Greater numbers of women are dying of alcohol-related conditions, study finds

A rising number of women are succumbing to alcohol-related deaths, a new study published in JAMA Network on July 28 found.

While males historically have been more than twice as likely to die from alcohol-related conditions than females, the gap appears to be narrowing.

Researchers from Hofstra University in New York, Harvard Medical School and the University of South Carolina analyzed nearly 606,000 deaths linked to alcohol between 1999 and 2020, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. 

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Mortality has been rising for both genders, but the spike has been sharper among females.

Men’s mortality rate increased by 12.5% between 2018 and 2020, while the rate among women increased by 14.7%, the researchers found. 

The most prominent increase was seen in the last three years of the study.

The higher mortality increase among females remained even after excluding data from the first year of the pandemic, the researchers noted.

"This finding is concerning because women experience greater health consequences from drinking alcohol compared to men," Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, told Fox News Digital.

Johnson was not involved in the study.

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The deaths were linked to alcohol-related poisoning, gastritis, cardiomyopathy, myopathy, liver disease, polyneuropathy and pseudo-Cushing syndrome, among others, according to the journal article.

"The changing patterns of alcohol consumption among women are an important consideration in understanding these trends," the study authors wrote in a discussion of the findings. 

"Women are now drinking alcohol at higher amounts and frequencies than in the past, likely due to the normalization of alcohol use for female individuals in society."

One potential reason for the uptick in drinking rates among women is a rise in stress levels and stress-related disorders in recent years, the researchers said.

"Stress plays a major role in the development and maintenance of disordered drinking," Johnson said. 

"It is not a big leap to look at soaring food and housing costs and think that chronic stress is taking its toll in the form of increased alcohol use to cope with today's hardships."

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Physical factors contributing to the larger mortality risk among women is the fact that they tend to have a higher percentage of body fat and a lower percentage of body water compared to men, the study authors wrote, "resulting in higher alcohol blood concentrations and potentially increasing vulnerability to complications."

Additional factors include hormonal fluctuations, slower alcohol metabolism, higher susceptibility to physiological and organ damage, and greater risk of liver diseases, circulatory disorders and breast cancer.

This research did not explore the specific factors that could have contributed to alcohol-related deaths, nor did it fully examine trends among specific age groups, the study authors wrote. 

Also, the study did not take into account historical or generational factors.

There was also not enough mortality data for females between ages 15 and 24 to establish a trend for that age group.

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption.

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"Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance," the WHO wrote.

"Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common cancer types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer."

Alcohol is the fourth-leading preventable cause of mortality in the U.S., leading to more than 140,000 deaths each year — approximately 97,000 men and 43,000 women — according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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Georgia resident dies from rare brain-eating amoeba found in freshwater lakes

A Georgia resident has died from a rare "brain-eating amoeba," the state’s health department confirmed last Wednesday. 

The resident likely became infected while swimming in a freshwater lake or pond in Georgia, the health department said. 

"Naegleria fowleri" is a rare infection that destroys brain tissue, causing brain swelling and usually death. The amoeba lives in soil and warm, freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds and hot springs. It is not found in salt water and is not found in properly treated drinking water and swimming pools.

Officials did not say where the victim was infected. Nor did officials release any additional information about the victim. This is the sixth case of the infection in Georgia since 1962.

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People can become infected when water containing the amoeba goes up a person's nose. It cannot infect people if swallowed and is not spread from person to person.

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"The amoeba is naturally occurring, and there is no routine environmental test for Naegleria fowleri in bodies of water; and because it is very common in the environment, levels of the amoebas that naturally occur cannot be controlled," health officials said. "The location and number of amoebas in the water can vary over time within the same body of water."

Symptoms of an infection include severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting and progress to a stiff neck, seizures and coma that can lead to death. Symptoms start about five days after infection but can start anywhere from 1 to 12 days after infection. Symptoms progress rapidly and can cause death within five days.

