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Disease

Skrillex's Grammy-winning “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” could help researchers discourage the spread of mosquito-borne diseases

Playing Skrillex May Help Ward Off Mosquito Bites

The EDM artist’s mix of very high and low frequency beats discourages the insects from biting victims, having sex

The Toad mountain harlequin frog is one of more than 500 species endangered by the fungal outbreak

World’s Deadliest Pathogen On Record Devastates More Than 500 Amphibian Species—and We Don’t Know How To Stop It

The powerful fungus essentially ‘eats’ its victim’s skin alive, weakening the system before triggering cardiac arrest

New York County Bans Unvaccinated Children From Public Places

The drastic measure comes as officials try to curb a severe measles outbreak

Immature (red) and mature (blue) neurons in the hippocampus of a 68 year-old

New Research

The Brain May Actually Keep Generating New Cells Well Into Old Age

An analysis of 58 brain samples found that neurogenesis declines over time and is particularly poor among those with Alzheimer’s

"Super smeller" Joy Milne (left) poses alongside Perdita Barran, a co-author of the new study

New Research

How a Woman Who Can Smell Parkinson’s Disease Helped Scientists Create a New Early Diagnosis Method

Joy Milne first noticed a “sort of woody, musky odor” emanating from her husband some 12 years before he was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder

African-Americans breathe in 56 percent more pollution than they generate, while Hispanic Americans breathe in 63 percent more

White Americans Produce More Air Pollution Than They Consume

African-Americans and Hispanics consume fewer pollutant-generating products, but get hit hardest by the negative effects

The "London patient" stopped taking his anti-H.I.V. drugs 18 months ago and has been in remission ever since

H.I.V. Has Reportedly Been ‘Cured’ for Only the Second Time Ever

A London man is in long-term remission following a successful bone marrow stem cell transplant

Yet Another Study Finds No Link Between Measles Vaccine and Autism

The new research looked at 657,461 children, including subgroups that are considered susceptible to autism spectrum disorder

Kitten-sized Lil Bub has extra toes on each paw, no teeth and an undersized jaw that makes her tongue perpetually stick out

Genome Sequencing Offers Clues About Celebrity Cat Lil Bub’s Unusual Appearance

Researchers identified the mutations responsible for the tabby’s extra toes, tiny stature

When you snooze, you lose.

New Research

You Can’t Make Up for Lost Sleep by Snoozing on the Weekends

A new study suggests that sleeping late on Saturday and Sunday may disrupt metabolic and circadian functions for the chronically sleep deprived

The study's authors say search data could be used to better anticipate patients' needs and gauge issues they might feel uncomfortable discussing in person

What Do People Google Before Going to the E.R.?

Study reveals that patients’ health-related searches doubled in the week before an emergency room visit

A health worker in protective gear works at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, Eastern Congo in September 2018.

Ebola Outbreak in the Congo Has Killed 500 People, Including 100 Children

Efforts to bring the crisis under control are being hampered by violent conflicts and widespread misconceptions about the infection

New Research

Feeding Mosquitoes Diet Drugs Makes Them Stop Biting

The drugs—which block hunger signals in humans and the insects—keep the bugs from bloodsucking for a few days

 A mass on the femur of a Pappochelys rosinae specimen.

What This Prehistoric Turtle’s Tumor Tells Scientists About Modern Cancer

A new study suggests not only that prehistoric creatures got cancer, but also that the disease looked similar to cancers in modern humans

Measles Outbreak Sparks Public Health Emergency in Washington State

There have been 36 confirmed cases, and most of the patients had not been vaccinated

Smallpox raids, like this one in Milwaukee, focused on immigrant families.

History of Now

How New York Separated Immigrant Families in the Smallpox Outbreak of 1901

Vaccinations were administered by police raids, parents and children were torn apart, and the New York City Health Department controlled the narrative

In 2017, researchers recorded a 10-point percentage difference between African-American and Caucasian respondents who slept less than six hours per night

Nearly One-Third of Americans Sleep Fewer Than Six Hours Per Night

The survey reflects a worrying trend of national sleep deprivation, specifically among African-American and Hispanic respondents

When healthy DNA is added to gold particle-laden (and therefore pink) water, it turns blue, but when cancerous DNA is added, the water remains pink

Researchers Say They’ve Created Universal Cancer Test That Detects Mutating Cells in Just 10 Minutes

The tool, which is still in early stages of development, can’t identify the specific type of cancer present or gauge the severity of the disease

Excessive Vitamin D in Pet Food May Be Making Dogs Sick

A number of brands, including Nutrisca and Natural Life, have issued recalls of certain products

Drug overdoses claimed 70,237 lives in 2017, while suicides numbered more than 47,000 over the same period

U.S. Life Expectancy Drops for Third Year in a Row, Reflecting Rising Drug Overdoses, Suicides

Drop represents longest sustained decline in expected lifespan since the tumultuous period of 1915 to 1918

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