Category: Health

The co-creator of WhatsApp has made history with an unprecedented $200 million contribution to a Jerusalem medical facility, marking the largest healthcare gift ever recorded in Israel.

Jan Koum’s massive donation will support Shaare Zedek hospital’s ambitious expansion plans, which include constructing a new patient care tower and housing complex for medical personnel. In recognition of his generosity, the medical facility will receive a new name: the Koum Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

The ambitious construction project centers around a 24-floor structure covering more than 1.5 million square feet, featuring state-of-the-art surgical suites and emergency treatment areas. Hospital officials expect the expansion to triple their current operations and transform the facility into one of Israel’s premier medical institutions.

Currently housing approximately 1,000 patient beds, Shaare Zedek operates independently without ties to Israel’s major healthcare networks, making external financial support crucial for growth and acquiring cutting-edge medical equipment.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, to a Jewish household, Koum relocated to America during his teenage years with his mother and grandmother. His career path led him from security analysis work at Ernst & Young through a stint at Yahoo before launching WhatsApp in 2009. The messaging platform’s success culminated in a $19 billion acquisition by Meta in 2014.

Through the Koum Family Foundation, the tech entrepreneur has become a significant supporter of Israeli and Jewish causes in recent years. His philanthropic efforts have channeled hundreds of millions toward various organizations, including Stanford University’s Israel studies programs, the AIPAC political lobby, Chabad institutions, Ukrainian Jewish communities, and groups focused on acquiring property in eastern Jerusalem.

According to Forbes’ 2023 calculations, Koum’s wealth totals $15.2 billion, ranking him among the globe’s most affluent individuals.

Travelers aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius have begun leaving the ship at Spain’s Canary Islands following an outbreak of hantavirus, with passengers now being transported back to their home nations.

Health officials are overseeing the evacuation process as passengers disembark from the affected vessel. The outbreak has prompted authorities to implement safety protocols for those who were aboard the ship.

The evacuation efforts continue as passengers make their way home from the Canary Islands location where the ship docked.

TENERIFE, Spain — The MV Hondius cruise vessel, carrying over 140 individuals during a hantavirus outbreak, has docked at Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands off West Africa’s coast, where passengers and select crew members will leave the ship.

According to the World Health Organization, Spanish officials, and cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, no one currently aboard the vessel is displaying virus symptoms. The outbreak has claimed three lives, while five passengers who previously departed the ship have tested positive for hantavirus, a potentially fatal illness.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will oversee the ship’s evacuation alongside Spain’s health and interior ministers. Officials have confirmed that disembarking passengers and crew will remain isolated from local residents and will only leave the vessel when evacuation aircraft are prepared to transport them to their final destinations.

A luxury cruise vessel affected by a fatal hantavirus outbreak reached the waters near Tenerife’s Port of Granadilla early Sunday morning, where Spanish authorities began coordinating an emergency passenger evacuation operation.

Health officials plan to transport all passengers to shore using smaller vessels before conducting mandatory health screenings. None of the travelers aboard the MV Hondius have shown symptoms of the deadly virus, Spanish authorities confirmed.

Following medical evaluations, passengers will board sealed transportation vehicles for the brief 10-minute journey to Tenerife’s primary airport, where international flights await to return them to their home countries.

European health officials have classified every passenger as a high-risk contact as a safety precaution, according to a rapid scientific assessment released Saturday evening by the continent’s public health agency.

The complex evacuation operation was scheduled to commence between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. local time, with Spanish citizens departing first, followed by other nationalities in organized groups. Thirty crew members will stay aboard to sail the vessel to the Netherlands for complete sanitization.

The ship departed from Cape Verde’s coastline Wednesday after the World Health Organization and European Union requested Spain manage the emergency passenger removal following the virus detection.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus touched down in the Canary Islands Saturday evening, joining Spain’s interior, health, and territorial policy ministers to oversee the vessel’s arrival coordination.

Health authorities reported Friday that eight individuals became ill during the voyage, with three fatalities including a Dutch couple and a German passenger. Six cases have received laboratory confirmation, while two additional suspected infections remain under investigation.

While rodents typically transmit hantavirus, rare instances of human-to-human spread can occur. Global health officials assess the risk to the general population as minimal, though passengers and crew face moderate exposure levels.

European health officials have designated every traveler aboard a cruise ship affected by a fatal hantavirus outbreak as high-risk contacts as a safety precaution, according to statements released Saturday by the continent’s public health agency. The announcement comes as the vessel prepares to dock Sunday near Spain’s Tenerife island.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control announced that travelers showing no symptoms would be returned to their home nations for self-isolation using special transportation arrangements rather than standard commercial airline services.

Nations were making preparations to retrieve their citizens from the MV Hondius between 6:30 and 7:00 GMT. The World Health Organization reported Friday that eight individuals have become sick, with three fatalities including a Dutch couple and one German citizen. Health officials have confirmed six cases of the virus, with two additional suspected infections under investigation.

The ECDC noted that while passengers will be classified as high-risk during departure, this designation may not necessarily continue once they return to their respective countries.

The health agency recommended that passengers displaying symptoms receive immediate priority for medical evaluation and testing upon arrival. These individuals may remain in isolation on Tenerife or be transported home for medical care based on their health status.

While rodents typically transmit the virus, human-to-human transmission can occur in uncommon circumstances. Health officials have stated that the likelihood of widespread transmission remains minimal.

A cruise vessel called the MV Hondius is currently experiencing a hantavirus outbreak, with over 140 individuals aboard including both travelers and staff members.

The situation aboard the affected vessel has been documented through a series of photographs compiled by Associated Press photo editors.

Federal health authorities are working to calm public concerns about hantavirus, emphasizing that the chances of a major outbreak spreading across communities remain very low.

Despite recent media coverage that has generated anxiety about the potential for another pandemic-level health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that the likelihood of extensive transmission is minimal.

The virus has captured significant attention in news reports recently, leading to public worry about whether the nation could face another widespread health emergency similar to previous pandemic experiences.

British health officials announced Saturday that passengers and crew members from the United Kingdom aboard a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will be placed in hospital isolation upon their return home.

Twenty-two British citizens are currently on the MV Hondius, which is scheduled to dock near the Spanish island of Tenerife early Sunday morning before the passengers are transported back to Britain by aircraft.

The hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel has sickened eight individuals, with three fatalities reported. Spanish authorities indicated that multiple nations including the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, and Ireland have arranged evacuation flights to retrieve their citizens from the affected cruise ship.

Upon arrival, British passengers will undergo medical evaluation and testing during a precautionary isolation period lasting up to three days at a supervised medical facility, according to a collaborative announcement from northwestern England health departments, law enforcement, and local government officials. Sky News identified the location as Arrowe Park Hospital in the Liverpool area.

“The risk to the general population remains very low,” officials stated in their joint announcement.

The UK Health Security Agency announced Friday that returning passengers and crew members will be required to remain in isolation for 45 days following their homecoming.

Public health specialists are questioning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s response to an unusual hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise vessel that has affected American citizens and drawn international attention.

The federal health agency has faced criticism for not immediately deploying disease investigators, holding public briefings, or issuing prompt medical advisories to healthcare providers during the crisis.

“We seem to have things under very good control,” President Donald Trump told reporters Friday evening.

However, health authorities indicate the situation remains manageable primarily because hantavirus doesn’t transmit easily between people, unlike COVID-19, measles, or influenza. International health officials, rather than U.S. agencies, have taken the lead in managing the outbreak over the past week.

“The CDC is not even a player,” said Lawrence Gostin, an international public health expert at Georgetown University. “I’ve never seen that before.”

Some specialists suggest the CDC’s reduced involvement signals the agency no longer holds its former position as a leader in global health or domestic disease protection.

The hantavirus situation represents “a sentinel event” that reveals “how well the country is prepared for a disease threat. And right now, I’m very sorry to say that we are not prepared,” said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive officer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The outbreak began in early last month when a 70-year-old Dutch passenger developed fever-related symptoms aboard a cruise vessel traveling from Argentina to Antarctica and South Atlantic islands. The man died within a week. Additional passengers fell ill, including his spouse and a German woman, both of whom also died.

Medical officials confirmed hantavirus as the cause of illness in one case on May 2. The World Health Organization responded quickly and declared an outbreak by Monday. Approximately two dozen Americans were aboard the ship, with roughly seven disembarking last month and 17 remaining on the vessel.

Historically, the CDC worked closely with WHO during such emergencies. The agency served as a cornerstone of international disease investigations, supplying personnel and knowledge to solve outbreak puzzles, create control measures, and inform the public about risks and appropriate responses.

These efforts helped establish the CDC’s reputation as the world’s leading public health organization.

However, the WHO has taken center stage this time, conducting the risk evaluation that determined the outbreak doesn’t pose a pandemic threat.

“I don’t think this is a giant threat to the United States,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown University’s Pandemic Center. But the way events have unfolded “just shows how empty and vapid the CDC is right now,” she said.

This situation follows 16 months of upheaval during which the Trump administration left the WHO, sometimes prevented CDC scientists from communicating with international colleagues, and began building its own global health network through individual country partnerships.

The administration has eliminated thousands of CDC scientists and public health workers, including staff from the agency’s ship sanitation program.

During these developments, Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated he was working to “restore the CDC’s focus on infectious disease, invest in innovation, and rebuild trust through integrity and transparency.”

The CDC hasn’t remained entirely quiet about the hantavirus situation.

On Wednesday, the agency released a brief statement declaring the risk to Americans “extremely low” and describing the U.S. government as “the world’s leader in global health security.”

Nuzzo responded: “Not only was that not helpful, it actually does damage because a core principle of public health communications is humility.”

CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya posted on social media that the agency was contributing expertise while coordinating with other federal departments and international authorities. Arizona state officials announced this week they learned from the CDC that one American who left the ship — showing no symptoms and not considered infectious — had returned to the state. WHO representatives confirmed the CDC has been sharing technical data.

The CDC is also “monitoring the health status and preparing medical support for all of the American passengers on the cruise,” Bhattacharya wrote.

Nevertheless, federal health officials have largely remained silent, refusing interview requests. Some information emerged through anonymous sources rather than public announcements, including Friday’s news that the CDC was dispatching a team to Spain’s Canary Islands to assist Americans aboard the vessel.

Friday evening, health officials released an updated statement confirming the Canary Islands team deployment. They also announced a second team would travel to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska as part of plans to evacuate American passengers to a quarantine facility.

During interviews this week, several experts drew comparisons to a 2020 incident involving the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship docked in Japan that became the site of one of the first major COVID-19 outbreaks outside China.

The CDC deployed staff to the port, assisted with American passenger evacuation, operated quarantine facilities, shared virus genetic information, coordinated with WHO and Japan, conducted public briefings, and quickly published reports “that became the world’s reference data on cruise ship COVID transmission,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director.

While some aspects of the Diamond Princess international response faced criticism and didn’t prevent the outbreak or stop COVID-19’s global spread, experts say the CDC made significant efforts.

“The CDC was right on top of it, very visible, very active in trying to manage and contain it,” Gostin said, contrasting with the agency’s current delayed and muted response.

Rather than collaborating with nearly all world nations through WHO, the Trump administration has pursued bilateral health agreements with individual countries for information sharing, public health assistance, and what it calls “the introduction of innovative American technologies.” About 30 such agreements currently exist.

Gostin considers this approach inadequate. “You can’t possibly cover a global health crisis by doing one-on-one deals with countries here and there,” he said.

Medical and wellness guidance floods social media platforms daily — ranging from helpful tips to trendy fads to outright false information — and millions of Americans are turning to these sources for health advice.

Recent findings from the Pew Research Center reveal that roughly 40% of American adults — with about half of those younger than 50 — obtain health guidance through social media platforms or podcasts.

The study examined social media accounts belonging to 6,828 wellness influencers who each have more than 100,000 followers. Results showed that only around 40% actually list credentials as healthcare professionals. Approximately one-third identify as coaches, roughly 30% describe themselves as business owners, and about 10% cite personal experiences such as parenthood as their qualifications.

Even with varying levels of expertise among these content creators, approximately half of people following health influencers reported that the information helps them understand their wellbeing better. About one-third said the content made little impact, while roughly 10% admitted it left them more confused.

Medical professionals recommend approaching fitness, mental health, and personal wellness posts with healthy skepticism. They offer guidance on becoming a more informed consumer of online health content.

Healthcare professionals emphasize that easily accessible credentials on an influencer’s profile serve as the most reliable indicator of legitimacy. They warn against self-proclaimed coaches who cannot demonstrate proper training or certification.

Courtney Babilya, a certified medical exercise specialist and personal trainer with over 430,000 Instagram followers, has observed this pattern in pregnancy-related content. “Someone has a baby and suddenly they’re a pregnancy coach,” she noted.

“We have to be careful with people who have an experience in one thing and suddenly become a ‘coach’ on that,” Babilya explained.

She points out that coaching represents a business approach rather than evidence of professional training. While Babilya discusses her personal chronic illness journey online, she maintains clear separation from her professional guidance.

“You do have an obligation to make sure that you are not giving someone a false idea or spreading a message that isn’t going to be applicable to everyone,” she emphasized.

Medical experts advise taking a step back when content triggers strong emotional responses. For individuals who struggle to access healthcare or feel dismissed by physicians, unconventional advice might seem like the solution they’ve been seeking. The Pew study found that 53% of uninsured individuals obtained health information through social media, compared to 38% of those with insurance coverage.

However, Dr. Fatima Daoud Yilmaz, an OB-GYN at Stony Brook Medicine in New York who creates the popular “Feminine Aisle” video series reviewing drugstore products, explains that legitimate medical information providers online avoid creating fear or shock.

Even when dealing with qualified experts, viewers should consider whether they’re discussing topics beyond their expertise and if their statements align with established scientific understanding.

“All opinions are not created equal when it comes to something such as health or medicine or science,” Daoud stated.

Babilya warns against overstated or absolute statements, particularly in video openings where influencers work hard to capture viewer attention.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, a practicing therapist and author, suggests that cautious language indicates credibility. In her boundary and mental health videos for 1.8 million Instagram followers, she uses words like “maybe,” “sometimes,” and “perhaps” rather than providing diagnoses.

Tawwab advises that feeling like you’ve discovered a diagnosis online signals the need to consult an actual professional.

Social media users should remember that content creators earn money from their platforms — for many, it’s their primary income source.

“It doesn’t mean that all of the information that they put out is biased, but it should tell consumers of that information to take it with a grain of salt because they do have financial incentive to be pushing information like this,” Daoud explained.

Babilya’s platform has become her full-time career and helps support her family. While accepting partnerships and brand collaborations wasn’t an easy choice, it makes her work financially viable.

Babilya emphasizes transparency with her audience and ensures all sponsored content receives proper labeling.

Medical professionals also suggest verifying video sources and looking for high-quality scientific evidence. Some posts lack proper fact-checking, Babilya cautions, referencing studies that don’t actually support the influencer’s claims.

Tawwab recommends applying the same scrutiny used when researching online purchases. Examine broader discussions around the advice similar to reading product reviews.

According to the Pew survey, two-thirds of users encounter this content accidentally rather than actively searching for it.

Ash Milton from the University of Minnesota, who researches how people navigate online mental health information, explains that controlling your feed requires ongoing effort and time.

“You have to work for it because the algorithm is designed to be passive consumption,” Milton noted.

Users can employ Instagram’s “Hidden Words” feature or TikTok’s “Not Interested” option to filter content, though Milton points out that TikTok may not identify exactly which video elements you want to avoid. She suggests using your reactions as guidance to limit content by asking whether the health information truly applies to and benefits your life, or simply feels relatable.

Healthcare professionals strongly recommend verifying any online health information with trusted medical providers before taking action.

Unlike influencers who can make any claims, medical professionals face ethical and legal responsibility for patient care and “may face professional and personal consequences for the advice that they give you,” Daoud explained.

“Ultimately, talk to the medical provider who knows you,” she concluded.

The World Health Organization’s top official touched down in Spain Saturday to coordinate the safe removal of more than 140 people aboard a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak as it approaches the Canary Islands.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced his arrival at the Spanish island of Tenerife, located off West Africa’s coast, accompanied by high-ranking Spanish officials. “to oversee safe disembarkation of the passengers, crew members and health experts,” he stated.

The MV Hondius, sailing under a Dutch flag, is scheduled to dock at Tenerife during the early morning hours Sunday. Tedros reported that currently, no individuals aboard the vessel are displaying viral symptoms.

“WHO continues to actively monitor the situation, coordinate support and next steps and will keep Member States and the public updated accordingly. So far, the risk for the population of Canary Islands and globally remains low,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia announced Friday her plans to travel to Tenerife alongside Tedros and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to manage the passenger removal process.

The outbreak has claimed three lives, with five passengers who previously departed the vessel now confirmed to carry the hantavirus infection. Both American and British governments have committed to dispatching aircraft to retrieve their nationals from the affected cruise liner.

Virginia Barcones, who leads Spain’s emergency response services, explained that passengers will be transported to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area” upon leaving the ship.

Typically transmitted through breathing in contaminated rodent waste particles, hantavirus rarely passes from person to person. However, the specific Andes strain identified in this cruise outbreak may occasionally spread between individuals. Illness signs typically emerge one to eight weeks following exposure.

A correspondence from Dutch foreign and health officials to their parliament Friday evening revealed that Spain has triggered the European Union’s civil protection system, placing a specialized medical evacuation aircraft on alert for high-risk infectious disease transport.

Should anyone become sick, ship medical personnel will notify Spanish officials, and the evacuation aircraft “will be sent to Tenerife so that the sick person can be quickly transported by air to the European mainland.”

Dutch authorities plan to collaborate with Spanish officials and the shipping company to arrange the return of Dutch passengers and crew immediately after reaching Tenerife, pending medical assessments and guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Symptom-free individuals will enter six-week home isolation with local health service monitoring.

Given the vessel’s Dutch registration, the Netherlands may temporarily house people from other countries while overseeing their quarantine period.

Medical officials across four continents are tracking and observing more than two dozen passengers who left the ship before the fatal outbreak’s discovery. They are also working urgently to locate others who may have encountered these individuals.

Friday brought news from the WHO that a flight attendant on an aircraft briefly boarded by an infected cruise passenger had received a negative hantavirus test. Concerns about her potential infection had sparked worries regarding the virus’s transmission capabilities.

The flight attendant’s negative outcome should calm public anxiety, noted Christian Lindmeier, a WHO representative. “The risk remains absolutely low,” he emphasized. “This is not a new COVID.”

On April 24, nearly fourteen days after the initial passenger death aboard the vessel, more than two dozen individuals from at least twelve nations departed the ship without contact monitoring, according to Dutch authorities and the ship’s management company.

Health officials didn’t confirm the first hantavirus case in a ship passenger until May 2, the WHO reported.

The KLM flight attendant who received the negative test result was working aboard an aircraft traveling from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25 and subsequently became ill.

The cruise passenger who briefly traveled on that flight — a Dutch woman whose spouse died aboard the ship — was too sick to continue the international journey to Europe and was removed in Johannesburg, where she passed away.

Dutch public health officials are conducting contact tracking for passengers who interacted with the sick woman before her plane departure.

Friday brought word from U.K. health officials that a third British citizen who had sailed on the ship is suspected of hantavirus infection. The U.K. Health Security Agency reported the individual is located on Tristan da Cunha, an isolated British territory in the South Atlantic where the vessel made an April stop. No update was provided regarding the person’s medical status.

Spanish health authorities announced Friday that a woman in the southeastern Spanish region of Alicante shows signs matching a hantavirus infection and is undergoing testing.

She traveled on the same aircraft as the Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg after her cruise ship journey, Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla informed media representatives.

Two additional Britons from the ship have confirmed viral infections. One remains hospitalized in the Netherlands while the other receives treatment in South Africa.

South African officials are working to identify contacts of any passengers who previously left the vessel. Their efforts have concentrated primarily on an April 25 flight from the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena to Johannesburg, occurring one day after some passengers left the ship on the island.

Several U.S. state officials reported monitoring a small group of residents who sailed on the ship and have returned home, along with people who may have contacted ship passengers. None are showing symptoms.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Provincial authorities in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego are disputing federal claims that a fatal hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship may have started in their region, calling instead for investigations into other Argentine locations the infected passengers had visited before their voyage.

Local leaders in this southernmost archipelago of South America are rejecting the theory that the virus originated from a waste site in Ushuaia that national health officials identified earlier this week as the probable location where two Dutch tourists became infected while observing birds.

“I believe we are facing a smear campaign against this destination,” Juan Facundo Petrina, the province’s director of epidemiology, told reporters Friday in a press conference from Ushuaia.

Petrina said federal authorities failed to reach out to local officials initially, learning about the supposed Ushuaia connection through news coverage instead. He also noted that Tierra del Fuego has never documented a hantavirus case, particularly not the Andes strain linked to the ship outbreak, unlike northern Argentine provinces.

The Dutch pair, who both perished, remained in Tierra del Fuego for only two days during their four-month journey across Argentina and Chile, he noted, which “dramatically reduces the likelihood that the infection happened here.”

Serving as the primary departure point for Antarctic expeditions, the isolated community of Ushuaia welcomed more than 157,000 cruise travelers last year — nearly twice its resident population. Wealthy cruise tourists have become increasingly essential to Tierra del Fuego’s economic stability as its primary electronics manufacturing industry struggles under libertarian President Javier Milei’s elimination of trade protections and government subsidies.

“Now the whole world is associating Ushuaia, and cruise travel, with a lethal virus, and if this continues, reservations for next season are honestly going to plummet because nobody will want to be exposed,” said Rubén Rafael, the former health minister of Tierra del Fuego. “Ushuaia’s reputation as a tourist destination is suffering badly.”

When questioned Friday about whether the Argentine Health Ministry still supported the theory that the outbreak began at the Ushuaia landfill, a ministry representative, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to discuss the investigation, confirmed their position remained unchanged and Ushuaia was the sole location receiving investigators, while acknowledging the virus could have originated elsewhere in Argentina.

The Health Ministry revealed Wednesday it would send specialists from the government-supported Malbran Institute to capture rodents at the Ushuaia waste facility and surrounding areas for testing for the Andes hantavirus strain.

More than two days later, the research team has not yet arrived. The official attributed the postponement to Argentina’s typically sluggish government processes.

In Tierra del Fuego, Petrina expressed hope that national researchers would vindicate Ushuaia. He explained the delay was needed “to determine all the exact locations where trapping and analysis will take place.”

