola’s first documented outbreak happened 50 years ago in towns within former Sudan, now part of South Sudan. Scientists suspect it began in a cotton facility where employees encountered bats in storage areas, though the origin remains unconfirmed. The Sudan virus caused this outbreak.

At least 151 deaths and 284 cases were documented — many occurring after patients were hospitalized and transmitted the disease to medical staff and others while the illness remained unidentified, subsequent research revealed.

An outbreak months afterward in northern Congo — then called Zaire — resulted in 280 deaths with an exceptionally high fatality rate and first enabled scientists to identify the Ebola virus. This outbreak originated in an isolated village near the Ebola River, from which the disease takes its name.

The first documented Ebola infection beyond Africa happened that same year when a British laboratory worker accidentally punctured himself with a needle while examining samples. He survived.

Extremely few cases have been documented outside Africa since Ebola’s identification.

Medications typically prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are showing promise as a treatment for one of cancer’s most challenging side effects: overwhelming fatigue.

A recent analysis examined information from nine controlled studies involving 823 adults either receiving active cancer treatment or battling advanced-stage disease. The research revealed that patients taking psychostimulants experienced notable improvements in their exhaustion levels compared to those receiving inactive treatments.

Dr. Bruno Almeida Costa from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center led the research team. “Our findings show that a well-established, accessible medication can provide meaningful relief within weeks,” Costa explained in a statement.

The study focused on methylphenidate and dexmethylphenidate, medications marketed by Novartis as Ritalin and Focalin. According to the research published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, these drugs possess the “longest-standing and best-documented safety records among actively prescribed controlled substances.”

The timing of improvement appears to follow a specific pattern. “The benefit isn’t fully apparent in the first couple of weeks, but by around five weeks it reaches a level that genuinely matters in terms of patients’ daily energy and function,” Costa noted. “For people dealing with a symptom that can be profoundly disabling, that is a meaningful contribution.”

Researchers observed that the positive effects continued to strengthen, with additional improvements noted at the eight-week mark.

The findings may prove particularly valuable as cancer diagnoses increase among younger adults who must manage work and family obligations while undergoing treatment, according to the research team.

Scientists emphasized that these medications shouldn’t replace current fatigue management approaches like exercise programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mind-body techniques. Instead, they could offer quicker relief while patients work to establish those longer-term strategies.

The research also included findings about influenza risks during pregnancy. Medical professionals have long understood that flu infections pose greater dangers for expectant mothers, and new research explains the biological mechanisms behind these complications.

Typically, influenza remains confined to the respiratory system. However, during pregnancy, the virus can spread beyond the lungs, creating serious cardiovascular risks for mothers and potentially affecting fetal development.

Using mice infected with influenza A, researchers identified an immune system component called TLR7 that becomes hyperactive during pregnancy. This overactivity increases inflammation in the placenta and other areas, damages blood vessel function, and allows the virus to enter the bloodstream.

Study leader Stella Liong from RMIT University in Australia explained the significance: “The findings shift understanding of how respiratory viruses affect pregnancy, showing that harm is not caused by the virus directly reaching the fetus, but by an overactive maternal immune response.”

The researchers suggest that controlling the TLR7 sensor might help protect developing babies by preventing excessive placental inflammation during flu infections. Their findings, published in Science Advances, could lead to targeted treatments that reduce complications for both mothers and babies during severe influenza infections in pregnancy.

Continental health authorities have verified a fresh Ebola outbreak in the Ituri province of Congo.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that 246 suspected cases and 65 fatalities have been documented in this latest outbreak.

The majority of suspected Ebola cases have been identified in Ituri’s Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. Additional suspected cases have emerged in Bunia, which serves as Ituri province’s capital.

While only four deaths have received laboratory confirmation, health officials declared the new outbreak following numerous suspected cases.

Ituri sits in Congo’s remote eastern region with inadequate road infrastructure, positioned over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The Africa CDC highlighted a significant worry regarding the closeness of impacted regions to Uganda and South Sudan. Bunia, Ituri’s primary urban center, sits close to Uganda’s border.

The organization noted additional spread risks from heavy population movement, mining-related travel, and ongoing security problems in affected regions. Armed group attacks have resulted in dozens of deaths and displaced thousands throughout portions of Ituri province over the past year.

Contact tracing efforts face significant gaps, according to the Africa CDC, as regional officials work urgently to locate individuals potentially exposed to the virus.

The Africa CDC announced it has begun collaborating with national officials and partners to facilitate a “rapid, coordinated response.”

The agency organized an emergency high-level coordination meeting Friday involving health officials from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, along with essential partners including U.N. agencies and other nations.

The gathering will address immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, safe and dignified burials and resource mobilization, among other critical areas, according to the agency.

Congo ranks as Africa’s second-largest nation by territory and frequently encounters logistical difficulties when responding to disease outbreaks due to poor roads and vast distances.

In the previous year’s outbreak, which spanned three months, the World Health Organization initially encountered substantial obstacles delivering vaccines, requiring a full week following outbreak confirmation.

Financial support has presented ongoing challenges. Health officials expressed concerns about recent U.S. funding reductions during last year’s outbreak.

The U.S. previously backed Congo’s Ebola outbreak responses, including 2021 when the U.S. Agency for International Development allocated up to $11.5 million supporting continental efforts.

This represents Congo’s 17th outbreak since the disease initially appeared in the nation in 1976.

The current outbreak emerges approximately five months after Congo’s previous Ebola outbreak concluded in December following 43 deaths. The prior outbreak in northeastern Equateur province during 2022 resulted in six fatalities.

An Ebola outbreak spanning 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo claimed over 1,000 lives, representing the highest death toll following the 2014-2016 outbreak across West African nations Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia that killed more than 11,000 people.

The Ebola virus spreads easily and can transmit from wild animals to humans. Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with bodily fluids including vomit, blood or semen, and contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

The resulting disease presents as rare but serious — and frequently deadly — illness in humans. Symptoms encompass fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

Scientists first identified the virus in 1976, close to the Ebola lake in present-day Congo. Initial outbreaks developed in isolated Central African villages near tropical rainforests.

The World Health Organization issued a call Friday for stricter government oversight of nicotine pouches, expressing concern that these highly addictive products are being marketed in ways that specifically target younger consumers.

These lip-inserted products, which deliver a nicotine hit to users, have quickly emerged as a key revenue source for major tobacco corporations seeking to compensate for declining cigarette sales. However, advocacy groups and scientists have raised concerns about how these products are being promoted.

The global health organization emphasized that governments must implement stronger protective measures to shield people, particularly young individuals, from developing addictions.

According to the WHO, certain products contain elevated levels of highly addictive nicotine and utilize technology designed to accelerate and intensify drug delivery, while appealing to youth through specific flavors and attractive packaging.

“These products are engineered for addiction,” stated Etienne Krug, director of the WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at the WHO.

The international health organization highlighted extensive promotional campaigns on social media platforms and through influencers, lifestyle-focused marketing approaches, and sponsorships of concerts, festivals and sporting events with significant youth followings, including Formula 1. Even some supporters of pouches as smoking harm reduction tools acknowledge these marketing approaches are problematic.

The WHO reported that approximately 160 nations lack specific pouch regulations and recommended implementing various controls such as nicotine content limits, promotional restrictions, and flavor prohibitions or strict limitations.

Certain researchers and government officials believe nicotine pouches can help minimize tobacco-related health risks by providing smokers and potential smokers with cigarette alternatives. Health regulatory bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicate evidence demonstrates these products cause significantly less harm than tobacco and even other alternatives such as vaping devices.

Industry representatives maintain their focus is on adult smokers and nicotine consumers. Laura Leigh Oyler, vice president of regulatory affairs at Nicokick, an online store for nicotine pouches in the United States — the world’s largest pouch market — referenced FDA data indicating minimal youth usage.

“They are primarily being used by adults who already consume nicotine and are looking for lower-risk alternatives,” she said.

Health officials across Africa announced Friday that a fresh Ebola outbreak has emerged in Congo’s isolated Ituri province, where authorities have documented 246 suspected cases and 65 fatalities.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of deaths and suspected infections have occurred within the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones.

“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said.

The deadly virus spreads easily through contact with bodily fluids including vomit, blood, or semen. While uncommon, the illness it triggers is serious and frequently leads to death.

This recent outbreak emerges approximately five months following the end of Congo’s previous Ebola crisis, which claimed 43 lives before being declared over.

The current situation represents the nation’s 17th occurrence since the virus initially surfaced in Congo during 1976. A particularly devastating outbreak between 2018 and 2020 in the country’s eastern region resulted in over 1,000 fatalities.

Located in a distant area of Congo with inadequate transportation infrastructure, Ituri sits more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away from Kinshasa, the nation’s capital.

This health emergency adds to the challenges facing the Central African nation, which continues fighting multiple armed factions in its eastern territories, including the M23 rebel group that began an aggressive campaign in January of last year and has captured important urban centers.

The Ituri region specifically confronts ongoing attacks from the Allied Democratic Force militant organization, which maintains connections to the Islamic State and has killed numerous people throughout the eastern areas.

As Africa’s second-largest nation by territory, Congo regularly encounters operational difficulties when addressing disease outbreaks. During the previous year’s three-month outbreak, the World Health Organization initially struggled considerably with vaccine distribution due to restricted access and insufficient funding.

Continental health officials announced Friday that an Ebola outbreak has been verified in the Ituri province of Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention released a statement indicating they are organizing an emergency meeting with Congo, Uganda, South Sudan and international partners to strengthen border monitoring, preparedness and response measures.

Officials reported approximately 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths, primarily concentrated in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, with four fatalities confirmed among laboratory-verified cases.

Preliminary research indicates the presence of a non-Zaire strain of the virus, with genetic analysis continuing to provide further identification.

“Africa CDC is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the urban context of Bunia and Rwampara, intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu,” the agency stated.

The Ebola virus causes a serious and frequently deadly disease. According to the Africa CDC, transmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals, contaminated objects or those who have died from the illness.

Six travelers from a cruise vessel struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak touched down in Australia on Friday, beginning what officials expect will be at least a three-week isolation period.

A Gulfstream business aircraft transported the passengers from the Netherlands to RAAF Base Pearce near Perth, the capital of Western Australia. From there, the group was transferred to the Bullsbrook isolation facility located nearby.

On Thursday, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler announced the government would put in place “one of the strongest quarantine arrangements in response to this virus outbreak you’ll find anywhere in the world.”

The group consists of five Australian nationals and one citizen of New Zealand, who will remain at the isolation center that has sat mostly empty since its construction in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Officials have not yet determined what additional safety measures may be needed for the remaining portion of the 42-day potential incubation timeframe identified by the World Health Organization, Butler explained.

According to Butler, other passengers from the cruise vessel MV Hondius who returned to the United States and Britain will complete most of their isolation periods in their own homes.

All six passengers showed negative test results for the virus prior to departing the Netherlands and have shown no signs of illness, Butler reported.

The hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius affected 11 people total, with three fatalities reported.

The vessel was traveling from Argentina to the Antarctic region and then to various remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean when health officials identified the outbreak.

Now that all passengers and most crew members have been evacuated, the MV Hondius is returning to the Netherlands for thorough cleaning and sanitization procedures.

Health officials worldwide are facing a familiar challenge as a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship triggers memories of early pandemic fears and online panic.

The virus, carried by rodents and known as the Andes strain, has infected passengers on a luxury cruise vessel quarantined in the Atlantic Ocean. Three fatalities have occurred among 11 confirmed cases, with dozens of other passengers now under monitoring as they return to approximately 20 different countries.

Public health authorities find themselves walking a tightrope between providing timely information about a virus that poses serious risks but is unlikely to spark a pandemic, while avoiding the spread of unnecessary fear.

The health department of Illinois state demonstrated this careful approach earlier this week when posting about an unrelated case. “Hantavirus thread incoming,” they wrote, “But you have to promise to read this whole thread before panic-texting your group chat. Deal?”

Multiple health officials interviewed said they are applying lessons learned from pandemic-era communication failures, emphasizing empathy while addressing uncertainties and combating false information.

“We spend half of our time discussing how we will communicate,” explained the emergencies lead at the EU’s European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in government response and public messaging. Many administrations reacted slowly or denied problems initially, delivered confusing and contradictory information, implemented varying policies worldwide, and allowed misinformation and political division to flourish.

These failures contributed to widespread institutional distrust. Research indicates that confidence in public health agencies dropped in 20 out of 27 EU nations between 2020 and 2022.

