Health

U.S. facing most intense flu season in at least 15 years

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor’s office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that number was clearly higher than the peak of any winter flu season since 2009-2010.

Community health centers face funding delays after Trump administration freeze

By Ali Rogin

PBS has confirmed that health centers in Arizona, Virginia, Maine, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, Montana and Minnesota were unable, at least temporarily, to access funds. The Maine and Montana centers are receiving their funding again.

The U.S. dodged a bird flu pandemic nearly 70 years ago. Can we do it again?

By Alexandra M. Lord, The Conversation

By 1957, scientists had a significantly more sophisticated understanding of influenza, worrying them that a pandemic similar to that of 1918 could easily erupt, killing millions again.

Live poultry markets ordered shut for a week in New York City due to avian flu outbreak

By Associated Press

The order came after seven cases of bird flu were found in poultry during routine inspections of live bird markets in the New York City boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.

Power nappers explain the benefits of sleeping on the job

By Cathy Bussewitz, Associated Press

People who make a habit of sleeping on the job comprise a secret society of sorts within the U.S. labor force.

Trump's deferred resignation plan could make the shortage of veteran affairs nurses even worse

By Carla K. Johnson, Brian Witte, Associated Press

Nurses caring for military veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs comprise the largest group of federal employees.

A different version of bird flu detected in dairy cows in Nevada

By JoNel Aleccia, Associated Press

Dairy cattle in Nevada have been infected with a new type of bird flu that's different from the version that has spread in herds since last year.

Racial gap widens in maternal mortality around time of childbirth

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

Black women in the U.S. died at a rate nearly 3.5 times higher white women around the time of childbirth in 2023. That's according to federal health data released Wednesday.

How vet schools are trying to address the mental health challenges plaguing veterinarians

By John Yang, Mary Fecteau, Lorna Baldwin, Zoie Lambert

Caring for beloved pets as a veterinarian can be satisfying and rewarding, but it can also bring mental health challenges that some feel haven’t been adequately addressed. Now, some veterinary schools are trying to do something about it for the…

Continue watching

6 ways Trump's executive orders are targeting transgender people

By Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press

President Donald Trump has targeted transgender and nonbinary people with a series of executive orders since he returned to office. Here's what to know about Trump's actions and who they affect.