Others in the left-leaning province criticized the administration’s postponement and lack of openness as part of a broader trend since Milei dismantled the nation’s health infrastructure, pulling Argentina from the World Health Organization shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump made the same move and eliminating national programs that monitor infectious diseases.

“The health system in Argentina is going through a serious crisis,” said Rafael, the former provincial health minister. “The system is weakened, and as a result, the response to this outbreak has been very slow. That exposes all of us.”

Beyond Argentina, public health specialists emphasized that the investigation represents a crucial measure to prevent similar incidents.

“It’s not an extreme emergency, but it’s still of urgency in terms of collecting the data,” said Celine Gounder, an epidemiologist who serves as editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News and previously advised the Biden administration on the coronavirus pandemic.

“If there is an Andes virus that is more infectious locally you’d want to know that so that you can warn local residents and take measures to prevent their infection. And if they haven’t started that process yet, that would be concerning.”

The Dutch travelers whom the WHO has confirmed as the initial cruise passengers infected with the Andes variant — the sole hantavirus that may transmit between people in uncommon instances — reached Argentina last November, according to the Argentine Health Ministry.

The travelers, ages 70 and 69, spent weeks driving throughout the nation before making multiple border crossings between Argentina and Chile over several months. They also journeyed between Argentina and Uruguay in March before starting their Antarctic cruise from Ushuaia on April 1.

The administrations of Chile, which has experienced fatal Andes variant outbreaks previously, and Uruguay, which has not, determined the couple could not have contracted the infection during their visits based on the virus’s up-to-eight-week incubation timeline. They provided no additional information.

Since the couple died, tracking their movements across the country proves extremely challenging, Argentine health officials stated, adding they are working to complete missing details of the couple’s itinerary.

Numerous independent Argentine disease specialists believe the hantavirus outbreak most likely originated from the forests of central Patagonia, another significant tourist area where officials have recently documented hantavirus cases and long-tailed rodents known to harbor the Andes variant are abundant — unlike in Ushuaia.

“With the media pressure now, it wouldn’t surprise me if the government’s response has been more about quieting criticism by appearing to act,” said Raul González Ittig, genetics professor at the National University of Cordoba.

A North Carolina chocolate manufacturer has broadened its voluntary product recall over concerns about potential bacterial contamination that could pose health risks to consumers.

Spring & Mulberry announced on May 8, 2026, from Raleigh that it is expanding a previously issued recall of certain chocolate bar products due to possible Salmonella contamination.

The company had initially issued a recall for select chocolate bars and is now taking additional precautionary steps by widening the scope of affected products.

Salmonella contamination can cause serious foodborne illness, particularly in young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems. Symptoms typically include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

The Food and Drug Administration has posted details about the expanded recall on its website as part of ongoing safety monitoring efforts.

Consumers who have purchased Spring & Mulberry chocolate products are advised to check recall notices and avoid consuming any items that may be affected by the contamination concern.

Health officials announced Friday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak has struck passengers aboard a cruise vessel bound for Spain, resulting in three deaths among eight people who became sick.

The World Health Organization confirmed that laboratory testing has verified six cases of Andes virus, a form of hantavirus, while two additional cases remain under investigation.

When authorities first became aware of the health crisis on May 2, the vessel was carrying 147 passengers and crew members, though 34 individuals had previously departed the ship.

Medical facilities in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland are currently treating four patients from the outbreak. A suspected case transported to Germany has since tested negative for the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it is actively tracking the situation involving American travelers on the affected cruise ship. Federal health officials plan to arrange a medical evacuation flight to transport U.S. passengers to Omaha, Nebraska.

According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, 17 American citizens are currently aboard the vessel.

The ship departed from Cabo Verde on May 6 and is traveling toward Spain’s Canary Islands, where passengers are scheduled to leave the vessel.

While the WHO assessed the threat to the general global population as minimal, officials described the risk level for those aboard the cruise ship as moderate.

Health investigators believe the initial infection may have occurred before the person boarded the ship, potentially during travel through Argentina and Chile, with subsequent transmission happening among passengers and crew during the voyage.

A Milwaukee-based food manufacturer has issued a voluntary recall of white cheddar seasoning products sold to consumers after discovering potential salmonella contamination.

Jonco Industries, Inc. announced the recall affecting certain consumer-sized packages of their White Cheddar Seasoning. The company took action after identifying the possibility that their products could contain salmonella bacteria.

Health officials warn that salmonella exposure can lead to severe infections that may prove life-threatening for vulnerable populations, including young children, elderly individuals, and people with compromised immune systems.

The recall specifically targets consumer-sized packaging of the seasoning product, though the company has not yet released additional details about specific lot numbers or distribution areas affected by the contamination concern.

Health officials in Argentina have ruled out their southernmost province as the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a luxury cruise vessel, according to statements made during a Friday news conference.

Juan Petrina, who oversees epidemiology and environmental health for Tierra del Fuego province, explained that investigators analyzed the timeline between when passengers visited the region and when they began showing symptoms of the disease.

“The calculations don’t add up for them to have been infected in our province … the possibility is practically nil,” Petrina stated during the briefing held in Ushuaia.

The determination eliminates Argentina’s southernmost territory as a potential infection site for the cruise ship passengers who contracted the dangerous virus.

Spanish health officials are making emergency preparations as a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak makes its way toward the Canary Islands.

The MV Hondius, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is expected to dock in Tenerife either Saturday or Sunday. At least three people aboard the vessel have lost their lives to the virus, with additional passengers falling ill. Currently, no other passengers or crew are showing symptoms of the disease.

Emergency officials will conduct a carefully orchestrated evacuation when the ship arrives. “Passengers will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” Virginia Barcones, Spain’s head of emergency services, announced Thursday.

Both American and British governments have committed to sending aircraft to retrieve their citizens from the stricken vessel. The U.S. will dispatch a plane to evacuate 17 American passengers, while Britain plans to charter a flight for nearly two dozen British nationals on board.

International health authorities are working around the clock to locate passengers who departed the ship before officials detected the outbreak. On April 24, more than two dozen individuals from at least 12 nations left the vessel without proper contact tracing, according to the ship’s operator and Dutch authorities. The hantavirus wasn’t confirmed in a passenger until May 2, according to the World Health Organization.

The tracking efforts span four continents as officials attempt to monitor those who disembarked and identify anyone who may have encountered them afterward. One Dutch passenger whose husband died aboard the ship became too sick to continue on an international flight to Europe and was removed from the aircraft in Johannesburg, where she later died.

A KLM flight attendant who worked on the April 25 flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam later became ill but tested negative for the virus. She was placed in isolation at an Amsterdam hospital Thursday.

Health experts explain that hantavirus typically transmits when people breathe in contaminated particles from rodent waste. While these viruses have existed for centuries worldwide, they don’t spread easily between humans.

“This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” explained Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization. “Most people will never be exposed to this.”

The World Health Organization maintains that the risk to the general public remains minimal. The disease received increased attention recently following the death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of late actor Gene Hackman, from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year.

The MV Hondius operates under a Dutch flag, and Dutch officials confirmed Friday they maintain close communication with the ship’s owner and authorities from nations whose citizens are aboard the vessel.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — International authorities are coordinating efforts to manage 140 passengers and crew aboard a cruise vessel affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak as it approaches Spain’s Canary Islands.

The ship is scheduled to arrive at Tenerife, located off West Africa’s coast, early Sunday morning.

The outbreak has claimed at least three lives, with additional passengers showing signs of infection.

Hantavirus typically spreads through breathing in contaminated particles from rodent waste. The disease’s symptoms emerge between one and eight weeks following exposure. While the World Health Organization states the general public faces minimal risk from this outbreak, the specific Andes strain involved in this incident can occasionally transmit between humans.

Officials and the cruise company continue releasing updates, though significant details remain unclear.

Here are the unanswered questions:

Argentine health investigators believe a Dutch couple initially caught the virus during a bird-watching excursion before joining the cruise in Argentina on April 1. However, no agency has verified the exact location or method of their infection.

Argentina’s Health Ministry has focused attention on Ushuaia, the country’s southernmost city. According to a written statement to The Associated Press, officials plan to visit the area in upcoming days, though no reason was provided for the postponement.

Spanish officials are making preparations to receive the remaining passengers and crew at Tenerife. Authorities announced Friday that upon the vessel’s arrival, passengers will be transferred via small boats to buses only after their homebound flights are confirmed ready for departure.

The United States has committed to dispatching an aircraft to the Canary Islands for American citizens, with Britain making similar arrangements. Other nations have not yet announced their evacuation strategies, leaving uncertainty about passenger wait times.

Virginia Barcones, Spain’s emergency services director, stated Friday that the country had requested medically equipped aircraft for symptomatic passengers, though availability remained uncertain.

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions reports the MV Hondius left Ushuaia on April 1, making two port calls before the outbreak began.

Six additional passengers joined at Tristan da Cunha, a remote island. The vessel subsequently stopped at St. Helena island, where 30 passengers departed, including a Dutch woman and her deceased husband’s remains. Two of those 30 passengers have unknown nationalities, believed to be Chileans who boarded at Tristan da Cunha, the company stated.

Stephen Doughty, the U.K. minister of overseas territories, reported Friday that a Tristan da Cunha resident has been hospitalized with hantavirus symptoms. Whether this individual traveled on the ship remains unclear.

Oceanwide Expeditions initially reported the ship departed Argentina with 114 passengers plus an undetermined crew count. Updated company figures indicate 61 crew members from 12 nations were aboard, though potential crew changes during the voyage remain unknown.

The cruise company was compelled to revise passenger numbers and nationalities for those who disembarked at St. Helena after finding errors in their original data. Their revised count differs from Dutch Foreign Ministry estimates, with the discrepancy unexplained.

Numerous passengers who left at St. Helena continued to other destinations, including the Dutch woman whose husband perished aboard. She traveled to Johannesburg before briefly boarding an Amsterdam-bound flight. She was removed due to severe illness and later died.

South African and Dutch authorities are tracking anyone who contacted the deceased woman during her journey. A flight attendant who interacted with her tested negative for hantavirus after developing symptoms.

Certain governments, including the United Kingdom, have confirmed their citizens’ locations after leaving the vessel. U.K. health officials report two are self-quarantining at home, four remain on St. Helena, and one “has been traced outside of the U.K.” However, British officials have not disclosed or determined how many others these individuals may have contacted since departing.

A Wisconsin snack manufacturer has issued a voluntary product recall for certain Giant Eagle brand pita chips over concerns about possible salmonella contamination.

Legacy Snack Solutions, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, announced on May 7, 2026, that it is pulling specific production runs of Giant Eagle Baked Pita Chips With Parmesan, Garlic & Herb from store shelves due to potential bacterial contamination.

The company’s decision to recall these products comes after California Diaries, Inc. issued a recall for milk powder ingredients.

Salmonella contamination can cause serious foodborne illness, particularly in young children, elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems.

Consumers who have purchased these pita chips are advised to check their packages and dispose of any affected products rather than consuming them.

A food manufacturer based in Grove City, Pennsylvania has initiated a voluntary product recall affecting more than 13,600 pounds of sunflower seeds that potentially contain cashew allergens not listed on the packaging.

The George J. Howe Company announced the recall covers exactly 13,619 pounds of their sunflower seed products due to the presence of undeclared tree nut allergens, specifically cashews.

Health officials warn that consumers who have allergies or heightened sensitivity to tree nuts could experience severe or potentially fatal allergic reactions if they eat the contaminated sunflower seeds.

The recall affects products that may have been distributed to retailers and consumers without proper allergen labeling, creating a significant health hazard for individuals with tree nut allergies.

A California-based bakery company has issued a voluntary product recall after discovering they mistakenly labeled muffins containing tree nuts as a different variety that doesn’t include allergens.

The Brownie Baker, Inc., located in Fresno, announced the recall on May 7, 2026, for Nouria Banana Nut Muffins that were incorrectly packaged and sold as blueberry muffins. The error means consumers with tree nut allergies could unknowingly purchase and consume products containing walnuts, which are not disclosed on the packaging.

The mislabeling poses a potentially dangerous situation for individuals with tree nut sensitivities, as the product contains walnuts but the packaging fails to warn customers about their presence.

The company has voluntarily initiated the recall to address the labeling mistake and protect consumers from potential allergic reactions.

Spanish authorities have developed comprehensive evacuation procedures for a luxury cruise vessel that will dock Sunday after experiencing a deadly hantavirus outbreak during its voyage.

The MV Hondius, carrying 149 individuals representing 23 different nations, is scheduled to reach Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands around midday Sunday (1000 GMT), according to Spanish government officials.

The viral outbreak has resulted in three fatalities, with four additional confirmed infections and three more suspected cases under investigation. However, cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions reported Thursday that no remaining passengers are currently showing signs of illness.

Rather than docking directly at port, the vessel will anchor offshore while passengers and crew are transported to land using smaller watercraft. This approach was requested by local island officials, though Spain’s central government emphasized that standard docking procedures would not have posed public health dangers.

The World Health Organization has assessed the broader public risk from this viral outbreak as minimal.

The cruise began its journey April 1 from Argentina, carrying 88 passengers and 61 crew members, including one deceased German citizen still aboard the ship.

Upon reaching Granadilla port in southern Tenerife, evacuees will be transported to the island’s primary airport approximately 10 minutes away, Spain’s civil protection and emergencies director Virginia Barcones explained to state broadcaster TVE Friday.

“They will likely be transferred to the airport on sealed-off buses whose drivers and emergency crew will be clad in protective gear,” Barcones stated. The specialized transport vehicles will deliver passengers directly to airport runways where they will board designated aircraft.

Multiple countries have committed to sending charter aircraft to retrieve their citizens. The United States and Britain have already confirmed flight arrangements, Barcones noted.

For nations unable to organize their own evacuation flights, officials indicated passengers could potentially travel on aircraft dispatched by other countries. Final coordination will involve the European Commission and the Netherlands, which serves as the ship’s flag nation.

Passenger distribution by nationality shows the Philippines with 38 people, Britain with 23, the United States with 17, Spain with 14, and the Netherlands with 13, according to Oceanwide data.

While authorities plan rapid departure for all evacuated individuals, local officials are establishing an isolated medical facility at a nearby hospital as a precautionary measure, confirmed by regional government and union representatives.

Spanish citizens aboard the vessel will be flown to a military medical facility in Madrid.

Regarding the three virus-related deaths, one victim remains on the ship. Dutch authorities will manage the evacuation of the deceased German passenger following established maritime and health protocols, Barcones confirmed.

The MV Hondius must continue to the Netherlands due to flag state requirements, explained Spain’s health secretary Javier Padilla, though he did not specify departure timing.

Canary Islands officials emphasized minimizing the ship’s presence in the archipelago, which is home to approximately one million residents in Tenerife alone.

Padilla noted that ship disinfection procedures while anchored near Tenerife remain under consideration. “It will be done in the moment and place considered most adequate. What we can guarantee is that it will be done without any (health) risks,” he stated.

Whether all crew members will depart the MV Hondius remains unclear, with Padilla indicating the vessel would eventually leave Spanish waters with the “necessary (number of) crew members” aboard.

British health authorities announced Friday they have identified a suspected hantavirus infection in a British citizen living on Tristan da Cunha, a remote South Atlantic island. Officials are working to locate passengers and close contacts from a luxury cruise vessel that visited the island last month.

The cruise ship MV Hondius made a stop at the island on April 15.

AMONG EARTH’S MOST ISOLATED COMMUNITIES

Tristan da Cunha stands as the sole populated island within a distant volcanic island chain, operating under British overseas territory status alongside Saint Helena and Ascension. The island’s single community, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, housed 216 residents as of May 2026, with most families tracing their ancestry to a small group of 1800s colonists.

This location ranks among the planet’s most isolated populated territories. Saint Helena, the closest inhabited territory, sits approximately 1,500 miles away, while South Africa lies roughly 2,800 kilometers to the east.

Without any airports or landing strips, maritime transport provides the exclusive access route to the island. Ships traveling from Cape Town make the journey approximately ten times annually.

COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMIC SYSTEM

The island chain’s official administration reports that Tristan da Cunha operates through subsistence agriculture and fishing activities, along with revenue from collectible stamps and currency sales, plus limited tourism income.

Visitor activities focus on outdoor adventures, including treks up Queen Mary’s Peak volcano. This same volcano’s 1961 eruption required emergency relocation of all residents to the United Kingdom temporarily.

The community functions on egalitarian values. Land ownership remains collective, with livestock numbers carefully controlled to maintain pasture resources and ensure economic balance between families. Outside individuals cannot purchase property or establish permanent residence on the island.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A groundbreaking initiative announced Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom will make California the first state to distribute free diapers to new parents directly at hospitals when they take their babies home.

The program will initially launch at approximately 65 to 75 medical facilities across the state, serving roughly one-fourth of California births and primarily benefiting hospitals that care for families with lower incomes, according to the governor’s office. Plans call for expanding the initiative to additional hospitals throughout the state, though officials have not specified how many more will participate.

According to Newsom, this latest effort continues California’s mission to reduce the financial burden on families living in one of America’s most costly states. The governor pointed to recent initiatives including universal free school meals for students and no-cost preschool programs.

“Every baby born in California deserves a healthy start in life — and that means making sure parents have the basics they need from day one,” the Democratic governor stated.

State lawmakers allocated $7.4 million in the previous year’s budget to launch this program, with an additional $12.5 million proposed in the current budget to fund operations through June 2027.

New parents will receive 400 diapers per infant when discharged from participating hospitals, including sizes appropriate for newborns and babies weighing up to 14 pounds. This supply should last just over a month, considering newborns typically need eight to 10 diaper changes daily. The state has partnered with Baby2Baby, an organization dedicated to providing essential children’s items, to produce the diapers for participating medical centers.

This announcement follows Tennessee and Delaware becoming the first states two years ago to offer free diapers through their Medicaid programs for low-income families. Tennessee’s program allows families to collect 100 diapers monthly at pharmacies for children under age two. Delaware’s initiative, which started as a pilot program before permanent adoption in 2024, provides up to 80 diapers and one package of baby wipes weekly during an infant’s first 12 weeks.

While California’s Medicaid system does not currently cover diapers for newborns, it does provide them for participants age five and older who have medical requirements for the products.

Families typically spend approximately $100 monthly per child on diapers, according to research from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive policy organization. This financial pressure sometimes forces parents to leave soiled diapers on longer than recommended or attempt to reuse disposable products, potentially causing skin irritation and urinary tract infections, the organization reports.

California leaders are promoting this new program as a solution to reduce that economic stress on families.

“The first days at home with a newborn should be focused on the love, connection, and joy of an expanded family, not stress about affording diapers,” said Kim Johnson, the state’s health secretary. “This program helps ensure families can begin that journey with greater stability and peace of mind.”

Eli Lilly’s recently introduced weight-loss medication Foundayo reached 7,335 prescriptions during its fourth week of availability in the United States, showing a gradual start compared to competing treatments, according to market analysts.

The pharmaceutical company is competing against Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy tablet, which gained an early advantage by launching in January, several months before Foundayo’s April debut.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Trung Huynh noted that although Foundayo’s prescription figures appeared lower than expected, “we’re beginning to see investors looking past initial weekly script tracking metrics as the barometer for Foundayo’s future potential.”

Market watchers believe the emerging generation of oral weight-loss medications could reach millions of patients while helping to reduce cost pressures in the healthcare sector.

Company officials from Lilly reported last week that Foundayo now has more than 8,000 healthcare providers prescribing the medication, with one-third being doctors who had never previously prescribed oral GLP-1 treatments. The company also stated that over 20,000 patients have received treatment with the drug.

Huynh emphasized that Foundayo’s prescription rates must increase quickly “in order to hit (the) consensus (expectation).”

The analyst explained that the medication would require approximately 22,000 weekly prescriptions to reach projected second-quarter revenue of $160 million.

U.S. regulators approved Foundayo on April 1st, with immediate prescription availability through LillyDirect. The company began shipping orders on April 6th, followed by widespread distribution through retail pharmacies and telehealth services starting April 9th.

The prescription data comes from IQVIA, a company that tracks retail pharmacy prescriptions and samples from telehealth platforms, Lilly Direct, and mail-order services.

Spanish health officials announced Friday they are investigating a potential hantavirus infection in a woman from Alicante province in southeastern Spain’s Valencia region, according to Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla.

The woman in question traveled on the same aircraft as a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship, who subsequently passed away in Johannesburg after contracting the virus, Padilla explained to media representatives.

Medical staff have admitted the woman to an Alicante hospital where she is being kept in isolation, the health official reported. She is experiencing symptoms of coughing and “general malaise.”

According to Padilla, the Spanish woman’s seat was positioned two rows away from the cruise ship traveler, though their interaction “was brief” because the passenger had only been “on board for a short time” during the flight.

Valencia region health officials are currently conducting contact tracing to identify individuals who may have interacted with the woman in recent days, Padilla noted.

Health authorities have identified another potential hantavirus infection involving a British citizen on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most isolated inhabited islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, officials announced Friday.

The development comes as international health agencies continue their efforts to track down passengers and close contacts from the luxury cruise vessel MV Hondius, where a deadly virus outbreak has already claimed three lives.

British health security officials have not released additional information about the latest suspected infection on Tristan da Cunha, which houses approximately 200 residents and served as a port of call for the cruise ship on April 15.

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has resulted in three fatalities: a married Dutch couple and a German passenger. Additionally, four confirmed cases are currently receiving medical care in hospitals across multiple countries – two British nationals, one Dutch citizen, and one Swiss passenger are being treated in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Switzerland respectively.

The first death occurred on April 11 when a Dutch man, later identified as ‘patient zero,’ died aboard the vessel. His wife passed away on April 24, shortly after disembarking from the ship.

The World Health Organisation announced it would release updated figures on both suspected and confirmed cases later Friday.

Dutch health officials reported Thursday that two individuals who had close contact with the deceased woman before she was removed from an aircraft in Johannesburg on April 25 due to worsening health conditions have tested negative for the virus.

One of those tested was a flight attendant who had been hospitalized in Amsterdam after showing potential infection symptoms, according to Friday’s WHO statement. Dutch public health authorities indicated they were still awaiting definitive test results for a third case.

While hantavirus typically spreads through rodent contact, the particular strain affecting the Hondius passengers can occasionally transmit between people in unusual circumstances.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated this hantavirus situation as a ‘level 3’ emergency response, representing their lowest emergency activation category.

