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Latest Health Headlines

June 01

Idaho hospitals working to resume full operations after cyberattack

Two Idaho hospitals and their clinics are working to resume full operations after a cyberattack on their computer systems
June 01
June 01

Black men were likely underdiagnosed with lung problems because of bias in software, study suggests

A new study suggests racial bias built into a common medical test for lung function is likely leading to fewer Black patients getting care for breathing problems
June 01
June 01

Families sue to block Idaho law barring gender-affirming care for minors

The families of two transgender teenagers are suing Idaho officials to block enforcement of a ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors
June 01
FILE - Idaho Attorney General candidate Rep. Raul Labrador speaks during the Idaho Republican Party 2022 General Election Night Celebration in Boise, Idaho, Nov. 8, 2022. Labrador is among those being sued in a challenge to a state law banning gender-affirming care for minors. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, File)
June 01

Supreme Court revives claims that SuperValu, Safeway overcharged governments for generic drugs

The Supreme Court has unanimously revived whistleblower lawsuits claiming that supermarket and pharmacy chains SuperValu and Safeway overcharged government health-care programs for prescription drugs by hundreds of millions of dollars
June 01
FILE - The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, on Nov. 5, 2020. The Supreme Court has unanimously revived whistleblower lawsuits claiming that supermarket and pharmacy chains SuperValu and Safeway overcharged government health-care programs for prescription drugs by hundreds of millions of dollars. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
June 01

FDA warns consumers not to use off-brand versions of Ozempic, Wegovy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use versions of the popular weight-loss drug used in Ozempic and Wegovy and sold online because they might not contain the same ingredients as prescription products and may not be safe o...
June 01
FILE - This Tuesday, April 3, 2018 file photo shows a closeup of a beam scale in New York. The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers, Thursday, June 1, 2023, not to use off-brand versions of the popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy sold online because they might not contain the same ingredients as the prescription products and may not be safe or effective. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)
June 01

Government body warns of increased health threats from climate change in Germany

Germany’s disease control agency warns that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country
June 01
FILE - This undated photo released Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014, by National Institute of Infectious Diseases via Kyodo News, shows a tiger mosquito. Germany's disease control agency warned Thursday, June 1, 2023 that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country. (AP Photo/National Institute of Infectious Diseases via Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT
June 01

Court rules Austria can't be held liable for early COVID infection at ski resort

An Austrian federal court says the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection from an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe The Supreme Court of Justice on Thursday announced its verdict in a long-running lega...
June 01
FILE - A giant advertising goggle reading the slogan 'relax, if you can' stands in Ischgl, Austria, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. An Austrian federal court says the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection in an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the pandemic hit Europe in early 2020. The Supreme Court of Justice on Thursday announced its verdict in a long-running legal battle involving a German resident who traveled to Ischgl on March 7, 2020 and visited several apres-ski venues before returning home six days later. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
June 01

Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative wins Spain’s Princess of Asturias award

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a nonprofit that undertakes research to find treatments for millions of marginalized patients worldwide, has won Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation
June 01
June 01

Teen birth rate reaches historic low in 2022: CDC 

Teen birth rates have declined every year since 1991, except for 2006 and 2007.
June 01
Teen birth rates have declined every year since 1991, except for 2006 and 2007.
June 01

Singapore prime minister tests positive for COVID again in rare rebound case

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he has tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound
June 01
FILE - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during ASEAN - India Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 12, 2022. Lee said Thursday, June 1, 2023 that he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound.(AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
June 01

Singapore prime minister tests positive for COVID again in rare rebound case

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says he has tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound
June 01
FILE - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during ASEAN - India Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 12, 2022. Lee said Thursday, June 1, 2023 that he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound.(AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
June 01

NFL expanding The Smart Heart Sports Coalition

The NFL has expanded The Smart Heart Sports Coalition to 26 member organizations as it continues to advocate for all 50 states to adopt policies that will prevent high school students from fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest
June 01
Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin (3) makes a catch during NFL football practice in Orchard Park, N.Y., Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
June 01

NFL expanding The Smart Heart Sports Coalition

The NFL has expanded The Smart Heart Sports Coalition to 26 member organizations as it continues to advocate for all 50 states to adopt policies that will prevent high school students from fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest
June 01
Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin (3) makes a catch during NFL football practice in Orchard Park, N.Y., Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
June 01

