disease

Jonas Salk with bottles of the polio vaccine he developed.

From eradicating smallpox to battling the COVID-19 pandemic, these vaccine pioneers have helped make colossal strides in public health.

Let’s take a look at the different processes for creating life-saving vaccines for multiple diseases.

Two of Roald Dahl’s books are dedicated to his daughter, Olivia, who died from measles complications in 1962.

Hypochondriacs beware.

Despite the statistics showing your odds of survival, many people still have these phobias.

This classic fall-time activity poses more risks than you may think, but there are things you can do to mitigate them.

Colorado residents are spotting rabbits with bizarre horn-like growths.

This unsupervised child is getting a taste of long-term neurological damage.

Tempting though it may be, sipping from a hose is inviting a whole lot of health problems.

A household item that retails for less than $5 can provide a good first-line preventive measure against tick-borne illnesses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spoiler alert: They’re still around.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

11 Vaccine Pioneers You Should Know

How Are Vaccines Made?

Read Roald Dahl’s Heartbreaking 1986 Letter About the Importance of Vaccinations

6 Extremely Rare Medical Conditions You May Have Never Heard Of

5 Common Fears That Only Made Sense Hundreds of Years Ago

Is Jumping in Leaf Piles Safe?

Why Rabbits Are Growing Scary ‘Tentacle’ Warts on Their Heads in Colorado

The Reason You Shouldn’t Drink From Your Garden Hose

This Simple Tool Can Help You Avoid the Tick-Borne Red Meat Allergy

Is It Actually Safe to Swim in Lakes?

6 Essential Facts About Hantavirus

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

These 6 Grocery Chains Are Placing Limits on Egg Purchases

7 Facts About Measles

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

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

Why Is the Flu Seasonal?

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

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

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

Is Sleeping With Your Socks on Actually a Good Thing?

12 Fantastic Facts About the Immune System

7 Need-to-Know Facts About Norovirus

6 Super-Rare Medical Conditions