Medical experts continue emphasizing the minimal likelihood of widespread transmission, though the outbreak has prompted heightened vigilance among authorities who are advising anyone who contacted passengers departing the Hondius before the outbreak became known to watch for potential symptoms.

Multiple U.S. states have reported monitoring asymptomatic residents who returned home after leaving the cruise ship. Singapore authorities isolated and tested two residents Thursday who had traveled aboard the vessel.

Oceanwide, the cruise line operating the ship, stated Thursday that no passengers currently aboard are showing infection symptoms. The vessel is scheduled to arrive in Tenerife in the Canary Islands early Sunday morning.

The WHO is developing comprehensive guidelines for when the remaining dozens of passengers disembark and return to their home countries. British health services announced that UK nationals aboard the ship who remain symptom-free will be transported home and required to isolate for 45 days.

Spanish emergency officials are making final preparations to handle the arrival of a cruise vessel carrying more than 140 individuals aboard the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius, which is approaching the Canary Islands for urgent medical evacuations.

The ship is anticipated to dock at Tenerife, located off West Africa’s coast, either Saturday or Sunday, according to Spanish authorities.

“They will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area,” Virginia Barcones, Spain’s emergency services director, stated Thursday.

Barcones explained that Spain is working with multiple nations to coordinate evacuation procedures for their citizens currently on the vessel.

American officials have committed to dispatching an aircraft to the Canary Islands to transport 17 U.S. nationals from the cruise ship, she confirmed. British authorities have similarly announced plans to charter a flight for evacuating approximately 24 British passengers still aboard the MV Hondius.

The outbreak has claimed at least three lives, with additional individuals reported ill. However, the World Health Organization has assessed the threat to the general population as minimal.

The virus typically spreads through breathing in contaminated rodent waste particles and does not easily pass from person to person. Initial symptoms generally appear between one to eight weeks following exposure.

Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise operator, reported Thursday that no remaining passengers or crew members are currently showing symptoms.

Medical officials spanning four continents continue efforts to locate and monitor passengers who left the vessel before the fatal outbreak was identified, while attempting to trace individuals who may have contacted them subsequently.

On April 24, nearly two weeks following the first passenger death aboard the ship, more than 24 people from at least 12 nations departed the vessel without proper contact tracing, according to the ship’s operator and Dutch officials who spoke Thursday.

Friday brought news from U.K. health authorities of a third British citizen suspected of contracting the hantavirus.

The U.K. Health Security Agency reported the suspected case is located on Tristan da Cunha, an isolated British territory in the south Atlantic where the vessel made a stop during April.

Officials have not released information regarding the individual’s medical status.

Two additional British nationals from the cruise have received confirmed hantavirus diagnoses. One remains hospitalized in the Netherlands while the other is receiving treatment in South Africa.

South African health officials are also working to identify contacts of passengers who previously departed the ship. Their focus has centered primarily on an April 25 flight traveling from St. Helena to Johannesburg, occurring one day after passengers disembarked at that location.

AMSTERDAM – Health officials confirmed Friday that a Dutch airline crew member who was exposed to a deadly hantavirus case has tested negative for the infection, according to the World Health Organization.

The KLM flight attendant had come into contact with a woman who later died from hantavirus in Johannesburg, South Africa. As a precautionary measure, the crew member was taken to an Amsterdam hospital on Thursday after showing potential symptoms of infection.

The World Health Organization announced the negative test results, clearing the flight attendant of any hantavirus infection concerns.

Health authorities in the United Kingdom have reported that a third British citizen is suspected of contracting hantavirus in connection with a fatal disease outbreak aboard a high-end cruise vessel.

The UK Health Security Agency announced Friday that they have confirmed hantavirus infections in two other British citizens as part of their ongoing surveillance of the dangerous outbreak. The cases are linked to incidents on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.

Officials continue to monitor the situation as they track the spread of this serious viral infection among passengers from the luxury cruise ship.

A food company based in Zanesville, Ohio has announced it is pulling certain coleslaw products from store shelves due to safety concerns.

My Wife’s Slaw has issued a voluntary recall for both its Original and Jalapeno Heat varieties of coleslaw, which are packaged in 8-ounce and 16-ounce glass mason jars. The recall was announced on May 5, 2026.

According to the company, the coleslaw products are being recalled because they are considered adulterated. The items were manufactured without proper inspection procedures and safety protocols in place.

A dairy operation based in Vernon Center, New York has issued a voluntary recall of their sour cream and onion flavored cheese curds after discovering potential salmonella contamination.

Stoltzfus Family Dairy announced the recall due to concerns that their cheese curd product may contain salmonella bacteria, which poses significant health dangers to vulnerable populations including infants, senior citizens, and individuals with compromised immune systems.

Health officials warn that salmonella infections can lead to severe illness and in some cases may prove fatal, especially among high-risk groups. The contaminated dairy product was distributed from the company’s New York facility.

Consumers who have purchased the affected sour cream and onion cheese curds are advised to dispose of the product immediately and contact their healthcare provider if they experience symptoms of foodborne illness.

Health officials in Argentina are conducting an investigation to determine if their nation served as the starting point for a deadly hantavirus outbreak that struck passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship during an extended Atlantic Ocean journey.

The outbreak resulted in fatalities among passengers and led to the identification of at least eight suspected cases of the dangerous virus during the month-long voyage. Medical testing has verified two infections with the Andes strain of hantavirus, while three individuals required emergency medical evacuation from the ship this past Wednesday.

Investigators are working to pinpoint exactly where passengers may have been exposed to the virus. Officials are reviewing travel records and timelines to establish whether contact occurred prior to the ship’s April 1st departure from Argentina bound for Antarctica, during a port call at an isolated South Atlantic island, or while passengers were on the ship itself.

According to the World Health Organization, Argentina holds the distinction of having the globe’s highest rate of hantavirus infections. The disease transmits through exposure to contaminated rodent bodily fluids including saliva, urine, and droppings.

Data from Argentina’s Health Ministry shows 101 hantavirus cases have been documented since June 2025, representing approximately twice the number seen in the prior year.

The specific Andes strain discovered among MV Hondius passengers is capable of triggering hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a serious lung condition that frequently proves deadly.

Argentine medical experts believe environmental shifts may be playing a role in the virus’s expansion.

Infectious disease specialist Hugo Pizzi explained to the Associated Press: “Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change, and that has brought disruptions, like dengue and yellow fever, but also new tropical plants that produce seeds for mice to proliferate.”

“There is no doubt that as time goes by, the hantavirus is spreading more and more,” he said.

Medical authorities across several nations are actively tracking passengers and crew members linked to the disease outbreak.

The Netherlands has taken in three evacuated individuals for medical care, while Swiss health officials have confirmed a positive test result in a passenger who returned to their home country. Meanwhile, South Africa is providing intensive care treatment for a British patient.

Additional passengers are being monitored in isolation in Britain, the United States, and Singapore, with most showing no symptoms at this time. Dutch authorities are also conducting tests on a KLM airline crew member who may have been exposed through contact with a passenger who died last month in South Africa.

Health authorities worldwide are working to track down cruise ship passengers who may have been exposed to a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives, though officials remain confident the situation won’t develop into a widespread epidemic.

The virus typically doesn’t transmit easily from person to person, but health officials in multiple countries are conducting thorough contact tracing to locate and monitor individuals who may have encountered infected passengers.

Hantaviruses typically infect people when they breathe in contaminated particles from rodent waste. While human infections are uncommon, small clusters of cases have occurred globally. However, the Andes virus involved in this cruise ship incident might have the unusual ability to pass between people in certain circumstances, and viruses have the potential to evolve.

Researchers are racing to understand more about this particular virus, including whether genetic changes have occurred and the exact mechanisms of transmission.

Contact tracing aims to notify potentially exposed individuals, monitor them for developing symptoms, and stop further transmission to others.

The tracking process presents challenges because people naturally interact socially, move around frequently, spend time in busy locations, and travel extensively.

During this cruise ship incident, less than twelve individuals are believed to have developed symptoms, with only five confirmed infections, though many more passengers may have encountered the virus.

Approximately 140 passengers continue aboard the vessel as it travels toward the Canary Islands for disembarkation, with no reported illnesses among this group.

However, officials are attempting to locate dozens of passengers who departed the ship roughly two weeks after an initial death occurred, but before authorities identified hantavirus as the cause. These individuals came from at least twelve nations, including multiple U.S. states such as Arizona, California, Georgia, and Texas, according to disease specialists and state health departments.

Officials from St. Helena, the isolated volcanic British territory in the South Atlantic where passengers disembarked, reported they are observing a small group of individuals classified as “higher-risk contacts.” These people have been instructed to remain isolated for 45 days, the St. Helena government announced.

British health authorities report that two former ship passengers who flew home during the voyage are self-isolating without symptoms. The U.K. Health Security Agency stated that “a small number” of people who contacted these two individuals are also self-isolating but remain symptom-free.

Singapore health officials said they are observing two men who left the ship at St. Helena, traveled to South Africa, then returned home. These men, who arrived in Singapore at separate times, were undergoing hantavirus testing and quarantined at the nation’s National Center for Infectious Diseases, authorities reported.

The U.S. government has shared limited information regarding its contact tracing efforts.

Texas health officials announced Thursday that public health workers successfully contacted two people who departed the ship on April 24. These individuals report no symptoms and had no contact with sick passengers during the voyage. They agreed to conduct daily temperature monitoring and contact health officials if any signs of illness appear, authorities stated.

Two Canadian passengers who disembarked are currently in Ontario and have been instructed to self-isolate since returning home, according to the province’s health minister.

Beyond tracking individuals, scientists are also working to comprehend the pathogen itself. The Andes virus, part of the hantavirus group found in South America, may be among the uncommon hantaviruses capable of human-to-human transmission. Argentine officials suspect the initial cases may have originated during a birdwatching expedition in the southern city of Ushuaia.

Argentina’s Health Ministry has not yet deployed the team, but researchers from the government-funded Malbrán Institute planned to visit Ushuaia “in the coming days,” the ministry informed The Associated Press.

Scientists are examining the virus’s genetic makeup to determine if mutations have made it more easily transmissible.

They are also investigating the precise transmission methods, explained Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive officer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Researchers believe people are primarily contagious when showing symptoms, and if the virus spreads between people, it may transmit through tiny droplets expelled when infected individuals speak, cough, or sneeze.

A Wisconsin-based company has announced a voluntary product recall affecting certain seasoning products over concerns about bacterial contamination.

JCB Flavors, LLC, located in Watertown, Wisconsin, is pulling select topical seasoning items from the market after discovering they may contain Salmonella bacteria.

Health officials warn that Salmonella can lead to severe illness and, in some cases, life-threatening complications. The risk is particularly high for young children, senior citizens, and individuals whose immune systems are compromised.

The company initiated the recall as a precautionary measure to protect consumer safety. Anyone who has purchased the affected seasoning products should stop using them immediately.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A deadly hantavirus outbreak has swept through passengers aboard a cruise ship during its weeks-long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving three people dead and several others seriously ill.

The outbreak has prompted international health authorities to launch an urgent effort to locate passengers who previously left the vessel and anyone who may have come into contact with them. More than 140 passengers and crew remain aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius as it makes its way toward Spain’s Canary Islands.

Hantavirus spreads through contact with infected rodents, and while person-to-person transmission is extremely uncommon, the World Health Organization maintains that public risk remains minimal since the virus does not easily pass between humans.

The tragic sequence of events began when the vessel departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina, with planned destinations including Antarctica and remote islands in the South Atlantic.

A 70-year-old Dutch passenger developed illness symptoms including fever, headache and mild diarrhea while aboard the ship. Prior to boarding, he and his Dutch wife had been touring Ushuaia and other locations throughout Argentina and Chile, according to WHO reports.

The Dutch man’s condition deteriorated as he experienced breathing difficulties, ultimately dying aboard the vessel. At that time, cruise officials could not determine what caused his death.

When the ship docked at Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic, six new passengers boarded while the deceased man’s body remained on the vessel.

The body was removed when the ship reached St. Helena island, also part of the British territory. His wife departed the ship along with more than two dozen other passengers.

The Dutch woman, who had begun showing signs of illness, boarded a commercial flight from St. Helena to South Africa. That aircraft carried 88 passengers and crew members, though it remains unclear how many other cruise passengers were on that same flight.

The woman collapsed at a South African airport while attempting to board another flight home and subsequently died.

Meanwhile, after the ship left St. Helena, a third passenger — a British man — became ill and was evacuated to Ascension Island. He was later transferred to a South African hospital and placed in intensive care, suffering from high fever, breathing problems and pneumonia symptoms that can result from hantavirus infection.

As the vessel continued toward Cape Verde off Africa’s western coast, a German woman passenger also fell sick.

Nearly one month after the initial case, the German woman died aboard the ship, becoming the third fatality.

On that same day, South African health officials received confirmation that the British man in intensive care had tested positive for hantavirus — marking the first confirmed identification of the virus in this outbreak.

The World Health Organization announced it was responding to a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, which had by then reached Cape Verde waters.

South African health authorities later received posthumous test results confirming hantavirus in the Dutch woman who died at the airport. Officials decided to test her remains after the British man’s positive result.

WHO officially classified the situation as an outbreak at that point.

A tense standoff developed between the cruise ship and Cape Verde authorities over whether additional sick passengers could be evacuated and others allowed to disembark. While Cape Verde sent medical personnel to assist the vessel, officials refused to allow anyone off the ship. Two crew members, including the ship’s doctor, were seriously ill, and another person was under medical observation.

Those three individuals, two of whom tested positive for hantavirus, were eventually evacuated and flown to specialized European hospitals. The ship then departed for Spain’s Canary Islands after Spanish authorities agreed to accept the vessel.

Swiss authorities announced another positive hantavirus case involving a man who had left the cruise at St. Helena, bringing the total confirmed cases to five.

Health officials in South Africa and Switzerland identified the strain as Andes virus, the only known hantavirus that spreads between humans. This particular virus is typically found in South America, especially Argentina and Chile.

Health agencies across Switzerland, Britain, Netherlands, France, Singapore, South Africa and other nations are now isolating individuals who previously departed the cruise and returned home. They are also working to identify anyone who may have had contact with cruise ship passengers.

A Massachusetts biotechnology firm announced Thursday that its experimental treatment demonstrated significant progress in enhancing muscle capabilities among young patients battling Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a devastating inherited disorder that gradually destroys muscle tissue.

Entrada Therapeutics conducted testing of their investigational medication, designated ENTR-601-44, on mobile patients between ages six and 17 who carry a specific genetic defect treatable through exon 44 skipping techniques.

This hereditary condition predominantly impacts male children, causing progressive muscle deterioration throughout their lives. Most affected youngsters become wheelchair-bound during their teenage years and eventually face cardiac and respiratory complications.

According to Entrada’s findings, participants receiving the experimental therapy demonstrated substantial enhancement in their ability to transition from floor-sitting to standing positions. Medical professionals rely on this assessment to evaluate muscle power and forecast when patients may lose mobility.

The company reported that the observed progress exceeded statistical significance thresholds and surpassed the benchmark for clinical relevance by more than threefold.

Study participants also exhibited increased levels of dystrophin, an essential muscle protein absent in Duchenne patients, rising approximately 2.4 percentage points above the initial 4% baseline measurement.

Initial trial participants experienced the therapy without major safety concerns, showing good tolerance with no severe adverse reactions and complete treatment adherence, according to Entrada’s report.

The pharmaceutical company noted that drug absorption into children’s bloodstreams fell short of adult-based projections. Researchers have initiated treatment for a second patient cohort using twice the original dosage, with outcomes anticipated by late 2026.

The online retail giant Amazon revealed Thursday that its pharmacy division will begin dispensing Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medication Ozempic in tablet form through automated dispensing machines nationwide, while providing rapid same-day delivery service.

The medication from Novo Nordisk contains the active compound semaglutide, which helps regulate blood glucose levels in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body struggles to produce adequate insulin or becomes resistant to this blood sugar-controlling hormone. Since January, Amazon’s pharmacy has been distributing Novo’s weight management drug Wegovy, which contains the identical active ingredient found in Ozempic. The company also revealed in April its plans to stock Eli Lilly’s competing weight-loss medication Foundayo.

“Amazon Pharmacy continues to provide customers expanded selection and reliable, convenient access to the latest treatments like the Ozempic pill for type 2 diabetes,” said Tanvi Patel, a vice president at Amazon. “We are making it easy for customers to get the medication they need to stay healthy.”

The company started distributing GLP-1 medications, which represent a category of treatments for diabetes and weight management, beginning in 2021. The injectable forms of these drugs cannot be stored in the automated dispensers due to refrigeration requirements, unlike their pill counterparts.

Approximately half of Amazon’s customer base across the United States can access same-day delivery services, while all customers receive their prescriptions within a four-day window. The company plans to provide rapid delivery of Ozempic to roughly 3,000 communities initially, with plans to extend this service to 4,500 locations before year’s end.

Individuals holding valid prescriptions can purchase the medication through Amazon Pharmacy for a monthly cash price of $149 or utilize their insurance coverage, according to company officials. When using insurance benefits, the minimum cost drops to $25, Amazon stated in its announcement.

Currently, Novo’s Wegovy tablets are available at five automated dispensers located in California, where patients can collect their medications at Amazon’s One Medical facilities after completing medical consultations.

The introduction of these automated dispensers addresses accessibility challenges and reduces shipping costs for patients, initially focusing on commonly prescribed medications including antibiotics, blood pressure treatments, and asthma inhalers.

Individuals do not require a One Medical membership, Amazon’s primary and urgent care platform, to schedule appointments and access the dispensing kiosks. An annual One Medical subscription carries a $199 fee.

Last year, Amazon committed more than $4 billion toward an initiative to triple its delivery capabilities by 2026, with particular emphasis on serving smaller communities and rural regions.

A college student’s deeply personal podcast about his grandmother’s battle with dementia has earned him top honors in NPR’s College Podcast Challenge, demonstrating how creative expression can help families navigate difficult conversations.

Colby McCaskill took home the grand prize for his audio submission that takes the form of a heartfelt letter to his grandparents, Kathy and Dick McCaskill. The podcast centers on his grandmother Kathy’s dementia diagnosis and the family’s journey in learning to discuss challenging topics they had previously avoided.

The winning entry explores themes that many families struggle with but often find too difficult to address directly – the realities of growing older, cognitive decline, and facing mortality. McCaskill admitted he had been frightened to confront his grandmother’s condition before creating the podcast.

The project became more than just a college assignment; it served as a bridge for meaningful family dialogue about subjects that had previously felt too overwhelming to tackle. Through the process of creating his audio story, McCaskill found a way to connect with his grandparents and address the elephant in the room that had been affecting their entire family.

NPR’s annual College Podcast Challenge invites students nationwide to submit original audio content, with entries judged on storytelling quality, production value, and emotional impact. This year’s winning submission stands out for its raw honesty and the way it transforms personal struggle into universal understanding.

Dutch government officials report that roughly 40 cruise ship passengers have been evacuated to the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena following a fatal hantavirus outbreak aboard their vessel.

The evacuated passengers include the spouse of a Dutch citizen who died from the virus, according to statements from Netherlands authorities. Among those who left the ship during its stop at the rocky, isolated island were a Dutch woman currently receiving medical care in South Africa and a Swiss passenger also undergoing treatment.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen detailed the situation in correspondence to parliament delivered Wednesday evening local time. The minister’s letter outlined the evacuation but did not specify the current whereabouts of the passengers who disembarked.

Officials have not disclosed the present location of the evacuated individuals or provided updates on their medical conditions. St. Helena, known for its rugged terrain and remote location in the South Atlantic, served as the emergency disembarkation point during the health crisis.

A groundbreaking experimental treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer has shown remarkable results in extending patient survival, though it comes with a significant rate of side effects that doctors say are largely treatable, according to new research published Wednesday.

The medication, called daraxonrasib and developed by Revolution Medicines, represents what medical experts believe could establish a new treatment standard for patients battling metastatic pancreatic cancer who have already undergone previous therapies.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal cancer diagnoses worldwide, with approximately only 13% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis, making it among the deadliest cancer types.

The latest research findings provide support for an ongoing advanced clinical trial that compares daraxonrasib against conventional second-round chemotherapy treatments for patients whose pancreatic cancer has metastasized throughout their bodies.

During the initial human trial involving 168 patients with previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who took daraxonrasib, 96% experienced treatment-related adverse reactions of varying severity, while 30% faced serious or life-threatening complications.

Patients most frequently reported experiencing skin rashes, mouth inflammation, nausea, and diarrhea as side effects from the treatment.

“Almost all patients do experience some adverse effects, with the most common being a rash that occurs in the majority of patients,” said senior researcher Dr. David Hong of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “But those effects are manageable in most patients, and the benefits significantly outweigh those adverse effects.”

Current results from the larger ongoing trial with 500 participants show patients taking daraxonrasib lived a median of 13.2 months compared to 6.7 months for those receiving standard chemotherapy, Revolution announced in April.

Traditional treatment approaches for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer typically result in serious or life-threatening complications and provide median survival periods of just 5 to 7 months, researchers noted in their report published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Both clinical trials focused on patients carrying specific mutations in KRAS tumor genes, which enable cancer cells to reproduce and spread. While medications targeting these genes already exist for lung and colorectal cancer treatment, they work against a different RAS mutation that rarely appears in pancreatic cancer cases.

Daraxonrasib, administered as a daily oral medication, specifically targets the RAS mutations present in 90% of pancreatic cancer diagnoses.

“Although much work remains to be done, it genuinely feels like a new day is dawning for pancreatic cancer treatment, with daraxonrasib potentially serving as the first of a set of new medicines that broadly target mutant RAS and allow us to help patients with pancreatic cancers in new ways,” study leader Dr. Brian Wolpin of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted early access authorization for daraxonrasib, enabling patients to receive the experimental therapy outside of clinical trials before official approval.

A groundbreaking flu vaccine using mRNA technology has shown significantly better results than traditional shots in a comprehensive clinical trial involving more than 40,000 participants aged 50 and above, according to research published Wednesday.

The experimental vaccine from Moderna demonstrated 26.6% greater effectiveness compared to GSK’s conventional standard-dose flu vaccine, surpassing the study’s primary objective of proving non-inferiority to existing immunizations.

Federal regulators are currently evaluating the vaccine application, with a final determination anticipated by August 5th. If given the green light, this would mark the first seasonal influenza vaccine in America utilizing mRNA technology, which offers faster development capabilities than traditional manufacturing approaches.

