Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

Jul 31, 2018

Twitter Bots and Trolls Fuel Online Discord About Vaccines

Twitter bots and trolls appear to be skewing online discussions about vaccinations, spreading misinformation on the topic and fueling online discord, according to a new study. The vast majority of Americans believe vaccines are safe and effective, but looking at Twitter gives the impression that there is a lot of...

Jun 30, 2018

Parasite Outbreak Tied to Del Monte Vegetables Sickens More Than 200 People

An outbreak of parasitic infections tied to Del Monte vegetable trays has sickened more than 200 people in four U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Victims of the outbreak were sickened with Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis....

Jun 30, 2018

A Woman Had Strange Feelings in Her Legs. Doctors Found Parasites in Her Spine

This article was updated on July 12. When the 35-year-old woman arrived at a hospital in France, she told doctors it felt like electric shocks were running down her legs. What's more, she felt weak and had experienced a number of falls recently. The woman's unusual symptoms turned out to...

Apr 30, 2018

Is the Romaine Lettuce E. Coli Outbreak Finally Over?

Romaine lettuce tied to a recent outbreak of E. coli is likely no longer on store shelves or in restaurants, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today (May 16). That means that the agency is no longer advising consumers to avoid buying romaine lettuce in connection with the...

Mar 31, 2018

CDC Says to Avoid All Romaine Lettuce Amid E. Coli Outbreak

An E. coli warning tied to romaine lettuce is being expanded to include all types of romaine from a region in southwestern Arizona, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today (April 20). The announcement means that consumers should avoid eating not just chopped romaine from this region...

Mar 31, 2018

Mysterious Eye Cancer Cases Pop Up in 2 States, and Doctors Can't Explain It

Dozens of people in Alabama and North Carolina have developed a rare eye cancer — and doctors don't know what's behind the apparent spike in cases in these areas, according to news reports. So far, 18 people with this eye cancer, known as ocular melanoma, have been identified in Huntersville,...

Feb 28, 2018

A Mysterious Lung Disease Is Striking Virginia Dentists

A mysterious lung disease is striking dentists in Virginia, according to a new report. So far, health officials have identified nine dentists or dental workers who were diagnosed with the disease, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, all of whom were treated at the same specialty clinic in Virginia, according to the...

Feb 28, 2018

5 Weird Effects of Bug Bites

Introduction (Image credit: Shutterstock)Most bug bites are just itchy and annoying and, for the most part, stick around for only a few days. But in rare cases, bug bites can have some strange effects, from heart attacks to paralysis. Here are five really weird effects of bug bites: Heart attacks...

Feb 28, 2018

Viagra for … Cancer Prevention? Mouse Study Has Surprising Results

The little blue pill could one day have a surprising use: as a cancer prevention drug. Early research in mice suggests that small doses of sildenafil, the ingredient in Viagra responsible for the pill's effects, may prevent colorectal cancer. When the researchers gave the drug to mice that were prone...

Jan 31, 2018

This Parasite Is a Surprising Cause of Seizures in the US

The idea of tapeworm larvae traveling to your brain and forming life-threatening cysts sounds horrifying. But for many people around the world — including a surprising number in the United States — this condition is a reality. Now, U.S. doctors are releasing new guidelines on how to identify and treat...

Dec 31, 2017

Mitt Romney's Prostate Cancer: What's a Good Prognosis?

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was treated for prostate cancer last summer, according to news reports. Romney, who is 70, had surgery over the summer, according to a statement provided to ABC News. His treatment was successful, and his prognosis is good, the statement said. What does it mean...

Dec 31, 2017

Does Coffee Contain a Carcinogen? Here's What the Science Says

Update (March 30, 2018): A California judge ruled on March 29 that coffee shops in the state must include a cancer warning label each cup of joe. Here's more about the ruling and the possible coffee-cancer link. If a lawsuit in California is successful, Golden State stores that sell coffee...

Nov 30, 2019

'Crazymothers' Want You to Stop Calling Them 'Anti-Vaxxers'

A group of people opposed to vaccinations has requested that media stop referring to them as anti-vax. Instead, they would prefer to be called vaccine risk aware. On Dec. 1, an anti-vaccine group called the Crazymothers raised its plea on Twitter and Instagram, asserting that the term anti-vaxxer is derogatory,...

Nov 30, 2019

Puppy Licks to a Woman's Feet May Have Caused Serious Skin Infection

Dogs can bring a person happiness, love, laughter ... and sometimes strange infections. Case in point: A woman in Israel was diagnosed with a bacterial infection that she likely contracted from innocent puppy licks, according to a new report. Last year, the 86-year-old woman went to the hospital with a...

Nov 30, 2019

What Was the Black Death?

The Black Death of the 14th century is well known. When historians discuss the plague they are usually referring to this epidemic of bubonic plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In his book, The Black Death, 1346-1353: The Complete History (Boydell Press, 2018), Ole Jørgen Benedictow estimates that 50-60%...