Current health communication efforts focus on balancing explanations of why this constitutes a serious global health situation with reassurances about low public risk levels, while maintaining honesty about remaining unknowns regarding a virus that has rarely transmitted between humans previously.

“There are people who say we are overdoing it, and on the other extreme, that we’re not doing enough,” the EU official noted. “We always base our messages on the evidence we have.”

Social media activity suggests these communication efforts remain challenging, with many individuals unnecessarily worrying about potential returns to lockdowns, social distancing requirements, and mask mandates.

“We have kind of lost perspective,” observed a professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who specializes in hantavirus research and originates from Argentina.

He emphasized that disease outbreaks can represent major public health events requiring attention and action without necessarily becoming pandemics.

Online misinformation includes false claims presenting hantavirus as more dangerous than COVID, promoting unproven treatments like the anti-parasite medication ivermectin, vitamin D, and zinc. Conspiracy theories have also emerged, falsely linking the virus to vaccine side effects or pharmaceutical company profit schemes.

A psychology professor at England’s University of Cambridge who studies misinformation suggested the public requires better guidance on information interpretation, potentially including exposure to conspiracy theories they might encounter during outbreaks.

“We need to do more preparatory work to create resilience in the population,” he stated.

By Thursday, the outbreak had resulted in three deaths from 11 reported cases, all individuals who had traveled aboard the cruise vessel. Dozens of additional passengers remain under observation as they return home.

Unlike COVID, established protocols exist for controlling hantavirus transmission, officials noted. This particular strain has circulated in regions of Argentina and Chile for decades, and ship samples show no significant variation from that existing virus.

A former head of communications at the World Health Organization, who served until September last year, acknowledged improvements in current responses. “I’m definitely seeing improvements,” she said, particularly regarding sharing available information promptly.

“It seems like the public health community has absorbed crucial lessons, although not all of them.”

The WHO responded quickly to reassure the public, conducting regular press briefings, issuing alerts, and addressing misinformation through social media question-and-answer sessions since the outbreak became public on May 3.

The WHO chief took the unusual step of writing an open letter to residents of Tenerife, where the cruise ship docked on Sunday.

“But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID,” he wrote. “The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now.”

Some agencies began communications more slowly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States issued its first information on May 8, five days after news broke, but has since accelerated its communication pace.

“One of the things this is teaching us is a lesson we should have learned from COVID: What we say is really important,” said an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota.

The cruise ship setting has complicated the narrative, echoing memories of the Diamond Princess outbreak during early COVID in 2020, where 14 people died and nearly 25% of the 3,000 passengers and crew became infected while docked off Japan.

“The whole cruise ship thing … is a very significant memory from the beginning of COVID,” explained an associate professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

“There’s an emotional reaction that is stirring people.”

The similarity was apparent to a 40-year-old Tenerife resident as passengers began disembarking under strict infection-control protocols at the week’s beginning.

Witnessing the WHO leader’s arrival on the island with Spanish officials to help oversee the response brought back memories.

“It gave me the impression that this isn’t just the flu – otherwise all these people wouldn’t be coming,” she said at a playground, while adding that she understood their involvement helped ensure appropriate measures were taken.

Six passengers who were aboard a luxury cruise vessel during a fatal hantavirus outbreak have returned to Australia and begun mandatory isolation that will last a minimum of three weeks.

The group, consisting of four Australian citizens, one permanent resident, and one New Zealand resident, touched down Friday at a military airfield near Perth in Western Australia aboard a government-arranged aircraft, according to local news outlets.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed that every member of the returning group had received negative test results and showed no signs of illness before departing from the Netherlands.

“They will be transported immediately to the quarantine facility that’s effectively next door, and they will be tested again,” Butler told Sky News.

The World Health Organization reports that 11 passengers aboard the MV Hondius became infected with the virus, resulting in three fatalities.

Health officials from the WHO have advised a 42-day isolation period for all cruise passengers, while medical experts are encouraging public calm by emphasizing that this virus spreads much less easily than COVID-19 and presents minimal danger to the general population.

Rodents serve as the main carriers of hantavirus, though human-to-human transmission can occur in uncommon instances. The illness typically manifests with symptoms resembling the flu, including exhaustion and elevated body temperature, appearing one to eight weeks following contact, the WHO states.

Federal health regulators have issued a complete clinical hold on an experimental medication developed by Aardvark Therapeutics to address excessive appetite associated with Prader-Willi syndrome, effectively stopping all advanced-stage testing.

The company’s stock price dropped approximately 14% during after-hours trading following the announcement.

Aardvark had previously suspended patient enrollment and medication administration in February after discovering cardiac complications in healthy study participants who received doses of ARD-101 that exceeded planned levels.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s clinical hold encompasses all research involving ARD-101, including both a late-stage trial and an extension study focused on Prader-Willi syndrome.

According to the company, this regulatory action comes after their previously announced voluntary suspension, and they are currently engaged in ongoing conversations with the FDA to address the safety concerns.

The pharmaceutical developer reported that 68 patients had received the medication in the primary study and 19 participants in the extension trial by the end of February.

Company officials stated they plan to examine study information to evaluate both safety and effectiveness before determining their next course of action.

ARD-101, designed as an oral treatment, functions by stimulating intestinal hormones through the activation of taste receptors.

Aardvark reported having $91.2 million in cash and investments at the end of March, which the company projects will support operations through mid-2027.

A Vernon, California produce distributor has issued a voluntary recall for enoki mushrooms over concerns about bacterial contamination that could pose serious health risks.

IQ PRODUCE has pulled 528 cases of 150-gram packaged enoki mushrooms from distribution after discovering the products may contain Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

Health officials warn that this particular bacteria strain poses significant dangers to certain vulnerable groups. Young children, elderly individuals, and people with compromised immune systems face the greatest risk of developing severe infections that could potentially be life-threatening.

The recall notice was issued through federal food safety authorities as part of ongoing monitoring efforts to protect consumers from contaminated food products.

A New York-based company has issued a recall for imported smoked fish products due to safety concerns over improper preparation methods.

Terra Medi LLC, located in Long Island City, New York, is pulling all vacuum-sealed Hellas Meze Golden Smoked Whole herring from the market because the fish were not properly eviscerated. State agriculture regulations in New York prohibit the sale of fish that have not been properly cleaned due to risks associated with Clostridium Botul.

A California food distributor has issued a recall for enoki mushrooms due to concerns about bacterial contamination that could pose serious health risks.

HH Fresh Trading, based in Los Angeles, California State, is pulling 120 cases of Enoki Mushroom 150g packages from the market over potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

The bacteria can lead to severe and potentially deadly infections, particularly affecting young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.

During Mental Health Awareness Month this May, scientists worldwide continue studying how creating flourishing garden spaces can provide healing benefits.

Research demonstrates that working with plants helps rebuild hand coordination and muscle tone, enhances heart health, decreases stress and worry, reduces depressive symptoms, and creates a greater sense of purpose. The Old Farmer’s Almanac notes that even bacteria found in dirt naturally boost mood.

Those who tend plants can enhance their wellness practices by growing varieties that offer calming properties—such as soothing herbs that thrive inside homes.

Plants including lemon balm, catnip and holy basil fall into the category of “nervine herbs” because they influence the nervous system to create gentle relaxation—diminishing tension through pleasant tastes and scents while helping pollinating insects.

The Almanac provides guidance for raising and utilizing peaceful herbs that encourage daily wellness:

Lemon balm

Research indicates that lemon balm can enhance recall abilities and learning capacity. Furthermore, touching its foliage releases a calming mint-like scent, and rubbing crushed leaves on skin may repel bugs.

Create a soothing beverage using either fresh or dried tart leaves. Add 1 cup of hot water to 5-6 fresh leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried material. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes. Filter out plant matter and include honey or mint as preferred. Consume multiple times daily.

For a cooling, citrus-flavored beverage, simply mix crushed leaves into chilled water.

This returning plant reaches 1-2 feet in height when grown in sunny to partially shaded areas, needs quality soil, and sprouts easily from seeds. Because it belongs to the mint plant group, contain it within a container without a bottom or bordered garden area to prevent spreading throughout your yard. Cut the upper portion before flowering begins and suspend for drying.

Chamomile

Chamomile can calm upset stomachs and reduce feelings of sadness and worry when incorporated into contemporary plant-based remedies. It’s recognized for helping with sleeplessness, loosening tight muscles, and calming irritated or swollen skin.

Prepare a peaceful beverage using fresh or dried flower heads. Add 1 cup of hot water to 1 teaspoon of plant material. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, or extended time for stronger calming properties.

Chamomile can also be added to bath water for a peaceful experience, and you can fill a small bag or clean fabric sock with chamomile to place in clothing storage areas.

This yearly plant can reach 2 feet in height, prefers bright sunlight, and grows easily from seeds. Collect and dry the flowers when they reach full bloom.

Lavender

Lavender creates mild calming, comforting and sleep-inducing effects when its fragrance is breathed in. Scent therapy using lavender may help decrease nervous system activity, enhance sleep quality and focus, encourage relaxation and lessen worry.

Prepare a peaceful beverage by heating 8 ounces of water. Put 4 teaspoons of fresh lavender flower buds into a tea strainer or small bag. Combine the strainer and heated water in a cup, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

This returning plant originates from the Mediterranean region and can be difficult to cultivate in certain areas. It prefers dry, basic soil with low-to-moderate nutrients—avoiding overly rich or moist conditions. Collect stems before buds open and suspend for drying.

Catnip

Beyond feline entertainment, this aromatic, mint-family plant with white blooms can help settle nerves, comfort digestive issues, and create mild sleepiness.

Consume as a beverage 2-3 times daily to experience its effects. Add 1 cup of hot water to 2 teaspoons of dried catnip leaves or flowers. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Include lemon juice and honey if wanted.

This returning plant grows easily from seeds, reaches approximately 3 feet tall, thrives in bright sun, and performs well in poor, dry earth. Preserve some for colder months by cutting the upper portion before blooming starts and hanging to dry. Allow some stems to flower for pollinating insects.

Holy basil

Tulsi or holy basil demonstrates mood-lifting and worry-reducing qualities. Unlike the sweet variety used on pizza, it offers a strong, spicy taste.

Utilize fresh or dried leaves for beverage preparation. Add boiling water to ½-1 teaspoon of plant material per cup of water. Let sit for 5-7 minutes, or longer for stronger taste and more beneficial elements.

As a warm-season yearly plant, it grows easily from seeds, thrives in bright sun to partial shade, and reaches 2 feet tall in fertile, damp soil. It can be grown in containers to move indoors during winter.

The Virginia Cooperative Extension publications page offers a useful resource on herb growing and usage.

EyePoint announced Thursday that an independent safety monitoring board discovered no fresh safety issues during their review of two advanced clinical trials testing an experimental vision treatment called Duravyu, giving the go-ahead for research to proceed as planned.

The medication under investigation targets wet age-related macular degeneration, commonly known as wet AMD, which represents a major source of sight deterioration among elderly individuals and can result in fuzzy vision or dark spots in central sight areas.

Safety monitors conducted their third planned assessment and determined the research should move forward without any modifications to study protocols.

According to EyePoint, preliminary results from the initial trial remain scheduled for mid-2026, while findings from the companion study are anticipated shortly thereafter.

The clinical trials have recruited more than 900 participants and are comparing Duravyu’s effectiveness against Regeneron’s established eye medication, Eylea.

EyePoint reported that preliminary safety information demonstrated a positive safety record, matching outcomes observed in over 190 participants from four previous studies.

Financial analysts from RBC Capital Markets stated the safety review met their predictions and boosted their confidence that repeated administration of EyePoint’s experimental treatment hasn’t created safety issues.

EyePoint explained the primary objective of these trials is to demonstrate that Duravyu performs comparably to Eylea in preserving patients’ eyesight at the 52 and 56-week marks.

The pharmaceutical company is also conducting advanced trials of the medication for diabetic macular edema, with results anticipated during the latter half of 2027.

In March, EyePoint initiated legal action against competitor Ocular Therapeutix, claiming the company made false statements regarding EyePoint and Duravyu.

BORDEAUX (AP) — Health officials in France have permitted travelers who remained healthy during a gastrointestinal illness outbreak aboard a British cruise vessel to leave the ship in Bordeaux, after laboratory tests identified the culprit as norovirus, a contagious stomach illness.

Initially, French health officials required all passengers and crew members aboard The Ambition — numbering more than 1,700 people — to stay on the vessel, but reversed course Wednesday evening by allowing healthy individuals to disembark. A traveler was observed celebrating with raised arms as he exited the ship.