However, the approval process faces additional challenges under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has expressed strong opposition to mRNA platforms. Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine stance, has eliminated hundreds of millions in research funding and made unsubstantiated claims about the technology.

“These findings support the role of mRNA-1010 in improving influenza prevention,” stated Dr. Isabel Leroux-Roels from Ghent University and her research team in their publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study revealed that participants receiving the mRNA vaccine experienced more frequent side effects, including pain at the injection site, tiredness, headaches, and muscle soreness, compared to those getting standard shots. However, most reactions were classified as mild to moderate and resolved quickly.

Serious adverse events occurred at similar rates between both groups, affecting 2.2% of mRNA vaccine recipients versus 1.9% of those receiving the conventional vaccine. Researchers noted that overall safety profiles aligned with previous large-scale trial results.

The FDA initially declined Moderna’s application in February, questioning the company’s choice to compare against a standard-dose vaccine rather than the high-dose formulation typically recommended for Americans 65 and older due to its superior effectiveness.

Following discussions between the company and regulators, the agency accepted a revised application with Moderna’s commitment to conduct additional studies in elderly populations after approval.

International regulatory authorities in the European Union, Canada, and Australia are also reviewing the vaccine. Meanwhile, European officials approved Moderna’s combination mRNA vaccine targeting both influenza and COVID-19 in April.

A major snack food manufacturer has pulled several of its products from store shelves following concerns about potentially contaminated ingredients.

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., an Illinois-based company traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol JBSS, announced the voluntary recall of various snack mix items on May 5, 2026. The decision comes after California Dairies, Inc. previously recalled dry milk powder that was used in seasonings for the affected products.

The Elgin, Illinois company’s recall specifically targets snack mix varieties that contain seasonings made with the questionable milk powder ingredient. The move represents a precautionary measure to protect consumer safety following the earlier dairy ingredient recall.

Company officials have not yet provided details about the specific health risks associated with the recalled products or the extent of potential contamination in the milk powder supply.

What was supposed to be an adventure cruise to some of the world’s most isolated islands has turned into a nightmare for passengers aboard the MV Hondius, as a deadly hantavirus outbreak has claimed three lives and left the Dutch-flagged vessel searching for a safe harbor.

The expedition ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has been dealing with three deaths and eight confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases. Passengers, some of whom boarded the vessel on March 20, describe their experience as alternating between anxiety and tedium as they remain confined to their quarters.

After spending four days anchored off the West African nation of Cape Verde, the ship departed Wednesday evening for Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. Specialist medical teams evacuated three individuals before the vessel’s departure, with local authorities granting permission for the journey to continue.

Approximately 150 passengers and crew members remain on board and are expected to disembark under medical supervision once they reach their destination, though quarantine requirements remain unclear.

The cruise line has instructed all passengers to adhere to “isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring,” according to company statements. Martin Kriz, a Swedish physician who has worked aboard the Hondius, explained this means passengers must eat their meals while confined to small four-person cabins.

“It’s quite a small space,” Kriz explained to reporters.

Despite the cramped conditions, passengers report that spirits remain relatively high. Kasem Hato, one of those on board, described the atmosphere as composed and cooperative.

“People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe,” Hato said. “Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and that kind of things.”

Social media footage reveals the ship’s elegant wood-paneled common areas sitting completely vacant, with upholstered furniture arranged on vibrant carpeting and ocean views visible through large windows. Photos show medical workers in protective gear delivering supply bags to the vessel’s deck – a sharp contrast to the breathtaking Antarctic scenery passengers had shared from earlier portions of their journey.

American passenger Jake Rosmarin gained attention after sharing a worried video message from his cabin on Instagram, expressing concern about the uncertain situation facing travelers. He later posted a more optimistic update.

“I’m feeling well, getting some fresh air, and continuing to be well fed and taken care of by the crew,” Rosmarin wrote in his follow-up message.

Turkish content creator Ruhi Cenet, who left the ship at Saint Helena on April 24, offered criticism of the initial response. He said that after the first passenger died on April 11, travelers were informed the deceased was not contagious, so normal dining and social activities continued.

“I think this problem could have been small before spreading too much,” Cenet told reporters from Istanbul, suggesting faster isolation protocols might have contained the outbreak.

Oceanwide Expeditions defended their actions in a Wednesday statement, saying information provided by the ship’s captain was accurate when given, and that proper health and safety procedures were followed after the death occurred at sea.

Belgian traveler Helene Goessaert told VRT broadcaster that conditions aboard remain “relatively good,” with fresh produce still being delivered to the vessel. She commended the crew’s efforts during the crisis.

“We are all in the same boat, literally,” Goessaert remarked.

She noted that passengers who weathered rough seas earlier in the voyage are proving resilient during this health emergency as well.

“I think the people on board can take a few lumps,” she observed.

Health authorities in Argentina announced Wednesday they will begin capturing and testing rodents in the southern port city of Ushuaia following a fatal hantavirus outbreak on a cruise vessel that departed from there.

According to a Wednesday statement from Argentina’s health ministry, officials are also working to piece together the complete travel history of Dutch passengers who visited both Argentina and Chile before developing hantavirus symptoms while aboard the cruise ship.

The investigation focuses on Ushuaia, which served as the departure point for the affected cruise vessel where the deadly virus outbreak occurred.

Israel’s Health Ministry is moving to eliminate smoking medical cannabis within the next three years, even as the nation faces unprecedented levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and record numbers of licensed cannabis users.

A special ministry committee delivered its recommendations on Sunday to phase out smoked cannabis forms, citing emerging research that questions whether the treatment helps or harms PTSD patients. The proposal comes as approximately 140,000 Israelis currently possess medical cannabis permits, a dramatic increase from 33,000 just a few years earlier.

The timing coincides with alarming statistics showing roughly one-third of Israel’s population – about three million people – are experiencing PTSD symptoms, according to separate reports from the State Comptroller and independent researchers.

Dr. Shaul Lev-Ran, who co-founded and serves as academic director of the Israel Center on Addiction, emphasized that the recommendations focus on medical standards rather than personal freedoms. He stressed the need to evaluate cannabis like any other medical treatment, examining who prescribes it, which conditions warrant its use, and how to properly assess risks versus benefits.

“The medical cannabis industry in Israel has become a much larger operation than originally intended,” Lev-Ran explained. He noted this marks the first time the Health Ministry is implementing better screening tools to identify patients at risk for cannabis addiction or adverse effects.

Current data reveals that 98% of licensed purchases involve smoked cannabis, while 88% of permits are for high-THC products with greater addiction potential. Smoking inherently increases risks for heart and lung disease, according to Lev-Ran.

“Early signs of problematic use kind of define what the red flags are and establish criteria for either tapering or discontinuing your treatment,” Lev-Ran stated.

He referenced a recent JAMA Psychiatry study demonstrating that medical cannabis failed to improve PTSD and actually worsened long-term patient outcomes. The medical system must weigh immediate relief against future consequences, he argued.

“We definitely want to be compassionate, but I think what the report is trying to do is balance compassion and concern,” he said. “So, compassion for the short-term effects and to alleviate them, but concern that people may get stuck with medical cannabis, and they may actually be worse off in the long term.”

Cannabis users are responding negatively to the committee’s findings. M., a 50-year-old Tel Aviv area resident who requested anonymity, said he felt “jolted to hear of the recommendation by the committee.”

He criticized the ministry for not warning current patients through their psychiatrists before releasing the report, noting that sudden anxiety often triggers PTSD symptoms.

“Many of us who have PTSD have been smoking cannabis to assist us for many years,” M. explained. “It’s something we’ve been used to relying on.”

M. said alternative forms like oils and capsules proved less effective for his condition. He questioned why officials would issue such recommendations when PTSD cases are climbing and adequate treatment options remain limited.

However, Lev-Ran pointed out that the United States Veterans Association already advises against prescribing medical cannabis to veterans with PTSD due to harmful long-term effects.

The most comprehensive medicinal cannabis review, published in The Lancet this year, concluded that cannabis fails to effectively treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD despite user claims. The analysis examined 54 randomized controlled trials spanning 45 years from 1980 to 2025, finding increased risks for psychosis and addiction while potentially delaying proven treatments.

A 2025 Centers for Disease Control report found 19% of Americans – approximately 52.5 million people – used illegal cannabis at least once in 2021. Medical cannabis remains legal in 47 states, three territories, and Washington D.C. Research from 2021 indicated around three million Americans were using cannabis medicinally.

Those numbers have likely grown significantly. Recent data shows about 27% of Americans and Canadians aged 16-65 report medical cannabis use, with half citing mental health management. The American Medical Association has expressed similar concerns to Israel’s Health Ministry regarding limited regulation and uncertain effectiveness.

Under the committee’s plan, medical cannabis prescribing will transfer to Israel’s four health funds within one year. These organizations will collaborate with research groups to monitor and evaluate cannabis treatment outcomes.

The recommendations also call for promoting new technologies, potentially including Israel’s SyqeAir inhaler system. The company markets its device as “the most innovative and safest route of administration of medical cannabis” compared to smoking, vaping, or oils. It represents the world’s first metered-dose cannabis inhaler, designed for consistent treatment while reducing overdose risks and side effects.

While the report doesn’t specifically mention SyqeAir, it states that new treatments will begin with extracts and precision inhalers, gradually replacing smoked forms with alternative delivery methods.

“I think when you look at cannabis, a lot of countries are realizing the limitations of medical cannabis, realizing the burden that it poses on the medical system,” Lev-Ran added. He noted that medical systems rely on research and precise dosing, both difficult to achieve with smoked cannabis.

Lev-Ran compared cannabis to other alternative treatments like forest therapy, where studies suggest benefits “and it’s really hard to think about severe risks. So the risk-benefit ratio leans a lot towards the benefits.”

He contrasted this with treatments like psychedelic-assisted therapy or ketamine, where patients don’t receive take-home prescriptions.

“Let’s say I’m receiving ketamine in a ketamine clinic,” Lev-Ran explained. “I’m not getting doses to take home, so that, for example, substantially reduces the risk of addiction.”

He noted that MDMA treatment for trauma in Israel involves structured protocols with three sessions and 16 therapy meetings, rather than simply providing medication without supervision.

Despite current recommendations, Lev-Ran expressed confidence that the Health Ministry would reconsider its position if future research supports cannabis use, including smoking forms.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine health authorities are working urgently to trace whether their nation is the origin point of a fatal hantavirus outbreak that has claimed lives aboard an Atlantic cruise vessel.

This health crisis at sea coincides with Argentina experiencing a dramatic spike in hantavirus infections, which local medical researchers link to accelerating climate change impacts. The World Health Organization consistently ranks Argentina as having Latin America’s highest rates of this rare, rodent-transmitted illness, and the Antarctic cruise departed from Argentine shores.

Warming temperatures expand where the virus can spread because changing ecosystems allow hantavirus-carrying rodents to survive in new areas, according to medical experts. Humans typically become infected through contact with rodent waste, urine or saliva.

“Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change, and that has brought disruptions, like dengue and yellow fever, but also new tropical plants that produce seeds for mice to proliferate,” explained Hugo Pizzi, a leading Argentine infectious disease expert. “There is no doubt that as time goes by, the hantavirus is spreading more and more.”

Argentina’s Health Ministry reported Tuesday that 101 people have contracted hantavirus since June 2025, nearly twice the number of infections documented during the same timeframe last year.

The South American strain, known as the Andes virus, triggers a serious and frequently deadly respiratory condition called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. This illness proved fatal in almost one-third of cases over the past year, according to Argentina’s Health Ministry, significantly higher than the 15% average death rate recorded in the five preceding years.

Officials confirmed that passengers aboard the MV Hondius vessel tested positive for the Andes virus strain.

Argentine investigators are working to determine where infected passengers visited within the country before they boarded the Dutch-registered cruise ship in Ushuaia, a southern Argentine city nicknamed “the end of the world.” After mapping their travel routes, authorities plan to track down contacts, quarantine those at risk and conduct active surveillance to halt additional transmission.

The World Health Organization reports that the initial fatality aboard the ship occurred April 11, when a 70-year-old Dutch passenger died. His 69-year-old wife, also from the Netherlands, passed away April 26. A German woman became the third victim on May 2.

The virus can remain dormant for one to eight weeks, making it difficult to determine whether passengers became infected before departing Argentina for Antarctica on April 1, during a planned stop at a remote South Atlantic island, or while aboard the vessel.

Tierra del Fuego province, where the ship docked for weeks before sailing, has never recorded a hantavirus case. Prior to boarding, the Dutch couple toured Ushuaia and visited other locations in Argentina and Chile, WHO officials said.

Argentine government investigators believe the couple most likely contracted the virus during a bird-watching excursion in Ushuaia, according to two researchers who requested anonymity because they lack authorization to speak publicly while examining incomplete evidence. Officials are also retracing the Dutch tourists’ movements through Patagonia’s forested mountains in southern Argentina, where some infections have been concentrated.

Early symptoms mirror flu-like fever and chills, making diagnosis challenging. “Tourists might think they just have a cold and not take it seriously. That makes it particularly dangerous,” said Raul González Ittig, a genetics professor at the National University of Córdoba and researcher with the state science organization CONICET.

The mountain resort community of Bariloche, Patagonia’s primary northern gateway, documented its first human hantavirus infection of 2026 on Tuesday, announced the Río Negro Province government. The patient was admitted to the hospital Wednesday.

Argentina recently suffered through a devastating drought while also experiencing periods of unusually heavy rainfall, reflecting broader extreme weather patterns that scientists connect to climate change.

This weather volatility has generated conditions allowing hantavirus to spread, experts explain. Drought forces animals from their normal territories as they seek food and water. Heavy rains promote plant growth, dispersing seeds that draw leaf-eating rodents.

“When precipitation increases, food availability increases, rodent populations grow, and if there are infected rodents, the chance of transmission between rodents — and eventually to humans — also increases,” Ittig explained.

While hantavirus infections were once confined to Patagonia’s southern regions, the Health Ministry now reports that 83% of cases occur in Argentina’s northern areas. In January, the ministry issued warnings about multiple deadly hantavirus outbreaks, including in Buenos Aires, the country’s most populated province.

“With the climate changing, the epidemiological picture has completely changed,” Pizzi noted. “The ship may be an isolated case. But this virus isn’t going anywhere.”

Residents of Spain’s Canary Islands are expressing anxiety as a cruise vessel affected by a hantavirus outbreak prepares to arrive this weekend, bringing back memories of the COVID-19 quarantine measures they endured.

The cruise ship MV Hondius, with 150 individuals on board, is scheduled to arrive at Tenerife on Saturday. Spain has agreed to accept the vessel following requests from the World Health Organization, despite objections from local authorities.

The island chain was among Europe’s earliest locations to implement quarantine protocols during the pandemic’s initial phase. In February 2020, more than 700 tourists were confined to a Tenerife hotel for two weeks when officials sealed the facility to contain virus transmission, occurring weeks before the disease spread throughout Europe.

The archipelago has previously dealt with other health crises, including a 2014 Ebola outbreak, which have impacted the tourism-dependent economy. Local officials have also expressed frustration about handling migration pressures from Western Africa.

“We are a community that’s already quite flexible when it comes to helping others and being accommodating to people, but I think this is excessive,” said local resident Margarita Maria, 62. “People are scared, people are worried. Spain is a huge country with plenty of ports where the cruise ship could go.”

According to the World Health Organization, public risk remains minimal, and the strain identified among passengers can only transmit between people through extended, close contact.

However, an unnamed nurse reported that news of the ship’s arrival has sparked concerns about potential lockdowns of medical facilities and hospitals on Tenerife.

“It will be just like Covid … People are worried about their children, elderly relatives and the vulnerable,” the nurse said, adding that the islands’ quarantine protocol for viruses, if one was declared, would affect schools and healthcare centres.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia announced Wednesday that all remaining passengers aboard the vessel showed no disease symptoms and would return to their home countries. The 14 Spanish nationals on board will be transported to a Madrid hospital for quarantine.

Some locals criticized that the Canaries’ reputation as a secure destination means it consistently bears responsibilities that other tourist areas avoid.

“Tourist destinations competing with the Canary Islands in the international market, such as Morocco, have not been taken into account, and the decision has been made to bring the cruise ship to the Canary Islands – there must be a reason for that,” said Jorge Marichal, president of Tenerife’s hotels association, Ashotel.

Regional tourism minister Lope Afonso stated that Madrid has not clearly communicated expectations for the archipelago, making it challenging to reassure the tourism sector.

Some islanders expressed worry about potential impacts on Pope Leo’s planned June visit to the Canaries.

“Can you imagine the Pope with hantavirus? That’s a headline we don’t want,” local comedian Omayra Cazorla said on Instagram.

The ownership team behind the Cleveland Browns has made a substantial financial commitment to advancing blood cancer treatment, contributing $12.5 million to support research efforts.

Dee and Jimmy Haslam structured their philanthropic gift to support two key initiatives. The largest portion, $10 million, will support the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre in England, specifically targeting research and medication development for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other uncommon blood cancers. The remaining $2.5 million will benefit Cleveland’s University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, where it will create a permanent research position focused on CLL studies and establish a fund to advance patient care innovations.

The charitable contribution stems from personal experience, as Dee Haslam received a CLL diagnosis in 2021. “I am extremely grateful that I am living a full, healthy life after being diagnosed with CLL in 2021,” Dee Haslam said in a statement. “Together with UH Seidman Cancer Center and the Oxford-Harrington Centre, we hope to increase knowledge of CLL, generate new treatments and give others the confidence and information they need to navigate the disease. Ideally, cures for other blood disorders will be discovered in the process.”

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia represents the most prevalent type of leukemia affecting adult patients. While medical professionals have yet to develop a cure, current treatment approaches have transformed the condition into one that patients can manage long-term.

The Harrington Discovery Institute began operations in 2021 and has achieved significant milestones in its brief history. The organization currently oversees 227 potential medications in development, provides support to 75 medical institutions, has helped launch 47 companies, advanced 24 treatments to clinical trials, and secured 15 pharmaceutical licensing agreements.

Beyond their NFL ownership, the Haslam family maintains majority ownership stakes in the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, and a Columbus-based NWSL expansion franchise.

PRAIA, Cape Verde (AP) — Medical authorities evacuated three individuals Wednesday from a cruise vessel experiencing a fatal hantavirus outbreak, transporting them by air to the Netherlands as the ship carrying approximately 150 passengers makes preparations to sail toward Spain’s Canary Islands.

The outbreak has claimed three lives, with the World Health Organization confirming eight total cases have been documented.

Those aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius remain confined to their quarters while the ship stays positioned near the Cape Verde islands off West Africa’s coast. The vessel departed Argentina on April 1 for what was planned as a multi-week polar expedition.

This uncommon virus typically transmits when individuals breathe in contaminated particles from rodent waste. While person-to-person transmission can occur, the WHO notes such instances are uncommon.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that “the overall public health risk remains low.”

Oceanwide Expeditions reports the three individuals are being transported via specially outfitted aircraft to “locations able to provide specialized care and appropriate medical screening.”

A Dutch medical facility has confirmed it will receive one patient, while German officials say they are making arrangements to collect a second person from the Netherlands.

The Dutch cruise operator indicates two of those medically evacuated “remain in a serious condition.” The third shows no symptoms but had “closely associated” with a passenger who passed away May 2.

The company also announces it is “expanding medical care on board with two infectious disease physicians, arriving today by plane from the Netherlands.”

Leiden University Medical Center confirms the department receiving the patient is fully prepared.

In a website statement, the hospital declared, “In addition to isolation rooms for patients, all protective equipment for our staff is available. Treatment takes place in strict isolation, following the applicable protocols. The LUMC has specialized isolation facilities.”

The facility also seeks to calm concerns among other hospital visitors, noting patients or visitors “run no risk of infection. You do not need to take any special measures. You can continue to visit as usual.”

In Germany, Düsseldorf University Clinic announced that one of the three evacuated passengers who had contact with a hantavirus case aboard the vessel would arrive at the hospital for testing later Wednesday.

The clinic stated the individual would be transported to Düsseldorf from an undisclosed Dutch airport with assistance from the city’s fire department specialists.

Hospital officials emphasized the patient shows no symptoms and testing serves as a precautionary measure.

The vessel’s arrival “won’t represent any risk for the public,” Spanish Health Minister Mónica García announced.

She explained the ship will dock at a secondary port on Tenerife island, positioned 10 minutes from an airport. From that location, approximately 140 passengers will return to their respective countries.

García noted the European Union’s civil protection program will oversee the operation to send passengers and crew members home.

The 14 Spanish citizens aboard will travel by military aircraft to the mainland, where they will enter quarantine if deemed necessary.

Fernando Clavijo, regional president of Spain’s Canary Islands, said Wednesday the Hondius had requested authorization to dock at Tenerife on May 9.

Clavijo expressed surprise that passengers were being required “to travel for three days” rather than flying home from Praia’s airport.

He also criticized that central Madrid authorities had not briefed him on vessel circumstances, limiting local health officials’ preparation capabilities.

“We still don’t know the status of all the passengers,” he stated. “There is no protocol for this.”

Oceanwide Expeditions announced Tuesday evening that two specialized aircraft were traveling to Cape Verde to evacuate two individuals requiring urgent medical attention and one person who had traveled with a German woman who died aboard Saturday. They were scheduled for transport to the Netherlands, though exact timing remained unclear.

Following the medical evacuation, the vessel plans to navigate to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, requiring approximately three days, the company stated, adding that “discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities.”

Spanish health officials had indicated in an earlier announcement they were monitoring and that “the most appropriate port of call will be decided. Until then, the Ministry of Health will not adopt any decision, as we have informed the World Health Organization.”

The World Health Organization reported the ship’s itinerary included stops throughout the South Atlantic Ocean, encompassing mainland Antarctica and remote islands including South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Ascension.

The cruise operator has disclosed limited details about two stops: at St. Helena, where the body of a Dutch man suspected as the initial hantavirus case was removed from the vessel. His wife also departed at St. Helena and flew to South Africa, where she died.

The company reported a British man was subsequently evacuated at Ascension Island and taken to South Africa, where he remains in intensive care.

The company has not disclosed whether other individuals left the cruise vessel at those or additional locations.

Spanish authorities will welcome the cruise ship to Spain’s Canary Islands, as the vessel remained off West Africa’s coast for a third day Wednesday awaiting evacuation of ill passengers.

Fernando Clavijo, regional president of Spain’s Canary Islands, expressed Wednesday his concern the ship’s arrival could endanger the local population and demanded an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“Neither the populace nor the government of the Canary Islands can rest assured because it is clear that the danger to the population is real,” Clavijo told Onda Cero radio.

