The modern Western-style diet—high in processed foods, red meat, dairy products, and sugar—alters the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that can have a huge impact on health. This dietary pattern, which is also low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, reduces the variety of microbes in the digestive system and the metabolites they produce. This, in turn, increases risk for several immune system-related conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
The Trump administration has terminated a federal advisory committee that issued guidance about preventing the spread of infections in healthcare facilities. The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) crafted national standards for hand-washing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow. Four committee members said the CDC delivered the news about HICPAC's termination to members Friday.
More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report. The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the CDC eclipse the 207 reported last year. It's the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic. It's a startlingly high number, given that the flu season is still going on. The final pediatric death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn't counted until autumn.
Weekly measles cases have set a new record, according to figures published by the CDC, topping the peak of an outbreak in 2019 that ranked as the worst since the 1990s. The number of cases that had their symptoms start during the week of March 30 has grown to 111, according to the agency's latest update. Authorities backdate newly reported measles cases based on when their rash began, to account for delays in reporting and diagnosis.
Google Chief Health Officer Karen DeSalvo, MD, says she will be retiring. DeSalvo's career at the company has spanned nearly 6 years and has witnessed some of the most crucial and historical milestones in healthcare, both for the organization and society as a whole.