Teenage birth rates in the US hit record lows in 2022: CDC report

There were 13.5 births per 1,000 teens between ages 15 and 19.
June 01
A pregnant teen is pictured in this undated file photo.
May 31

Mental health apps might put your privacy at risk. Here's how to stay protected

BetterHelp faces possible lawsuits over claims it shared patient information.
May 31
In this Jan. 28, 2015, file photo, the Federal Trade Commission building is shown in Washington , D.C.
May 31

Researchers link death in gene-editing study to a virus used to deliver the treatment, not CRISPR

The lone volunteer in a gene-editing study targeting a rare form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy most likely died after having a reaction to the virus that delivered the therapy in his body
May 31
FILE - This undated photo shows Terry Horgan with his parents at home in Montour Falls, N.Y. Horgan, 27, the lone volunteer in a gene-editing study targeting a rare form of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, likely died after having a reaction to the virus that delivered the therapy in his body, researchers concluded in an early study released in May 2023. (Kate Collins/The Journal via AP, File)
May 31

US births in 2022 didn't return to pre-pandemic levels

U.S. births were flat last year, as the nation continues to see fewer babies born than it did before the pandemic
May 31
FILE - A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus on Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. U.S. births were flat in 2022, as the nation continues to see fewer babies born than before the pandemic. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
May 31

California advances fentanyl bills focused on prevention, increased penalties

California lawmakers voted to advance more than a dozen fentanyl bills this past week
May 31
FILE - Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua, D-Stockton, talks during the Assembly session in Sacramento, Calif., on June 30, 2022. Villapudua's bill to impose harsher penalties for dealers for possession more than one kilogram of fentanyl was among 16 fentanyl-related bill passed in the Assembly and Senate this past week ahead of a critical deadline on Friday, June 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
May 31

In Canada, each cigarette will get a warning label: 'poison in every puff'

Canada will soon become the first country in the world where warning labels must appear on individual cigarettes
May 31
This image provided by Health Canada shows the final wording of six separate warnings that will be printed directly on individual cigarettes as Canada becomes the first in the world to take that step aimed at helping people quit the habit. The regulations take effect Aug. 1 and will be phased in. King-size cigarettes will be the first to feature the warnings and will be sold in stores by the end of July 2024, followed by regular-size cigarettes, and little cigars with tipping paper and tubes by the end of April 2025. (Health Canada/The Canadian Press via AP)
May 31

Oklahoma high court strikes down 2 abortion bans

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled two state laws banning abortion are unconstitutional, but the procedure remains illegal in the state in most cases
May 31
FILE - Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pictured, Feb. 1, 2023, during an interview in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 that two state laws banning abortion are unconstitutional, but the procedure remains illegal in the state in most cases. "Despite the court’s decisions today on SB 1603 and HB 4327, Oklahoma’s 1910 law prohibiting abortion remains in place," Drummond said in a statement. "Except for certain circumstances outlined in that statute, abortion is still unlawful in the state of Oklahoma.” (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, file)
May 31

Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down two abortion bans passed in 2022, but procedure still remains illegal statewide

Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down two abortion bans passed in 2022, but procedure still remains illegal statewide
May 31
May 31

Patel It Like It Is: Effects of social media on brain development

ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel discusses how social media can affect different parts of the brain, such as empathy, emotional processing and self-regulation.
May 31
VIDEO: Patel It Like It Is: Effects of social media on brain development
May 31

Sweden close to becoming first 'smoke free' country in Europe as daily use of cigarettes dwindles

Summer is in the air, cigarette smoke is not, in Sweden's outdoor bars and restaurants
May 31
People enjoy drinks and snacks in the evening sun on a terrace overlooking Stockholm, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Smoking is prohibited in both indoor and outdoor areas of bars and restaurants in Sweden, which has the lowest share of smokers in the European Union. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)
May 31

What to know about human metapneumovirus

At the peak of the hMPV surge, 19.6% of antigen tests for it were positive.
May 31
A woman sits on her bed with a cold, surrounded by paper tissues, a cup of tea, and a thermometer.
May 31

Gaza Strip's Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy

Palestinians in the southern Gaza Strip call it “watermelon salad.”
May 31
A group of Palestinians cook roast watermelons as they prepare to make "Lasima," a dish that is popular in the southern Gaza Strip but shunned in its north, at a garden in Khuzaa, Gaza Strip, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Locals call it "watermelon salad." But this seasonal delicacy is far from the sweet, refreshing taste the name evokes. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
May 31

