Raw Milk Myths vs. Public Health Reality Raw milk has long been a favorite among wellness influencers and natural health advocates. Some claim it offers unique nutritional benefits that pasteurized milk lacks. But for infectious disease and public health experts like myself, the risks are far greater than any supposed rewards. A CDC study once…
Why Zika in Hawaii Matters Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on Earth and one of the most desirable vacation destinations for Americans. I’ve only been once oer 20 years ago, but have amazing memories of the island of Kauai. So when health agencies report about the emergence of Zika virus there, the…
Oz, Ostriches, and Outbreaks If you happened to see headlines recently about Dr. Oz, Canadian ostriches, and bird flu, you may have been as confused as I was. And, of course, tempted to click. This is, in fact, a real story and one that reveals how misinformation and political grandstanding are complicating infectious disease control…
What Is COVID Variant NV.1.81? How Do We Know It’s Spreading? Does NV.1.81 Cause More Severe Illness? What We Know About COVID-19 in General How to Reduce Your Risk Why Vaccine Policy Is at Risk Final Thoughts What Is COVID Variant NV.1.81? It’s the first time in a long time that I have seen the…
Table of Contents Introduction The “Make America Healthy Again” Report From Fact to Fiction: Misinformation in the Report The Rise of Pseudoscience in Health Policy COVID Vaccination in Pregnancy: Science vs. Politics When Scientific Review Is Replaced with AI What You Can Do Introduction On my Thermometer YouTube series, I recently sat down with Dr.…
If you’ve ever dreamed of soaking in a private hot tub and gazing out on the open sea on the deck of a cruise ship, you might want to think twice. At least until you ask a few pointed questions about how that hot tub is maintained. Earlier this year, CDC released a study that…
This week, UK scientists confirmed something that, to me, was destined to happen. For the first time, West Nile Virus (WNV) have been detected in mosquitoes collected in Britain. To be clear, the scientists detected fragments of the virus. There is no evidence of an active outbreak, and no humans or animals have been infected.…
When people think of food safety, they usually picture inspectors in white coats and hairnets walking around a factory floor. That’s certainly part of the process. But detecting and responding to foodborne outbreaks like listeriosis involves an entire hidden infrastructure that most people never see. Right now, that system is being eroded. Why Is Listeria…
When people talk about the risks artificial intelligence poses to humanity, they tend to focus on the most catastrophic outcomes: machines that operate beyond our control, or synthetic biology guided by AI creating bioterrorism agents, like smallpox. Those are legitimate and deeply concerning risks. In public health, some of the most dangerous crises come not…
Cats can catch human and avian flu viruses such as H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1. Learn symptoms, treatment, and why raw diets raise infection risk from Dr Jay Varma.
Flu season is ending in the U.S., with illness and hospitalizations on the decline. Learn why flu patterns matter, how they’re tracked globally, and what it means for future outbreaks.
Invasive strep infections are rising, especially in children. Learn how they differ from strep throat, why cases are increasing, and what parents can do to protect their kids.
This spring, public health officials have issued warnings about increased tick activity in New York City and surrounding areas. And for good reason. With warming temperatures and a surge in acorn production, the risk of catching a disease transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme disease, is climbing. It may sound strange to hear that acorns…
Why silence from the CDC during a growing measles outbreak puts public health at risk. Why the CDC Should Be Leading the Measles Response This week, RFK Jr. told Congress, “I don’t think people should be taking … medical advice from me.” I agree. But that raises a deeper question—who should the public be listening…
A friend recently asked me if it was safe to travel to Colombia while recovering from cancer. Their concern was yellow fever, not crime or altitude. The CDC has issued a Level 2 travel alert—“Practice Enhanced Precautions”—due to increased yellow fever activity in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia. If you’re planning to travel to one of…
Over the past eight months, health officials in Hood River County, Oregon, have reported three cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). Two of the three people have already died. It’s a small number, but it’s the kind of cluster that raises big questions because the disease is untreatable and 100% fatal. What Causes CJD? CJD is…
If you want to predict someone’s life expectancy, don’t bother asking about their DNA. Ask for their ZIP code. This is the core message behind a new report from the World Health Organization. It’s also a long-overdue challenge to the way the average person and policy maker typically thinks about health, especially in high-income countries…
A professor recently posted on social media that he was blocked by a prominent COVID-19 contrarian who has now been appointed to a senior position at the FDA. His post struck a nerve for me, because I’ve seen the same pattern play out again and again since the pandemic started. Loud voices from this community…
Public health labs fill an essential market failure. When people think about laboratory testing, they often imagine major hospital systems, academic medical centers, or large commercial labs processing thousands of samples a day. But behind the scenes, public health laboratories do the critical testing that these institutions often can’t—or won’t—do. These labs address a fundamental…
