A wave of anti-vaccine sentiment continues to rise across the United States. A 2023 survey showed declining trust in established vaccines. It also found a rise in belief in vaccine misinformation, especially about COVID-19.

Despite this trend, new research highlights vaccines’ life-saving impact. A major study in published in BMJ Global Health reviewed 210 outbreaks in 49 low-income countries. These included measles, cholera, yellow fever, meningitis, and Ebola outbreaks. Researchers compared each real outbreak to a no-vaccine scenario.

The study covered outbreaks from 2000 through 2023. Models were adjusted to account for disease spread and environment. For Ebola, specific adjustments were made due to its unique features.

Across all outbreaks, vaccines prevented 5.81 million infections. This includes 4 million measles cases and 1.5 million yellow fever cases. Vaccines also saved 327,000 lives, mostly from measles and yellow fever.

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When most people imagine fungi living on human skin, they probably don’t think of anything beneficial. However, a new study from the University of Oregon found a skin yeast molecule that kills Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus causes approximately 500,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. each year.

Caitlin Kowalski, the study’s lead researcher, says skin fungi are an untapped resource for finding new antibiotics.

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Ticks are a common problem for anyone who spends time outdoors. After hiking, gardening, or mowing, many instinctively check for ticks. These tiny parasites can carry dangerous diseases like Lyme and anaplasmosis.

Most people use DEET to repel ticks and other biting insects. But DEET can feel sticky, smell unpleasant, and raise safety concerns. Many want a natural alternative that still works well. Lemongrass has shown promise as a natural repellent. Now, researchers have found another option—this time from donkey skin.

A new study shows how a compound called (E)-2-octenal, secreted by donkey skin, repels deer ticks. The research was published in PLOS One and conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Deer ticks, also known as Ixodes scapularis, are the main tick that bites humans in the U.S. (E)-2-octenal stops ticks from moving toward treated areas. It was even more effective than DEET in some cases.

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When most people think of leprosy, they picture history books or ancient tales. The disease is rarely linked to early populations in the Americas. However, new research challenges that assumption in a surprising way. A recent study published in Nature Communications sheds new light.

Researchers studied two ancient skeletons from northern Chile. They found DNA from Mycobacterium lepromatosis, a rare leprosy-causing bacterium. This species causes Hansen’s disease, a lesser-known form of leprosy. The bones are about 4,000 years old.

This pushes back the known history of leprosy in the region. Until now, experts believed leprosy arrived with European colonizers. There was no confirmed bone evidence before the colonial era. These findings raise new questions about leprosy’s spread and origins.

Most known cases involve Mycobacterium leprae, which came from Eurasia. M. lepromatosis, by contrast, may have evolved in the Americas. The two bacteria likely emerged on opposite sides of the world. This discovery reshapes how scientists understand the disease’s global history.

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If a superhero saved over 2 million people in four years, we might call them the best in the world. That title could instead go to COVID-19 vaccines. From 2020 to 2024, these vaccines saved 2.5 million lives.

They prevented one death for every 5,400 doses given. Researchers also calculated 14.8 million years of life gained from vaccination. The study was published in JAMA Health Forum by Università Cattolica and Stanford University researchers.

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In addition to its early devastation, COVID-19 has left lasting damage. Millions of Americans now suffer from long-term symptoms after infection. Fatigue, chronic pain, and brain fog impact daily life and work. ME/CFS and post-COVID syndrome (PCS) now pose major health risks.

The long COVID crisis continues with few clear answers. Every new finding helps build a better picture of the illness. A recent study published in Allergy offers fresh hope. It shows a strong link between gut health and PCS fatigue.

Researchers in Vienna found the gut barrier may play a key role. They tracked patient gut health before, during, and after infection. Blood, saliva, and stool samples were used to find biomarkers. People with prior gut issues were more likely to develop PCS.

These patients also showed shifts in their immune system markers. The study suggests PCS could begin with immune and gut disruptions. Researchers say tracking symptoms and biomarkers may lead to earlier diagnosis. This could help identify at-risk patients and guide treatment.

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The HBO drama The Last of Us opens with a heavy conversation. Two scientists argue about the threat fungi could pose in the future. One scientist warns that fungi may become a major threat to humans.

He says climate change will help fungi adapt to warmer temperatures. That could make fungal infections more dangerous and harder to control. The other scientist brushes off these concerns.

The Last of Us focuses on a fungus called Cordyceps. While Cordyceps is not currently a real threat to humans, another fungus is: Aspergillus.

Aspergillus fungi are everywhere. They infect people, animals, and plants. A new study warns that Aspergillus will spread north as the planet warms. The more severe the warming, the more intense the spread. Human health risks will likely increase as Aspergillus reaches new regions.

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Non-sustainable packaging is a growing health concern for young children. Many people know about the risks of plastic byproducts like microplastics. But it’s alarming to see these chemicals affect early development. A new study shows just how widespread this problem has become.

The study was published in Environmental Science & Technology. Researchers tested urine from 201 children aged 2 to 4. They looked for 111 different chemicals across many product types. The results showed high levels of chemical exposure in these young children.

Ninety-six chemicals were found in at least five children. Forty-eight chemicals showed up in more than half of the participants. Thirty-four chemicals were found in over 90% of the children tested. Nine of these chemicals are not tracked by national health surveys.

These results suggest key exposures may go undetected by current programs. Young children are being exposed to a wide range of harmful substances. More monitoring and safer packaging choices are urgently needed to protect their health.

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Brian and Erika Parker spent a year and a half completing adoption paperwork. They adopted their daughter, Emily, from India. While they waited, the Parkers sent care packages and received reports about her.

When Emily was seven and a half, the Parkers noticed she was losing coordination. ER doctors from India at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania asked if she had measles. They suspected SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis), a fatal brain disorder linked to measles complications.

A few months later, Emily slipped into a coma. She died a month after her eighth birthday. After Emily’s passing, the Parkers founded Emily’s Hope. The foundation promotes awareness of measles, SSPE, and the safety of the MMR vaccine.

As measles cases in many countries rise, families like the Parkers bear the brunt of international risks. Global disease trends have prompted a new CDC warning. The CDC recommends that all international travelers get fully vaccinated for measles.

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Superbugs are almost like shapeshifters that can live inside your body. As medicines and the immune system try to destroy them, superbugs fight back. They change form, gaining resistance to drugs and defenses.

A new study in Nature Communications shows superbugs evolve during infection. Real-time tracking may help doctors choose more targeted treatments. Researchers focused on Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterium carried by 30% of people.

S. aureus is usually harmless, but it turns dangerous when it spreads. Once it infects the bloodstream, it can resist several antibiotics. This study shows how tracking its evolution during care may improve treatment.

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