South African health authorities confirmed they identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in two passengers from the vessel, and Swiss authorities reported identifying the same virus in their affected patient.

The World Health Organization states the Andes virus, a specific hantavirus species, occurs in South America, mainly in Argentina and Chile.

The Andes virus can transmit between people, though this is uncommon and disease spread typically remains contained because transmission occurs only through close contact, such as sharing sleeping quarters or food, experts explain.

The South African Department of Health said results came from testing performed on passengers after their removal from the ship and transport to South Africa.

One passenger, a British man, remains in intensive care at a South African hospital. Testing was conducted on the other passenger after her death in South Africa.

Twenty-five-year-old Shula Jassell from Southern California feels self-conscious about her chin size and has thought about getting filler injections to enhance it.

However, when she considers the reality of repeating the cosmetic treatment annually — since the effects wear off after about a year — she contemplates whether a surgical implant might be more sensible, despite her fear of going under the knife.

“I just try to remember self-love, you know? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she says while working through her internal conflict and deciding against any procedures for the time being.

Recent technological progress has made different types of body modification more available to the general public — and unavoidable on social media feeds.

With treatments like Botox injections, plastic surgery procedures, and weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic becoming more widespread, individuals — predominantly but not solely women — are wrestling with the moral and philosophical questions surrounding these interventions in their endless pursuit of attractiveness, youthfulness, and social acceptance.

“We need to have a wider conversation about how to think about this in a way where we’re not putting the burden squarely on women, while also not taking away their moral agency,” said Natalie Carnes, a feminist theologian at Duke Divinity School. “Beauty is something that’s good. And beauty is something that is good to pursue. Botox and Ozempic and face-lifts, they’re all ways of really narrowing the cultural ideals of beauty.”

Major religious institutions have provided minimal formal guidance or clear restrictions regarding these procedures. However, an increasing number of theologians, philosophers, and bioethicists are advocating for more discussions about these treatments and operations.

This past March, the Vatican issued a statement on Christian anthropology condemning the “cult of the body.” “Once modified, often with relentless frenzy, the body becomes a body-object in which the person-subject mirrors themselves, creating a relationship in which the person is no longer his or her body but ‘owns’ a body,” it said.

Interest in aesthetic surgery throughout the United States has grown recently among people of all ages and ethnic groups, according to Dr. C. Bob Basu, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “Forty years ago, perhaps people would think, ‘Cosmetic surgery is for the superrich or the celebrity elite. It’s not for regular folk.’ That’s not the case anymore.”

Among the most significant trends he’s observed is younger individuals choosing these interventions.

“They’re being proactive and thinking about preventive measures, whether it be baby Botox at a younger age to prevent wrinkles from starting or maybe considering a deep plane face-and-neck-lift in the late 30s or early 40s, rather than waiting until you’re in your 60s,” he said.

Despite becoming increasingly common, many bioethicists report that plastic surgery receives little attention during their education.

“If you’re getting into bioethics and you rotate to learn about medicine, you go to the ICU, you go to places where the palliative care is for dying people, you’re looking at transplants. Nobody rotates to plastic surgery,” said Arthur Caplan, founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Consequently, plastic surgeons frequently must establish their own ethical guidelines for acceptable procedures without extensive specialized moral training.

Numerous faiths discourage vanity while encouraging humility, which can shape perspectives on cosmetic procedures.

Dr. Jerry Chidester, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, observes varied viewpoints on plastic surgery within his religious community. While some conservative interpretations might discourage such interventions, Chidester notes this perspective conflicts with the general cultural environment of Salt Lake City, where he practices. Multiple research studies indicate the region has an unusually high concentration of plastic surgeons and procedures relative to population.

When patients struggle with surgical decisions, Chidester advises them to ignore others’ opinions.

“I’m like, ‘Look, if you want to do this or not, it’s up to you,’” he said. “It’s literally your body. Who cares if they think you’re doing it for vanity or for function or whatever? It is none of their business.”

Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a Jewish board-certified plastic surgeon, draws upon her understanding of Torah passages when considering appropriate circumstances for body modification.

“If it’s bringing distress, then it’s OK,” she said. “My patient population, they’re all pretty well adjusted, happy, successful, intelligent people. But they need help with one little thing that they’d just rather not think about anymore.”

Dr. Michael Obeng, a Christian practitioner, has witnessed a remarkable change in how people view cosmetic procedures during his nearly two decades of practice.

“Now people are not even hiding it. They show their plastic surgery as a badge of honor, like somebody wearing their expensive bag,” he said. “We are aging slower and of course we are working much longer than our moms and grandmothers worked. In the marketplace, we have to look presentable.”

Obeng, a board-certified surgeon practicing in Beverly Hills, performs various operations from abdominoplasties and Brazilian butt lifts to rib removal procedures. He reports rarely experiencing conflict between his religious beliefs and professional duties. This changed in 2018 when he reached a “crossroads” while considering his willingness to perform certain gender transition surgeries.

He consulted multiple pastors and religious leaders for guidance. “Nobody could give me an answer,” he recalled.

His faith eventually guided him to restrict his practice to certain gender-related procedures like breast augmentation while avoiding genital gender-affirming surgeries, which he considers more difficult to reverse.

Ivory Kellogg, a 29-year-old actress in Los Angeles, struggles with conflicting feelings as a woman considering cosmetic treatments.

“There’s this expectation that once you hit 35, you think about doing a mini face-lift. That’s a lot of pressure,” she said. “At the same time, I do want women to feel like they’re allowed to do whatever they want. Like if you want to have a face-lift, that’s your prerogative.”

While choosing these procedures is frequently presented as an individual choice, many specialists argue the situation is far more complex.

“It’s important to think about how those choices are constrained and to think about the social pressures,” said Abigail Saguy, a sociologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “This is a social issue. It is a collective problem. But it’s continually treated as an individual issue and what individual people should do.”

Sometimes, as with medications like Ozempic, these treatments can provide genuine health advantages. However, as their application extends beyond medical necessity, concerns emerge about healthcare resource allocation.

Dr. Aasim Padela, who researches bioethics and Islamic philosophy at the Medical College of Wisconsin, believes broader discussions are essential. His main concerns involve how the medical profession suffers and how resources become misallocated when society prioritizes cosmetic surgery.

“The profession is supposed to be about restoring health or preventing loss of health,” he said. “Certain types of procedures, body modifications, interventions — whatever you want to call them — may not meet those goals or even be aimed at those goals.”

Medical authorities in Germany are preparing to transport a passenger from a hantavirus-affected luxury cruise ship to a Duesseldorf hospital for examination, according to Wednesday reports from German newspaper Bild.

The German citizen, who is not displaying any symptoms of the virus, had been in contact with another German passenger who died while aboard the vessel, the publication stated.

Bild reported that a specialized high-risk patient transport team from Duesseldorf’s fire department has departed for Amsterdam’s international airport to retrieve the passenger.

Hospital officials have not yet provided a response regarding the reported transport.

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions announced earlier that three passengers were scheduled to be transferred from the ship to specialized aircraft on Wednesday morning, according to Cape Verde local time.

The outbreak, which began in early April, has claimed the lives of a Dutch couple, while a British passenger was airlifted from the vessel and remains in critical care at a South African medical facility.

California’s Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a groundbreaking case that could determine whether pharmaceutical companies must continue developing safer alternatives to drugs already on the market.

The legal challenge centers on Gilead Sciences, which is fighting lower court decisions allowing HIV patients to sue the company for negligence. The patients claim Gilead halted development of a drug with fewer side effects than its existing medication.

If upheld, the ruling could establish new product liability standards that might force drug manufacturers to invest more resources in developing and rapidly bringing alternative treatments to market – a concept legal experts call a “duty to innovate.”

The lawsuit involves approximately 24,000 HIV patients who used Gilead medications containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, known as TDF.

Federal regulators approved these TDF-based drugs in 2001, even though they carried potential risks including kidney damage and bone complications.

Shortly after, Gilead began researching tenofovir alafenamide fumarate, or TAF, a similar compound with reduced side effects.

However, the company stopped TAF development in 2004, stating that its safety and effectiveness improvements over TDF weren’t significant enough to warrant continued investment.

In its Supreme Court appeal, Gilead contends that allowing such lawsuits would discourage pharmaceutical innovation by making companies liable for developing but not marketing new treatments.

“In permitting liability for failing to bring to market an allegedly marginally better product — even when the accused product is not defective — and requiring manufacturers to disclose information to physicians about products still in development, the ruling weaponizes innovation itself,” Gilead stated. “The result would be less product development, not more.”

The patients argue that Gilead recognized TAF would “cannibalize” TDF sales and strategically postponed TAF’s release to maximize profits while waiting for TDF’s patent to expire in 2017.

“Gilead made billions in additional profit from tenofovir-containing drugs sold after 2017,” the patients stated. “A jury must now decide whether this boardroom decision to intentionally delay the commercialization of TAF at the expense of thousands of HIV-infected patients using TDF was unreasonable.”

Three passengers displaying symptoms of hantavirus have been removed from a stranded cruise vessel and are being transported to the Netherlands for medical treatment, according to World Health Organization officials announced Wednesday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the United Nations health organization is collaborating with operators of the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise vessel to carefully track the wellbeing of all passengers and crew members onboard.

“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low,” Tedros stated in a post on his X social media account.

The cruise vessel remains anchored off Cape Verde’s coastline with approximately 150 individuals aboard, waiting for clearance to proceed to Spain’s Canary Islands following a fatal hantavirus outbreak. Health officials in South Africa and Switzerland have confirmed cases involving the Andes strain of the virus, which can occasionally spread between people.

Swiss health authorities reported Wednesday that a male passenger who had returned from South America and traveled aboard the cruise ship has contracted the virus and is undergoing medical treatment.

The outbreak has claimed three lives and infected a minimum of five individuals aboard the MV Hondius. Hantavirus typically spreads through breathing in contaminated particles from rodent waste. Laboratory testing has confirmed three cases so far.

The vessel departed Argentina on April 1st for an Atlantic voyage originally planned to include visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and additional destinations. The ship’s route may have been altered due to the health emergency aboard.

Spanish Health Ministry officials stated late Tuesday that the Canary Islands would accept the MV Hondius following requests from the World Health Organization and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Currently, the ship remains immobilized near Cape Verde, a West African island nation in the Atlantic Ocean. WHO officials report that passengers are confined to their individual cabins.

South African medical authorities confirmed they detected the Andes hantavirus strain in two passengers who had been aboard the vessel.

The World Health Organization identifies the Andes virus as a particular type of hantavirus located in South America, mainly throughout Argentina and Chile.

While the Andes virus can transmit between individuals, such transmission is uncommon and typically limited due to requirements for intimate contact, including sharing sleeping quarters or meals, according to medical experts.

South Africa’s Department of Health indicated in their report that this information came from laboratory analysis conducted on passengers after their removal from the ship and airlift to South Africa.

One passenger, a British citizen, remains in critical care at a South African medical facility. Testing was conducted on another passenger following her death in South Africa.

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health announced that the infected man “returned to Switzerland after traveling on the cruise ship on which there were a number of hantavirus cases.” Officials confirmed his case also involved the Andes virus strain.

The agency reported he had completed a South American trip with his spouse at April’s end. Upon developing symptoms, he sought care at University Hospital Zurich following consultation with his physician and was immediately isolated.

The patient’s spouse has shown no symptoms but is self-quarantining as a safety measure, according to the statement.

Swiss public health officials emphasized that “there is currently no risk to the Swiss public.”

WHO confirmed through social media that the man responded to “an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event” and sought hospital care.

Spanish authorities have agreed to welcome the cruise ship to the Canary Islands as the vessel waited off West Africa’s coast for a third consecutive day Wednesday while arrangements were made for sick passenger evacuation.

Fernando Clavijo, regional president of Spain’s Canary Islands, expressed concern Wednesday about potential risks to local residents from the ship’s arrival and requested an emergency meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“Neither the populace nor the government of the Canary Islands can rest assured because it is clear that the danger to the population is real,” Clavijo stated during an interview with Onda Cero radio.

Medical evacuation crews remained on alert Wednesday morning at the port in Praia, Cape Verde’s capital city.

Associated Press reporters in the area observed a vessel approaching the cruise ship Tuesday evening before quickly departing. The purpose of this approach and whether it involved evacuation personnel remains unclear.

Pharmaceutical company Bayer announced Wednesday that fresh analysis of clinical trial data demonstrates their investigational blood-thinning medication asundexian successfully lowered both the occurrence and intensity of repeat ischemic strokes.

Results from the phase III clinical study revealed that patients taking the experimental drug experienced ischemic strokes at a rate of 6.2%, while those receiving a placebo had strokes occur 8.4% of the time. The trial focused on individuals who had previously experienced non-cardioembolic ischemic strokes or high-risk transient ischemic attacks.

The findings represent a potential breakthrough for stroke prevention therapy, offering hope for patients at elevated risk of experiencing additional cerebrovascular events.

Health authorities in South Africa confirmed Wednesday they have detected the Andes variant of hantavirus in two individuals who disembarked from a cruise vessel experiencing a disease outbreak, according to a parliamentary briefing by the nation’s health minister.

The cruise vessel MV Hondius received clearance from Spanish authorities to dock at the Canary Islands and was en route to Europe on Wednesday following the approval.

This particular Andes variant is notable because it can transmit between people, unlike the more typical hantavirus strains that primarily infect humans through exposure to contaminated rodents or their waste products and bodily fluids.

Federal health regulators made a groundbreaking decision Tuesday by approving the nation’s first fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes for commercial sale, representing a major departure from previous policy positions.

The Food and Drug Administration granted marketing approval to Los Angeles company Glas Inc for several flavored vaping pods, including Classic Menthol, Fresh Menthol, Gold and Sapphire varieties. The small manufacturer employs specialized technology designed to prevent underage users from accessing their devices.

“The FDA’s rigorous, scientific review of these products found that the applicant sufficiently demonstrated that Glas’s device access restriction technology, combined with FDA-required marketing restrictions, is expected to effectively mitigate the ability of youth to use the product,” the regulator said.

The approval comes as reports surfaced that President Trump criticized FDA Commissioner Marty Makary over the weekend for moving too slowly on flavored vaping product approvals, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Federal authorities have historically refused to license flavored vaping products, with the FDA maintaining that companies must provide substantial proof that flavored products benefit adult smokers while avoiding appeal to minors, particularly those resembling fruit or candy.

The agency has recently modified its stringent stance on flavored vaping devices following increased lobbying efforts from tobacco companies and growing political pressure to expand market access for these products.

This latest approval brings the total number of FDA-authorized e-cigarette products available in the United States to 45.

A grocery chain based in Eugene, Oregon has pulled one of its prepared salad products from shelves after discovering it contains sesame without proper labeling.

Market of Choice announced the voluntary recall on May 5, 2026, affecting its 9.5-ounce Vegan Kale Caesar Salad due to unlisted sesame ingredients. The company warns that customers who suffer from sesame allergies or sensitivities could experience dangerous or potentially fatal reactions if they eat the contaminated product.

The recall notice comes as food allergies continue to pose serious health threats to millions of Americans, with sesame being recognized as one of the major allergens requiring disclosure on food labels.

Customers who have purchased the affected salad are advised not to consume it and should return the product to the store for a full refund.

WASHINGTON — Federal health regulators made a groundbreaking announcement Tuesday, granting approval for the first fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes designed for adult smokers. This represents a dramatic policy reversal following months of lobbying efforts directed at President Donald Trump by vaping manufacturers.

The authorization is expected to face strong opposition from public health advocates and parent groups, who have consistently argued that flavored products drive youth vaping across the nation. However, this federal decision comes at a time when teenage vaping has reached its lowest point in a decade, while industry leaders have pressed the Republican administration to ease product restrictions.

Vaping manufacturers have consistently argued their products could significantly reduce the devastating impact of traditional smoking among adults. Conventional cigarettes are responsible for approximately 480,000 deaths each year in the United States from cancer, lung disease, and heart conditions. While these battery-operated devices have been available since 2007, concerns about their benefits have been overshadowed by widespread use among middle and high school students.

The recently approved electronic cigarettes feature mango, blueberry, and two menthol varieties. California-based manufacturer Glas Inc. will sell these flavors as Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol, and Fresh Menthol, according to federal documentation.

Until now, the FDA had only permitted tobacco or menthol-flavored vaping products. Most previously approved e-cigarettes came from major manufacturers like Juul and Altria.

Tuesday’s decision does not constitute a full approval or endorsement, with the FDA emphasizing that Glas products are exclusively intended for adults seeking to quit or reduce cigarette consumption.

Regulators highlighted the company’s digital age-verification technology as a barrier preventing underage access. Users must validate their age using government identification through their mobile device. The e-cigarettes only function when connected via Bluetooth to the verified user’s phone.

The FDA’s approval of these fruit-flavored products will serve as “a key test case,” according to Kathy Crosby from the Truth Initiative, an organization dedicated to fighting tobacco use.

“Ultimately, it’s critical that we remain vigilant in protecting young people, including closely monitoring the use of authorized products,” Crosby stated in an email.

During his campaign, Trump promised to “save” vaping and received support from e-cigarette companies, retailers, and enthusiasts.

The Biden administration previously rejected over one million applications for candy and fruit-flavored products, as part of broader enforcement efforts credited with reducing teen vaping following a 2019 spike. Trump’s initial presidency established the first flavor limitations on e-cigarettes and increased the minimum purchase age for all tobacco products from 18 to 21.

However, vaping and tobacco policy initiatives have taken a secondary role under FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who has prioritized other issues including COVID-19 vaccine restrictions, eliminating artificial food coloring, and accelerating innovative drug approvals.

Organizations like the Vapor Technology Association have recently met with administration officials advocating for expanded flavor options.

In March, the FDA issued its inaugural industry guidance on flavors, indicating that menthol, coffee, mint, and spice varieties could attract adult smokers. The same document reinforced concerns about sweeter flavors that appeal to teenagers, including fruit, candy, and dessert options.

Most American teenagers who vape still use unauthorized fruit and candy-flavored products, based on recent federal statistics. While technically prohibited, these items remain widely accessible through inexpensive, disposable brands typically manufactured in China.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A fatal hantavirus outbreak claimed three lives aboard an expedition cruise ship over several weeks before health officials identified the rare disease, according to the World Health Organization and cruise operator records.

The timeline reveals nearly four weeks elapsed between the first passenger’s death in the South Atlantic and laboratory confirmation of hantavirus infections in South Africa — located over 2,100 miles away.

Three travelers have died, one remains in critical condition at a South African hospital, and three others aboard the vessel are showing symptoms while awaiting medical evacuation. The MV Hondius carries nearly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 nations and is currently positioned off West Africa’s coastline.

Hantavirus spreads through rodent contact, with humans contracting the disease through exposure to infected rodent saliva, urine or feces. The virus typically doesn’t transmit between people, though some medical experts say human-to-human spread remains possible.

Although laboratory tests have confirmed only two hantavirus cases connected to the vessel, WHO suspects the remaining cases also involve the virus and is managing the situation as an outbreak. Officials continue investigating the infection source.

Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions operates the MV Hondius, offering “expedition cruises” to Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands for travelers seeking Earth’s most isolated destinations.

These voyages extend a month or longer, with prices ranging from $6,000 to $25,000 based on cabin selection.

The MV Hondius departed southern Argentina on April 1.

A 70-year-old Dutch passenger developed fever, headache and mild diarrhea on April 6, WHO reported.

The man died aboard the ship on April 11 after experiencing breathing difficulties. Ship tracking data shows the vessel was sailing between British territories South Georgia and St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Oceanwide Expeditions said the death’s cause remained undetermined.

The cruise continued for nearly two weeks, making a stop near Tristan da Cunha before reaching St. Helena, where the Dutch man’s remains were removed on April 24. His 69-year-old wife disembarked with the body and flew to South Africa, while her husband’s remains stayed behind.

The woman, already experiencing symptoms, deteriorated during the April 25 flight and collapsed at a South African airport. She died at a hospital on April 26, WHO stated.

A British passenger became ill after the ship departed St. Helena for tiny Ascension Island, approximately 800 miles north. He experienced high fever, breathing problems and pneumonia signs, according to WHO, and was airlifted from Ascension Island to South Africa on April 27. He remains in intensive care at a South African medical facility.

The third death involved a German woman who died Saturday aboard the ship as it sailed toward Cape Verde. She died four days after becoming sick and also showed pneumonia symptoms, WHO said, which hantavirus can cause. Her body remains on the vessel.

South African health officials eventually tested the hospitalized British man for hantavirus after other comprehensive tests proved negative. They received positive hantavirus results on Saturday, 21 days after the initial passenger death.

WHO announced Sunday it was investigating a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the ship, which had reached Cape Verde waters by then.

The British man’s positive test prompted South African authorities to posthumously test the Dutch woman’s body for hantavirus. That test returned positive results on Monday.

WHO stated the ship outbreak is being controlled and global risk remains low since hantavirus doesn’t easily spread between people, though officials are tracing passengers who flew between St. Helena and Johannesburg, South Africa, with the Dutch woman.

Oceanwide Expeditions announced Tuesday that aircraft were flying to Cape Verde to evacuate two people requiring urgent medical attention and one passenger traveling with the German woman who died Saturday. They were heading to the Netherlands, though arrival timing remained unclear.

The ship would then sail to Spain’s Canary Islands, approximately a three-day journey, the company said.

Spanish officials reported they were monitoring the situation but hadn’t confirmed any plans as of Tuesday evening.

Passengers and crew remain isolated in cabins with “maximal physical distancing,” WHO said, creating a lockdown similar to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

WHO says it continues investigating how this relatively rare human virus reached the ship. Officials noted the Dutch man and his wife — identified as the first two cases — had traveled through Argentina and other South American locations before boarding.

WHO reports that Andes virus, a specific hantavirus type, exists in South America, mainly in Argentina and Chile.

Federal health regulators have prevented the release of multiple research studies that confirmed the safety profiles of commonly administered COVID-19 and shingles vaccines, according to a Tuesday report from the New York Times.

The research projects, which cost taxpayers millions of dollars to fund, involved scientists from the federal agency collaborating with data analysis companies to examine millions of medical records from patients.

According to the report, the research conclusions demonstrated that severe adverse reactions occurred extremely infrequently.

When contacted by Reuters for a statement, the Department of Health and Human Services, which supervises the FDA, had not provided an immediate response.