Officials have not disclosed the exact number of people who departed the vessel.

Health authorities in France emphasized that this incident bears no connection to a fatal hantavirus situation on a vessel from the Netherlands that has concerned European health officials in recent weeks.

The Ambition had completed half of its planned 14-day voyage departing from Belfast and Liverpool, with intended visits to ports in northern Spain and France’s Atlantic coastline when the illness struck. The ship arrived in Bordeaux Tuesday evening, according to its operator, Ambassador Cruise Line. Whether the voyage will continue remains uncertain.

Laboratory testing conducted at Bordeaux University Hospital verified the presence of norovirus. Regional officials stated that no severe medical cases have emerged and that ill travelers received treatment from the vessel’s onboard medical staff.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which monitors illness outbreaks on ships visiting American and international ports, 23 digestive illness outbreaks occurred on cruise vessels during the previous year. Norovirus, including a newer variant, caused the majority of these incidents.

Ambassador Cruise Line, a British company serving travelers aged 50 and older, began operations in 2021.

NEW YORK (AP) — Years after officials declared the COVID-19 pandemic over, its lasting effects continue to shape our daily lives — remote work arrangements, people choosing to wear masks regularly, and hand sanitizer stations that have become permanent fixtures.

However, some consequences run deeper and are less visible. These include the emotional wounds we carry — mourning for family and friends we lost, ongoing health problems, and the feeling that our lives were derailed. Recently, another effect has emerged following a uncommon hantavirus outbreak on a cruise vessel: anxiety that we might face another pandemic, despite official statements saying otherwise.

When fear spreads widely, whether among individuals or throughout society, it can signal that something fundamental is broken. Perhaps no aspect of our post-pandemic world is more firmly established than the erosion of trust in institutions that many previously considered reliable — scientific establishments, governmental bodies, and information sources themselves.

“COVID undermined our trust in what most of us used to trust,” said Elisa Jayne Bienenstock, a research professor and sociologist at Arizona State University. “When general trust goes down, when there’s a lot of cynicism, who are people looking to, to explain what to do and how the world works?”

Prior to 2020, disease outbreaks in distant locations typically didn’t generate widespread alarm beyond the directly affected regions, even when some epidemics resulted in substantial death tolls.

Part of this was due to complacency in an era when international travel wasn’t as readily available to ordinary people as it has become, which played a crucial role in COVID-19’s global transmission.

Actually, outbreaks of the present hantavirus strain have occurred in various South American nations over the years, including a 1997 incident in Chile. Other nations have experienced epidemics of different diseases ranging from cholera to dengue to SARS, while the U.S. has encountered West Nile, Legionnaire’s disease and others.

However, in our post-COVID-19 era, it didn’t take much time for worries and questions to emerge about disease transmission in the days right after initial reports that three individuals had died from hantavirus on the vessel. Officials have identified nine confirmed and two suspected cases total, including the deaths.

Medical authorities have consistently stressed that while the virus can cause severe illness in infected individuals, the likelihood of transmission among the general population remains minimal. Nevertheless, when ship passengers were transported to the Spanish island of Tenerife for disembarkation, local residents like Samantha Aguero expressed worry.

“We feel a bit unsafe. We don’t feel as there are 100% security measures in place to welcome it,” she said. “This is a virus, after all, and we have lived this during the pandemic.”

Bienenstock identifies three institutions that have experienced declining public confidence: government, media and scientific establishments. However, government officials and reporters were already dealing with public distrust issues before the pandemic began.

Scientific skepticism gained momentum not because researchers were making errors in their methodology but because non-scientists lacked the same comprehension, she explained.

“Most people don’t think of science as a process. In their mind, science is an answer, it’s a fact. And so when those facts showed that they weren’t 100% reliable and assured, it started undermining trust in the science,” she said.

“One of the problems with COVID is it undermined that confidence in science for people who don’t understand how science works. It showed the process. And it showed that scientists don’t always have the answer,” Bienenstock said. “A lot of people in crisis, when they fear things, don’t care what the answer is, as long as there’s a definitive answer. And science doesn’t provide that when it doesn’t know.”

The impact extends beyond whatever issue currently dominates public attention. Secondary effects also occur.

“COVID … didn’t just heighten people’s sensitivity to health threats. It did so unevenly, in ways often disconnected from actual risk,” said Michele Gelfand, professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. “As trust in institutions has weakened, people have lost a key way to navigate uncertainty together. Without trust, people rely more on rumor, fear, and emotion, which can lead them to overreact to small risks and underreact to serious ones.”

Karlynn Morgan, a 76-year-old retired nurse-anesthetist in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has observed this increased focus, with more individuals lacking medical or scientific training discussing health matters than before the pandemic.

She has also been troubled by what appears to be growing distrust in scientific knowledge, evidenced by declining vaccination rates and increasing cases of diseases like measles.

“I think people are far less trusting because people used to take their children and just get the vaccine,” she said. “When I was a kid, there was no question you were going to go get your shot.”

For trust to be restored, Gelfand explained in an email, leadership involvement is essential.

“They set the threat signal. They determine whether people get accurate information about the level of danger or distorted information that serves a political agenda. When leaders send clear, honest signals, people can calibrate in the face of threat. When leaders manipulate threat for their own purposes, norms erode and and trust collapses,” Gelfand said.

“Strong, reliable institutions have historically been our superpower as a society. They’re what allow millions of people to coordinate under uncertainty without knowing each other personally,” she said. “Without that institutional backbone, we lose the very capacity for collective action that has helped human groups survive for millennia.”

A biotechnology company announced Thursday that its investigational treatment for a muscle-wasting condition successfully achieved its primary endpoint in advanced clinical testing.

The company reported that the experimental therapy designed to address muscle-wasting disorders reached its main objective during the late-stage trial, representing a key milestone in the treatment’s development process.

Pharmaceutical company Biogen announced Thursday that its experimental Alzheimer’s treatment failed to achieve its primary objective in a mid-stage clinical trial.

The company revealed on May 14 that the drug did not reach the main endpoint researchers had established for the study.

Cancer treatment centers nationwide are working rapidly to provide patients access to a breakthrough experimental medication for pancreatic cancer through a special early access program while awaiting anticipated FDA approval.

Federal regulators approved the expanded access program on May 1, coming less than three weeks after Revolution Medicines announced that their once-daily medication, daraxonrasib, showed remarkable results by doubling patient survival times in clinical testing for advanced pancreatic cancer – one of the most fatal cancer types with extremely low five-year survival statistics.

Revolution Medicines had requested federal permission to distribute the treatment at no cost to patients with previously treated pancreatic cancer that had metastasized throughout the body.

“The public caught wind of the FDA announcement… which has triggered a deluge of patient requests,” said Dr. Daniel King, medical oncologist at the Zuckerberg Cancer Center of Northwell Health. “Cancer centers are all figuring out how to engage with our own institutions, opening up the protocols to provide access.”

Medical specialists indicate that obtaining approval and administering the expanded access program will be time-consuming and will demand cancer facilities to allocate significant resources beyond their standard procedures.

The medication became one of the initial treatments accepted by federal regulators last year under their new fast-track review system, and could receive approval within one to two months following submission of a complete application.

The Redwood City, California-based Revolution Medicines did not provide immediate response to requests for comment.

CEO Mark Goldsmith, during a conference call last week, refused to predict how many patients might pursue early access to the treatment and provided no timeline for complete FDA submission. “There’s a full-throttle effort to do it,” he stated.

Former Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse recently disclosed that he has Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and informed the CBS news program “60 Minutes” that he is taking the Revolution drug.

The medication targets a genetic alteration present in approximately 90% of pancreatic cancers and demonstrated in clinical testing the ability to extend median survival to 13.2 months versus 6.7 months for patients receiving chemotherapy.

“Doubling survival compared to best available chemotherapy is a big deal,” said Dr. Gulam Manji, co-director of the pancreas center at Columbia/New York-Presbyterian. “It is not a cure, but I think that this drug is a new breakthrough we can build on.”

During his decade-long career, Manji recalled requesting compassionate use of an experimental treatment for only one other patient. During a recent clinic day, the Columbia specialist reported that seven patients inquired about beginning treatment with daraxonrasib.

Providing them access involves much more complexity than prescribing an FDA-approved medication, according to him and other cancer experts.

“Patients are already aware of the press release and are already calling,” said Dr. Vincent Chung, pancreas cancer specialist at City of Hope. “The challenge now is how to proceed.”

The program demands that doctors submit individual patient requests to Revolution Medicines, Chung explained, and if the company determines they qualify as good candidates, all documentation must then be forwarded to the FDA. Hospital oversight committees will need to monitor the patients.

“Given the volume, I am not sure what will happen on the FDA side. I’m sure they don’t want to have 10,000 applications at once,” Chung said, noting that the agency might instead establish a broader enrollment system.

Manji indicated his understanding that cancer centers will not need to gather comprehensive patient data under the expanded access program, but must report severe side effects or other complications.

The FDA did not provide response to requests for comment. The expedited voucher program was promoted as a major accomplishment by Dr. Marty Makary, who stepped down as FDA Commissioner on Tuesday following weeks of disagreements with Trump administration officials.

Approximately 67,000 Americans will receive pancreatic cancer diagnoses this year, with 53,000 expected to die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

“We are doing this as a service to our patients,” Chung said. “I’m hoping of course that the FDA is going to review the data and then there is an approval much sooner than is typical.”

AstraZeneca announced Thursday that their cancer treatment Imfinzi demonstrated meaningful survival benefits for bladder cancer patients when used alongside a targeted medication before surgical procedures, according to results from a late-stage clinical trial.

The pharmaceutical company reported that while Imfinzi alone showed promising results, a combination approach using both Imfinzi and Imjudo with the pre-surgical treatment did not reach statistical significance for overall survival outcomes.

Key findings from the study include:

• When Imfinzi was administered both before and following surgical procedures, combined with pre-operative enfortumab vedotin (EV), patients experienced statistically meaningful improvements in both event-free survival and overall survival rates.

• Enfortumab vedotin serves as a pre-surgical treatment designed to reduce tumor size before the operation takes place.

• The treatment combinations showed safety profiles that matched expectations based on previous studies of the individual medications, with no unexpected safety concerns emerging during the trial.

• The company noted that approximately 25% of bladder cancer patients develop muscle-invasive disease, a condition where cancer cells penetrate the bladder’s muscle wall but have not spread to distant parts of the body.

A cancer specialist from Oregon finds himself as the sole American patient in a specialized isolation facility in Nebraska after exposure to hantavirus during a cruise ship outbreak.

Dr. Stephen Kornfeld from Bend, Oregon, stepped up to assist other travelers who fell ill aboard the MV Hondius during an April voyage. He was part of more than 120 passengers and crew members who were removed from the vessel and transported to various nations for quarantine procedures.

Though 15 fellow Americans are under observation at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Kornfeld was placed in a different isolation area after a nasal sample he provided while on the ship showed positive results for the virus.

“I feel wonderful, 100%,” Kornfeld shared with CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” during a video interview from his hospital accommodation on Tuesday.

The physician mentioned experiencing flu-like conditions while aboard the vessel, including night sweats, chills and exhaustion, but stated he currently has no symptoms.

The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that 11 hantavirus infections connected to the cruise have been documented globally, with three fatalities reported. Laboratory testing has verified eight of these cases.

Kornfeld explained that a nasal specimen he provided on the ship underwent two separate examinations in the Netherlands. One test returned negative while the other showed positive results. He is currently waiting for outcomes from a fresh test conducted upon his return to the United States.

“The initial test that we received was from abroad and it was inconclusive in its results,” Dr. David Fitter of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed reporters Wednesday. “So we’re in the process of testing currently and we hope to have those results back in a day or so.”

Beyond the passengers brought to Nebraska, two additional Americans are under surveillance at the serious communicable disease unit at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Medical authorities report this marks the first hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise vessel. Although no treatment or prevention exists for hantavirus, the WHO states that prompt identification and care enhance survival chances.

Public health experts indicate the danger to the broader population from this cruise ship incident remains minimal. Hantavirus typically spreads through rodent waste and does not easily transfer between humans, though the Andes virus found on the Hondius might spread person-to-person in uncommon situations.

The WHO recommends that all passengers and crew from the cruise remain in quarantine, whether at home or designated facilities, for 42 days.

Kornfeld characterized his accommodations in Nebraska as a hospital room equipped with a comfortable bed.

“It’s a little weird being in here by myself,” he said. “But the nurses come in, the doctors come in. I’m on WhatsApp all the time. It’s really amazing how quickly time flies.”