Former Connecticut lawmaker gets 27 months in prison for stealing over $1 million in coronavirus aid

A former Connecticut state representative has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for stealing more than $1.2 million from the city of West Haven, most of it federal-related coronavirus aid
May 31
Michael DiMassa, left, and his lawyer, John Gulash, right, speak to reporters outside federal court in Hartford, Conn., Wednesday, May 31, 2023. DiMassa was sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing $1.2 million from the city of West Haven, Conn. (AP Photo/Dave Collins)
May 30

Nevada Republican governor approves abortion protections in cross-party move

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has signed a bill enshrining existing protections for out-of-state abortion patients and in-state providers
May 30
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo speaks at the old Assembly Chambers in Carson City, Nev., Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Women from states where abortion has been restricted since the overturning of Roe v. Wade will be protected from potential penalties under a new law signed by Nevada's Republican governor on Tuesday. Lombardo's approval adds Nevada to a list of states that have passed similar abortion sanctuary laws this year. (AP Photo/Tom R. Smedes)
May 30

Colorado tackles eating disorders by limiting use of BMI and diet pill sales to kids

Colorado is tackling a surge in eating disorders with its acting governor signing two bills to address the mental illness
May 30
FILE - Visitors stand on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol, April 23, 2023, in Denver. Colorado is tackling a surge in eating disorders with two bills signed Tuesday, May 30. The legislation will create a state program dedicated finding solutions to the mental illness, ban the use of body mass index in determining treatment and restrict the sale of diet pills to minors. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
May 30

ACLU sues to block new hybrid Nebraska law restricting abortion, gender-affirming care for minors

The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to block a new Nebraska law combining a 12-week abortion ban with restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors
May 30
FILE - Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh speaks on May 19, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb., as lawmakers debated a bill that would ban abortions at 12 weeks of pregnancy and ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Cavanaugh has led an effort to filibuster nearly every bill in the session to protest the ban on transgender health care. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to block a new Nebraska law combining a 12-week abortion ban with restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors. The lawsuit was filed in state court Tuesday, May 30, on behalf of Planned Parenthood and one of its doctors who performs abortions in Nebraska. (AP Photo/Nick Ingram, File)
May 30

More than 40% of restaurant foodborne illness outbreaks caused by sick workers: CDC

Less than half of managers said their establishments provided paid sick leave.
May 30
Less than half of managers said their establishments provided paid sick leave.
May 30

HMPV infections up 36% in 2023 across US: CDC

Most symptoms of human metapneumovirus last between two to five days, resolving without treatment.
May 30
Most symptoms of human metapneumovirus last between two to five days, resolving without treatment.
May 30

What is fungal meningitis?

The CDC says a person can contract fungal meningitis after inhaling or ingesting microscopic spores from various fungi.
May 30
The CDC says a person can contract fungal meningitis after inhaling or ingesting microscopic spores from various fungi.
May 30

4 in 10 restaurant foodborne illness outbreaks caused by sick workers: CDC report

Under half of managers said their establishments provided paid sick leave.
May 30
Norovirus, computer illustration is seen here in an undated stock photo.
May 30

Sick workers tied to 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks, CDC says

CDC calls for better enforcement of food safety policies.
May 30
FILE - A worker arranges food onto plates in the kitchen of a restaurant in New York on Dec. 14, 2021. Food workers who showed up while sick or contagious were linked to about 40% of restaurant food poisoning outbreaks with a known cause between 2017 and 2019, federal health officials said Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)
May 30

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, The Carter Center says

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, her family announced Tuesday
May 30
FILE - Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife former first lady Rosalynn Carter sit together during a reception to celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on July 10, 2021, in Plains, Ga. The Carter family shared news that Rosalynn Carter has dementia, The Carter Center announced Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool, File)
May 30

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, still living 'happily at home' with her husband, The Carter Center says

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia, still living 'happily at home' with her husband, The Carter Center says
May 30
May 30

Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protect Sacklers from lawsuits

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of legal claims over the toll of opioids
May 30
May 30

Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protect Sacklers from lawsuits

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of legal claims over the toll of opioids
May 30
FILE - Cheryl Juaire holds photos of her sons, both of whom died from overdoses, Sean Merrill, left, and Corey Merrill, after making a statement during a hearing in New York on March 10, 2022. A federal appeals court cleared the way Tuesday, May 30, 2023, for the maker of OxyContin to settle thousands of legal claims tied to the opioid epidemic while shielding the wealthy owners of Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, from future lawsuits. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
May 30

