There’s early evidence that a mysterious flu-like illness that has sickened 416 people and left 75 dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo over recent weeks may be malaria. Laboratory samples taken from infected people are suggestive of malaria, although more research is needed to confirm that, health officials said. “Of the 12 samples taken,…  read on >  read on >

Sneaking cigarettes might seem like a harmless pre-teen rite of passage, but it’s more dangerous than you think, a new study warns.  Regular smoking at a young age doesn’t just lead to a higher chance of smoking later in life — it can also cause serious harm to young hearts. Experts have understood that children…  read on >  read on >

Actor Jamie Foxx has shared the details of a life-threatening medical emergency he experienced last year after doctors discovered he had suffered a brain bleed. In his new Netflix comedy special, “What Had Happened Was,” Jamie Foxx finally described what left him fighting for his life in 2023, Variety magazine reported Tuesday. Emerging on stage…  read on >  read on >

Genital herpes is widespread the world round among younger adults, with more than 846 million people living with the lifelong sexually transmitted infection, a new review finds. About 1 in 5 people younger than 50 live with a genital herpes infection, researchers reported Dec. 10 in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. Even worse, more than…  read on >  read on >

For children genetically predisposed to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), exposure to cigarette smoke in the family home could raise that risk even higher, new research shows. “A higher genetic MS risk is associated with an increased vulnerability to the negative effects of household smoking on brain development,” conclude a Dutch team led by Dr. Rinze…  read on >  read on >

Watch out for tall, fast-moving cars. The height of a vehicle, not only its speed, determines its potential danger to a pedestrian, new research shows. “Multiple factors — in this case speed and vehicle height—converge to create negative outcomes on the road,” said David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Measurements…  read on >  read on >