A California food manufacturer has pulled certain batches of its popular noodle products from store shelves after discovering they may contain traces of peanuts, posing a serious health risk to those with nut allergies.

The Los Angeles-based company Fly By Jing announced the voluntary recall on May 12, 2026, affecting specific production runs of their Creamy Sesame Noodles available in both individual servings and four-packs.

According to the company, the noodle products may have come into contact with peanuts during the manufacturing process, creating a dangerous situation for consumers who suffer from peanut allergies. Such exposure could trigger severe allergic reactions that may be life-threatening.

The recall notice was issued through the Food and Drug Administration as part of standard food safety protocols when potential allergen contamination is discovered.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services faced a deepening leadership crisis this week as multiple top positions remained vacant across the nation’s key health agencies.

At the start of the week, no Senate-confirmed surgeon general was in place. The director of the National Institutes of Health was simultaneously serving as interim leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Drug Administration was operating without a permanent vaccine director after that position was vacated twice within twelve months.

The situation deteriorated further Tuesday when Dr. Marty Makary stepped down from his role as FDA commissioner, creating yet another vacancy at a critical health agency. Makary’s exit has expanded the leadership void that has characterized HHS during Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s time in office.

While government agencies commonly experience delays in filling Senate-confirmed positions, especially when partisan control margins are slim, health experts argue the current level of instability at HHS is extraordinary and troubling given the lack of scientific credentials among remaining leaders.

“It’s a sign that something is not right in this department,” said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former senior employee at the CDC.

The leadership problems have been worsened by widespread staff reductions and terminations, along with broader disruptions caused by Kennedy’s health policy initiatives, according to critics.

HHS did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment Wednesday.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who directs the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that most citizens ignore these agencies’ leadership until health emergencies emerge — such as the current hantavirus outbreak. These critical moments offer chances to rebuild public confidence in federal health institutions, which has declined in recent years, she explained.

“The key question for me is, when we need these agencies to speak, will they have the capacity to draw the science together and tell us what we need to know?” Jamieson said.

Makary’s departure from the FDA leaves several important projects incomplete, including ongoing evaluations of ultra-processed foods, artificial food coloring, antidepressant medications, and coronavirus vaccines.

The next permanent FDA leader will face the same difficult challenge that complicated Makary’s time in office: finding balance between traditional Republican anti-regulation views and Kennedy’s anti-corporate agenda, which emphasizes examining ingredients in food products, medications, and vaccines.

The agency is currently developing an unprecedented definition for “ultra-processed foods,” which Kennedy links to increased rates of diabetes, obesity, and other chronic health problems in America. This responsibility now belongs to the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, Kyle Diamantas, who recently called the ultra-processed foods project “really hard” during a health conference.

Trump selected Diamantas to serve as interim FDA head. He also works as a senior advisor to Kennedy. As an attorney and associate of Donald Trump Jr., Diamantas becomes the first FDA leader in over fifty years without medical or scientific education.

“Kyle Diamantas now has a nearly impossible charge,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official now at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Leading, as a non-scientist, a science-based agency under an unqualified secretary who puts his own medical and nutritional pet peeves over evidence-based public health.”

The administration initially chose former Florida Representative Dr. David Weldon to direct the CDC, but his March 2025 Senate confirmation hearing was abruptly cancelled one hour before it was scheduled to start. Weldon reported being informed that insufficient senators supported his nomination.

The White House then selected Susan Monarez, who received Senate confirmation but was removed after less than thirty days due to policy disagreements with the administration. Several prominent CDC scientific leaders quit in protest, stating that Monarez’s firing eliminated their hopes that a CDC director could protect the agency’s scientific research and health guidance from political interference.

Following her removal, various HHS officials have served in acting director roles. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the National Institutes of Health, has supervised the CDC since February. Trump recently nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, for the CDC director position, which requires Senate approval.

Current and former CDC staff members report a shortage of experienced public health leadership at the organization and say Kennedy’s staff have restricted and sometimes blocked the agency’s public communication and comprehensive science-based operations.

HHS representatives have stated that the CDC’s essential public health duties have remained “intact and effective” and that organizational changes represent efforts “to restore credibility through transparency, gold standard science, and accountability.”

Jernigan, who resigned last August from a senior CDC role that still lacks a permanent successor, explained that the leadership changes mean there hasn’t been a “strong, present CDC director” to advocate for crucial agency funding, hiring, or keeping qualified scientists.

During the ongoing hantavirus outbreak response, the CDC sent teams to evacuate and isolate potentially exposed Americans, health officials conducted media briefings, and Bhattacharya appeared on Fox News to reassure the public. However, he provided incorrect information and exaggerated what was actually known about the outbreak at that time. Jernigan recommended allowing more career scientists to communicate with the public.

“That will do more for trust and for calming the nerves of the U.S. right now,” he said.

The leadership upheaval occurs as HHS and the White House have redirected attention toward health programs focused on nutrition, lifestyle, and cost reduction in recent months before midterm elections, publicly moving away from Kennedy’s initial efforts to weaken vaccine recommendations.

Although Kennedy initially celebrated having authority to select his own deputy officials, the administration’s recent appointments suggest that the health secretary’s close supporters may no longer be prioritized.

For instance, last month, after withdrawing a surgeon general candidate connected to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again campaign, Trump nominated radiologist and former Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier. She has promoted vaccines more strongly than Kennedy and has sometimes called current HHS actions “embarrassing.” Her nomination requires Senate confirmation.

Despite the leadership chaos creating uncertainty within federal health agencies, Kennedy has maintained a high profile as their collective spokesperson. This concerns Jernigan, who believes Kennedy doesn’t always prioritize the strongest scientific evidence in his decisions.

“The driver for the secretary is the ideology,” Jernigan said. “And that’s not a strategy for really improving the health of Americans.”

French health officials have quarantined more than 1,700 passengers and crew members aboard a British cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after dozens fell ill with stomach-related symptoms.

Regional authorities banned anyone from leaving the vessel Ambition after nearly 50 passengers developed signs of acute digestive illness, according to a Wednesday announcement from French officials.

The cruise ship, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, had arrived at the French port Tuesday night during what was supposed to be a two-week voyage that began in Belfast and Liverpool, with planned stops along Spain’s northern coast and France’s Atlantic shoreline.

Étienne Guyot, the regional prefect for Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde, halted all passenger departures and limited the ship’s contact with Bordeaux port facilities following guidance from local health authorities.

The ship’s captain notified French officials Tuesday evening after passengers began showing symptoms, prompting immediate action from health agencies.

Medical personnel aboard the vessel have been treating the sick passengers, who have been quarantined in their individual rooms while awaiting further evaluation.

A specialized medical team was sent to examine the situation, and biological samples have been sent to a Bordeaux medical facility for testing to determine the exact cause of the illness.

French authorities emphasized that this incident has no connection to a recent deadly hantavirus outbreak on a different cruise ship.

“There is no reason to establish a link between this outbreak aboard a cruise ship from Belfast and Liverpool and the hantavirus cases detected aboard the MV Hondius,” officials stated in their announcement.

The hantavirus situation on the Hondius vessel last month resulted in an international health response, with affected passengers requiring hospitalization across multiple countries including Britain, France, Spain and the United States. That outbreak claimed three lives and produced nine confirmed infections, with two additional suspected cases.

Ambassador Cruise Line reported Wednesday that a 92-year-old male passenger had passed away Sunday, though he had not shown any symptoms related to the current illness outbreak. A coroner has yet to determine his official cause of death.

As of Wednesday morning, the cruise company confirmed that 48 passengers and one crew member were experiencing gastrointestinal problems.

The company’s records indicate the cases began appearing after passengers boarded the ship in Liverpool on May 9. All planned shore activities in Bordeaux have been cancelled, with full refunds being provided to affected travelers.

This outbreak adds to a concerning trend, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented 23 gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships visiting American ports in 2025 alone – the highest yearly count in over ten years. The majority of these cases have been attributed to norovirus, including a new variant responsible for the recent increase.

Ambassador Cruise Line, a British company that launched in 2021 and caters primarily to passengers over age 50, said it expects to provide additional updates once laboratory analysis results become available later Wednesday.

Federal health officials announced Wednesday they are implementing a nationwide six-month suspension of new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health care providers as part of an expanded effort to combat fraud in government health programs.

The temporary ban will prevent any new providers in these sectors from joining Medicare’s reimbursement system during the moratorium period, according to an announcement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“We’ve seen systemic and deeply troubling fraud in the hospice and home health space, with bad actors exploiting some of our most vulnerable Medicare patients and stealing money from the American taxpayer,” CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said in a statement. “Today we’re shutting the door on fraud-preventing new bad actors from entering Medicare while we aggressively identify, investigate, and remove those already exploiting them.”

The action stems from an anti-fraud initiative led by Vice President JD Vance’s task force, which President Trump established to combat misuse of taxpayer dollars. The announcement comes amid nationwide concerns about increasing healthcare costs and access challenges, some resulting from federal policy changes. New Medicaid work requirements are anticipated to burden hospitals nationwide and cause millions to lose health insurance coverage.

While numerous fraud cases have been pursued in hospice and home healthcare sectors, and states recognize legitimate concerns exist, some officials have criticized the administration’s aggressive approach. They worry these broad measures might unfairly impact legitimate providers working to serve patients.

Federal officials argue this suspension and related measures will help prevent Medicare and Medicaid fraud while protecting resources for those who need them most. Current hospice and home health providers will continue normal operations during the pause, but CMS plans to “intensify targeted investigations, deploy advanced data analytics, and accelerate the removal” of providers suspected of fraudulent practices.

Such enrollment freezes have precedent, according to Tricia Neumann, a senior vice president and executive director for Medicare policy at healthcare research organization KFF. She noted that President Clinton’s administration also implemented a temporary home health agency moratorium.

“A brief moratorium gives the administration time to crack down on true fraud and prevent new fraudulent entities from popping up,” she said.

Recently, CMS has suspended payments to hundreds of Los Angeles hospice and home care agencies due to suspected fraud and implemented another six-month moratorium on durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and related supply providers in Medicare.

The administration has also launched investigations into potential healthcare fraud in at least five states and suspended approximately $243 million in Medicaid payments to Minnesota over fraud concerns. Last month, Oz announced CMS would require all states to submit plans for revalidating certain Medicaid providers.

However, the administration has made errors in its fraud accusations. In April, CMS admitted to The Associated Press that it made significant mistakes in data used to justify a fraud investigation in New York. This acknowledgment has raised questions about the administration’s methods and reinforced criticism that the Trump administration often acts before verifying facts.

Federal health officials report that roughly 70,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2025, representing a 14% reduction compared to the year before, according to newly released preliminary data.

Wednesday’s federal report reveals this marks the third consecutive year of declining overdose fatalities, creating the most extended period of improvement seen in recent decades. The 2025 numbers mirror overdose deaths recorded in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began.

Multiple drug categories showed reductions in fatal overdoses, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Most states experienced decreases in overdose deaths, though Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico saw significant increases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

Brandon Marshall, a Brown University researcher specializing in overdose patterns, expressed measured hope about the trend. “I’m cautiously optimistic that this represents really a fundamental change in the arc of the overdose crisis,” Marshall stated.

Despite the encouraging statistics, Marshall and fellow researchers emphasize that overdose deaths remain at concerning levels, and several factors could trigger another surge, including shifts in government policy or changes in available street drugs.

“If deaths are going down rapidly, that means they can increase just as rapidly if we take our foot off the gas,” Marshall warned.

While overdose fatalities had been climbing for decades, they surged dramatically during the pandemic years, reaching nearly 110,000 deaths in 2022. The pandemic increase coincided with widespread social isolation and reduced access to addiction treatment services.

As pandemic restrictions lifted, death rates began falling. Experts point to several contributing factors: greater access to naloxone, the overdose-reversing medication; expanded treatment programs; changes in drug use patterns; and the impact of billions in settlement funds from opioid litigation.

Research also indicates the population at highest overdose risk may be shrinking, as fewer young people begin using drugs and many long-term users have died. Additionally, regulatory changes implemented by China several years ago appear to have reduced access to chemicals needed for fentanyl production.

However, health and law enforcement agencies have recently raised concerns about new substances detected with increasing frequency throughout 2025.

Alex Krotulski leads the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, a federally supported toxicology laboratory in Horsham, Pennsylvania, that serves as a key component of the national drug monitoring network.

Throughout 2025, the facility discovered 27 previously unknown drugs. In less than five months of 2026, researchers have already identified 23 new substances, Krotulski reported.