Ruling clears way for Purdue Pharma to settle opioid claims, protects Sacklers from lawsuits

A federal court ruling has cleared the way for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of legal claims over the toll of opioids
May 30
FILE - Cheryl Juaire holds photos of her sons, both of whom died from overdoses, Sean Merrill, left, and Corey Merrill, after making a statement during a hearing in New York on March 10, 2022. A federal appeals court cleared the way Tuesday, May 30, 2023, for the maker of OxyContin to settle thousands of legal claims tied to the opioid epidemic while shielding the wealthy owners of Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, from future lawsuits. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
May 30

Federal panel overrules another judge to pave the way for acceptance of Purdue Pharma’s settlement of US opioid lawsuits

Federal panel overrules another judge to pave the way for acceptance of Purdue Pharma’s settlement of US opioid lawsuits
May 30
May 30

Federal panel overrules another judge to pave the way for acceptance of Purdue Pharma’s settlement of US opioid lawsuits

Federal panel overrules another judge to pave the way for acceptance of Purdue Pharma’s settlement of US opioid lawsuits
May 30
May 30

UK government fights demand to hand over Boris Johnson's messages to COVID-19 inquiry

When Boris Johnson was U.K. prime minister, he established an independent inquiry into his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
May 30
FILE - Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, on March 22, 2023. Boris Johnson established an independent inquiry while he was U.K. prime minister into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the inquiry wants to see what Johnson wrote to other U.K. officials as the outbreak raged. But the government is fighting a demand to hand over the material. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
May 30

UK government fights demand to hand over Boris Johnson's messages to COVID-19 inquiry

When Boris Johnson was U.K. prime minister, he established an independent inquiry into his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
May 30
May 30

Humanitarian group MSF calls for support for refugees in Kenya affected by cholera crisis

A humanitarian charity says that hundreds of refugees in Kenya’s Dadaab camps have been affected by a cholera outbreak as the population in the facilities grows rapidly
May 30
FILE - A Somali refugee girl walks past the fence surrounding a hut at Dadaab refugee camp, then hosting over 230,000 inhabitants, in northern Kenya on Dec. 19, 2017. Hundreds of refugees in Kenya's Dadaab camps have been affected by a cholera outbreak as the population in the facilities grows rapidly, a humanitarian charity said Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
May 29

Pregnancy and sports a challenging combination for female professional athletes

Recent allegations by WNBA player Dearica Hamby that her coach harassed her for being pregnant have shined a renewed spotlight on one of the biggest challenges that female professional athletes face
May 29
FILE - United States' Serena Williams holds her trophy after defeating her sister, Venus, during the women's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 28, 2017. Williams famously won the tournament when she was eight weeks pregnant. An expert said mothers often are better athletes because they learn how to manage their time better, they understand their bodies better and they may be peaking even later in life. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, File)
May 29

What is fungal meningitis? Two Americans die from infection contracted in Mexico

At least 200 people could be at risk of developing the infection, the CDC said.
May 29
In this file photo released by the CDC, meningitis is shown.
May 28

Raccoon euthanized after woman brings it to pet store and other customers kiss it

Wildlife authorities say a raccoon in Maine was euthanized and tested for rabies after a woman brought it into a pet store for a nail trim and some customers kissed it
May 28
May 27

Men more likely than women to die by suicide, data shows

ABC News' Ike Eijochi reports on CDC data showing that many men are experiencing mental illness and are more likely to die by suicide.
May 27
VIDEO: Men more likely than women to die by suicide, data shows
May 26

New York City outlaws discrimination on the basis of weight, height

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed legislation that will ban discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, sex and religion
May 26
FILE — Two women stand on Aug. 16, 2016, New York. New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed a bill Friday, May 26, 2023, that will prohibit discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories like race, sex and religion. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
May 26

Oregon, awash in treatment funds after decriminalizing drugs, now must follow the money

Funding for drug treatment centers in Oregon, financed by the state’s pioneering drug decriminalization policy, stands these days at over a quarter-billion dollars
May 26
FILE - Signs at a drug treatment center show where receptacles used to dispense methadone should be disposed of after use on Feb. 24, 2022, in Salem, Ore. Oregon's pioneering drug decriminalization program, which allocates vast resources to rehabilitate drug abusers, has for the first time terminated funding for a service provider amid missed financial reporting deadlines and alleged misspending. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)