E. Coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders Widens to 75 Cases in 13 States; 22 Hospitalized

An outbreak of E. coli illness linked to onions used in McDonald's Quarter Pounders has expanded to now include 75 cases across 13 states, U.S. health officials announced Friday.

That's up from 49 cases in 10 states reported on Monday. The three new states with illnesses are Michigan, New Mexico and Washington.

"Of 61 people with inf...

Weight-Loss Surgeries Decline 25% as More Americans Turn to GLP-1 Meds

As the popularity of GLP-1 meds like Wegovy and Zepbound grows, fewer Americans are turning to weight-loss surgeries to trim their waistlines, a new report finds.

Prescriptions of this GLP-1 class of diabetes and weight-loss medications more than doubled between 2022 and 2023, a new tally finds.

"In contrast, there was a 25.6% decrea...

Burger King, Other Fast Food Chains Also Pulling Onions Tied to E. Coli Outbreak

With onions from one supplier implicated as the source of E. coli illness linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, other fast food chains are now pulling the onions from their menus.

Representatives for Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut all told NBC News that some of their restaurants will remove the onions from their m...

CDC Confirms Second Human Bird Flu Case in Missouri With No Known Exposure to Farm Animals

A second person in Missouri who wasn't exposed to either poultry or dairy cows has been infected with bird flu, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

This person shared a home with a patient who was first hospitalized with bird flu in August, but antibody tests have since shown that symptomatic health care workers who cared for the pat...

CDC Says Some People May Need Extra Dose of COVID Vaccine

Some Americans should get more than one shot of the updated COVID vaccines because their age or certain health conditions make them more vulnerable to severe infections, U.S. health officials advised this week.

Six months after their first shot, people 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised should receive a second dose of the&nbs...

Wildfires Are Gaining Speed in Western U.S., Upping Threat to People

Wildfires that spread so fast they outrun the efforts of fire crews trying to contain them: These types of conflagrations are becoming far more common across the Western United States, a new study warns.

A fire's velocity could be even more important than its size when it comes to the threat to people and property, researchers say.

&...

People's Brains Now Process Texts Almost as Quickly as Pictures

Texts deliver rapid-fire messages, but a new study indicates human brains can keep up with the barrage.

The brain can detect the basic linguistic structure of a brief sentence in roughly 150 milliseconds -- about the speed of a blink of an eye, researchers report.

“Our experiments reveal that the brain’s language comprehe...

There's Still Confusion on How to Spot, Treat Severe Allergic Reactions

Anaphylaxis involves a sudden, potentially life-threatening reaction to an allergen, including even very small amounts of food allergens such as egg or peanut.

Now, two studies find that people with allergies, as well as those charged with their care, are often unsure what to do when anaphylaxis strikes, and how soon.

Too often, pa...

What Works Best to Ease MS-Linked Fatigue? New Study Finds Out

Medication and behavioral therapy are both effective in combatting fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), either separately or together, a new study finds.

MS patients felt significantly less fatigue after they were prescribed modafinil (Provigil), a drug that promotes wakefulness and is used to treat sleepiness, researchers reported r...

Vigorous Workouts Suppress Hunger, Especially for Women

A heart-pounding workout suppresses a person’s hunger levels better than less strenuous exercises like a brisk walk or active yoga, a new study shows.

Running, swimming laps or taking a fast-paced spin class is more effective in suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin than less intense exercise, researchers report.

What’s ...

Will Injury Pain Become Chronic? Brain Scans Might Tell

Brain scans can provide early warning of who will develop chronic pain following a whiplash injury, a new study finds.

Higher levels of “cross talk” between two specific brain regions within one to three days of the injury increases the risk that pain will last long-term, researchers found.

The more the hippocampus (the b...

Antibiotics Reveal Links Between Gut Microbes, Parkinson's

Certain gut microbes might be linked to a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a new study suggests.

People prescribed multiple courses of penicillin antibiotics have a modestly lower risk of developing Parkinson’s, researchers found.

Those antibiotics might be affecting bacterial populations in the gut...

Onions in McDonalds' Quarter Pounders Linked to E. Coli Outbreak Have Been Recalled

Just days after an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounders was first announced, a company producing onions used in the burgers said it has issued a recall for its diced, peeled and whole onions.

The onions were produced at Taylor Farms Colorado and have been pinpointed by McDonalds as the source of the outbreak, which has alre...

Private Balcony Hot Tubs Spread Legionnaires Disease on Cruise Ships

Next time you're on a cruise, be wary of your (or your neighbor's) private balcony hot tub, researchers warn.

These luxe cabin features were pinpointed as a source of outbreaks of the respiratory illness Legionnaires disease that broke out on two ships.

The Legionella bacterium thrives in wet, warm conditions, so "hot tubs o...

Over 50? How Long You Can Stand on One Leg Is Important

There's a simple test available to seniors who want to quickly check how well they’re aging: see how long you can stand on one leg.

Folks over 50 who can stand on one leg for 30 seconds are aging gracefully, particularly if it’s not their strong leg, a new study finds.

This test worked better than tests of hand grip, knee...

Newborn Genome Analysis Spots More Health Issues Than Standard Screening

DNA analysis of newborns can detect many more preventable or treatable health problems than standard newborn screening does, a new study shows.

Genome sequencing identified 120 babies with serious and treatable health conditions out of 4,000 newborns, researchers reported Oct. 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association....

CDC Lowers Age for First Pneumococcal Vaccine to 50

The recommended first age at which Americans should get the pneumococcal vaccine has been lowered from 65 to 50, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

"Lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination gives more adults the opportunity to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at the age when risk of in...

More Kids With Food Allergies Are Needing Psychological Care

Anxiety is driving more children with potentially dangerous food allergies to seek out psychological care, a new study finds.

Focusing on one Ohio hospital, the researchers found a more than 50% jump in psychology referrals for kids with food allergies between 2018 and 2023.

“Our center has devoted significant resources to ad...

EPA Finalizes Tough New Standards on Lead Paint Dust

In a move that further toughens safety standards for lead paint dust, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced the finalization of a rule that declares any detectable amount of the toxin in a home or child care center to be hazardous.

“Too often our children, the most vulnerable residents of already overburdened comm...

Ozempic, Wegovy Might Help Lower Alzheimer's Risk in People With Diabetes

Add Alzheimer’s disease to the list of conditions that might benefit from the revolutionary diabetes drug Ozempic, a new study says.

People with type 2 diabetes taking semaglutide appeared to have a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to patients taking seven other diabetes drugs, researchers reported Oc...