Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Disease

Bioluminescent "sea fireflies," a species of ostracod crustacean, covering the rocks on the coast of Okayama, Japan.

How Studying Bioluminescent Creatures Is Transforming Medical Science

The natural light of insects and sea creatures can help doctors illuminate H.I.V. and even kill cancer cells

Historical texts, pollen samples and mortuary archaeology suggest the Justinianic plague was not as devastating as previously believed.

The Justinianic Plague’s Devastating Impact Was Likely Exaggerated

A new analysis fails to find evidence that the infamous disease reshaped sixth-century Europe

The tooth-filled mouth of a lamprey. These bloodsucking fish have managed to survive for hundreds of millions of years.

Why the World Needs Bloodsucking Creatures

The ecological benefits of animals like leeches, ticks and vampire bats are the focus of a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum

Ewelina Mamcarz and Stephen Gottschalk developed a treatment for babies born without an immune system.

American Ingenuity Awards

These Scientists May Have Found a Cure for ‘Bubble Boy’ Disease

A newly developed gene therapy is saving young people afflicted by the rare but deadly diagnosis

Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that cause plague, survives on fleas that live on rodents, like rats and rabbits.

Three Cases of Plague Diagnosed in China

Officials say the risk of an outbreak is low, but many are concerned that information about the cases is being restricted

Scientists are starting to get a better idea of how many factors can influence a newborn's gut microbiome.

Babies Born by C-Section Have Different Gut Microbes Than Vaginally Delivered Infants

Method of delivery can influence the bacteria in infants’ guts, according to a new study, but differences were found to disappear within nine months

The explosion does not pose any biological risks to the public, officials say. Reports state there were no disease samples in the laboratory because of the ongoing repairs. And even if had pathogens had been present, the heat of the fire probably would have killed them.

Blast Rocks Russian Facility Storing Smallpox and Ebola Viruses

Officials say that disease samples were not being stored in the affected laboratory, and there is no risk to the public

In groundbreaking clinical trials, researchers are trying to treat patients by editing the genetic makeup of cells with a tool called CRISPR.

Four U.S. CRISPR Trials Editing Human DNA to Research New Treatments

Breaking down how the gene editing technology is being used, for the first time in the United States, to treat patients with severe medical conditions

At the height of the book scare, news outlets reported that dust from library books could spread infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, smallpox and scarlet fever.

When the Public Feared That Library Books Could Spread Deadly Diseases

“The great book scare” created a panic that you could catch an infection just by lending from the library

A prairie dog eats a bait containing a plague vaccine.

Trending Today

Plague-Infected Prairie Dogs Cause Parks to Close Near Denver

Prairie dog burrows are being dusted with insecticide to stop the spread of the disease transmitted via fleas

A sentinel chicken gets its blood drawn in Charlotte County, Florida.

Trending Today

Rare, Mosquito-Borne Virus Found in Several Chickens in Florida

The only way to prevent eastern equine encephalitis virus, which causes brain-swelling and has a high mortality rate, is to avoid mosquito bites

Well, that stinks.

Heading to the Beach? Beware the Fecal Bacteria

A new report found that more than 2,600 sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico were “potentially unsafe” for at least one day in 2018

Can a bike ride a day keep the doctor away?

Welsh Doctors Can Now Prescribe Free Bicycle Rides

The pilot program joins a recent spate of ‘social prescribing’ activities to hit the U.K.

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, malaria and Rift Valley Fever, threaten billions of people around the world.

How Scientists Use Climate Models to Predict Mosquito-Borne Disease Outbreaks

The ebb and flow of rainy seasons corresponds with the hatching of millions of mosquitoes—and the spread of diseases they carry

C.D.C. Says More Than Half of the U.S.’ Pregnancy-Related Deaths Are Preventable

African-American, Native American and Alaska Native women are around three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women

Drug-Resistant Infections Could Kill 10 Million People Annually by 2050

A new U.N. report highlights the danger posed by widespread antibiotic misuse in humans, livestock and agriculture

A map of DNA with the double helix colored blue, the landmarks in green, and the start points for copying the molecule in red. David Gilbert/Kyle Klein, CC BY-ND

New Nanotechnology Imaging Technique Sheds Light on DNA Structure

The new technology could help pinpoint how errors occur in DNA replication, which can cause cancer and other diseases

Cool Finds

Ring Containing Charlotte Brontë’s Hair Discovered in Attic

The piece of mourning jewelry includes an inscription and a little door covering a plaited lock of the Jane Eyre author’s hair

New Research

Eating Your Veggies Is a Better Way to Get Your Vitamins Than Taking Supplements, Study Shows

Vitamins in some supplements were actually harmful at high doses, while exceeding the daily nutritional limit in food didn’t show the same risk

New Research

A World War I Soldier’s Cholera Seemed Odd. 100 Years Later, Researchers Have Sequenced His Bacteria’s Genome

The cholera bacteria in his body may not have even been the cause of his symptoms after all, the new analysis found

Page 22 of 40