One particularly concerning drug under surveillance is cychlorphine, a powerful synthetic opioid reportedly up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl. Experts believe it’s being mixed into other illegal drugs without users’ awareness.

“The drug supply continues to change and evolve,” Krotulski explained.

Simultaneously, the Trump administration has been eliminating programs aimed at reducing overdose deaths and drug-related infections. Last month, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration informed grant recipients that funding would cease for test strips and kits that help users detect dangerous additives in their drugs.

Administration officials state they’re moving away from services that enable illegal drug use, including needle exchange programs and phone support lines for active users.

A group of mothers who lost children to overdoses recently met with media representatives to oppose government policies emphasizing punishment and imprisonment.

Kimberly Douglas established Black Moms Against Overdose following her 17-year-old son’s death.

“We are starting to see overdoses go down in some places and that’s because of harm reduction” services like those being targeted by the Trump administration, she said.

Federal health officials announced Wednesday that fatal drug overdoses across the United States continued their downward trend in 2025, dropping by almost 14% compared to the previous year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s preliminary data reveals that approximately 69,973 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2025, a significant decrease from the estimated 81,313 deaths recorded in 2024.

Health experts point to the expanded access to naloxone, a life-saving overdose reversal drug, as a major factor behind the encouraging statistics. The medication has become increasingly available to first responders, community organizations, and the general public.

Opioid-related fatalities specifically showed substantial improvement, falling from an estimated 55,296 deaths in 2024 to 44,564 in 2025, according to the CDC’s provisional figures.

Despite these positive trends, synthetic opioids like fentanyl continue to be the primary driver of overdose deaths nationwide, the data indicates.

While the majority of states experienced reductions in overdose fatalities, the report noted that New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado bucked the national trend with increases of 10% or higher when compared to the same timeframe in 2024.

Marty Makary has stepped down from his position as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration following what sources describe as a challenging 13-month period leading the federal agency.

Makary’s departure marks the end of his tenure overseeing the nation’s primary food and drug safety regulatory body during a period marked by significant challenges and controversy.

Travelers who experienced a fatal hantavirus outbreak during an Antarctic cruise expedition face significant barriers if they want to pursue legal action against the ship’s operator, according to maritime law experts.

The situation unfolded aboard the MV Hondius, a polar expedition vessel flying under the Dutch flag and operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship was carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew members near Antarctica when officials reported a cluster of serious respiratory illnesses to international health authorities on May 3.

Medical officials confirmed the outbreak as hantavirus after detecting the virus in a passenger who had left the ship in late April and received medical treatment in South Africa. While hantavirus typically spreads through contact with rodents, the particular strain discovered on the vessel can transmit between humans.

Health investigators are still working to determine how the virus made its way onto the ship. As of Tuesday, three deaths have been linked to the outbreak, and the World Health Organization reported nine confirmed cases on Monday. The final passengers left the vessel on Monday, ending their extended ordeal at sea.

Legal experts say passengers face an uphill battle in court due to extensive liability protections built into Oceanwide’s passenger agreements. The company’s general terms and conditions, posted on their website, state that Oceanwide cannot be held responsible for various incidents ranging from passenger illness and death to stolen belongings and criminal acts.

However, Dutch legal specialists note that these broad liability shields might not withstand court scrutiny if passengers can demonstrate the company acted with extreme negligence. Any legal challenges would need to be filed in the Netherlands, as specified in the company’s terms and conditions.

So far, no passengers have announced plans to file lawsuits or indicated they intend to pursue legal action.

Proving extreme negligence or reckless behavior under Dutch legal standards presents a substantial challenge and would require evidence showing Oceanwide knowingly engaged in dangerous practices, legal experts explained.

Such evidence might include disregarding health authority warnings or instructions, or failing to implement standard infection prevention measures while understanding these failures could endanger passengers, according to legal professionals.

No reports have emerged suggesting the MV Hondius crew engaged in improper conduct, and some passengers have publicly commended the crew’s response to the crisis. Oceanwide Expeditions did not respond to requests for comment.

The company’s terms and conditions designate the District Court of Middelburg in the Netherlands as the only venue for filing lawsuits. Legal experts say courts in the United States and other countries typically respect these jurisdictional requirements and would likely reject cases filed elsewhere.

Passengers might challenge Oceanwide’s comprehensive liability waivers as unreasonable and legally unenforceable under European Union consumer protection regulations, Dutch legal experts suggested.

Travelers could also argue that the company’s extensive liability protections violate EU contract fairness laws for consumers, which invalidate terms that create an unreasonable advantage for businesses.

Family members of passengers who died could potentially file wrongful death lawsuits, though Oceanwide would likely maintain that the ticket terms still govern claims related to the voyage and insist on Dutch court jurisdiction.

In Dutch courts, families could contend they never surrendered their wrongful death legal rights and attempt to persuade judges that Oceanwide’s terms were unjust and unreasonable. Nevertheless, they would still face the challenging task of proving extreme negligence or reckless conduct.

Dutch legal experts say there is minimal precedent for passengers suing cruise operators in Dutch courts.

Cruise companies faced passenger litigation in the United States regarding COVID-19 exposure, but courts dismissed many cases because plaintiffs couldn’t demonstrate how cruise operators directly caused their illnesses.

Unlike major cruise corporations such as Carnival, Oceanwide appears to lack U.S. business connections that could establish American court jurisdiction.

Oceanwide Expeditions announced Wednesday they will determine by Friday whether their cruise vessel will proceed with planned summer Arctic voyages following a fatal hantavirus outbreak that claimed three lives.

The MV Hondius, flying under a Dutch flag, had been scheduled to embark on Arctic expeditions starting with a May 29 departure, according to the cruise line’s website.

The deadly outbreak has resulted in three fatalities, including a married couple from the Netherlands who health authorities believe contracted the virus first during their South American travels. Medical officials have documented 11 total cases linked to the outbreak, with nine receiving laboratory confirmation.

Following the vessel’s arrival at Spain’s Canary Islands earlier this week, where all remaining passengers were evacuated, Oceanwide Expeditions initially stated Monday they did not “foresee changes to our operations.”

However, the company revised their position Wednesday, explaining they anticipate “clarity on whether the vessel will sail and the sailing schedule by the end of this week.”

More than 120 individuals who were aboard during the health crisis – encompassing all passengers plus select crew members – departed the ship Sunday and Monday. These individuals are currently under quarantine protocols in various nations. The vessel has since departed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands, with an anticipated arrival between May 17 and 18.

Currently remaining aboard are 25 crew members, two medical personnel, and the remains of one deceased passenger. The cruise operator reports none of those still on the ship are displaying symptoms.

Medical experts note that hantavirus typically transmits through contact with rodent waste and rarely passes between humans, although the specific Andes strain identified aboard the Hondius can occasionally spread person-to-person. The virus typically manifests symptoms one to eight weeks following initial exposure.

ROME – Italian health officials announced Wednesday that four individuals who were being monitored for potential hantavirus exposure have all received negative test results, according to the country’s health ministry.

The individuals included an Argentine woman who was hospitalized with pneumonia, an Italian man from Calabria who placed himself in voluntary isolation, and a British traveler in Milan along with his travel companion.

Medical facilities in Rome and Milan conducted the testing, with all results coming back negative, health ministry officials confirmed.

“The risk connected with the virus remains very low in Europe and therefore also in Italy,” the ministry stated.

The Argentine woman had departed from an area in her homeland where the virus is known to occur on April 30, flying from Buenos Aires to Rome before traveling to Sicily, where medical staff treated her for pneumonia.

The Italian man from Calabria had a brief encounter on April 25 aboard an aircraft with a Dutch passenger who subsequently died from the infection.

The British traveler had also encountered the same Dutch woman during a separate flight and was placed under quarantine protocols, while medical personnel hospitalized his companion as a safety measure.

According to the World Health Organization, rodents primarily transmit hantavirus, though human-to-human spread can occur in uncommon instances. Initial symptoms typically resemble flu, including exhaustion and elevated temperature, appearing one to eight weeks following exposure.

Recent cases have been connected to passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise vessel, which arrived at Spain’s Canary Islands after completing a polar voyage that originated in Argentina.

The outbreak has claimed three lives so far – a Dutch couple and a German citizen.

The WHO has updated its count of verified cases in this outbreak to nine individuals. Officials noted that additional cases might emerge due to the extended incubation timeline, but emphasized this situation does not constitute a pandemic and differs significantly from COVID-19.

A Boston photographer and content creator is making the most of an unexpected 42-day quarantine after a deadly virus outbreak turned his dream Antarctic expedition into a public health emergency.

Jake Rosmarin, 30, is among 18 Americans now under medical observation at specialized facilities following a hantavirus outbreak that claimed three lives aboard the MV Hondius expedition vessel. What started as an enthusiastic social media post about his 35-day South Atlantic adventure has become an extended stay at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s National Quarantine Unit in Omaha.

Fifteen other American passengers from the voyage are also housed at the Nebraska facility, while one passenger who tested positive for the virus remains in the hospital’s Biocontainment Unit. Two additional passengers are being monitored at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Health authorities emphasize that the risk of the virus spreading to the general population remains extremely low, with quarantine measures taken purely as a safety precaution.

Rosmarin, who works as a content creator and photographer, told The Associated Press he’s determined to stay positive during his isolation period.

His quarantine accommodations resemble a compact hotel suite, complete with a closet, smart television, private bathroom, mini refrigerator, bed, chair and exercise bike. Though his room has windows, he keeps the blinds drawn to avoid media attention outside.

“It’s a very nice room,” Rosmarin explained. “I already ordered a mattress pad, new pillows. I think, for now, my plan is to take it one day at a time and that’s the best I can do.”

On Tuesday, facility nurses surprised him with a special treat he shared on social media – an iced Horchata made with oat milk and vanilla cold foam. “This is everything I needed, right now. Wow!” he said in a video post.

The hantavirus typically spreads through contact with rodent droppings and rarely transmits between humans. However, the specific Andes strain identified in this outbreak may occasionally spread person-to-person. Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure.

“I never got sick,” Rosmarin stated Tuesday.

The outbreak affected eleven passengers aboard the MV Hondius, with at least nine confirmed cases. Three fatalities occurred during the voyage, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe contracted the virus first while visiting South America.

The final passengers left the vessel Monday, departing on flights to over 20 different countries where they’ll complete quarantine requirements.

The Omaha quarantine and biocontainment facilities are specially designed to monitor and treat individuals exposed to serious infectious diseases. The biocontainment unit specifically handles patients actively ill with highly contagious conditions.

Medical staff entering Rosmarin’s room wear complete protective equipment including gowns and masks, and he cannot receive any visitors. Nursing staff typically avoid entering his room, even during meal delivery.

“I open the door with a mask on and they kind of put the food toward me and I grab it on the tray,” he described.

Once passengers began falling ill during the voyage, everyone was instructed to remain in their cabins as much as possible.

“I left the cabin about 15 minutes each day to refill my water, get fresh air and grab food for breakfast and lunch,” he recalled, noting that passengers maintained social distancing and wore masks.

Rosmarin launched his world travel career in 2022 after leaving his job as a media buyer. He maintains an influencer partnership with the expedition vessel’s operator, which sponsored his trip to remote South Atlantic islands including South Georgia Island.

“We saw a King penguin colony — the largest in the world, 300,000 to 500,000,” Rosmarin shared. “We got to see Gentoo penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, Chinstrap penguins, albatross.”

He emphasized that the MV Hondius operates as an expedition vessel rather than a traditional cruise ship. Because passengers and crew would visit islands with delicate ecosystems, strict environmental protection protocols were enforced.

“An expedition vessel is much cleaner than any cruise ship you’re ever going to go on,” Rosmarin noted. “For South Georgia, there were the strictest biosecurity measures. We have to sit down in the lounge pulling fuzz out of our jackets. A little pebble in your shoe, it needs to come out.”

However, those safety measures were designed to protect the environment from passengers, not the reverse situation.

His originally planned five-week journey extended to six weeks because passengers couldn’t disembark once the outbreak was identified.

“We didn’t really know it was the hantavirus until the night we were supposed to disembark,” Rosmarin explained.

His fiancé awaits his return to Boston, where the couple plans to marry next year. “I think he tried to be calm for me, but I think he was also very scared,” Rosmarin said Tuesday.

Medical professionals have officially changed the name of a widespread women’s health condition that impacts one out of every eight women globally, hoping the new terminology will lead to better patient care and understanding.

What was previously known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) will now be called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), according to research published Tuesday in The Lancet medical journal.

