Update: As of March 25, 2025, the DRC’s National Public Health Institute has attributed the outbreak deaths to severe malaria. Officials said the outbreak was likely worsened by poor access to healthcare and possible co-factors such as contaminated water.

An unknown illness has killed 53 people in northwest Congo, says WHO. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, headaches, and fatigue. Many deaths happened within 48 hours of symptoms appearing.

The cause of the outbreak is still unknown. Health officials are investigating to find the source and stop the spread.

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A new NIH-funded study found a sharp rise in ME/CFS cases. Researchers discovered that 4.5% of post-COVID patients met ME/CFS criteria. Only 0.6% of uninfected people met the same criteria.

ME/CFS, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a chronic illness. It often develops after infections and affects the nervous and immune systems. The condition causes severe fatigue that worsens after activity, called post-exertional malaise. Other symptoms include brain fog, dizziness, headaches, muscle weakness, and sleep problems.

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Most people know HPV can cause cervical cancer in women. However, many do not realize it also raises cancer risks for men.

A new survey from Ohio State University found widespread misunderstandings about HPV risks. Another study shows a major drop in cervical pre-cancer among likely vaccinated women. This progress follows nearly 20 years of U.S. HPV vaccine recommendations.

Despite this, low vaccination rates could allow preventable cancers to keep rising.

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Dr. Lila Myrick had only read about measles in medical school. The disease was a medical concept, not a daily reality.

That changed in late January when a young girl arrived at her ER. She had the telltale rash of measles. The child had no immunity and a respiratory condition.

She became one of the first measles cases in Gaines County, Texas. This rural area is now the center of the largest U.S. measles outbreak in six years.

Last week, measles cases continued rising. Early this month, one unvaccinated child died. It was the first U.S. measles death in a decade.

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New CDC research shows wastewater sampling can predict outbreaks early. Scientists simulated pathogen monitoring in sewer systems. They found wastewater tracking detects viruses and bacteria before they spread widely.

A separate Nature study simulated wastewater sampling from airplanes. It showed this method detects pandemics two months earlier than current protocols. Researchers suggest monitoring 20 major airports to track new diseases.

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