Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US
Unusual Symptoms Reported As Cases Of Highly Contagious Disease Surge In Parts Of US A highly contagious illness is making an unwelcome comeback across parts of the United States, with health officials warning of a notable uptick in cases. A viral infection most common in children under 5, hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is spreading rapidly in daycares and schools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  While the illness is usually mild — causing fever, mouth sores, and a distinctive rash on the hands and feet — doctors are seeing more adults affected, sometimes with unusual symptoms like widespread rashes and even nail loss. Th…
PA Mom’s BF Choked Kids With Belt As They Lived In Feces: Affidavit PA Mom’s BF Choked Kids With Belt As They Lived In Feces: Affidavit
PA Mom’s BF Choked Kids With Belt As They Lived In Feces: Affidavit A Pennsylvania mother is facing felony charges after police said her four children were found living in a home filled with feces, rotten food, and no running water, according to court records and a criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, Aug. 5.  Heidi Lynn Beer, 35, Vandergrift, was arrested by Vandergrift Borough police following an investigation that began after officers responded to a fight involving four children ages 16 to 9. The oldest child told authorities their mother had not been home since Friday and that she had been caring for her siblings without food or water. Inside …
Air Quality Alert Issued for Hudson Valley, Capital Region Amid Wildfire Smoke Air Quality Alert Issued for Hudson Valley, Capital Region Amid Wildfire Smoke
Air Quality Alert Issued for Hudson Valley, Capital Region Amid Wildfire Smoke Weather officials have issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for a large swath of eastern New York, including the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and parts of the Adirondacks, due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter in the air.  The advisory is in effect until midnight tonight, Tuesday, August 5, with air quality index (AQI) levels expected to exceed 100, indicating potentially unhealthy conditions for sensitive individuals, according to the National Weather Service and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  Fine particulates, also known as PM…
CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike
CDC Flags 40-State COVID Growth While Omicron Offshoot Variant NB 1.8.1 Drives Summer Spike Fueled by a fast-growing new variant, COVID-19 infections are regaining ground just as summer travel peaks. New CDC transmission estimates released Friday, Aug. 1 show the effective reproduction number, or Rt, above one in 40 states, meaning overall US infections are again expanding. In 28 states the agency assigns its highest confidence category — “growing” — while another 12 fall into the “likely growing” bucket. No state is currently classified as declining, and nine are holding steady. For more info, view the CDC's interactive map here, and click on a specific state. Nationally, the R…
COVID-19: Lockdowns, Anxiety During Pandemic May Have Aged Your Brain, Study Reveals COVID-19: Lockdowns, Anxiety During Pandemic May Have Aged Your Brain, Study Reveals
Covid-19: Lockdowns, Anxiety During Pandemic May Have Aged Your Brain, Study Reveals New research reveals that simply living through the COVID-19 pandemic — regardless of infection — has measurably aged our brains, with the effect most pronounced in men and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings were part of major new study published Tuesday, July 22 in Nature Communications.  Even people who never caught the virus showed signs of accelerated brain aging, highlighting the pandemic’s far-reaching impact on public health, according to the findings. Researchers from the UK Biobank project analyzed brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults, comparing t…
COVID-19: Highly Transmissible Strains Spark Summer Surge In Some States COVID-19: Highly Transmissible Strains Spark Summer Surge In Some States
Covid-19: Highly Transmissible Strains Spark Summer Surge In Some States New surveillance shows COVID-19 is quietly heating up at the height of summer, fueling concerns about travel plans and back-to-school prep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) time-varying reproductive number dashboard, seven states now have a rate above 1.2, meaning each infected person is, on average, passing the virus to more than one other individual.   Louisiana tops the list with an Rt of 1.28, followed closely by Florida (1.24), Nevada (1.22), and Hawaii (1.21). Texas, Mississippi and Alabama are hovering just above the 1.15 mark, signaling sus…