People who choose to swim can reduce their risk of infection by limiting the amount of water that goes up their nose. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends not jumping or diving into bodies of fresh water, as well as holding your nose shut and keeping your head above water.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

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Lead and other metal contaminants increase heart disease risk, AHA warns: ‘We need to do better’

There are a total of 9.2 million lead pipes across the country, with an estimated 1.16 million of them located in Florida, according to a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

These pipes potentially deliver contaminated drinking water to millions of households, the EPA said. 

While the adverse health effects of lead exposure are well-known, many physicians aren’t aware of the link between heavy metal contaminants and cardiovascular issues.

That's the view of the American Heart Association, in a new statement published in its journal. 

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AHA researchers investigated the impact of lead, cadmium and arsenic on the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

They found that exposure to these metals raises the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, which is caused by a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle.

"Large population studies indicate that even low-level exposure to contaminant metals is near-universal and contributes to the burden of cardiovascular disease, especially heart attacks, stroke, disease of the arteries to the legs and premature death from cardiac causes," said Gervasio A. Lamas, M.D., chairman of medicine and chief of the Columbia University Division of Cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"We need to do better to protect communities at risk," he also said.

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Some studies have estimated that up to 450,000 cardiovascular deaths per year could be related to lead, noted report co-author Ana Navas-Acien, M.D., PhD, professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University in New York, in a video discussion with Lamas posted on AHA’s website.

Black, Hispanic and Asian populations, as well as individuals with lower socioeconomic means, have higher levels of exposure, the researchers found — a situation that Navas-Acien calls "environmental injustice."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment. 

People are most often exposed to toxic contaminant metals in the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat, said Navas-Acien.

"Basically, we are getting a daily dose of a combination of these elements, and they do not really have a role in the human body," she said.

After these toxic metals are absorbed via the respiratory tract, they can impact multiple functions and pathways in the bodies, including increasing inflammation and oxidative stress, Navas-Acien explained.

"They remain in our body for decades … so there is plenty of opportunity for vascular damage," she said.

The primary sources of lead are leaded gasoline, lead paint and lead pipes, Lamas said.

"Currently, lead pipes remain important in thousands of communities," Lamas said. 

"Lead cables are beneath many cities and leach lead into the soil and the water. We still use lead batteries and lead tire weights. Cigarette smoking is another source of lead," he also said. 

Everyone carries some amount of lead in their bodies, he noted — some less, some more.

"Lead is a silent killer that has no use in the human body," Lamas said. 

"It replaces essential substances in critical cellular reactions in the blood vessels and heart, and essentially acts as a poison."

"As a consequence, for at least 30 years, we have known that patients with higher blood lead levels are more prone to hypertension, stroke, heart attacks, kidney disease, cognitive problems and death," he added.

Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicology physician and interim executive director at the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., was not involved in the AHA research but agreed that environmental exposures are an often-overlooked risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 

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"Several studies have demonstrated an association between lead exposure and heart disease in adults," she told Fox News Digital. 

"In some studies, even low blood lead levels are linked to an increased risk of death from heart disease."

She also said, "Lead exposure can also increase inflammation and oxidative stress at the cellular level, which can also impact the development of heart disease."

The effects of lead exposure can differ between children and adults.

In children, common warning signs include learning difficulties, developmental delays, loss of appetite, irritability, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting and seizures, according to the Mayo Clinic website.

In adults, the signs and symptoms of lead exposure can be vague and may affect many organ systems in the body.

"High blood pressure, fatigue, anemia and abdominal pain are some signs and symptoms of lead exposure or lead toxicity in adults, but some people may not have any symptoms," said Johnson-Arbor.

Other potential red flags in adults include difficulties with concentration or memory, headache, mood disorders, and joint and muscle pain.

For those who live or work in areas where lead is present in the environment, Johnson-Arbor recommended getting routine blood testing to determine their lead levels.

"This is important because even low levels of lead exposure are associated with increased risks of heart disease in adults," she warned.

