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Long-term study outlines unexpected findings about tick populations

Tick-borne diseases are on the rise in the United States. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported, with nearly half a million people diagnosed each year.

17 Aug 2026

New computational tool identifies hidden genes driving asthma

Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with investigators at the University of Chicago, have developed a new computational framework that helps scientists identify genes that play central roles in diseases such as asthma but are often overlooked by existing genetic analysis methods.

11 Aug 2026

Heavy rainfall and flooding raise infectious disease risks across Europe

A rapid review of 14 studies found that heavy rainfall and flooding were associated with outbreaks and increased incidence of several infectious diseases across Europe, particularly campylobacteriosis and leptospirosis. The authors highlighted major evidence gaps and called for stronger One Health surveillance, public health communication, sanitation, and flood-response planning.

10 Aug 2026

Two British birth cohorts find no added health burden from a coastal childhood

Researchers analyzing two British birth cohorts found no association between coastal residence in adolescence and midlife multimorbidity, while an unadjusted association in the 1958 cohort weakened after accounting for neighborhood deprivation.

3 Aug 2026

Climate change shifts malaria risk across sub-Saharan Africa

Malaria is the deadliest climate-sensitive infectious disease. Yet, researchers and public health officials have long argued over how climate change has shaped its spread.

29 Jul 2026

Heatwave exposure associated with accelerated biological aging in middle-aged and older adults

As global climate change intensifies, heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer, and more severe, emerging as an important environmental stressor for human health.

28 Jul 2026

Alcohol use during pregnancy increased in the United States from 2011 through 2024

Prenatal alcohol exposure-a contributor to adverse pregnancy outcomes and the leading preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disability worldwide-has increased in the United States over the past decade.

27 Jul 2026

Novel bioinspired dressing uses body force to heal wounds

A bioinspired material, developed by scientists at Imperial College London, accelerates wound healing and the repair of human skin.

27 Jul 2026

Different cyclone definitions reveal uneven diarrheal disease risks across Asia

Tropical cyclone links to diarrheal disease varied widely across ten Asian regions, depending on how cyclone exposure was defined and whether mortality or morbidity was measured. Mortality associations were mostly uncertain, while morbidity patterns differed by region, with Taiwan showing the largest attributable burden.

27 Jul 2026

Study links household drinking water to long-term lithium exposure

Lithium in drinking water is a widespread and persistent source of human exposure across Tribal communities in the Western United States, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

24 Jul 2026

WHO launches PROTECT package to reduce global drowning deaths

Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July, the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a new technical package to help governments and communities implement seven proven measures to reduce drowning deaths.

24 Jul 2026

UC San Diego and IGI join hands to develop advanced genome-editing tools and applications

The University of California San Diego and the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), founded by Nobel laureate and CRISPR gene editing co-discoverer Jennifer Doudna, announced a new partnership today to jointly develop cutting-edge genomic tools for addressing large-scale challenges in health and the environment.

21 Jul 2026

Study links severe floods to higher opioid overdose deaths in rural Appalachia

Severe flooding may contribute to higher mortality rates from opioid use in rural Appalachia, according to a study by researchers at Penn State.

20 Jul 2026

Study urges Japan to rethink universal healthcare by 2040

On July 16, 2026, an international research team led by Tohoku University published two policy review papers that examine Japan's health system and global health strategy in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific - the Lancet group's first Japan-focused feature in about 15 years.

17 Jul 2026

New method detects early skin collagen damage before visible signs

An international team led by researchers at Hiroshima University has developed a new way to detect subtle, early-stage changes in human skin collagen before any visible signs of damage appear.

16 Jul 2026

New study quantifies how future climate change threatens mental health

A new study has, for the first time in the world, quantitatively projected how climate change will affect mental health at a multi-country level.

14 Jul 2026

Machine learning framework enables low-cost water toxin detection

Portable screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) biosensors offer a rapid and low-cost way to detect microcystin-lysine-arginine (MC-LR), an extremely potent toxin produced by cyanobacteria during harmful algal blooms in freshwater.

11 Jul 2026

Older adults face greater risk of mental health hospitalizations during extreme heatwaves

As the US recovers from its 4 July heatwave, a new study in Nature Health warns of an impending uptick in people attending hospitals for mental health and behavioral disorders, according to the first multi-country study of heatwave-related mental health hospitalization, led by Monash University in Australia.

10 Jul 2026

GLP-1 drugs may reduce lung scarring from Long COVID in diabetic patients

GLP-1 agonists have become popular treatments for weight loss and type 2 diabetes, and newer studies suggest other health benefits as well.

9 Jul 2026

Global groundwater maps reveal hidden manganese risk for 220 million people

Machine learning maps suggest that about 180 to 220 million people may rely on untreated groundwater with manganese above the WHO’s updated 80 µg/L guideline. The study places manganese exposure on a similar global scale to arsenic and fluoride, yet shows it remains far less visible in groundwater monitoring.

8 Jul 2026