The Black Death is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. It may have killed up to half of Europe’s population.
Two years ago, researchers suggested that the plague might have left marks in human DNA. But recent studies disagree with these findings. Other studies highlight possible flaws in the methods used. More research is needed to finally resolve the debate about the plague’s impact on human DNA.
West African nations have been inoculating against smallpox for centuries. African, Arab, and Asian communities used this practice for safe trade.
Africans brought smallpox prevention to the Americas before the 18th century. Later, Edward Jenner used these ancient techniques to invent the first vaccine.
This tool became crucial in the 20th-century effort to eradicate smallpox. The virus claimed hundreds of millions of lives before global cooperation stopped it.
Now, West Africa faces a new, related viral disease: mpox. Formerly called monkeypox, mpox has infected over 30,000 Africans in 2024 alone.
Africa helped create vaccines. It now needs them from the rest of the world to fight the mpox crisis.
Best-selling author John Green, known for >The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down, has emerged as an advocate for ending tuberculosis. Uploaded last year, his YouTube video, Barely Contained Rage: An Open Letter to Johnson & Johnson, has reached 1.4 million views.
The video highlighted how pharmaceutical companies set high prices for TB treatments. Costs remain out of reach to the most vulnerable populations to TB.
Green’s voice adds to the global call for TB action. The disease became the world’s deadliest in 2023, surpassing COVID-19. Though curable, TB kills millions yearly, especially in poorer regions. Global cooperation is improving, but efforts must redouble to reduce TB’s urgent threat.
Antimicrobial Resistance, or AMR, is dramatically increasing worldwide. In 2019, AMR caused 5 million deaths. Medical professionals and governments urgently need new interventions to tackle drug resistance. Otherwise, millions more lives will be at risk in coming years.
The World Health Organization calls AMR a “silent pandemic.” It could undo a century of medical progress. In the near future, AMR might turn minor infections into deadly threats.
Estimates suggest that bacterial AMR kills more people than HIV or malaria. A study in The Lancet predicts that from 2024 to 2050, nearly 40 million people will die from AMR diseases. During this period, deaths from AMR could increase by almost 70%.
Penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, transformed medicine in the early 1940s. Yet, in the beginning, production was so costly that only small batches could be made. Albert Alexander, the first patient treated with penicillin, died from its insufficient quantity.
During and after World War II, production methods improved, sparking a medical revolution. Today, many are hoping for a similar breakthrough with sickle cell disease. Gene therapies offer a promising solution, but several significant obstacles prevent treatment access.
On average, office employees spend up to 15 hours a day sitting. For decades, studies have shown that prolonged sitting increases health risks. It’s linked to higher rates of mortality and cardiovascular disease in both men and women.
As a result, standing desks have been proposed as a healthier alternative to sitting. Many have turned to this technology to improve wellness at work. In fact, the height-adjustable desk market was valued at $5.5 billion in 2023. Market value will reach over $10 billion by 2034, growing nearly 6% year-over-year.
Yet, new research suggests that standing may not improve health outcomes. In fact, standing for too long could come with its own risks.
Egypt is the 44th country to be certified malaria-free, and the first to achieve this since 2010. Egypt’s certification marks one more step in the global effort to eradicate malaria.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s flu shot is seeing its first major change in over a decade. Since 2013, flu shots have included four viral strains. But global travel restrictions reduced spread and may have eliminated one of them. As travel resumes, influenza vaccines remain crucial for controlling spread and preventing illness.
Influenza shots provide the most effective prevention against severe forms of the flu. According to the CDC, everyone six months of age and older should receive the flu vaccine each year. Annual vaccination is a critical to protect vulnerable groups and limit spread.
Whooping cough (pertussis) cases surged in 2024, showing a sharp rise over last year. By late October, cases were over five times higher than the same period in 2023. Numbers have even surpassed pre-pandemic levels from 2019.
Doctors recommend that infants, children, adolescents, and adults all receive the pertussis vaccine.
The Avian H5N1 influenza virus was recently found in a pig on an Oregon farm. This marks the first recorded instance of swine carrying bird flu in the United States. Pigs serve as “mixing vessels” where viruses can mutate, leading to human-to-human transmission.
Such a development could spark the next global pandemic—a scenario the U.S. and world are not prepared for. Gaps in vaccine readiness and stockpiling are vast. Medical and government officials must consider the possibility of a major H1N1-like outbreak.