Medical experts and patient advocates pushed for this change because they believed the former name was misleading. The previous terminology oversimplified what is actually a complicated hormonal disorder by emphasizing ovarian cysts and focusing too heavily on reproductive organs, which led to diagnostic errors and substandard treatment, according to the Endocrine Society, an international organization of medical professionals and researchers.

“The thought behind that is that one, there’s no cysts in the ovary, so it’s very confusing,” explained Dr. Melanie Cree, who co-authored the Lancet study and works as a pediatric endocrinology specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz. “The hope was that with a more comprehensive and accurate name change, that it would start to enable and push better care.”

This terminology update comes after 14 years of collaborative work between medical professionals and patients.

The disorder involves hormone imbalances that can impact body weight, metabolism, mental wellness, reproductive health, and skin conditions.

Medical professionals link it to metabolic syndrome, which encompasses several health issues that raise the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, noted Dr. Sarah Hutto from the University of Minnesota Medical School in a university publication.

The exact cause remains unknown, though medical research suggests genetic factors and obesity may contribute, according to Cleveland Clinic information.

The wide range of symptoms makes diagnosis challenging for healthcare providers.

The condition typically involves unpredictable menstrual periods and overproduction of androgens, a hormone group that can trigger acne and changes in hair growth or loss. It may also lead to follicle development on ovaries, though these are not abnormal cysts. However, patients don’t need to exhibit all these signs for a diagnosis.

For teenage patients, Cree explained that diagnosis requires both menstrual irregularities and evidence of elevated androgen levels. This evidence can include elevated hormone levels in blood tests or physical symptoms like severe acne or unusual hair growth patterns.

Medical experts at Cleveland Clinic identify it as the leading cause of female fertility issues, since infrequent ovulation can prevent conception.

Women with this condition may face higher risks for pregnancy-related complications, including gestational diabetes or early delivery. However, most individuals with the disorder can successfully complete pregnancies.

Cree emphasizes that the primary treatment approach involves lifestyle modifications, including reducing processed food consumption, increasing physical activity, and maintaining healthy sleep patterns.

“We’re not trying to be judgmental. There is science to back this up,” she stated. “So in PMOS, there is too much of the hormone insulin in many women, and that insulin confuses the ovary to make too much testosterone. And it’s the high testosterone that is causing all the symptoms.”

Additional treatment options include medications that improve insulin sensitivity like Metformin, drugs that counteract androgens, and hormonal contraceptives.

Hutto emphasizes that treatment plans should be customized to target individual symptoms and patient goals. Women planning pregnancies might prioritize fertility treatments, while others may prefer options like hormonal birth control.

Medical professionals are informing their colleagues about the name change through conferences, professional organizations, and other communication channels. They anticipate this will increase understanding of the condition and improve patient care.

“I’m very excited about the name change,” Cree commented, “as are the majority of my colleagues.”

A breakthrough study reveals that individuals transitioning from injectable weight-loss medications to Eli Lilly’s new oral drug Foundayo successfully maintained most of their weight reduction over a 12-month period.

The pharmaceutical giant announced Tuesday that clinical trial participants who had used GLP-1 injection therapies for more than a year experienced minimal weight regain when switching to the pill form. Results shared at an obesity medical conference showed those moving from Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injection to Lilly’s oral Foundayo gained back just 2 pounds on average after one year. Meanwhile, participants transitioning from Lilly’s stronger injectable Zepbound saw an average weight increase of 11 pounds.

The Indianapolis-based company launched Foundayo in the United States during early April as direct competition to Danish manufacturer Novo’s oral Wegovy option. This launch represents Lilly’s continued investment in the lucrative obesity and diabetes treatment market, specifically targeting the GLP-1 medication category.

Industry experts project that weight-loss drug sales could exceed $100 billion annually within the coming decade.

Research findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul demonstrated that patients can successfully transition between treatments while preserving their weight reduction achievements – addressing a major worry associated with discontinuing GLP-1 injections.

“If you’re a patient on Wegovy, you can switch from a GLP-1 injectable to a GLP-1 pill and basically keep all the weight off,” stated Kenneth Custer, Eli Lilly’s president of cardiometabolic health, during a recent interview. “Patients now have options.”

The research examined individuals transitioning to Foundayo (scientifically called orforglipron) following 72 weeks of weight reduction using either Lilly’s tirzepatide medications (marketed as Zepbound and Mounjaro) or injectable semaglutide products (Novo’s Wegovy and Ozempic).

Detailed trial results showed that after 52 weeks post-transition, former tirzepatide users retained 74.7% of their original weight loss while taking orforglipron, compared to just 49.2% among those receiving inactive placebo treatments.

Participants who previously used semaglutide maintained 79.3% of their weight reduction with orforglipron, significantly higher than the placebo group’s 37.6% retention rate.

Novo introduced injectable Wegovy in 2021, followed by the pill version earlier this year. Oral medications are anticipated to attract new patient populations, particularly those uncomfortable with needle-based treatments.

When questioned about weight regain among patients switching from Zepbound to Foundayo, Custer explained this outcome was predictable considering the substantial weight loss achieved with Lilly’s injectable option. Clinical trials have demonstrated that Zepbound can produce weight reductions of 20% or greater.

Additional late-stage trial data revealed that participants maintaining maximum Zepbound dosages continued losing weight after an additional year of treatment, while those reducing to 5-milligram doses experienced approximately 12 pounds of weight regain.

“The study showed us two things. If you want to maintain every ounce of weight you lost on a drug like Zepbound, you should probably stay on that dose of Zepbound,” Custer explained.

“But if you want to consider reducing your dose, you can do that. You’ll regain a little bit of weight, but you’ll still maintain most of your weight loss,” he added.

TORONTO, May 12 – Toronto health officials are rolling out a unique public health campaign as the city prepares to host World Cup matches, providing specially designed condoms with soccer-themed messaging to promote safe sex practices.

The initiative comes as Toronto anticipates welcoming more than 300,000 visitors during the June 11-July 19 tournament. Toronto Public Health has created limited edition condoms with six different designs that aim to “celebrate the energy of the games while promoting sexual health.”

Among the creative designs are slogans including “Block those shots!” and “What a finish!” Another design called “Peaches & Cream” displays images of a peach and eggplant positioned in front of a soccer goal.

These specially branded condoms, along with additional safe sex materials, will be available at four sexual health clinics operated by Toronto Public Health. The distribution is part of the agency’s CondomTO program, which works to encourage safer sexual practices, reduce associated stigma, and help residents access sexual health resources.

According to the health unit’s website, “Studies show that using a condom every time you have oral, anal or vaginal sex decreases the risk of sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections (STBBIs), HIV and/or unplanned pregnancy.”

The upcoming World Cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

A small daily tablet fundamentally transformed modern American society.

The oral contraceptive, receiving FDA approval six and a half decades ago, accomplished far more than pregnancy prevention. This groundbreaking medication provided women with unprecedented autonomy, fundamentally altering family structures and societal norms across the nation.

“Its introduction in the 1960s afforded U.S. women this unprecedented control over their childbearing and subsequent life trajectories,” says Suzanne Bell of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The contraceptive separated sexual intimacy from reproduction. For the first time, women could manage their fertility independently, without requiring male participation in family planning decisions.

A pioneering woman led the charge for this medical breakthrough. Margaret Sanger, who established what would become Planned Parenthood Federation of America, championed the medication’s creation alongside financial backing from philanthropist friend Katharine Dexter McCormick. Sanger declared, “No woman can call herself free until she can choose consciously whether she will or will not be a mother.”

Scientists Gregory Pincus and Min Chueh Chang, working with gynecologist Dr. John Rock, developed the medication. The contraceptive employs artificial progesterone and estrogen to block pregnancy primarily through preventing egg release, while also creating barriers that impede fertilization. Perfect usage achieves 99% effectiveness in pregnancy prevention.

American adoption was rapid – over one million women were using the medication within just two years of availability. Dramatic societal shifts emerged. Studies connect the contraceptive to delayed marriage timing, increased educational achievement, and expanded female workforce engagement. The medication also contributed significantly to the sexual liberation movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

Opposition arose alongside acceptance. During the 1960s, Pope Paul VI denounced the medication while numerous states prohibited contraceptive access. Married women gained exemption from these restrictions in 1965, though single women faced continued bans for years afterward.

Contemporary concerns have emerged following the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling, with some fearing contraceptive rights may face similar challenges.

“With any device or procedure that gives women more reproductive or sexual autonomy, there are always groups that resist and push back,” says Bell, pointing to the recent push for women to have more children.

Despite opposition, women continue making independent choices. American birth rates have dropped to unprecedented lows, while the contraceptive maintains widespread popularity. Currently serving as America’s leading reversible birth control method, it serves more than 8 million users and continues influencing both individual lives and national trends.

Medical researchers are adapting an innovative cancer treatment to potentially combat HIV by enhancing patients’ natural immune defenses.

Scientists announced Tuesday that a single treatment using these enhanced immune cells successfully controlled HIV in two individuals – maintaining suppression for almost one year in the first patient and nearly two years in the second – all while they remained off their standard HIV medications.

Dr. Steven Deeks from the University of California, San Francisco, who spearheaded the research, emphasized that more extensive and extended studies will be necessary to determine whether CAR-T cell therapy could provide lasting benefits for HIV patients.

“We find the fact that two people have had such a really sustained response provocative,” he said. “There is a real need for a one-and-done, safe and scalable cure … and this is one of the strategies that we’re pursuing.”

The findings were shared at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference in Boston.

Approximately 40 million individuals worldwide are currently living with HIV. Modern medications have transformed the AIDS-causing virus from a rapidly fatal condition into a controllable chronic illness, frequently reducing viral loads to undetectable amounts. However, this only works when patients can access and consistently take their medications. The virus remains dormant in bodily reservoirs and quickly returns when treatment stops.

Scientists have spent years searching for an elusive cure, investigating leads such as uncommon genetic variations that provide natural HIV resistance, and studying cases where a small number of HIV patients with specific cancers achieved cure or extended remission following stem cell transplants – a procedure too dangerous for most individuals.

The CAR-T treatment process involves extracting T cells (immune system fighters) from a patient’s bloodstream, genetically modifying them into “living drugs,” then reintroducing them to the patient. This approach is already successfully treating certain cancers and is under investigation for additional conditions.

Scientists at nonprofit drug developer Caring Cross designed CAR-T cells with two special capabilities for HIV treatment. These cells are programmed to more effectively locate and destroy HIV-infected cells while being engineered with defenses against the virus they’re meant to combat.

According to Caring Cross executive director Boro Dropulić, this protective enhancement should allow the cells to multiply sufficiently to maintain HIV suppression.

Deeks’ preliminary trial tested various dosing approaches in participants who discontinued their HIV medications on the same day they received CAR-T cells. No severe adverse reactions occurred. The initial three participants showed no improvement and returned to standard treatments.

Six additional participants received mild chemotherapy to create room for the new T cells. The two successful responders experienced HIV levels dropping to undetectable amounts, with only occasional slight increases when the CAR-T cells apparently resumed their work. A third participant had temporary improvement before returning to regular HIV therapy.

All three of these patients had begun their initial HIV treatment shortly after becoming infected, Deeks noted. This pattern makes sense since individuals treated early typically have less HIV hiding in their bodies and stronger immune systems.

Dr. Hans-Peter Kiem, a gene therapy specialist at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center who wasn’t involved in the study, commented: “This is certainly very fascinating that they’ve had this positive response.” However, he warned that additional research will be required to confirm CAR-T’s effectiveness.

The approach is promising because it’s “boosting what our body, our immune system, can already do,” explained Andrea Gramatica, vice president for research at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which supports efforts to develop more accessible versions.

ROME – Italy’s leading infectious disease facility announced Tuesday that medical staff will test biological samples from a quarantined individual who had contact with a hantavirus victim.

According to the ANSA news agency, the person under quarantine is a 25-year-old man from Italy’s southern Calabria region who was initially reported as hospitalized.

The individual shared a brief flight with a female passenger who subsequently succumbed to the virus. The woman was removed from the KLM aircraft before departure from Johannesburg.

While ANSA initially reported the man’s transfer to Rome’s Spallanzani hospital, medical officials later explained they are only receiving his biological specimens for laboratory analysis.

According to the World Health Organization, hantavirus spreads mainly through rodent contact but can occasionally transmit between humans. Initial symptoms resemble flu-like conditions including exhaustion and fever, appearing one to eight weeks following exposure.

Recent cases have emerged connected to the MV Hondius vessel, which arrived at Spain’s Canary Islands after completing a polar research voyage from Argentina.

