DISEASE

Is It Actually Safe to Swim in Lakes?

Swimming in lakes (or any wild water) has its risks. When in doubt, check local advisories and trust your senses. And if the water looks or smells off, you might have better luck sticking to land.

6 Essential Facts About Hantavirus

Here’s what you need to know to keep yourself safe from the rodent-borne viral disease.

People in high-risk groups may want to consider a measles vaccine booster.

Do You Need a Measles Vaccine Booster? Here’s What Experts Say

If you’re in a high-risk group, you may want to consider getting a booster for full protection against measles.

Customers will have to hold off on bulk-buying eggs for a while.

These 6 Grocery Chains Are Placing Limits on Egg Purchases

Avian influenza is causing top grocery chains to put restrictions on egg purchases.

Nurse Agnes from Uganda’s Bwindi Community Hospital prepares a vaccination against measles.

7 Facts About Measles

Before the measles vaccine, there were between 3 and 4 million cases in the U.S. per year. Now, it’s less than 500.

A detail of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Sick Child,’ a portrait of his sister who died of tuberculosis at age 15.

12 Facts About Tuberculosis, the Victorian “Robber of Youth”

Tuberculosis may seem like a historic malady, but it’s still the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Here’s what you need to know about its past and current outbreaks.

Where Are They Now? Diseases That Killed You in ‘Oregon Trail’

Spoiler alert: They’re still around.

Several factors make people more susceptible to the flu in winter.

Why Is the Flu Seasonal?

Like clockwork, flu viruses seem to strike more people in winter than in any other season—and there are several reasons for that.

Gibellula pulchra is in the same genus as Gibellula attenboroughii.

Scientists Identify Fungus Turning Spiders Into “Zombies” in Northern Ireland

Researchers discovered a parasitic fungus that controls spiders‘ behavior, akin to the zombie ant fungus.

The dogs who pulled off the Nome Serum run might have looked a little bit like this.

10 Things You Need to Know About the 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Alaska

From January 27, 1925 until February 2, 20 mushers and 150 dogs heroically transported desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to the remote town of Nome, Alaska, saving countless lives in the process. But the event wasn’t without controversy.

Some situations require sterilization, while sanitizing works fine in others.

Sanitize vs. Disinfect vs. Sterilize: What‘s the Difference?

Learn the key differences between sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing to properly clean your home and protect your health.

Might want to change into a clean pair, though.

Is Sleeping With Your Socks on Actually a Good Thing?

You might think it’s gross, but some sleep experts swear that the key to a better night’s rest is sleeping with your socks on.

Feeling like garbage? That’s your immune system at work.

12 Fantastic Facts About the Immune System

Without our immune system, we wouldn't last very long: this complex network of organs and cells fights off pathogens and helps maintain our health.

7 Need-to-Know Facts About Norovirus

The super-contagious gastrointestinal virus is causing outbreaks across the U.S. Here's how to protect yourself (and everyone around you) from norovirus.

The world of medicine is even stranger than you can imagine.

6 Super-Rare Medical Conditions

From Alice in Wonderland Syndrome to the real-life version of Benjamin Button’s disease, these rare conditions could come straight out of a storybook.

MRSA bacteria bound to a neutrophil, a type of infection-fighting white blood cell.

What Is Antibiotic Resistance?

Public health officials are concerned that we could move back into a situation like that of the early 20th century, before antibiotics were discovered.

Yes, You Should Be Washing Your Pet’s Toys—Here’s How

Protect your pets from harmful pathogens by washing their toys properly.

Bird Flu: 8 Fast Facts You Should Know

Bird flu is one of the reasons egg prices have skyrocketed. Here’s what else you should know about the current outbreak of the H5N1 virus among U.S. poultry and dairy cows.

English bulldog today and English bulldog circa 1930

10 Dog Breeds That Have Changed Drastically Over the Years

These breeds aren’t what they used to be.

Why Doctors Warn Against Spending Too Much Time on the Toilet

Here’s another reason to rethink bringing your phone into the bathroom with you.

Going on “fart walks” can alleviate digestion issues.

The Science and Benefits of “Fart Walks”

“Fart walks” could be the answer to your gastrointestinal woes.

The endangered species faces another obstacle.

Polar Bears Are Picking Up More Pathogens as Sea Ice Shrinks

Researchers recently found that polar bears are facing higher exposure to certain bacteria and viruses.

A 911 Call About a Raccoon Invasion Is a Good Reminder Never to Feed Wild Animals

Where there is one hungry raccoon, there are likely dozens, as one unfortunate woman found out.

Scurvy decimated sailors, explorers, and regular citizens for centuries before a cure for the vitamin deficiency was discovered.

Scurvy—a “Disease of the Past”—Is Making a Comeback

A case study of a man in Australia is highlighting the return of a disease associated with Elizabethan sailors and polar explorers.