A California-based food manufacturer has issued a nationwide recall for several varieties of its kimchi products after discovering they contain unlisted fish ingredients that could trigger dangerous allergic reactions.

Downey, California company Ocinet, Inc. is pulling all varieties of its “…And Kimchi” brand sliced kimchi from store shelves. The affected products include three different UPC codes: 8541200408, 8541200409, and 8541200411.

The company discovered that the fermented vegetable products contain anchovies, a fish ingredient that was not disclosed on product packaging. This poses a significant health threat to consumers who suffer from fish allergies or sensitivities, who could experience severe allergic reactions if they consume the products.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the recall as part of its ongoing food safety monitoring efforts. Consumers who have purchased any of the affected kimchi products are advised to dispose of them immediately and contact the company for refund information.

Anyone with fish allergies who may have consumed these products should monitor themselves for allergic reaction symptoms and seek medical attention if needed.

A transatlantic cruise has turned into a floating quarantine zone after three passengers died and another was hospitalized with Hantavirus, leaving 149 travelers from 23 nations confined to their ship under emergency health protocols.

The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has implemented stringent isolation procedures following confirmation that two of the three deaths were linked to the deadly virus. Among the fatalities were a married couple from the Netherlands and a passenger from Germany, with the Dutch woman testing positive for Hantavirus.

A 69-year-old British traveler who contracted the illness was airlifted to a South African medical facility, where he remains in critical care. Additionally, two crew members who had direct contact with the deceased German passenger were removed from the vessel as a precautionary measure.

The vessel’s journey began over a month ago when it left Ushuaia, Argentina. According to MarineTraffic vessel monitoring data, the Dutch-registered ship first visited Antarctica before returning to Argentina for a brief stop and departing again on April 1st. The ship later made a port call at Saint Helena, a British territory, before anchoring near Praia this past Sunday.

Cape Verde officials blocked the ship from docking Tuesday due to health safety concerns, forcing the vessel to remain at sea while containment protocols continue.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hantavirus typically spreads through exposure to infected rodent waste, urine, or saliva. A particularly dangerous variant called Andes virus can transmit between humans and is commonly found in Chile and Argentina, where the cruise originated.

The infection can progress to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a life-threatening respiratory condition with high mortality rates. This same disease claimed the life of Betsy Arakawa, widow of deceased actor Gene Hackman, in the previous year.

World Health Organization European Regional Director Hans Kluge sought to calm public concerns, stating: “There is no need for panic or travel restrictions.” Health authorities emphasized that the outbreak poses no wider threat to public safety.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary stood by his agency’s choice to reject a cancer treatment application from Replimune on Tuesday, as the pharmaceutical company’s stock price fell in response to the regulatory setback.

During a CNBC television interview, Makary pointed to the agency’s formal documentation explaining their reasoning. “If you read our what we call our complete response letter, you will see the details of the FDA logic,” the commissioner stated.

The rejection of Replimune’s advanced skin cancer therapy sent the company’s shares tumbling 5% during morning stock market activity on Tuesday.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — State officials in Pennsylvania have filed legal action against an artificial intelligence company, alleging that its digital chatbots falsely represent themselves as licensed physicians and mislead users into believing they’re receiving legitimate medical guidance from qualified professionals.

The legal action, submitted on Friday to the Commonwealth Court, seeks to compel Character Technologies Inc., which operates Character.AI, to cease allowing its chatbots to participate in “the unlawful practice of medicine and surgery.”

According to court documents, a state investigator from Pennsylvania’s professional licensing agency established a user profile on the Character.AI platform, conducted a search using the term “psychiatry,” and discovered numerous virtual characters, including one that presented itself as a “doctor of psychiatry.”

The court filing states that this particular character claimed it could evaluate the investigator “as a doctor” with valid Pennsylvania licensing credentials.

“Pennsylvanians deserve to know who — or what — they are interacting with online, especially when it comes to their health,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement. “We will not allow companies to deploy AI tools that mislead people into believing they are receiving advice from a licensed medical professional.”

Character Technologies has not provided a response to requests for comment as of Monday.

The technology firm has previously encountered multiple legal challenges related to child protection issues. Earlier this year, both Google and Character Technologies reached a settlement agreement with a Florida mother who claimed that one of the company’s chatbots encouraged her teenage son to take his own life. During the fall, Character.AI implemented restrictions preventing minors from accessing its chatbot services due to mounting concerns about how artificial intelligence interactions might impact young users.

A groundbreaking survey has revealed that artificial intelligence chatbots are becoming the preferred confidants for young Europeans struggling with mental health challenges, with almost half choosing digital conversations over human counselors.

The comprehensive study conducted by Ipsos BVA examined responses from 3,800 individuals between ages 11 and 25 across France, Germany, Sweden, and Ireland during early 2026. The research was funded by France’s privacy oversight agency CNIL and insurance company Groupe VYV.

Results showed that 51% of participants found it “easy” to share mental health concerns and personal struggles with chatbots, compared to just 49% who felt comfortable with medical professionals and only 37% with psychologists. Close personal relationships remained most trusted, with 68% preferring conversations with friends and 61% with parents.

The study highlighted alarming mental health trends among youth, discovering that 28% of participants showed signs consistent with generalized anxiety disorder.

Approximately 90% of survey participants had previous experience with artificial intelligence tools, drawn to their round-the-clock accessibility and lack of judgment. More than 60% characterized AI as serving roles of “life adviser” or “confidant” in their lives.

Despite growing popularity, mental health experts are raising red flags about potential psychological consequences of relying on AI for emotional guidance. Earlier this year, a Florida family filed a lawsuit against Google, claiming the company’s Gemini AI chatbot played a role in their relative’s developing paranoia and subsequent suicide.

Ludwig Franke Föyen, a psychologist and digital health researcher from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institutet, said the survey outcomes were predictable. Speaking with Reuters, Franke Föyen explained that modern language models generate sophisticated responses, noting his research indicates even trained professionals may find it difficult to differentiate between AI-created guidance and human expert advice.

However, Franke Föyen cautioned against depending solely on chatbots for mental health assistance, emphasizing that general AI systems prioritize user engagement and corporate objectives may conflict with proper mental healthcare delivery.

“AI can offer information and support, but it should not replace human relationships or professional care,” Franke Föyen said.

“If someone turns to a chatbot instead of speaking to a parent, a friend, or a mental health professional, that is a concern. We do not want technology to make people feel more alone,” he added.

Nearly 150 passengers and crew aboard a cruise ship anchored off Cape Verde remain locked in their cabins following a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives and sickened at least four others, according to exclusive footage obtained by The Associated Press.

The Dutch vessel MV Hondius, which embarked on a multi-week polar expedition from Argentina bound for Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands, has been stranded at sea after Cape Verde officials blocked passengers from coming ashore due to health safety concerns.

Video from the ship reveals eerily vacant decks with only scattered individuals wearing face masks moving about the vessel. Passenger areas sit completely empty as travelers remain isolated in their rooms. The footage captured at least five individuals dressed in full hazmat suits – complete white coveralls, protective boots, and masks – boarding a smaller boat to leave the ship.

On Monday, the World Health Organization announced that travelers have been instructed to remain in their quarters and “limit their risk while disinfection and other measures are being taken.”

Cape Verde has deployed medical teams including doctors, surgeons, nursing staff, and laboratory experts to assist the stranded vessel.

Local officials in Praia, Cape Verde’s capital city with fewer than 200,000 residents, have implemented enhanced security measures around the harbor area as protection against the rodent-carried disease, which the WHO notes can occasionally spread person-to-person, though such transmission is uncommon.

The timeline for evacuating ill passengers remains uncertain, though the WHO indicated late Monday that sick individuals would soon be transported to the Netherlands for treatment.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the Netherlands-based cruise operator, has indicated it may redirect the ship to Spanish territories including Tenerife or Las Palmas port if evacuation to Cape Verde proves impossible.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, outlined current plans for the vessel “to continue on to the Canary Islands.”

“We’re working with Spanish authorities, who will welcome the ship,” Kerkhove said.

Van Kerkhove emphasized that no additional passengers are displaying symptoms and noted that “once the two sick individuals on board are medically evacuated, then the ship can move.” Cape Verde authorities had previously reported three people aboard the vessel showing mild symptoms.

However, Spain’s health ministry issued a statement Tuesday saying it was “conducting close monitoring, together with the World Health Organization and other involved countries, of the situation on the ship … (and) the most appropriate port of call will be decided. Until then, the Ministry of Health will not adopt any decision, as we have informed the World Health Organization.”

In a Monday evening statement, Oceanwide Expeditions reported that conditions aboard the ship “remains calm, with passengers generally composed” and confirmed their emergency response has reached the highest level, including quarantine procedures, sanitation protocols, and continuous health monitoring.

The cruise departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1, according to Argentine regional officials.

While health authorities in Ushuaia confirmed no travelers showed hantavirus signs at departure, the disease can manifest up to eight weeks following exposure, explained Juan Facundo Petrina, epidemiology director for Tierra del Fuego province, in an AP interview from Ushuaia.

The WHO reported Monday evening that no new cases have emerged aboard the vessel, but the situation remains under “careful monitoring” for any changes.

“The outbreak is being managed through coordinated international response, and includes in-depth investigations, case isolation and care, medical evacuation and laboratory investigations,” the WHO stated.

Angela Gomes, Cape Verde’s National Director of Health, told state broadcaster Radiotelevisao Caboverdiana that officials are committed to ensuring “the maximum level of safety” for local residents.

“And for this reason, all assistance is being provided with personal protective equipment, with maximum protection, both to our medical team but also to the entire team that assists the medical team in transporting it to the vessel,” said Gomes.

A groundbreaking HIV prevention injection is slowly gaining ground among patients, though healthcare providers across the nation report significant barriers preventing wider adoption of the twice-yearly treatment.

Gilead Sciences’ Yeztugo, which launched in June, has seen growing prescription numbers, but medical professionals say insurance coverage problems and patient preferences are limiting its reach compared to traditional daily pill options.

Dr. Barry Zingman, who leads the Montefiore AIDS Center in New York, expressed mixed feelings about the uptake. “We have close to 75 people who are on Yeztugo right now, which is not as many as we expected or hoped,” Zingman noted. His facility treats approximately 700 patients with pre-exposure prophylaxis medications, known as PrEP.

Federal health officials gave their approval to Yeztugo for high-risk adults and teenagers after clinical trials demonstrated nearly perfect effectiveness in blocking HIV transmission. Other available options include Gilead’s daily Descovy pills, generic versions of the older medication Truvada, and Viiv Healthcare’s Apretude injection administered every two months.

Prescription tracking data from IQVIA shows more than 9,000 Yeztugo injections were prescribed during the first three months of 2024. This compares to roughly 461,000 Descovy prescriptions, 32,000 Apretude injections, and 4,400 Truvada prescriptions during the same period. Notably, total weekly PrEP prescriptions have remained flat.

Market researchers project Yeztugo revenue could exceed $5 billion annually by 2032, while Gilead has set a target of $800 million in sales for 2026. The pharmaceutical company expressed satisfaction with early adoption rates and emphasized that most insured patients face minimal personal costs.

Federal health data indicates roughly 600,000 of the 2.2 million Americans who would benefit from PrEP medication currently receive such treatment. Expanding access to those not yet protected while transitioning current patients to the new injection presents a substantial challenge, particularly as more individuals obtain pills through mail-order services advertising convenience without doctor visits or needles.

Telehealth provider MISTR filled approximately 19% of all U.S. PrEP prescriptions in 2024, a dramatic increase from just 2% in 2020, according to research published in JAMA medical journal.

Despite operating seven physical locations where Yeztugo could be administered, MISTR has chosen not to offer the injection until more insurance companies agree to cover pharmacy administration costs. “The last thing we want to do is introduce Yeztugo and then have 9 out of 10 people get rejected for it based on insurance,” explained MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft.

While Gilead reports that over 90% of insurers provide Yeztugo coverage, the medication is frequently classified as a medical benefit rather than a pharmacy benefit. This classification requires healthcare providers to purchase the drug upfront and can subject patients to copayments or deductibles.

Each twice-yearly injection carries a U.S. list price exceeding $14,000, while generic daily pills cost approximately $350 annually, representing the most affordable prevention option.

Dr. Rachel Presti, who works at Washington University’s HIV clinic in St. Louis, reported significant patient interest in the new injection. Her facility operates an on-site pharmacy with expertise in securing drug coverage. However, she noted limitations: “If your insurance doesn’t cover a pharmacy benefit, we can’t give it.”

Most PrEP patients at Montefiore continue using daily Descovy pills or lower-cost generic Truvada, which research has proven effective when used as needed. “Many people just don’t want something in their body for weeks or months on end,” Zingman observed. “For a fair number of people that fits their lifestyle and their risk profile better.”

Dr. Howard Grossman, medical director at Spectrum Medical Center in Phoenix, reported that about 200 of their more than 1,000 PrEP patients had transitioned to Yeztugo by early April, with numbers expected to continue climbing.

As a nonprofit organization, Spectrum receives a reduced price of $10,100 per dose, Grossman said. However, UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, reimburses providers only $6,000 to $7,000 under certain plans. UnitedHealthcare declined to provide comment on their reimbursement policies.

Qualified patients can access assistance through Gilead or other programs to help cover cost differences. Meanwhile, standardized coverage remains uncertain. The federal panel responsible for determining free preventive care access recommended in 2023 that high-risk individuals receive HIV prevention drugs, but this guidance has not been updated to include Yeztugo.

Consequently, patient expenses for Yeztugo vary by individual insurance plans, UnitedHealthcare confirmed via email, while noting that their commercial plans provide older HIV prevention medications at no cost to patients.

CVS Health, which operates the country’s largest pharmacy benefit manager, stated that employer and union clients can establish plan terms favoring clinically comparable but less expensive alternatives to Yeztugo. The company acknowledged achieving “a significant discount on Yeztugo” through negotiations with Gilead, though the discounted price remains substantially higher than other effective options.

Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, predicted Yeztugo “will be a game-changer for individuals who want to be on a drug permanently.” However, he acknowledged that some patients dislike needles, while others worry about visible nodules that the slow-release medication can create under the skin.

“There is a lot of marketing muscle behind it, but it’s not a slam dunk,” Weinstein concluded.

When Krista Catwood was searching for an enjoyable way to stay active, she came up with an idea that would transform ordinary mall-walking into a vibrant community event. Her solution involved creating an exercise group where participants dress up in bright 1980s-inspired clothing while getting their steps in.

The group, known as the Food Court 5000, makes their rounds through Portland’s Lloyd Center, completing two loops on each floor during their Sunday gatherings. What started as a simple fitness concept has grown into a popular intergenerational activity that attracts participants of all ages.

The colorful exercise phenomenon has seen remarkable growth throughout the past year, with the combination of nostalgic fashion and accessible fitness proving to be an irresistible draw for community members looking to add some excitement to their workout routines.

A Pennsylvania-based snack food manufacturer has pulled certain potato chip products from store shelves nationwide due to potential allergen contamination.

Utz Quality Foods, LLC, which operates as a division of Utz Brands, Inc., announced the voluntary withdrawal of select Zapp’s and Dirty brand potato chip varieties from the U.S. market. The company’s Hanover, Pennsylvania headquarters made the decision after learning that a flavoring ingredient containing dried milk powder may not have been properly disclosed on product packaging.

The recall specifically targets limited varieties of both chip brands, though the company has not yet provided a complete list of affected products or lot numbers. Consumers with milk allergies or lactose sensitivities could face serious health risks if they consume the recalled items without knowing about the undeclared dairy ingredient.

Food safety officials typically recommend that anyone who has purchased potentially affected products should check their pantries and discard any matching items. Customers seeking refunds or additional information are advised to contact the manufacturer directly.

This type of allergen-related recall has become increasingly common in the food industry as manufacturers work to ensure accurate labeling and protect consumers with food sensitivities.

International health authorities announced Monday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak has struck passengers aboard a luxury cruise vessel stationed off the West African coastline, with the majority of travelers hailing from Britain, the United States, and Spain.

According to the World Health Organization’s latest update, the situation has escalated to include multiple casualties and critical cases. “As of 4 May 2026, seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms,” WHO officials stated.

The health emergency unfolded on what was supposed to be a luxury vacation for the international passengers, turning the cruise into a medical crisis that has prompted immediate response from global health authorities.

Mirum Pharmaceuticals announced Monday that their investigational medication volixibat successfully achieved its primary objective in a clinical trial focused on alleviating intense itching experienced by patients suffering from a rare liver condition.

The research involved 158 participants who received either volixibat at a dosage of 20 mg twice per day or a placebo treatment. Researchers focused their primary analysis on 111 patients experiencing moderate to severe itching symptoms, while an additional 47 participants with mild symptoms were evaluated in a separate analysis.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis, commonly referred to as PSC, is a condition that triggers inflammation and creates scar tissue in the bile ducts, causing them to narrow. This process results in bile accumulation, damage to the liver, and can progress to complete liver failure.

Among the primary study group, participants taking volixibat experienced a reduction in itching severity scores of 2.72 points compared to their baseline measurements, while those receiving placebo saw only a 1.08-point decrease. This created a statistically meaningful difference of 1.64 points favoring the experimental treatment, according to Mirum’s findings.

The pharmaceutical company stated that these outcomes demonstrate volixibat’s potential to become the initial approved therapy specifically targeting cholestatic pruritus in PSC patients.

“The takeaway here is very straightforward – trial is clearly positive & data is in line with expectations,” commented Evercore ISI analyst Gavin Clark-Gartner.

Mirum has arranged a preliminary meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for summer 2026 and intends to submit their application for regulatory approval during the latter half of that year.

Global health authorities are working to contain a hantavirus outbreak aboard an expedition cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, after six passengers contracted the rare rodent-transmitted disease and three have died.

The MV Hondius, operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, is currently dealing with what the company describes as “managing a serious medical situation” while positioned near Cape Verde, an island chain off the west coast of Africa.

The polar expedition departed from Argentina approximately three weeks ago carrying roughly 150 passengers, making stops in Antarctica and other destinations before reaching its current location, according to news reports.

Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, emphasized Monday that authorities see no cause for alarm. “The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions,” Kluge stated.

Kluge explained that the WHO is responding rapidly to assist with the medical emergency and is collaborating with affected nations to provide medical treatment, evacuation services, investigation support, and public health risk evaluation.

“Hantavirus infections are uncommon and usually linked to exposure to infected rodents. While severe in some cases, it is not easily transmitted between people,” Kluge noted.

A representative from the Dutch Foreign Ministry verified that two Dutch nationals among the passengers have died, though no additional information was provided.

According to WHO communications on social media, one infected passenger is currently receiving intensive care treatment in South Africa. Sky News identified this patient as British, citing information from South Africa’s Department of Health.

Laboratory testing has positively identified hantavirus in one of the six affected individuals, health officials confirmed.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — A Dutch cruise vessel carrying approximately 150 passengers remains stranded off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean following a deadly outbreak of suspected hantavirus that has claimed three lives and left several others critically ill, according to the World Health Organization and the ship’s operating company.

The MV Hondius, which had been conducting an extended polar expedition from Argentina to Antarctica before visiting remote South Atlantic islands, sought assistance from local health officials after arriving at Cape Verde off West Africa’s coast. However, passengers and crew have been prohibited from leaving the vessel, the cruise company announced Sunday evening.

The first casualty was a 70-year-old Dutch passenger who developed symptoms including fever, headache, stomach pain and diarrhea before dying aboard the ship near Saint Helena, a British territory located approximately 1,200 miles from the African coastline, South African health officials reported. His remains were removed at that location and are awaiting transport home.

The man’s 69-year-old spouse was transported to South Africa but suffered a medical emergency at Johannesburg’s airport and passed away at a local hospital, the health department confirmed.

The vessel subsequently traveled to Ascension Island, another remote Atlantic location roughly 800 miles northward, where a British passenger was evacuated. Laboratory results later confirmed he had contracted hantavirus, a uncommon infection transmitted through rodents that can trigger severe lung complications or bleeding disorders, health authorities stated.

The British passenger remains in critical condition under isolation protocols at a South African medical facility’s intensive care unit, officials said.

The identity of the third deceased individual has not been released publicly, though the body remains aboard the cruise ship, according to the operating company.

WHO representatives indicated the remaining five suspected cases have not yet received laboratory confirmation for hantavirus infection.

The timeline of the deaths remains unclear. Maritime tracking data shows the vessel departed Ascension Island on April 27 bound for Cape Verde, located approximately 1,700 miles to the north.

Two crew members currently aboard the Hondius require immediate medical attention, Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions stated in their announcement.

Oceanwide acknowledged managing a “serious medical situation” aboard the vessel but declined to provide additional details or confirm whether passengers are under quarantine measures.

“Local health authorities have visited the vessel to assess the condition of the two symptomatic individuals,” the cruise operator said Sunday evening. “They are yet to make a decision regarding the transfer of these individuals into medical care in Cape Verde.”

The World Health Organization confirmed its collaboration with local officials and ship operators to complete a “full public health risk assessment” while coordinating evacuation efforts for the two ill individuals.

“Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations,” WHO stated. “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing.”

The Dutch Foreign Ministry verified that two victims held Dutch citizenship and indicated they are examining options for evacuating additional people from the vessel.

Hantaviruses, present worldwide, comprise a virus family transmitted primarily through contact with urine or waste from infected rodents such as rats and mice. These viruses gained public attention following the death of actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year.

Hackman passed away approximately one week later at their residence from cardiac complications.

Person-to-person transmission of hantavirus infections can occur in exceptional circumstances, WHO noted. No specific treatment or vaccine exists, though prompt medical intervention can improve survival rates.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantaviruses cause two severe conditions: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which impacts the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which affects kidney function.

The CDC notes that lung-related illness occurs more frequently in hantavirus cases throughout the Americas.

“While severe in some cases, it is not easily transmitted between people,” Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said Monday. “The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions.”

South Africa’s Department of Health confirmed the ship had departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina for an expedition that included stops in Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and other isolated South Atlantic locations.

Although Oceanwide Expeditions did not specify the exact voyage, the company promotes 33-night or 43-night “Atlantic Odyssey” expeditions aboard the 351-foot Hondius on their website, following similar routes and offering passengers access to some of Earth’s most remote islands.

The Hondius features 80 passenger cabins with capacity for 170 travelers, the company reported. Standard operations include 71 crew members, including medical personnel.

