Disease and Illnesses

An 1885 illustration shows bodies being thrown into a pit during the Great Plague of 1655. Now, new research is turning this image on its head.

See How the Plague Swept Through London

New research shows that during mass burials, bodies were given more respect than previously thought

Knut, the star of the Berlin Zoo, died due to swelling in his brain.

Knut the Polar Bear’s Mysterious Death Finally Solved

The famed Berlin Zoo bear suffered from an autoimmune disease that until now has only been known to occur in humans

Look Into This Smart Mirror and You Get a One-Minute Medical Checkup

The Wize Mirror can spot early warning signs of heart disease and diabetes

Could This 'Drinkable Book' Provide Clean Water to the Developing World?

Pour untreated water over a page from the book and silver nanoparticles embedded in it will kill nearly 100 percent of disease-causing bacteria

A "kissing bug," the insect whose bite can transmit the parasite that causes Chagas disease

Why Infectious Tropical Diseases Are Returning to America

Climate, geography and economy are just a few risk factors

Why the International Olympic Committee is Worried About Water Quality in Rio

Viruses and bacteria may threaten swimmers in the 2016 summer games

Injectible contraceptives give women options.

A New Report Identifies 30 Technologies That Will Save Lives in the Next 15 Years

A panel of 60 health experts creates a short list of easy-to-use devices and treatments that could dramatically improve global health

Brain tissue infected with Naegleria fowleri glows green.

Brain-Eating Amoebas May Kill You With Help from Your Own Immune System

The amoeba’s presence in the brain triggers swelling that may do more harm than good

An Anopholes mosquito, the vector for malaria, taking a blood meal from a tasty human.

Mosquitoes Can Carry, and Deliver, a Double Dose of Malaria

Insects that are already carrying one strain are more likely to pick up a second infection and harbor higher numbers of parasites

Some scientists think that humans have aided the spread of ticks that carry Lyme bacteria in a few different ways.

Lyme Disease is Spreading, and It's People's Fault

Thanks to climate change and human population growth, cases have been on the rise for decades

Benjamin Rush, prominent colonial physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence, wrote a treatise on alcohol in 1784 that still influences how medicine views substance abuse today.

Meet the Doctor Who Convinced America to Sober Up

Meet Benjamin Rush, father of the temperance movement, signer of the Declaration of Independence

Can You Crack a Medical Mystery?

A startup called CrowdMed asks volunteer detectives to study cases of patients with symptoms that baffle doctors

Tiny Robots Can Clear Clogged Arteries

Engineers at Drexel University are developing micro-swimmers that loosen arterial plaque and release drugs into the bloodstream to prevent future buildup

The U.K.'s National Health Service plans to test artificial blood in a clinical trial in 2017.

The First Human Clinical Trial of Synthetic Blood Will Begin Soon

People could receive artificial blood transfusions as early as 2017

Joyable helps individuals address different situations that trigger social anxiety.

There is Now a 12-Week Online Program for Overcoming Social Anxiety

Two Stanford graduates are the brains behind Joyable, a startup that pairs users with coaches to tackle social challenges

Evidence (some anecdotal and some clinical) suggests that hookworms could suppress the immune response in people with allergies and other inflammatory diseases.

Can Hookworms Cure Hayfever?

Maybe. But we need to learn a lot more about them before they hit pharmacy shelves

Artist's illustration of HIV

This is Why Developing an HIV Vaccine is Really Hard

For three decades researchers have been working to protect against the tricky virus

Beth Ripley holds a 3D printed heart in her hands at the National Maker Faire last weekend in Washington, D.C.

Doctors Can Study 3D Printed Models of Your Organs Before Surgery

In a new era of personalized medicine, advanced models are better preparing surgeons for what they will encounter in the operating room

A village nestled inside the Brazilian Amazon.

Protecting Land in Brazil Reduces Malaria and Other Diseases

Areas under strict protection see the most benefit in shielding people from illness and infection

Dog flu spreads nose to nose. The virus can be eliminated by cleaning areas touched by potentially infected dogs.

A New Strain of Canine Flu Is on the Rise

Possible cases of dog flu pop up in 13 states

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