Public Health Alert Issued For Ham Salad Products Sold Across Country Public Health Alert Issued For Ham Salad Products Sold Across Country
Public Health Alert Issued For Ham Salad Products Sold Across Country A public health alert has been issued for certain ready-to-eat ham salad products due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that can cause serious illness. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says the alert involves FDA-regulated breadcrumb products used in the ham salads, which were recalled by Newly Weds Foods. The affected items include: 12-ounce tubs labeled “Reser’s Fine Foods Ham Salad” with sell-by dates of Sept. 1, 2025 5-pound tubs labeled “Molly’s Kitchen Ham Salad” with sell-by dates of Aug. 31, 2025 View produ…
Here’s Where You Can Swim Late (And Cheap) In Westchester As Temps Hit 103° Here’s Where You Can Swim Late (And Cheap) In Westchester As Temps Hit 103°
Here’s Where You Can Swim Late (And Cheap) In Westchester As Temps Hit 103° As temperatures soar across the Hudson Valley, Westchester County is keeping its pools and beaches open later to help residents cool off. A heat advisory is in effect through 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, for Westchester County, with heat index values expected to reach up to 103°, according to the National Weather Service. An Air Quality Alert is also in effect Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with health officials urging residents to limit strenuous outdoor activity. In response to the extreme heat, Westchester officials announced that county-run swimming areas will stay open an extra hour…
Nationwide Ice Cream Recall Issued Nationwide Ice Cream Recall Issued
Nationwide Ice Cream Recall Issued A popular brand of frozen treats has been pulled from shelves nationwide after a labeling issue raised concerns for people with milk allergies. Tropicale Foods, based in Ontario, California, is recalling select Helados Mexico and La Michoacana ice cream products because the ingredient lists failed to declare “milk,” despite including “cream.”  Federal officials say people with milk allergies or severe sensitivities risk serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume the recalled products. The affected items, distributed nationwide, include coconut, strawberry, mango, cookies an…
Raccoon Bites Two People In Westfield, Rabies Alert Issued Raccoon Bites Two People In Westfield, Rabies Alert Issued
Raccoon Bites Two People In Westfield, Rabies Alert Issued A racoon bit two people in Westfield, authorities announced Tuesday, July 22. The incidents occurred on the 400 block of 1st Avenue and the 700 block of Scotch Plains Avenue, the Westfield Health Department said in a public health alert. The raccoon may be infected with rabies, and officials urge residents in this area to stay alert. Suspicious animal behavior includes any animal that appears disoriented and confused, has difficulty walking, or is aggressive. If residents observe any animal with these behaviors, it should immediately be reported to the Westfield Police Department at 908-7…
Rabies Declared 'Imminent Public Health Threat' In Nassau County Rabies Declared 'Imminent Public Health Threat' In Nassau County
Rabies Declared 'Imminent Public Health Threat' In Nassau County Nassau County health officials have declared an “imminent public health threat” over rabies. Officials made the formal declaration Tuesday, July 22, after confirming two dozen rabies cases among raccoons and feral cats. At least 25 rabid animals have been confirmed since July 2024, marking a troubling return of a virus that had previously been eradicated from the area in 2016, according to the Nassau County Department of Health. “The resurgence of rabies in Nassau County, with its high population density and after nearly a decade of absence, represents a serious and evolving public health …
Trump Admin Gave ICE Access To Medicaid Data: ‘Grave Breach Of Public Trust,’ Maryland AG Says Trump Admin Gave ICE Access To Medicaid Data: ‘Grave Breach Of Public Trust,’ Maryland AG Says
Trump Admin Gave ICE Access To Medicaid Data: ‘Grave Breach Of Public Trust,’ Maryland AG Says Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is accusing the Trump administration of illegally sharing the private medical data of Medicaid recipients with federal immigration authorities, calling the move a “grave breach of the public’s trust.” The allegation follows reports that the Trump administration entered into an agreement giving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to sensitive personal health data from the Medicaid system. On Friday, July 18, Brown announced that Maryland has joined a multi-state lawsuit to stop what he called a dangerous and unlawful policy.  A he…