Disease detectives, more accustomed to stopping food-borne illnesses or tracking the annual influenza cycle, realized that they’d need a unique approach to take on a health crisis that has so far sickened 1,604 and killed 34. “I think it’s pulling on everyone’s heartstrings,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director, during an interview in Atlanta, “because…

The condition strikes young children. It can start with run-of-the-mill virus symptoms, like fever or sniffles. But, then the kids lose control of their limbs, may have trouble swallowing or breathing, or even end up paralyzed. This terrifying experience happened to more than 570 families since 2014, whose children were struck with an illness called acute…

With news of an outbreak of life-threatening vaping illness sweeping the country, and vape use at an all-time high among teens, the issue feels more urgent than ever. Here’s what to say — and not to say — to help your child deal with peer pressure and misinformation, and stay safe.

In announcing a crackdown Friday on companies it says were involved in fraudulent genetic testing, the U.S. Department of Justice brought charges against 35 individuals associated with dozens of telemarketing companies and testing labs. The federal investigation, called Operation Double Helix, went after schemes that allegedly targeted people 65 and older. According to the charges, the schemes…

Major broadcast companies including CBS, Viacom, and WarnerMedia say they are pulling ads by e-cigarette makers, as concerns over growing teen use of the products and the hundreds of cases of illnesses linked to vaping continue to mount.

Nationwide, though, state insurance leaders, politicians and even one of the nation’s largest air ambulance companies have raised concerns about the slickly marketed membership campaigns. The memberships often don’t include every ambulance company in an area, and the choice of which medevac service answers a call is out of a consumer’s hands.

Overmedication is a health hazard for older adults that their doctors can often overlook. “It’s easier for doctors to simply start another medication than it is for them to evaluate each [current] medication,” says Leah Rorvig, a geriatrician and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Steroid inhalers commonly used to prevent asthma attacks may not work any better than a placebo for many people with mild asthma, according to recent research.

The idea that an act of violence could happen anywhere makes us anxious. People may think twice about attending a music festival or walking into a WalMart. But there are strategies to counter the fear — and move forward.