Doctors plucked a wriggling roundworm from the brain of an Australian woman in the world’s first-known case of human infection with a parasite common in some pythons. The woman, who had been experiencing worsening symptoms for at least a year, is believed to have gotten the infection from foraging and eating grasses where a snake…  read on >  read on >

While new research suggests cancer screenings are not extending lives for the most part, the study’s authors stressed that there are still good reasons why people should continue with screenings. Their review of clinical trials looked at six kinds of common cancer tests — mammography, colonoscopy, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) or endoscopy, prostate-specific antigen…  read on >  read on >

Nineteen scientific studies have failed to answer a big question: Are cannabis-containing products safe or effective for kids with cancer? A new analysis of the studies found the evidence just isn’t there to determine dosing, safety and efficacy of medical marijuana or cannabis-containing products for managing symptoms experienced by these kids. “It was difficult to…  read on >  read on >

Children having short-term dental pain from extractions or toothache should not be prescribed opioids but rather manage those aches with over-the-counter ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen, according to new guidelines. The guidelines detailing dental pain management strategies for kids was endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA) after being developed by the ADA Science & Research Institute…  read on >  read on >

Older people who take adult education classes may lower their risk for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, Japanese research suggests. Middle-aged folks and older people in adult education classes had a 19% lower risk of developing dementia within five years, the researchers found. “We also found that nonverbal reasoning performance was well preserved in the adults…  read on >  read on >

People working in certain jobs had greater risk of being hospitalized for COVID-19, even in the later stages of the pandemic, researchers report. Bus drivers rank high on that list, with double the risk of being hospitalized compared to lower-contact jobs. Several occupations in education and health care were also at greater risk of serious…  read on >  read on >