While authorities have not identified the potential source of the suspected outbreak, a previous hantavirus incident in southern Argentina during 2019 resulted in at least nine fatalities. That outbreak led a judge to mandate dozens of residents in a remote community remain in their homes for 30 days to prevent further transmission.

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg area to determine if other South African residents were exposed to infected cruise passengers. The 69-year-old woman who died had been attempting to board a flight at Johannesburg’s airport for her return journey to the Netherlands when she collapsed.

“There is no need for (the) public to panic,” South Africa’s health department stated, adding that WHO is “coordinating a multicountry response with all affected islands and countries to contain further spread of the disease.”

A deadly outbreak linked to a rodent-transmitted disease has claimed three lives and infected several others aboard a cruise ship, health officials report.

The suspected culprit is hantavirus, a dangerous pathogen that has existed for hundreds of years with documented cases across Asia and Europe. In those regions, the virus typically causes severe bleeding disorders and kidney damage. However, in the early 1990s, medical experts identified a different strain in America’s Southwest that triggers a deadly lung condition called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

The virus drew public attention recently when Betsy Arakawa, widow of renowned actor Gene Hackman, succumbed to a hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year.

According to a Sunday statement from the World Health Organization, comprehensive investigations into the cruise ship incident continue, with additional laboratory analysis and disease tracking studies underway. Scientists are also working to decode the genetic makeup of the virus strain involved.

The disease primarily transmits through exposure to infected rodents or their bodily fluids and waste products, especially when these materials become airborne after being disturbed. Most infections occur in residential settings like homes, cabins, or storage buildings, particularly during cleanup activities in poorly ventilated spaces or when exploring areas contaminated with mouse droppings.

While uncommon, the WHO notes that hantaviruses can occasionally pass directly from person to person.

Federal health authorities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started monitoring this virus following a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah converge.

Dr. Michelle Harkins, a lung specialist at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center who has spent years researching the disease and treating patients, credits a sharp-eyed Indian Health Service doctor with first recognizing the deadly pattern among young victims.

Western states report the majority of American cases, with New Mexico and Arizona serving as primary hotspots, according to Harkins, who attributes this to increased opportunities for rodent-human contact in remote areas.

The infection can quickly worsen and become deadly. Medical experts explain that initial signs include fever, chills, body aches, and possibly headaches.

“In the beginning stages, distinguishing between hantavirus and influenza can be nearly impossible,” explained Dr. Sonja Bartolome from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Signs of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome typically appear one to eight weeks following exposure to an infected rodent. As the disease advances, patients may feel chest constriction as their lungs accumulate fluid.

The alternative form of hantavirus illness — hemorrhagic fever with kidney complications — generally manifests within one to two weeks after contact.

Mortality rates depend on the specific hantavirus strain causing the infection. The lung form proves fatal in approximately 35% of cases, while the kidney-related version kills between 1% and 15% of patients, CDC data shows.

No targeted treatment or cure exists, though prompt medical care can improve survival odds.

After years of investigation, Harkins acknowledges many unanswered questions remain, including why some patients experience mild symptoms while others face severe illness, and how the body develops protective antibodies. She and fellow researchers continue tracking patients over extended periods hoping to discover effective treatments.

“There are still many puzzles to solve,” she noted, emphasizing that scientists have confirmed rodent contact as the crucial factor.

Preventing infection requires limiting contact with rodents and their waste. Health officials recommend using protective gloves and bleach solutions when cleaning rodent droppings. Public health authorities warn against sweeping or vacuuming contaminated areas, as these actions can release the virus into the air.

A deadly outbreak aboard a Netherlands-operated cruise vessel has claimed three lives and sickened three others, with authorities confirming hantavirus as the suspected cause, according to reports released Sunday.

The virus, which derives its name from South Korea’s Hantan River region where scientists first identified it during the 1970s, is mainly transmitted through rodent contact, though human-to-human transmission can occur in unusual circumstances, the World Health Organization reports.

Infection typically happens when contaminated particles from rat or mouse waste, saliva, and urine become airborne during cleaning activities like sweeping areas where rodents have lived.

This viral family causes two distinct conditions – one targeting lung function and another affecting kidney systems. The respiratory form draws significant medical attention due to its devastating mortality rate of approximately 40 percent.

The lung-affecting variant, known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, appears most frequently throughout North and South American regions. Canadian health officials estimate roughly 200 cases of the pulmonary illness emerge globally each year.

A notable recent case involved concert pianist Betsy Arakawa, married to actor Gene Hackman, who succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in New Mexico during 2025, autopsy findings confirmed.

Initial symptoms mirror common flu indicators including exhaustion and elevated body temperature, typically appearing one to eight weeks following exposure, Centers for Disease Control officials note.

Within four to ten days, patients develop respiratory distress including persistent coughing, breathing difficulties, and lung fluid accumulation. Medical professionals find early diagnosis challenging within the first three days, as symptoms closely resemble influenza.

No targeted treatment exists for hantavirus infections, leaving doctors to provide supportive measures such as adequate rest and hydration. Severe cases may require mechanical ventilation assistance.

Health experts recommend preventing exposure by controlling and removing rodent populations from human environments. They advise against vacuuming or sweeping dried animal droppings, which can release virus particles into the air.

Three passengers have died and multiple others have become seriously ill from what health officials believe is a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization announced Sunday.

The WHO confirmed to The Associated Press that investigators are looking into the incident, with laboratory testing verifying at least one hantavirus case. The virus spreads through contact with contaminated urine or droppings from infected rodents, particularly rats and mice.

According to the United Nations health agency, one patient remains in critical condition at a South African medical facility, while officials work to remove two additional symptomatic passengers from the vessel.

“Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations,” WHO said. “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing.”

Health officials explain that hantavirus typically transmits through exposure to waste from infected rodents. Though uncommon, the WHO notes the virus can pass between humans and may cause serious respiratory complications.

No targeted therapy exists for hantavirus, though prompt medical intervention can improve survival rates.

While the WHO did not name the ship, South African news outlets reported the outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius during its voyage from Argentina toward Cape Verde near West Africa’s coast.

Maritime tracking systems show the Dutch-registered passenger vessel docked in Praia, Cape Verde’s capital city, Sunday evening.

South African health department representative Foster Mohale told local media that the initial fatality was an elderly male passenger who died aboard the ship. His spouse subsequently passed away at a South African medical center, according to Mohale’s statements.

The virus gained recent attention following the death of Betsy Arakawa, widow of late actor Gene Hackman, from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year. Hackman died one week after his wife at their residence.

A New Zealand-based dairy company announced Monday that it is pulling three batches of infant formula from American stores after laboratory testing revealed the presence of a dangerous toxin.

The company, a2 Milk, initiated the voluntary recall of its a2 Platinum baby formula products following the discovery of cereulide, a harmful substance known to trigger vomiting in infants. According to a company statement, the contaminated formula was produced by Synlait Milk, which serves as an associate manufacturing partner for a2 Milk.

Company officials emphasized that no cases of illness have been documented in connection with the affected batches. The firm stated it is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the recall process moves forward.

The recall specifically targets products distributed within the United States market, with parents and caregivers advised to check batch numbers on their formula containers against the company’s recall notice.

Health authorities announced Sunday that a deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship has claimed the lives of three passengers, according to the World Health Organization.

Officials confirmed that six passengers were impacted by the health crisis, which resulted in three deaths and left one person hospitalized in intensive care at a South African medical facility.

The WHO verified that laboratory testing confirmed at least one case of hantavirus among those affected during the maritime incident.

BOULDER, CO – The a2 Milk Company announced on May 2, 2026, that it is voluntarily pulling three specific batches of its a2 Platinum Premium infant formula from American store shelves after discovering the presence of cereulide in the products.

The recalled formula is specifically the a2 Platinum Premium USA label version designed for infants aged 0-12 months. This particular product line is distributed exclusively within the United States market.

Cereulide is a heat-resistant toxin that poses potential health risks to infants who consume contaminated formula. The company initiated the recall as a precautionary measure after detecting this substance during quality testing.

Parents and caregivers who have purchased a2 Platinum Premium infant formula should check their product batch numbers against the recalled lots. The company advises consumers to stop using any formula from the affected batches immediately.

This recall affects only the specific batches identified by the company and does not extend to other a2 Milk Company products or different lot numbers of the same formula.

A Michigan snack food manufacturer has announced a voluntary product recall due to potential allergen contamination that could pose serious health risks to consumers with specific food sensitivities.

Second Nature Brands, based in Madison Heights, Michigan, is pulling certain 10-ounce containers of their SECOND NATURE KETO CRUNCH SMART MIX from store shelves. The company discovered that these products may contain cashews, pistachios, and cherries that are not properly disclosed on the packaging labels.

This undeclared ingredient issue creates significant health concerns for people who suffer from tree nut allergies or have severe reactions to these specific ingredients. Consumers with such allergies could experience dangerous reactions if they consume the product without knowing about the presence of these allergens.

The recall affects only specific batches of the 10-ounce packaging size of the keto snack mix product. Customers who have purchased this item should check their packages and avoid consumption if they have relevant food allergies.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that Medicare will begin covering GLP-1 medications used for weight loss and diabetes treatment starting July 1st.

The President made the announcement while speaking in The Villages, Florida, stating that the federal government is taking steps to make these drugs accessible to elderly Americans enrolled in the Medicare program.

The move would expand coverage for medications that have gained popularity for their effectiveness in treating both diabetes and obesity among seniors.

OTTAWA – Canadian health authorities announced Friday they have given approval to a second generic alternative to the popular diabetes medication Ozempic, expanding treatment options for patients across the country.

The regulatory approval went to Apotex, a Canada-based pharmaceutical company, for their version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic. This marks the second time Canadian officials have authorized a copycat version of the highly successful diabetes treatment originally developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

The decision by Canadian health regulators could provide patients with more affordable access to the diabetes medication that has gained widespread attention not only for blood sugar management but also for its weight loss effects.

The pharmaceutical company responsible for OxyContin announced Friday that it has officially shut down operations and finished its bankruptcy process, transforming into a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting opioid addiction under new leadership featuring government and healthcare professionals.

The company, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in 2019, had previously outlined plans to become the new nonprofit entity Knoa Pharma through a $7.4 billion bankruptcy agreement designed to direct all company resources toward addressing opioid crisis damages. Thousands of legal cases targeted the pharmaceutical giant for its contribution to America’s opioid epidemic, and the company has admitted guilt twice to federal criminal charges related to OxyContin marketing practices.

The completion of the company’s criminal sentencing earlier this week cleared the last obstacle for implementing the bankruptcy restructuring plan.

During Tuesday’s sentencing proceedings, numerous opioid crisis survivors shared personal accounts of addiction struggles, family losses, and heartbreak. Court documents reviewed by Reuters and victim interviews highlighted significant dissatisfaction with the bankruptcy settlement’s complicated payment process for those harmed, with approximately 40% of individual compensation requests already denied.

In 2020, the company admitted guilt to charges involving misleading federal oversight agencies about efforts to prevent illegal OxyContin abuse and acknowledged providing financial incentives to physicians to increase drug prescriptions. This followed a previous 2007 guilty plea for deceiving medical professionals and regulators about OxyContin’s addictive properties.

The new nonprofit’s board of trustees features Rahul Gupta, former director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Biden administration; Paul Rothman, previous Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine CEO; and David Saltzman, Atria Health and Research Institute co-founder.

The transformed organization plans to distribute overdose reversal medications and addiction treatment drugs at production cost or below.

“Through not-for-profit access to overdose reversal medicines and treatments for opioid use disorder, Knoa Pharma is committed to providing care and saving lives in communities most affected by the opioid crisis,” Rothman said in a statement.

The majority of settlement funds will be distributed to state and municipal governments that absorbed opioid addiction costs in their areas, while $865 million has been designated for individual claimants who developed opioid dependencies or lost family members.

The pharmaceutical company responsible for manufacturing OxyContin will cease operations and transform into a public-focused organization as a comprehensive legal agreement involving thousands of opioid lawsuits becomes active this Friday.

This agreement represents one of the most significant in a string of legal resolutions addressing the devastating impact of opioid addiction in recent years. The case has drawn particular attention because many experts trace the origins of America’s opioid crisis to the aggressive marketing campaigns surrounding OxyContin, a potent prescription pain medication that entered the market in 1996.

Federal statistics indicate that opioid overdoses have claimed more than 500,000 American lives since 1999. The crisis initially stemmed from prescription painkillers, later shifted to heroin, and has now reached its deadliest phase with fentanyl-related deaths.

The Purdue agreement mandates a minimum payment of $7.4 billion. The majority of these funds—no less than $6.5 billion—will come directly from Sackler family members who previously held ownership of the company. The family relinquished control of the pharmaceutical manufacturer before its 2019 bankruptcy filing and has surrendered all ownership stakes. The settlement creates Knoa Pharma as Purdue’s replacement, featuring a state-appointed board dedicated to combating the opioid epidemic.

Analysis from the Opioid Settlement Tracker shows that total opioid litigation settlements have reached an estimated $50 billion since 2019. Companies that have reached agreements with state and local authorities include drug manufacturers, distribution companies, pharmacy chains, and consulting firms. Settlement terms typically require that most funds address epidemic-related issues.

Purdue’s settlement payments will be distributed over an 18-year period, with larger amounts scheduled for the initial years.

The Department of Justice investigation into Purdue resulted in criminal charges against three individuals and a corporate guilty plea by the company.

In 2024, five Supreme Court justices rejected an earlier settlement version, determining that Sackler family members would have inappropriately gained personal lawsuit protection through the corporate bankruptcy proceedings. The final agreement allows groups that decline payments to pursue legal action against family members.

A 2019 audit revealed that Sackler family members collected $10.8 billion from Purdue between 2008 and 2018, with no distributions received since that time. Nearly half of those funds went toward taxes the Sacklers paid on the company’s behalf. Congressional analysis in 2021 estimated the family’s combined net worth at $11 billion.

The settlement requires the release of 30 million company documents to the public. Similar to other opioid industry materials, these records will be housed at the University of California San Francisco and Johns Hopkins University.

Individuals who can demonstrate harm from prescribed Purdue opioids may receive up to $48,000 in compensation, along with survivors of those affected. Other major industry settlements do not provide direct payments to victims.

Connecticut has enacted new legislation that eliminates religious exemptions for state-mandated vaccinations, a move that legal experts anticipate will face court challenges. The law removes the ability for families to cite religious beliefs when seeking to exempt their children from required immunizations.

The new statute includes specific provisions stating that Connecticut’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act cannot be invoked to avoid vaccination requirements for students attending public or private educational institutions. Legal experts suggest the Trump administration may launch an investigation into Connecticut regarding this new vaccination policy.

Delaware seniors who rely on Medicare Advantage plans should prepare for potential reductions in supplemental benefits such as fitness memberships, vision care, and dental coverage starting next year, according to industry analysts and investment professionals.

Federal officials announced this month that payments to insurance companies operating Medicare Advantage programs for individuals 65 and older or those with disabilities will increase by an average of 2.48% for 2027. Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, has been working to reduce federal healthcare program expenditures.

Insurance company leaders have indicated in recent weeks that these payment rates, despite being higher than initially proposed, remain insufficient. Humana specifically announced Wednesday that benefit reductions would be necessary.

Supplemental services such as vision, hearing, dental care, fitness programs, meal delivery, and transportation support have successfully attracted approximately half of the nation’s 70 million Medicare beneficiaries to choose managed care options over the government’s traditional fee-for-service model.

Industry observers expect benefit reductions and potential market exits from certain regions could help Humana and competitors like UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health’s Aetna manage increased expenses, according to five investment professionals.

Medicare Advantage programs represent 80%, 33%, and 12% of total revenue for Humana, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare respectively.

“All insurers are likely to cut back on benefits, but Humana will be cutting back the most,” stated Kevin Gade, chief operating officer at Bahl and Gaynor.

Reducing these supplemental benefits tends to encourage expensive members with higher medical utilization to switch to different plans, Gade explained.

A CVS Health representative said, “Aetna continues to offer quality insurance coverage in a manner that is sustainable for our clients and our business.” UnitedHealth chose not to provide comment.

During a Wednesday conference call with analysts and investors, Humana CEO Jim Rechtin explained that benefit cuts would be necessary to achieve profitability goals, though the company would attempt to preserve the most valued member benefits.

“We will adjust benefits to remain on track to deliver our 2028 commitment of returning to a sustainable margin of at least 3%,” Rechtin stated.

Bobby Hunter, who oversees government programs at UnitedHealthcare, mentioned earlier this month that Medicare Advantage funding remains below expectations for 2027, but did not indicate specific benefit reductions.

An AHIP spokesperson, representing the insurance industry trade organization, commented: “As health plans incorporate recently released policies, they will continue to focus on keeping coverage and care as affordable as possible.”

Morningstar analyst Julie Utterback noted that Humana has been providing more comprehensive benefits in its 2026 offerings compared to competitors.

“Potential benefit changes in 2027 may just be a matter of leveling the playing field for Humana relative to peers,” Utterback observed.

Medicare Advantage insurers typically wait until June to reveal plan modifications, she noted. Given UnitedHealth’s recent statements, Utterback suggested changes are “not out of the question.”

Investment professionals indicated that Medicare Advantage companies would distinguish themselves through quality, or “Star” ratings, which influence bonus payments and enhance profitability.

“You have to be very particular within managed healthcare right now, especially companies with high government exposure and average ‘Star’ ratings, which is where Humana sits,” said Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist at Hightower Advisors, which holds less than 1% of UnitedHealth shares.

Medicare Advantage enrollment begins in October, coinciding with U.S. midterm elections that will decide whether Republicans maintain Congressional control. Voter frustration over increasing costs typically impacts the governing party.

“When Medicare Advantage funding doesn’t keep pace with costs, seniors pay the price. We’ve seen it play out year after year,” said Susan Reilly, vice president of communications at Better Medicare Alliance, a coalition supporting these plans.

Senior citizens consistently vote in substantial numbers.

Alex Mills, a professor at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, suggested customers might be caught off guard by rising out-of-pocket expenses, potentially creating political pressure.

“It would not be shocking if there’s somewhat of a backlash,” said Bill Smead, founder and chief investment officer of Smead Capital.

WASHINGTON – Federal health officials are facing scrutiny after a government database inadvertently made healthcare workers’ Social Security numbers available to the public, according to an investigation published Thursday by the Washington Post.

The security breach involved a Medicare database that fed information into a physician lookup tool launched last year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The directory was designed to assist elderly patients in locating medical providers in their area.

According to the Post’s findings, the compromised database could be accessed by anyone and contained sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers that were connected to healthcare providers’ names.

Officials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have not yet provided a response regarding the data exposure incident.

A cutting-edge Israeli company is revolutionizing mental health treatment through what it calls ‘automation therapy’ – an innovative approach that combines artificial intelligence with gentle physical movements to help people overcome stress and trauma.

Emanuel Natanov, co-founder of the biofeedback company ARHIMOTION, believes modern society has created a dangerous mismatch between human biology and contemporary life demands. People are naturally designed as social creatures who thrive in communities built on trust, but today’s world has replaced these foundations with digital isolation and relentless technological pressures that our nervous systems weren’t built to handle.

“We are forced into a high-paced global competition where the demand for speed, higher salaries, and mercantile achievement creates unbearable pressure,” Natanov told The Media Line. “We see this clearly in our stress-driven economy, where the constant push for immediate results and wealth generation keeps workers in a state of chronic hyperarousal, while the overwhelming flood of information paralyzes our ability to make decisions, essentially eroding our spiritual foundation.”

Natanov further explained that “by prioritizing economic velocity over human well-being, we have created a world of global tension where we are running faster than our biology allows, leaving us materially ambitious but spiritually and emotionally exhausted.”

The solution, according to Natanov, lies in nervous system regulation – helping individuals sleep better, respond less impulsively, and feel physically secure. He views this individual transformation as the building block for broader societal improvement.

“When we transform a stressed, reactive individual into a calm, balanced parent, partner, or colleague, that ripple effect creates the tolerance and collective well-being we envision,” Natanov explained. “Ultimately, success is normalizing ‘mental fitness’ so that happiness becomes a sustainable state, not just a fleeting moment.”

Medical research has extensively documented how prolonged stress can trigger severe health complications and debilitating symptoms, including persistent headaches, exhaustion, irritability, and emotional instability.

Several years ago, shortly before the October 7 massacre, Natanov – who had spent over 15 years working in the technology sector – came to a startling realization. He noticed that society frequently employs technology to boost productivity while ignoring the human element. This insight sparked his desire to reverse that trend and make technology work in service of human health and wellbeing, “because we cannot truly succeed if our mental well-being is broken.”

This epiphany led to ARHIMOTION’s creation – a biofeedback enterprise that merges clinical neuroscience, sophisticated robotics, and artificial intelligence. Traditional biofeedback devices monitor involuntary bodily responses like heart rate and skin temperature, then transform this data into visual or auditory signals.

When Hamas launched its attack on Israel, the company hadn’t yet obtained the funding necessary for expansion or completed its regulatory testing programs. This limitation restricted how many people they could assist during this crucial time period.

Nevertheless, the massacre and continuing conflict motivated the team to accelerate their efforts. The company rapidly opened its facilities to offer complimentary therapy sessions to those impacted, and encouraging outcomes quickly emerged.

“This [October 7] situation proved to me, not just as a founder but as a daily user of the technology, that the urgency is 1000% real,” Natanov said. “We witnessed a nation in trauma facing a severe shortage of therapists, a gap that our robotics were designed to fill. If we had the resources to deploy even just 15 additional automated units, we could have treated thousands more, effectively providing an ‘army’ of automated support.”

Understanding ARHIMOTION’s Technology

ARHIMOTION operates on the principle of ‘automation therapy,’ where artificial intelligence systems function as supportive companions by helping individuals restore internal balance.

According to Natanov, automation therapy “transforms the user from a passive recipient into an active creator of their own care.” He differentiated it from wearable devices that simply monitor information and from applications that provide unchanging content. ARHIMOTION merges therapeutic treatment and diagnostic capabilities into one comprehensive, adaptive system.

“We are building a platform where advanced AI doesn’t just deliver a pre-set treatment; it allows us to ‘teach’ it,” Natanov said. “Users and therapists can program their own therapeutic sessions, customizing movements and sensory inputs, and share them with a community. In this model, the AI acts as a student and an optimizer. Through advanced data analysis and policy learning, it observes which user-generated sessions are most effective, learning from our collective wisdom to continuously refine and create the ‘best’ therapy protocols. … The therapy evolves faster than any static medical device ever could.”