The WHO has updated its confirmed case count for this outbreak to nine individuals. Officials warn additional cases may surface due to the virus’s extended incubation timeline, though they emphasize this situation differs significantly from a pandemic and bears no resemblance to COVID-19.

A Spanish traveler who was removed from a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has now tested positive for the disease, according to an announcement from Spain’s health ministry on Tuesday.

Health officials from the World Health Organization have verified a total of 11 infections, with three fatalities among those aboard the vessel.

The newly confirmed patient remains isolated at a military medical facility in Madrid following their evacuation.

This individual was placed in the same medical center as 13 other Spanish citizens who were brought back on Sunday, all of whom received negative test results for the virus.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated while in Madrid that every one of the 11 verified infections involves either passengers or crew members from the MV Hondius cruise vessel, with three fatalities recorded.

Medical authorities have identified nine of the total cases as infections caused by the Andes virus strain.

AMSTERDAM – Aircraft carrying 28 passengers from the cruise vessel MV Hondius touched down in the Netherlands early Tuesday morning, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the ship that has claimed three lives.

The two flights arrived at Eindhoven Airport just after midnight, transporting eight Dutch citizens home. Passengers from other nations will travel onward to their respective countries from the Netherlands, according to officials.

In a separate development, Radboudumc hospital in Nijmegen has placed 12 medical staff members under preventive isolation for six weeks. The quarantine was implemented after personnel handled blood and urine samples without following updated safety protocols when treating a Hondius passenger who was admitted May 7 with hantavirus infection.

Hospital officials emphasized that the risk of transmission remains minimal and patient services continue without disruption.

“We will carefully investigate the course of events to learn from this so that it can be prevented in the future,” stated Bertine Lahuis, chair of the hospital’s executive board.

The Hondius departed for the Netherlands Monday night with 25 crew members, plus medical personnel including a doctor and nurse. All passengers have left the vessel, and ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions expects arrival by May 17.

The outbreak has resulted in three fatalities – a Dutch couple and a German citizen. Hantavirus typically spreads through contact with infected wild rodents, though person-to-person transmission can occur in rare instances involving close contact.

World Health Organization officials reported Monday that seven cases of the Andes strain have been confirmed, with two additional suspected infections. These include one person who died before testing could be completed and another individual on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where testing capabilities are unavailable.

Among the confirmed cases is a French passenger who tested positive after the ship docked in the Canary Islands Sunday. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu provided an update Monday on her condition.

“Our compatriot who tested positive for Hantavirus is still in intensive care in a stable condition,” he reported.

Spanish health authorities announced Monday evening that one of 14 Spanish nationals under quarantine at a Madrid military hospital has tested positive for the virus. The patient shows no symptoms, and additional testing is underway before final confirmation, according to the Spanish Health Ministry.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Back in the 1970s during her high school years, Lori Guess would eagerly pack her oboe each summer for music camp in Sidney, Maine. She was drawn to the peaceful lakeside setting with its haunting loon calls and the opportunity to bond with fellow musicians.

Now, more than five decades later, Guess continues returning to that same location. When an adult band program launched there in 2013, she enthusiastically joined and even picked up a new instrument — the trumpet.

“I was thrilled because I love this place,” said Guess, 71, of Baltimore, a retired lawyer for the U.S. Department of Defense who plans to return to the New England Adult Music Camp in August. “It is serene, beautiful, a perfect setting. And it’s not all that different from what it was 50-some years ago.”

Across America, adults seeking to reconnect with old friends, sharpen their musical abilities, or simply enjoy personal time after years of supporting their children’s activities can choose from numerous summer music programs. These camps span genres from electronic and folk to rock, jazz, chamber music, and opera.

Many participants find these camps provide a pathway to recapture the memorable musical moments of their younger days while building fresh friendships.

“Emotionally, making music is good for the soul,” said Carole Lieberman, a California-based forensic psychiatrist who has played multiple instruments herself. “It makes you feel creative, allows you to provide the music you like for yourself and can boost your spirits.”

“Cognitively, research demonstrates that learning to play a musical instrument and playing it helps your brain make better neurological connections,” she added. “It can help to ward off dementia.”

For Guess, creating music means entering “that zone” alongside fellow musicians.

“When you’re playing music together, you rise above all the pettiness of life,” she said. “And it’s just the most spiritual thing I can think of.”

These programs accommodate musicians of all skill levels. Camp directories published by organizations like Musical America Worldwide and The Instrumentalist feature listings that clearly indicate beginner, intermediate, and advanced options.

Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts, where Guess participated in band camp during middle school, has expanded to provide various adult summer music programs, including an August weeklong Symphonic Band Camp designed for seasoned players.

Since starting in 1983, the Midsummer Musical Retreat in Walla Walla, Washington, has expanded to feature numerous performance ensembles of different sizes accommodating various skill levels.

Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove hosts the Band Camp for Adult Musicians, where intermediate and advanced players receive instruction from former military musicians and university faculty.

The Pennsylvania camp’s creator drew inspiration from his children’s band camp experiences, according to director Leigh Hurtz.

Currently in its 37th year, the program attracts many retirees who have participated together for decades. Some bring their children and grandchildren along.

“They were lawyers or doctors, or working full-time, mothers,” Hurtz said. “There are also people who sold their tuba for a couch in college so they could have a couch, and 20 years later, it’s like, ‘I need a tuba again!’”

Beyond performances, these camps develop unique customs. Pennsylvania’s program kicks off with a group family dinner. Walla Walla features camper-produced comedy skits. New England organizes campfire gatherings and lobster feasts. Participants typically enjoy additional activities like kayaking, yoga, social hours, or open mic performances either solo or with small groups of fellow campers.

Many camps feature specialized workshops focusing on particular styles or instruments including jazz, percussion circles, klezmer, German band music, and ukulele, plus educational sessions covering performance anxiety and music theory.

Linda Haller, 70, of Laconia, New Hampshire, discovered a local adult community band promoting “music for life” a few years after retiring from her career as an obstetrician-gynecologist. This motivated her to return to clarinet, which she hadn’t touched since high school.

“It hasn’t all come back, but I’m getting to the point where I think I’m playing almost as good as I did back then,” she said. Haller, who also plays piano, said the rhythms and counting came right back to her.

She participated in the Sidney, Maine camp for two summers, advancing from the beginner ensemble to intermediate level. She particularly valued the fellowship with other musicians.

“Returning to an instrument learned in childhood is powerful because it combines memory, discipline and renewed growth,” said Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist based in New York.

“It strengthens attention, fine motor coordination, and memory pathways while reducing stress and improving mood,” Alpert said. “But equally important is the emotional experience of reengaging with something that once required patience and repetition.”

Haller’s community ensemble connects to the New Horizons International Music Association, a nonprofit organization that creates musical opportunities for adults, including those with zero previous experience. Since 1991, this organization has established over 200 bands, orchestras, and choruses globally serving 10,000 adult musicians.

The group’s guiding principle, embraced by other adult music programs, states “Your best is good enough.”

New Horizons operates its own camps, including an “American Music Abroad” journey to the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary in June, plus another near Cincinnati, Ohio, in July.

These programs enjoy strong popularity, according to Russ Grazier of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who instructs at New Horizons camps and serves as artistic director for the New England Adult Music Camp.

He observes that ensemble participation among adults over 60 has grown from roughly 150 to 300 people at a regional music and arts center under his leadership. He believes social connection drives this growth.

“And that’s something missing from a lot of people’s lives these days,” Grazier said. “So any time we have an opportunity to have a space outside of the home where we’re connecting with new people and sharing a common interest, it has remarkable benefits for our health and our aging.”

Passengers from a cruise ship who may have been exposed to hantavirus have been taken to a specialized medical facility in Nebraska for monitoring and potential treatment.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha was selected because it houses the United States’ sole federally-supported quarantine facility. The medical center also operates a distinct biocontainment unit specifically designed to care for individuals who have encountered infectious diseases.

This unique combination of quarantine and biocontainment capabilities makes the Nebraska facility the go-to destination for federal health officials when dealing with potential exposure to dangerous pathogens. The specialized units are equipped to safely isolate and treat patients while preventing the spread of infectious diseases to the broader community.

Medical researchers have achieved promising results using a patient’s own modified immune cells to combat HIV infection in a groundbreaking early-stage clinical trial, though scientists emphasize more research is needed to validate these findings and identify the best candidates for treatment.

The initial human trial utilized CAR-T technology, a single-dose treatment where doctors remove a patient’s T-cells, modify and multiply them in laboratory conditions, then reintroduce them into the patient’s system. For this study, scientists programmed the CAR-T cells to target specific HIV binding locations called CD4 and CCR5.

Without medical intervention, HIV multiplies and eliminates the body’s disease-fighting cells, ultimately developing into AIDS. Approximately 41 million individuals worldwide currently live with HIV, and although modern antiretroviral medications have made the condition manageable, patients must take these drugs throughout their lives.

This approach differs significantly from earlier HIV treatment breakthroughs that involved cancer patients receiving bone marrow transplants from donors carrying a uncommon genetic variation that naturally resists HIV. Scientists believe CAR-T therapy could benefit many more patients.

“Our goal is to make these therapies affordable and accessible,” stated Dr. Boro Dropulić, executive director of the nonprofit organization Caring Cross, which partnered with researchers from University of California, San Francisco, University of California, Davis and Case Western Reserve University Hospital on this study.

Among three trial participants who received the standard CAR-T treatment dose, researchers reported that two have sustained undetectable or extremely low HIV levels since discontinuing antiretroviral medications – one patient for more than two years and another for almost one year. The third participant experienced an initial virus resurgence but subsequently managed to keep HIV at low yet detectable amounts.

The safety-focused trial included three additional patients who did not receive the preparatory chemotherapy typically used to ready bone marrow for cell reinfusion, while three others received reduced CAR-T doses.

“The two that have been off (HIV drugs) the longest and doing well were importantly diagnosed pretty quickly and put on therapy pretty quickly,” explained Dr. Steven Deeks, a medicine professor at the University of California, San Francisco and the study’s primary researcher.

He described how antiretroviral treatment “freezes the virus in place” to prevent mutations while also stopping the body’s immune system from getting “ravished by HIV.”

Deeks noted that ongoing research aims to understand why certain patients have shown better responses.

“The CAR-T cells disappeared after several weeks… so we’re really trying to come up with a mechanism to explain that,” he said.

CAR-T treatments are currently approved for various blood cancers and are being tested for autoimmune conditions including lupus and scleroderma.

“In the cancer settings, the overall burden of disease is much higher. Typically the CAR-T cells persist much longer,” Deeks noted.

He added that HIV trial participants did not experience the severe side effects commonly seen in cancer patients receiving CAR-T therapy, including a dangerous inflammatory reaction called cytokine release syndrome.

The research results were scheduled for presentation Tuesday at the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy’s annual conference in Boston.

Federal health authorities announced Monday they have transported 18 cruise ship passengers back to American soil for quarantine following a hantavirus outbreak aboard their vessel, with one confirmed case now isolated in a specialized medical facility in Nebraska.

Health and Human Services Department officials revealed during a Monday press conference that the passengers are under medical observation at two locations: 16 individuals at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and two in Atlanta. One of the Atlanta patients is currently showing symptoms of the illness.

The affected travelers had been sailing on the MV Hondius, an upscale expedition vessel where an outbreak of the Andes virus occurred. This particular strain represents the sole type of hantavirus known to transmit between humans, though typically the disease spreads through contact with infected wild rodents.

Federal health authorities emphasized that public health risks remain minimal. Admiral Brian Christine, who serves as assistant secretary for health, explained that the Andes virus “does not spread easily” and typically requires extended close interaction with someone displaying symptoms.

The quarantined group spans a wide age range, from individuals in their late twenties to those in their late seventies or early eighties, according to officials. Medical monitoring could continue for as long as 42 days.

Among those returned to the United States were 17 American citizens and one British dual national who elected to receive care in America.

FRANKFURT, Germany – German health officials are closely watching four passengers from a cruise ship where a deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred, authorities announced Monday.

The individuals arrived at Frankfurt University Hospital during the early morning hours between midnight and 1 a.m. for medical evaluation and laboratory work, according to hospital officials. All four passengers are currently symptom-free and were placed in a specialized isolation facility.

A representative from Germany’s health ministry confirmed to Reuters that the passengers will eventually be moved to different regions across the country – Berlin, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein – where local health departments will continue their care.

“No indications of illness” have been detected so far, according to Timo Wolf, who oversees the specialized isolation unit for dangerous infectious diseases at Frankfurt University Hospital.

