Infectious Diseases
Find the latest stories, news, and expert advice about infectious diseases, including common colds, the flu, and foodborne illness.
How to Pick the Best Flu Shot for You
Getting an annual flu shot will cut your chances of coming down with the illness by about half. HealthCentral talked to a flu expert about this year’s vaccine.
The Latest
Recall Alert: 80+ Tons of Ground Beef May Be Contaminated with E. Coli
Check your freezers — this is one nasty cause of food poisoning.
Protect Yourself From Tick-Borne Illness With These Tips
A bite from these common critters could land you in the hospital. Here’s what you need to know.
This Flu Season is the Longest in 10 Years
We’re going on Week 22 of flu season, and no, it’s not necessarily too late to get your shot. Here’s what you should know.
Bad News: Your Docs May Not Be Washing Their Hands Correctly
Hand hygiene is key, especially in hospitals where health care-related infections can be fatal. Yet new research finds that health care workers may not be doing everything they can to protect us.
Deadly Staph Infections Linked to the Opioid Epidemic
Rising rates of staph infections may be due in part to the huge increase in the number of people who are addicted to opioids and other drugs, says the CDC.
What's Making Your Zika Risk Spike?
What does climate change have to do with the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes? Quite a bit according to results of a study in Nature Microbiology.
Is Your Doc Overprescribing Antibiotics?
Could a recent study published in BMJ suggesting antibiotics prescribed in the U.K. often exceed recommended guidelines raise a red flag in the U.S. too?
Doc, Put on Your Surgical Gown Without Help
Contamination risk is lower when surgeons put on their surgical gowns without help from surgical assistants before going into the operating room.
This Type of Antibiotic Could Cause Aortic Rupture, FDA Warns
Fluoroquinolones can increase the occurrence of dangerous bleeding or death from aortic dissection or aortic aneurism, according to a warning issued by the FDA.
Germy Stethoscopes in the ICU – and a Cleaning Solution
Your doctor’s stethoscope could be covered with potentially harmful bacteria — including Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause serious infections.