More specifically, ARHIMOTION consists of a biofeedback system that, in its present form, is integrated into a mattress with potential for expansion into additional formats. During what the company terms a ‘therapeutic session,’ patients recline on the bed and initially receive guidance from a therapist’s voice until the movement itself assumes control and leads the person into profound relaxation.

During an ‘active biofeedback session,’ which ARHIMOTION refers to as ‘mental fitness training,’ patients actively engage with the system while receiving real-time feedback. In this configuration, the AI operates similarly to a personal fitness coach.

Therapists can also utilize the system’s ‘creator mode,’ lying on the bed and directing the AI to develop new treatment protocols instantly, training the system to recognize specific biological markers for future patients. As explained on the Mayo Clinic’s website, biofeedback devices ‘mirror’ physiological processes. This enables individuals to immediately observe the effects of changes they’re implementing through actions like controlled breathing and improved management of bodily functions such as heart rate and muscle responses.

“We aren’t rewriting biology; we are simply speaking its language,” Natanov said. “The mechanisms we activate are deeply rooted in our nature, much like the instinct to rock a crying baby to soothe them. We leverage scientifically validated methods like vestibular stimulation, which has extensive research supporting its ability to regulate emotions, along with bilateral stimulation and vibration therapy, which are well-known for releasing muscle tension and calming the nervous system. These are primal, effective pathways that the human body already understands and trusts.”

Natanov describes this approach as ‘body biofeedback.’

The company has progressed beyond theoretical concepts and is now preparing for clinical validation through active partnerships with hospitals to prove the technology’s effectiveness. Natanov stated that ARHIMOTION is pursuing funding, has already developed the testing protocol, and has established a partnership with Tel Aviv’s Hormesis health and wellness center.

“Think of our system like automated robotic surgery: the robotics provides the physical intervention, while the AI acts as the ‘surgeon’s brain,’” Natanov explained. “The Internet of Medical Things is the nervous system that binds them into a living, learning entity. It doesn’t just connect the parts; it creates a continuous value loop.”

He expanded on this concept, explaining that on an individual basis, the system enables remote therapy sessions, allowing verification of the device’s mechanical performance and enabling therapists to conduct sessions from distant locations. On a broader scale, it powers the company’s data analysis capabilities. Collecting anonymous information across thousands of sessions enables ongoing protocol improvement and can even provide regional or national perspectives on mental health patterns. This capability gives the system predictive abilities similar to diagnostic applications, but based on direct physiological responses.

Natanov emphasized that the specific algorithms controlling how the system adapts remain confidential, but he stated the ultimate objective is for the system to actively train patients to manage their own stress responses.

Regarding people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insufficient clinical evidence currently exists. Natanov mentioned the team has received input from psychiatrists suggesting that the platform shows effectiveness for acute trauma, particularly sleep disruptions, which are often fundamental to PTSD.

“By physically resolving that immediate physiological tension and restoring the ability to sleep, we are directly addressing the acute root of the trauma, not just managing long-term stress,” Natanov said.

He noted that, on a community level, the number of people utilizing the system could serve a vital function.

“Take, for example, soldiers dealing with PTSD or people suffering from anxiety due to the war and geopolitical situation. When the society around them is also highly stressed, it becomes less tolerant and has no patience for their pain,” Natanov said. “This creates a dangerous downward spiral: the person is already suffering, and the lack of societal support makes their condition even worse. We focus on stress because if we can lower the general pressure, we don’t just heal the individual; we build a more tolerant society that gives people the space they need to actually recover.”

Consider Eden, who shared her experience through video with ARHIMOTION and requested that her complete name not be disclosed. Eden, who also works in the technology sector, had tried various treatments to help her better cope with life’s pressures. Yet she stated, “I never experienced anything like ARHIMOTION.”

Eden reported that an 18-minute session felt like an hour, as she became so deeply relaxed that time appeared to slow down.

“I felt like I was healing, letting go of my whole body,” she said. When the session concluded, Eden described her body as “full of strength. I felt like I could run a marathon, even though I have never run before. I felt so much energy.”

This feeling persisted for hours following the treatment.

While many users approach the technology with skepticism and the experience may sound too promising to believe, Natanov explained that people are willing to attempt it because their need for relief is so urgent. Since the technology is medication-free, non-invasive, and physically resembles a comforting massage, there are relatively few obstacles to beginning treatment.

He observed that the greater challenge involves earning the confidence of the investment community, which is more familiar with digital applications and pharmaceutical solutions. Investors frequently have difficulty understanding the economic potential and urgency of this type of therapy.

“We find ourselves constantly having to educate the market on why this tangible, robotic revolution is the inevitable next step for mental health,” Natanov commented.

Natanov has published extensively on his company’s blog about how robots can support therapeutic care, from interactive systems that engage directly with patients to technologies that provide remote assistance or companionship.

He stressed that robots can offer more accessible, consistent, and ‘non-judgmental’ therapy for people who struggle with traditional cognitive therapy methods.

This doesn’t mean concerns don’t exist. Natanov recognized fears that people using tools like his for treatment might become overly dependent on technology. Simultaneously, he argued that some alternatives may be even more concerning, pointing to what he described as the world’s ‘opioid and benzo crisis.’

According to research published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, combining opioids and benzodiazepines can increase overdose risk because both drug types can cause sedation and suppress breathing. In 2021, the institute documented that more than 10% of overdose deaths involving opioids also involved benzodiazepines.

Natanov noted that dependency isn’t exclusive to machines. It’s also a recognized issue in traditional psychotherapy, where patients can become excessively reliant on their human therapists.

The use of robots in therapy also presents ethical considerations, particularly concerns about the potential for emotional attachment to machines. Natanov stated he believes the most ethical approach is one that works with nature rather than against it. “Because our solution is based on natural mechanisms, like rocking or vibration, it creates an intuitive, subjective experience where consent is felt physically. We see this clearly in our data: about 90% of users naturally adapt and surrender to the motion, while 10% instinctively feel it isn’t for them, preferring options like medication, yoga, or sport. We respect that completely. We don’t believe in a single universal solution.”

Looking ahead, ARHIMOTION plans to develop additional automation therapy solutions, including applications for neurological disorders, complex rehabilitation, and physiotherapy.

Natanov stated Israel will continue serving as the company’s research and development center. In the United States, the device is already being utilized as a flexible exploration platform, rigorously testing diverse body biofeedback configurations to refine its models in a different cultural environment. The company has also contacted an institute in Germany to help facilitate entry into the European market.

“We are proud to be the pioneers defining this category, proving that the most effective way to treat stress in a chaotic world is through intelligent, automated physical intervention,” Natanov concluded. “We plan to lead this revolution, believing that even a small improvement in individual resilience can create a massive ripple effect for society.”

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced Wednesday the formation of a new state office dedicated to managing the distribution of nearly $206 million in federal funding designed to enhance rural healthcare services.

The newly created office will operate under the governor’s supervision with certified public accountant Richard Grimes serving as its director. Alongside the office launch, Reeves introduced a public website intended to offer citizens clear visibility into state healthcare initiatives, available funding, and program advancement.

“This is a massive step forward for healthcare in Mississippi,” Reeves stated in a press release. “By establishing a dedicated office and launching this website, we are putting the structure and transparency in place to deliver real, lasting improvements for our rural communities.”

Mississippi received the substantial funding allocation in December through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. The nationwide $50 billion initiative provides payments to states across a five-year period, specifically targeting support for rural healthcare facilities and helping offset anticipated challenges from federal budget reductions approved by Congress during the summer.

The governor’s administration spearheaded Mississippi’s funding application last fall and maintains control over how the money gets distributed. The state’s comprehensive strategy encompasses a statewide rural health evaluation along with programs focused on care coordination, workforce development, establishing a statewide health information network, expanding telehealth services, and upgrading infrastructure.

Several state lawmakers have voiced dissatisfaction with their limited involvement in both the application process and fund allocation decisions, criticizing what they view as insufficient transparency from Reeves regarding program management.

“If you haven’t received a personal invitation from the governor, you have no input at all,” Senate Public Health Chairman Hob Bryan, a Democrat from Amory, previously told Mississippi Today.

State legislators approved oversight legislation in March designed to ensure rural communities receive the program funding and mandate spending reports to the Legislature. However, Reeves rejected the bill, contending it might threaten the state’s funding access by creating delays in distribution and potentially costing up to $1 billion over the five-year period. Lawmakers were unable to successfully overturn his veto.

In Wednesday’s announcement, Reeves emphasized that the funding will face scrutiny from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services along with federal procurement regulations.

“Governor Reeves and his staff worked to address and push back on proposed state legislation that could have introduced unnecessary complexity or slowed implementation, ensuring the State remains well-positioned to execute its vision effectively,” the press release stated.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is currently reviewing states’ program budgets. Mississippi’s budget remains pending approval, according to the state’s program website.

The website indicates that funding application information will be published once final details are confirmed. Mississippi must utilize the $206 million federal award by September 2027, or the funds will be reallocated to other states per CMS requirements.

The Trump administration has filed a legal appeal seeking to reverse a federal court ruling that halted efforts to reduce childhood vaccination recommendations across the nation.

Wednesday’s appeal comes as a delayed response to a March 16 court decision that prevented Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from eliminating widespread vaccination recommendations for children. The blocked changes would have ended routine recommendations for flu shots, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B vaccines, certain meningitis protections, and RSV immunizations for kids.

Federal Judge Brian Murphy also halted proceedings for a vaccine advisory committee that Kennedy had restructured. The court-imposed freeze remains active during the appeals process.

The administration’s brief appeal filing offered no explanation for why the court’s block should be removed. Federal health officials have not provided comment on the filing or explained the six-week delay in submitting their appeal.

This legal challenge stems from a lawsuit initiated in July by the American Academy of Pediatrics along with other medical organizations. The original case focused on Kennedy’s decision to discontinue COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for most children and expectant mothers.

Medical groups expanded their legal challenge as Kennedy implemented additional policy changes that concerned healthcare professionals. The updated lawsuit sought court intervention to prevent the reduction of the national childhood immunization schedule and address Kennedy’s modifications to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Kennedy, who was a prominent vaccine critic before assuming his current role as the country’s chief health official, dismissed all 17 members of the advisory panel and appointed replacements that include multiple vaccine skeptics.

Judge Murphy, appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, determined that Kennedy’s committee restructuring likely broke federal regulations. The court suspended both the new appointments and any decisions made by the reformed panel.

The Republican administration recently modified the committee’s charter to expand member qualification criteria, potentially allowing Kennedy supporters to join. However, this change has not resolved the ongoing legal dispute, according to Richard Hughes IV, legal counsel for the pediatrics organization.

Hughes expressed disappointment this week over the government’s decision to appeal but voiced confidence in ultimately winning the case. He vowed to stop Kennedy’s “steady destruction of vaccine policy and public health.”

A 30-year-old woman named Justene Bologna is struggling with more than $200,000 in educational debt from her undergraduate and graduate studies, creating significant mental health challenges alongside financial strain.

“I have severe stress and anxiety,” Bologna explained.

Bologna’s financial struggles extend beyond her educational loans. After welcoming twins several years ago, she also faces mounting medical bills. The combined debt burden has restricted her daily spending power, making it difficult to purchase groceries and cover essential expenses while also straining her personal relationships.

“Sometimes people underestimate the way that these big financial stresses impact all of the aspects of our lives,” explained Helen Colby, a professor at Indiana University.

Following the pandemic pause on federal student loan payments, over 40 million Americans have resumed making payments on their educational debt. The combination of higher living costs and increasing debt in other areas is creating widespread difficulties.

Financial experts recommend three approaches for managing the mental health effects of educational debt:

When debt becomes all-consuming and interferes with long-term planning, Colby suggests designating specific periods to step away from financial concerns and concentrate on broader life objectives.

“Sometimes we can give ourselves permission to stop worrying about those other things and focus on the big picture if we delineate the time,” Colby noted.

During these broader planning sessions, some individuals may discover they need to change careers for better income opportunities, while others might consider relocating to areas with lower living costs to free up money for debt payments. Regardless of the specific strategy, creating dedicated time for planning can provide relief even during stressful periods, according to Colby.

Managing finances effectively requires understanding your total debt load and creating a repayment strategy. However, when the prospect of reviewing those numbers feels overwhelming, Colby recommends using mental bootstrapping techniques.

“It’s this idea that, if you’re doing to do something you really don’t want to do, either giving yourself a reward afterwards or doing something fun and then going to do that thing that you really don’t want to do,” Colby described.

This might involve watching an hour of an uplifting television program before spending time on budget review, or enjoying a favorite treat after dedicating several hours to debt repayment planning.

Combining enjoyable activities with stressful financial tasks can make challenging goals more manageable to accomplish.

Since debt often creates feelings of isolation, discussing your situation with trusted family and friends can benefit your overall well-being.

“In many situations, I talk with people and their family doesn’t know they’re struggling, their friends don’t know, their boss doesn’t know,” Colby observed. “And you don’t necessarily have to share everything.”

Opening up about financial concerns to whatever degree feels comfortable can help reduce the stress burden you’re carrying.

A Minnesota healthcare worker’s financial stability crumbled when medical emergencies struck her family twice. Jennifer Vall watched her debt pile up after her son received a leukemia diagnosis in 2020, followed by her own thyroid cancer discovery a year later.

Despite starting with excellent credit and no existing debt, the 37-year-old Department of Human Services training specialist found herself drowning in medical expenses totaling thousands of dollars.

“I was able to utilize my credit to survive because one thing with cancer is (that) bills don’t stop just because somebody gets sick,” Vall explained.

The financial burden took a severe toll beyond her bank account. Vall prioritized medical care and debt payments while neglecting her mental health needs.

Certified financial therapist Ashley Agnew warns that monetary stress manifests in physical symptoms. “When you’re under a great deal of financial stress, it does present physically in forms of insomnia, migraines, and relational troubles,” Agnew noted.

After struggling for years to reduce her medical debt, Vall eventually partnered with a debt management company to address her remaining $21,000 balance.

Financial experts recommend three essential steps for those facing similar healthcare debt challenges:

Begin by calculating your total debt amount, Agnew advises. Understanding exactly what you owe creates the foundation for developing an effective repayment strategy.

“It’s important to take a deep dive in. What parts of that are accumulating interest? How far out is the debt in the 30, 60, or 90-day cycle?” Agnew added.

Getting a comprehensive picture of your financial situation allows you to craft a specific debt elimination plan. Consider contacting organizations that specialize in creating manageable payment arrangements if needed.

During her son’s treatment, Vall purchased everything he wanted to comfort him through his difficult journey. Though her son has recovered, she now questions some of those spending decisions.

“At the time, it was rightfully so,” Vall said. “And looking back, I don’t know that I would have changed that. But part of me regrets doing that, (given) that he is here and there is more to be given to him.”

Agnew encourages people in similar situations to practice self-compassion instead of dwelling on past financial choices. Remember that you made the best decisions possible given your circumstances at the time.

While working toward debt freedom, consider defining your future relationship with money. This might involve setting concrete objectives like homeownership or focusing on intangible goals such as creating meaningful memories with loved ones.

“When you really take a deep dive into your money story and into your relationship with money, what’s really fulfilling?” Agnew said. “Sometimes it’s not a thing but an experience or a feeling.”

A young soccer instructor had already blocked access to sports betting applications when he discovered prediction market platforms.

A tax professional described experiencing “the same high” from these trading sites that he felt while gambling. “That was how I relapsed — with Kalshi and Polymarket. I lost a bunch of money.”

The explosive expansion of prediction markets has ignited an intense regulatory battle unfolding in courtrooms and state capitals nationwide. Platform operators argue they should face oversight similar to stock exchanges due to federal regulations and their peer-to-peer trading structure, while sports betting companies and state authorities believe they require the same supervision as gambling platforms.

As this dispute continues without resolution, mental health professionals treating gambling disorders express growing concern about patterns they observe in their patients. In treatment settings, sports betting and prediction markets produce nearly identical outcomes.

Two individuals struggling with gambling addiction who shared their experiences with The Associated Press — the soccer instructor and tax professional — describe experiencing relapses on prediction platforms after taking legal steps to shield themselves from sports betting temptation. They are identified by profession due to the sensitive nature of their circumstances. Their experiences mirror what specialists report seeing among their clients.

“There may be real differences in how these products are defined or regulated, but in the therapy room, we are often seeing the same cycle of anticipation, action and reaction play out again and again,” said Dr. Cynthia Grant, the vice president of clinical for Birches Health, which operates a national network of providers for treating gambling addiction.

“I sometimes think of it like different doors into the same room. The label on the door may change, but once someone’s inside, the experience can feel very familiar.”

Sports betting sites and prediction markets provide many comparable wagering opportunities. Bets on games, player statistics and various outcomes. However, their operational structures differ.

Sports betting platforms employ internal specialists who establish odds determining payouts for successful wagers. It’s the house competing against bettors. Prediction market participants exchange contracts based on yes-or-no propositions, with gains and losses determined by market dynamics. Successfully holding a “yes” position on an event where most traders chose “no” yields larger returns. Prediction markets typically generate revenue through contract fees.

For those battling addiction, these represent two routes to identical consequences.

The soccer instructor who contacted the AP began gambling at age 16. Small wagers with neighborhood friends in New York, covering everything from card games to basketball and tennis. Upon turning 18, he frequented casinos and placed bets through sportsbooks. Facing increasing losses, he turned to prediction markets.

“I would be in all this debt and get a paycheck for $2,000 on a Friday and it would be gone by Saturday or Sunday,” said the instructor, 21. “I wouldn’t have money to fill up my gas tank.”

He struggled with loans and maxed-out credit cards while working and attending college before stepping away in January to address his addiction issues, which also included marijuana use.

He joined Gamblers Anonymous and was instructed to avoid associating with people who gamble.

“For a younger crowd, that’s difficult because it’s everywhere,” the instructor said. “My friends from childhood — most of them all gamble.”

Both the instructor and tax professional had formally excluded themselves from sportsbooks before beginning to trade on prediction markets. Self-exclusion programs allow gamblers to ban themselves from gambling establishments and betting applications. Many states offer these as part of gambling regulations, but no comprehensive national system exists.

The self-exclusion landscape becomes even more complicated when prediction markets are considered. Kalshi launched a voluntary opt-out program when it introduced a customer protection center in March 2025, joining several platforms — including Polymarket — collaborating on a national self-exclusion system for prediction markets. Whether this program would integrate with state gambling regulator systems remains unclear.

The accountant, 33, said his gambling issues began after New York launched legalized mobile sports betting in January 2022. He accumulated “a boatload of debt” by August 2023 when he disclosed his situation to his then-fiancée.

She proceeded with their marriage. Seeking to reduce expenses after their wedding, they moved into a rental property owned by his parents. He excluded himself from sportsbooks. Following the couple’s pregnancy loss, the accountant began day-trading before registering with Kalshi.

“Prediction markets are the same thing packaged in a different way,” the accountant said. “It’s a dangerous loophole. … How can you do all that and say you’re not a sportsbook?”

Tennis became his preferred sport — he appreciated the match pace — before entering rehabilitation in Virginia last year.

He experienced a setback in December when he downloaded Polymarket and placed a complimentary $10 wager. His wife, who had access to his email through her phone, confronted him and contacted his sponsor.

Although no comprehensive research exists on prediction markets’ impact on sports gambling addiction, the experiences of the instructor and accountant are familiar to treatment specialists.

“You’re seeing a lot of the same behaviors, whether it’s a prediction market or it’s gambling,” said Jody Bechtold, the CEO of The Better Institute, a Pennsylvania practice that works with people impacted by gambling disorders. “You’re seeing, you know, wagering more and more. Chasing losses, so ‘Oh, today was a bad day, I have to work tomorrow at the prediction markets to get my money back.’ … The lies, the secrecy, and that it’s impacting everyday life.”

Kalshi representative Elisabeth Diana emphasized its responsible trading programs — including trading pauses and self-imposed limits — and mentioned ongoing development of additional measures to promote healthy trading practices.

Compared to casinos, Diana stated, Kalshi is “fairer, more transparent, and less predatory.”

“There is no house that wins when customers lose,” she said. “This means that Kalshi doesn’t hook losers and penalize winners.”

Polymarket did not respond to requests for comment.

Sports have emerged as a significant category for prediction markets. Kalshi recorded over $2 billion in total trading volume during this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, according to Diana. Michigan’s 69-63 championship victory over Connecticut generated $10.6 million in volume on Polymarket.

The U.S. market for sports-focused event contracts could reach approximately $1.1 trillion in annual volume, according to a Bank of America analysis.

“A year ago, if you said prediction markets, I mean I don’t know what that is, I don’t see it,” said Dr. Timothy Fong, the co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. “Now we’re starting to see it more and more in our patients that come into the clinic. And it’s usually not one, it’s multiple platforms they’re betting on, right? … When you have something that’s available, that’s accessible, that’s anonymous, is super easy to use, multiple times in a day, of course that’s going to raise the risk of addiction for any human on Earth.”

Multiple active lawsuits involve states and prediction markets, with consequences from the legal dispute affecting various levels.

Marlene Warner, the CEO of the Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health — a private nonprofit health organization providing educational gambling programs and other services — described the prediction market situation as feeling “a bit like the wild, wild west right now.”

“We’re very used to like going to our state regulator or, you know, seeing a process go through where all of a sudden now you’re like, ‘OK, a piece of legislation has outlined what is appropriate for a licensed sports betting operator to do,’” Warner said. “And then you see the regulation come into place. And so you can track it. But right now, nobody knows kind of what the limits are.”

In most states with legal sports gambling, participation is restricted to ages 21 and older, while prediction markets accept 18- to 20-year-olds with some exceptions. Prediction markets also operate in states where sports betting remains illegal, including Texas and California.

“I don’t know enough frankly, we don’t know enough, nothing’s been studied about them, I can’t tell you whether they’re more less or exactly the same in terms of risk level,” Warner said. “But what I do know is they’re in a very gray, unregulated space and that alone makes it difficult.”

Prediction markets operate under federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission jurisdiction, which maintains regulations prohibiting event contracts “that involves, relates to, or references terrorism, assassination, war, gaming, or an activity that is unlawful under any state or federal law.”

CFTC chairman Michael Selig supports prediction markets in their legal battles against multiple states, claiming the commission’s “exclusive jurisdiction over these markets.”

While this debate continues, the soccer instructor and tax professional work to rebuild their lives — remaining vigilant about their addictions.

“You have to face this stuff or it just keeps getting worse,” the instructor said.