The outbreak occurred aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina carrying primarily passengers from Britain, the United States, and Spain. The virus strain identified is the Andes hantavirus, a rodent-transmitted disease that can pass between humans and is commonly found in Argentina and Chile.

The outbreak has proven fatal for three individuals – two passengers from the Netherlands and one German citizen. Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and can cause serious illness when transmitted to humans.

TENERIFE, Spain — Health officials in France and the United States confirmed Monday that passengers evacuated from a cruise ship outbreak have contracted hantavirus, with one patient’s condition declining after arrival.

French Health Minister Stephanie Rist announced that a French woman who was airlifted to Paris on Sunday has tested positive for the virus and experienced worsening symptoms during her overnight hospital stay. The patient was one of five French nationals brought home from the MV Hondius and began showing signs of illness while aboard the repatriation flight, Rist explained during an interview with France-Inter radio.

Meanwhile, U.S. health authorities confirmed late Sunday that one of 17 American passengers flown to Nebraska has also contracted the virus but remains without symptoms. Officials noted that a second American passenger is experiencing minor symptoms. The evacuation flight touched down in Nebraska early Monday morning.

The American passengers will undergo evaluation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which operates a government-funded isolation facility. Medical staff will determine each person’s exposure risk and potential for virus transmission. The medical center houses a specialized treatment unit for highly contagious diseases, previously utilized for COVID-19 and Ebola patients during past health emergencies.

Military and government aircraft began transporting passengers from the cruise vessel on Sunday after it docked in the Canary Islands. Medical personnel wearing complete protective suits and respiratory equipment guided travelers from the ship to shore in Tenerife, with evacuation operations extending into Monday.

The World Health Organization has advised strict surveillance of all former passengers, prompting numerous nations to implement quarantine protocols.

Previously, representatives from Spain’s Health Ministry, the World Health Organization, and cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions had stated that none of the more than 140 individuals aboard the Hondius were displaying viral symptoms.

The international evacuation effort involves transporting passengers from over 20 nations, with operations scheduled to continue through Monday.

The outbreak has claimed three lives, while five additional passengers who disembarked earlier have confirmed infections.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the general population should remain calm about the situation. “This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn’t be scared, and they shouldn’t panic,” he stated Sunday.

The virus typically transmits through contact with rodent waste and rarely passes between humans. However, the Andes strain identified in this cruise ship incident may occasionally spread person-to-person. Symptoms generally appear one to eight weeks following exposure.

Maria van Kerkhove, WHO’s chief epidemiologist, explained the organization’s recommendations for passenger monitoring: “have active monitoring and follow-up, which means daily health checks, either at home or in a specialized facility.”

Multiple countries have announced plans to quarantine or hospitalize their returning citizens for medical observation.

PARIS – A French woman who traveled on a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak has contracted the disease and her health is declining, according to French Health Minister Stephanie Rist, who made the announcement Monday.

The infected woman was one of five French citizens aboard the affected vessel. The remaining four French passengers have tested negative for the virus but will undergo additional testing, Rist explained during an interview with France Inter radio. She noted that French health officials have identified 22 individuals who may have been exposed.

“What is key, is to act at the start and break the virus transmission chains. This is what we are doing with the Prime Minister, notably with a decree that came out today that will allow us to strengthen isolation measures for contact cases and to protect the population,” Rist stated.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is scheduled to convene a meeting regarding the hantavirus situation later Monday.

When questioned about France’s preparedness for a potential outbreak, including adequate supplies of masks and testing materials, Rist responded confidently: “Yes, France is ready.”

Spain’s health minister announced that the final group of passengers will be removed Monday from a Dutch luxury cruise vessel where a fatal hantavirus outbreak has claimed three lives and infected multiple travelers.

Two evacuation flights are scheduled to depart from Spain’s Tenerife island – one Australian aircraft will transport six passengers while a Dutch flight will carry 18 individuals. Both planes will also accommodate travelers from nations that did not arrange their own rescue missions, according to Spanish officials.

World Health Organization data from Friday indicates eight former ship passengers have become ill, with six cases officially confirmed as hantavirus infections. The fatalities include a married couple from the Netherlands and one German citizen.

U.S. health officials revealed Sunday that among 17 Americans being brought home, one person has tested positive for the Andes variant of the virus while another individual is showing mild symptoms. France’s health minister separately confirmed a French passenger contracted the virus and is experiencing worsening health conditions. It remains unclear whether these cases are part of the WHO’s reported six confirmed infections.

The MV Hondius carried 147 passengers and crew members when health authorities first learned of a cluster of serious respiratory cases on May 3. By that time, 34 additional passengers had already left the ship, which began its journey from Argentina in March with Antarctic stops and other destinations before traveling north toward Cape Verde’s waters off Africa’s west coast. The vessel was temporarily detained there last week once news of the health crisis broke.

Health officials in Johannesburg first identified the outbreak on May 2 while treating a British passenger who required intensive care after leaving the ship. This discovery came approximately three weeks after another traveler had died. The virus typically spreads through rodent contact but can occasionally transmit between people during close contact situations.

The cruise ship departed Cape Verde waters Wednesday bound for Spain’s Canary Islands after the WHO and European Union requested Spanish authorities coordinate passenger evacuations following the outbreak confirmation.

Aircraft departed Tenerife over Sunday and Monday carrying passengers to Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, France, Britain, Ireland, and the United States. Some travelers were also transported to Madrid for processing.

All evacuated passengers will undergo testing upon arrival and will either be hospitalized, placed in quarantine facilities, or sent home for isolation monitoring.

WHO’s epidemic and pandemic management director Maria Van Kerkhove announced during a briefing that the organization recommends a 42-day quarantine period for all ship passengers beginning Sunday.

Thirty crew members will stay aboard the vessel as it sails to the Netherlands Monday evening, where comprehensive disinfection procedures will take place.

Health authorities are urging public calm, emphasizing to communities still affected by COVID-19 memories that this virus poses significantly less transmission risk and minimal danger to general populations.

“This is not COVID and we don’t want to treat it like COVID,” acting U.S. CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya told CNN Sunday, explaining that the 17 American passengers can choose between home isolation or quarantine at a Nebraska facility.

Spain’s health ministry similarly minimized broader population risks while noting that no rodents were found on the cruise ship.

Medical experts are emphasizing that playground time serves a much greater purpose than simply giving students a chance to have fun during the school day. According to health professionals, these unstructured periods are vital for both academic achievement and overall wellness across all grade levels.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its first updated recommendations in over a decade regarding the importance of safeguarding these school breaks. The timing of this guidance comes as many schools have been cutting back on recess time while children’s health outcomes have declined.

“The group has always supported play – free play for kids – but it’s been increasingly threatened over time,” explained Dr. Robert Murray, one of the primary authors of the new recommendations. He noted that pressure to improve standardized test performance has contributed to this trend. “It has a very powerful benefit if it’s used to the fullest.”

The updated recommendations, which appeared Monday in Pediatrics journal, maintain similar principles to earlier guidance but incorporate recent scientific findings about how these breaks support students’ learning capacity and their mental, physical, social and emotional development.

Recent studies demonstrate that students require breaks between intense learning sessions to allow their minds to process and retain new information effectively. Scientists have also found that recess provides opportunities for children to practice social interactions and develop self-confidence, benefits that remain important for teenagers as well as elementary students.

Murray and his research team highlighted how physical movement during these breaks helps combat childhood obesity, which currently impacts approximately 20% of young people in the United States.

Based on these advantages, the medical professionals urge schools to preserve recess time and avoid removing it as a consequence for poor behavior or academic performance, practices that occur in some educational settings.

“If the child is disruptive or rude and disrespectful, recess is one of the things that teachers use to punish kids,” Murray explained. He emphasized that students who display behavioral problems or academic struggles are typically those who would benefit most from these breaks.

However, the issue extends beyond individual disciplinary actions. Data from Springboard to Active Schools working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that since the mid-2000s, as many as 40% of school systems nationwide have shortened or completely removed recess periods.

Currently, the amount of recess time varies dramatically among American schools, spanning from under 10 minutes to over an hour daily, according to the pediatrics organization. High school and middle school students typically receive less break time compared to elementary pupils.

Research indicates that children should receive at least 20 minutes daily along with several shorter breaks throughout the day. International examples from countries like Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom show students getting breaks every 45 to 50 minutes of classroom time.

“They should get a long enough period of time where they can de-stress and blow off steam and prepare for the next class,” Murray stated.

Dr. Lauren Fiechtner, who specializes in childhood obesity treatment at Mass General Brigham for Children in Boston, expressed support for the revised recess guidelines. Drawing from her experience as both a physician and parent, she shared how her 8-year-old discovered basketball during recess and developed a passion for the sport.

Fiechtner, who did not participate in developing the new guidance, supports extending recess requirements to older students as well.

“As kids get older, they’re more on their screens. So it’s really helpful, I think, for outdoor activity and recess to be happening,” she noted. “Recess is great. We all kind of need recess.”

Australian officials announced Monday they will bring home citizens aboard a luxury cruise vessel where a fatal hantavirus outbreak has claimed three lives.

The MV Hondius, flying under a Dutch flag, remains anchored off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands as international evacuation efforts continue. Environment Minister Murray Watt confirmed to ABC News that Australia has committed to evacuating a small group of its nationals along with one foreign resident requiring medical care, though he did not specify that person’s nationality.

“We have agreed to repatriate a small number of Australians… and also one resident of another country to Australia for medical treatment,” Watt stated.

Officials have not disclosed whether any Australians being evacuated have developed symptoms or contracted the illness. Australia’s foreign ministry has yet to provide additional evacuation details.

According to World Health Organization data from Friday, eight individuals who were previously aboard the cruise ship have become sick, with six cases confirmed as hantavirus infections. The outbreak has resulted in three fatalities: a Dutch couple and one German passenger.

Spain’s health minister indicated that the final two evacuation flights – one bound for Australia and another for the Netherlands – were scheduled to depart Monday afternoon local time. Earlier evacuations had already transported passengers to Spain, France, Canada, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States by Sunday evening.

New Zealand officials are still working with international partners to arrange evacuation for one of their citizens aboard the ship. Public Health Director Corina Grey said Monday that New Zealand’s health system is prepared to handle quarantine protocols if needed.

Health authorities are implementing a 42-day quarantine period for all passengers, following WHO recommendations. However, global health experts are urging the public to remain calm, emphasizing that this virus spreads much less easily than COVID-19 and presents minimal danger to the broader population.

The virus typically spreads through contact with infected rodents, though rare cases of human-to-human transmission can occur during close contact. Health officials in Johannesburg first identified the outbreak on May 2 while treating a British passenger who required intensive care. This occurred 21 days after another passenger had already died from the illness.

Once authorities confirmed the outbreak, the vessel departed Cape Verde waters on Wednesday and headed toward Spain. The ship had completed a journey from Argentina’s southern coast, crossing the southern Atlantic Ocean before reaching the Cape Verde islands.

Federal health officials announced Sunday that among 17 Americans being evacuated from a luxury cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak, one passenger has received a mild positive test result for the Andes strain while another is experiencing mild symptoms.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that all American citizens are being flown back to the United States via airlift, with the two affected passengers traveling in specialized biocontainment compartments aboard the aircraft. Officials noted that the second passenger showing symptoms has not yet received confirmation of infection.

These viruses typically spread through contact with rodents, though person-to-person transmission can occur in uncommon instances. Public health experts emphasize that the likelihood of widespread transmission remains minimal.

According to a Friday update from the World Health Organization, eight individuals no longer aboard the MV Hondius have become sick, with six receiving confirmed diagnoses. The outbreak has claimed three lives: a Dutch couple and one German passenger.

The particular Andes strain detected in this outbreak can lead to serious respiratory complications with mortality rates reaching up to 50% of cases, WHO officials report.

The State Department’s evacuation flight will deliver passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center located at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The symptomatic passenger will receive treatment at an additional specialized facility, according to HHS statements.

Upon reaching these medical centers, every individual will receive comprehensive health evaluations and treatment tailored to their specific medical needs, health officials confirmed.

Multiple nations including Spain, France, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom and Ireland have initiated evacuation efforts for their citizens from the MV Hondius, which remains anchored off Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Spain’s health minister announced Sunday evening that the remaining evacuation flights from a cruise ship experiencing a fatal hantavirus outbreak will leave Monday afternoon from waters near Tenerife, with 94 passengers already removed from the vessel.

According to officials, an Australian aircraft will transport six passengers while a flight from the Netherlands will carry 18 passengers. Both planes will also accommodate travelers from nations that chose not to organize their own rescue operations.