Public Health News and Research

RSS

Study reveals inequities in wastewater-based disease outbreak detection systems

Wastewater surveillance was hailed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a more equitable way to track disease.

27 May 2026

True toll of long COVID may be double that of current estimates, research shows

The true toll of long COVID may be double that of current estimates and hidden from current surveillance systems that rely on capturing diagnostic codes, according to new research led by Mass General Brigham.

27 May 2026

Persistent gut microbiome changes linked to sustained colorectal cancer risk

More than a decade after removal of an adenoma-a precancerous mass-from the colon, alterations to the gut microbiome and metabolites remain and may drive heightened risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

27 May 2026

Prenatal forever chemical exposure may affect puberty timing in children

An EHU-University of the Basque Country and Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute study has linked certain chemicals measured during the first trimester of pregnancy to the subsequent onset of puberty in the children.

27 May 2026

European health sector workers face significant workplace carcinogen exposure

Exposure to cancer risk factors in the workplace remains an important and preventable cause of disease in Europe.

27 May 2026

Climate change could expand chikungunya into temperate regions worldwide

Chikungunya ('to become contorted' in the Kimakonde language, named after the characteristic joint ache) is classified as one of the neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization.

27 May 2026

Study finds many hikers remain unprepared for wilderness emergencies

With the arrival of warmer weather across the United States, outdoor enthusiasts are returning to America's parks and forests to hike and run on the country's beautiful, often remote, networks of trails.

26 May 2026

Adults with developmental disabilities or cerebral palsy face earlier fall injury risks

Falls are a common cause of injury, especially for adults over age 65. But adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities or cerebral palsy may also be at higher risk.

26 May 2026

Guava juice boosts hemoglobin levels in women with anemia

Regular guava juice consumption may prove a readily accessible and affordable addition to helping lower the risk of anemia in women in low and middle income countries, suggests a synthesis of the available evidence, published in the open access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.

26 May 2026

New study tests vitamin D analog against pancreatic cancer

A small clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers put a Salk Institute idea to the test in patients: that activating the vitamin D receptor can help reshape the protective environment surrounding pancreatic tumors in ways that could make the notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer more vulnerable to therapeutic treatments.

26 May 2026

New AI tools identify potential drugs for rare Ebola virus

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to identify nearly two dozen antiviral compounds that could potentially treat a rare species of Ebola virus (Bundibugyo virus) currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo.

26 May 2026

Dog daycare outbreak exposes gaps in puppy leptospirosis vaccinations

A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people, according to new research led by the University of California, Davis.

26 May 2026

New analysis shows obesity rates plateauing in many countries

An international large-scale study involving the University of Granada (UGR) examines obesity trends since the 1980s and reveals that the increase has slowed, stabilized, and even reversed in many countries, though it is still rising in developing nations.

26 May 2026

How heat-smart cities can protect outdoor recreation in a warming world

This review shows how rising humid heat threatens the health benefits of nature-based recreation in tropical cities. The authors call for heat-smart urban planning, targeted advisories, and inclusive strategies that keep outdoor activity safe, accessible, and beneficial.

26 May 2026

Why Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, and the US stand out in global distance running

This global analysis of 152,943 endurance runners found that nationality, gender, age, and race distance were significantly associated with running performance from 1999 to 2024. Men were faster across all distances, women were generally older in longer races, and runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, and the United States showed distinct participation and performance patterns.

26 May 2026

Chronic liver disease threatens millions across Europe, report finds

Europe is facing a growing chronic liver disease threat, according to a new Series published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, that engaged more than 75 co-authors from 30 countries and was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

25 May 2026

Experts urge specialized heart centers for women across European healthcare

Women are more likely to face delays in diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and, as a result, they are more likely to die or develop more serious illness. To address this in inequality, Europe needs dedicated women's heart centers, according to a report published in the European Heart Journal today (Tuesday).

25 May 2026

Changing landscapes in Southeast Asia cause thousands of excess deaths

Changes in land-use across Southeast Asia over the past 15 years are worsening air quality and contributing to thousands of excess deaths each year, according to a study led by researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).

25 May 2026

Food insecurity links to poorer mental and physical health in Tasmania

Food insecurity among adults in Tasmania was strongly associated with lower diet satisfaction and poorer self-rated mental and physical health, with diet dissatisfaction showing the strongest link. The findings suggest that food insecurity limits not only nutrition, but also food choice, agency, wellbeing, and equitable access to acceptable, affordable, and culturally appropriate diets.

24 May 2026

New computational pipeline improves effectiveness of pan-Ebola neutralizing antibodies

A team led by Professor Wei Yang at the National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, has developed a computational-experimental pipeline that synergistically optimizes antibody framework regions (FR) and complementarity-determining regions (CDR).

24 May 2026