New CDC Data Shows HIV Diagnoses Increased in 2023 On April 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual HIV Surveillance Report, which updates trends in new diagnoses, deaths, and epidemiology for the previous year. One alarming finding: in 2023, 39,201 people aged 13 years and older were newly diagnosed with…
Health conspiracy thinkers are occasionally right about some issues—for the wrong reasons. The latest example? The news that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants more research into treatments for measles infection. According to The New York Times, the Department of Health and Human Services is directing agencies like the CDC and NIH “to explore potential new…
I started by career at CDC investigating outbreaks of foodborne diseases. I learned that they are one of the leading causes of preventable illness in the United States and that protecting the public requires rigorous standards from farm to fork, not just voluntary efforts or wishful thinking. That’s why recent announcements from the U.S. Department…
When I oversaw infectious disease control for New York City from 2011 to 2017, one of our most important public health achievements was driving the city’s tuberculosis (TB) rates to the lowest levels in history. It took decades of investment, dedication, and innovation to accomplish that. But even during that period of success, my colleagues…
What happens when you cut public health funding for prevention and treatment? All of us who work in health have been quietly asking ourselves the same uncomfortable question: What happens if the U.S. keeps cutting public health funding, loses more experienced staff, and the public’s trust in health authorities keeps eroding? What Happened After the…
Hantavirus infections are rare but deadly. Here’s what you need to know about the recent outbreak in California. Why Are People Dying from Hantavirus in Mammoth Lakes? A recent outbreak investigation from Mammoth Lakes, California—a stunning ski destination nestled in the Sierra Nevada—has sounded an alarm: several deaths linked to hantavirus have occurred in the…
STIs may be asymptomatic, before they become severe The news out of Alaska is alarming: a cluster of gonorrhea cases that appear to be more severe than usual, spreading beyond the genitals to the bloodstream, heart valves, and joints. This isn’t just a local concern—it’s a national wake-up call about how we approach sexually transmitted…
Sniffles, sneezing, or sore throat? Here’s how to know what you’re dealing with. Spring has arrived in New York City. There’s warmth in the air—but also a lot of pollen. If you’re sniffling, you now have that age-old question: are my symptoms just allergies, or am I sick with a virus? This is an issue…
What Gene Hackman’s death can teach us about brain health When news broke recently about the death of legendary actor Gene Hackman and his wife, the headlines were striking. Not just because of who they were, but because of how they died. Hackman’s wife reportedly died of hantavirus, a rare infection found mostly in the…
Not every scary disease headline means the next pandemic is here. Here are four questions to ask. Every few months, my social media feed fills up with scary headlines about a “mystery disease” or a possible new pandemic. A few weeks ago, it was reports out of Russia — people coughing up blood, testing negative…
Why Some Parents Are Asking This Question Right Now? For most of my career in public health, this question rarely came up in the U.S. The routine measles vaccine schedule — first dose at 12 months, second dose at 4 to 6 years — has worked incredibly well for decades because we’ve usually had enough…
I had a unique opportunity in my clinic last week to use the results of a new clinical trial to help a patient. An adult woman came in worried about recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV). She has been treated with antibiotics frequently and wanted to get tested for BV again, even though she was not having…
Lately, I’ve noticed a growing chorus of people claiming that America’s response to COVID-19 — the shutdowns, the distancing, the masking — went too far. And I get why people feel that way. The restrictions were painful, isolating, and disruptive. But here’s my concern: a lot of these conversations are shaped by a cognitive trap…
As a physician and public health expert, I have seen firsthand how transformative US investment in medical research in be. The main engine of that funding has been the National Institutes of Health, which, until recently, had a budget of $40 billion that flows to government, academic, and private industry researchers. It fuels discovery, turns…
Why is Clean Air Essential for Public Health? Clean air is crucial for preventing the spread of infectious diseases, particularly respiratory viruses that can linger in the air. As an epidemiologist, I’ve witnessed firsthand how our understanding of disease transmission has evolved, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, the focus was primarily on surface cleaning…
Why Is Measles Still a Public Health Concern? Despite being considered a disease of the past, measles remains a critical public health issue that signals the effectiveness of our health systems. Measles is often viewed as a resolved threat due to the widespread availability of vaccines; however, it serves as a vital indicator of the…
Effective communication is more crucial in public health than ever before. Effective communication is essential in public health as it helps to inform and educate the public about health threats, ensuring that people understand the risks and the necessary actions to take. Throughout my career, I have recognized that clear, consistent communication can bridge the…