To obtain testing, people can ask their primary care doctor or contact Poison Control at www.poison.org or at 1-800-222-1222.

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If lead poisoning is diagnosed, it is important to remove the affected individual from any ongoing sources of lead exposure, Johnson-Arbor noted. 

"In severe cases of lead poisoning, chelation therapy can be prescribed to help excrete the lead from the body," she said. 

"With these treatments, many of the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning can be reversed."

Chelation therapy involves weekly treatments of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), which is administered through an IV, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. EDTA is used to treat and manage heavy metal toxicity. 

Given the known health risks, the EPA has set the "maximum contaminant level goal" for lead in drinking water at zero.

"Lead can be present in public water service lines or internal plumbing within a home, which makes it challenging to eliminate the source of lead exposure from the water supply," said Johnson-Arbor.

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Because lead leaches into the water supply more easily at higher temperatures, using cold tap water can reduce the risk of lead exposure, she explained.

"If hot water is needed, obtain cold water from the tap and then heat it elsewhere," she recommended. "Running the faucet for one to two minutes before consuming the water can also help flush lead out."

Drinking bottled water is another way to reduce lead exposure from water service lines.

Other strategies include using an air filtration system to prevent airborne pollutants from getting into the lungs, Lamas said, as well as using water filters that remove lead from drinking water.

The EPA’s website provides information on how to check residential water pipes for lead exposure.

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"People who live in high-risk areas should talk with their doctors about ways to reduce lead exposure," Johnson-Arbor said.

Physicians, however, face significant challenges in helping patients who suffer from heavy metals toxicity, the study researchers.

"The truth is that trying to manage this requires public health measures, including exposure, monitoring and abatement, individual testing, and development of treatments for these accumulated metals," Lamas said.

The doctor is hopeful that new medications currently being tested will provide some benefit in the future.

On a larger scale, Johnson-Arbor said that aging water systems — in both public buildings and private residences — will need to be replaced to prevent additional corrosion or the leaching of lead. 

To help address the problems in Florida, the EPA recently announced it will spend $376 million for drinking water upgrades in the state in 2023, with nearly $255 million of those funds allocated to replacing lead pipes.

As Johnson-Arbor told Fox News Digital, "Increased public awareness of the dangers of chronic lead exposure in adults and children, as well as improved governmental regulations to improve the aging water service line infrastructure, should help reduce lead exposures from water."

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Just 4 minutes of intense daily activity could slash cancer risk among ‘non-exercisers,’ study finds

Logging hours in the gym isn't the only way to reap the health benefits of exercise. 

Just four to five minutes of "vigorous physical activity" could reduce cancer risk significantly among people who have been generally inactive, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Oncology.

Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia, analyzed data from 22,398 non-exercising adults averaging 62 years of age who wore activity trackers on their wrists for a seven-day span.

The researchers then looked at cancer-related diagnoses, hospitalizations and deaths for the participants over a period of several years.

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Those who participated in daily vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) for an average of 4.5 minutes per day had a 32% reduced risk of "physical activity-related cancer incidence" — including kidney, bladder, stomach and lung cancers — based on six to seven years of medical records, the study found.

For participants who exercised 3.4 to 3.6 minutes per day, the risk of cancer was reduced by 17% to 18%.

Those who received a previous cancer diagnosis were excluded from the study, according to the journal article. 

The researchers adjusted for factors including age, BMI, heart disease history, sleep habits, diet, family cancer history and smoking status, the release said.

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"We know the majority of middle-aged people don’t regularly exercise, which puts them at increased cancer risk, but it’s only through the advent of wearable technology like activity trackers that we are able to look at the impact of short bursts of incidental physical activity done as part of daily living," said lead author Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor at the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, in a press release announcing the study findings.

"It’s quite remarkable to see that upping the intensity of daily tasks for as little as four to five minutes a day, done in short bursts of around one minute each, is linked to an overall reduction in cancer risk by up to 18%, and up to 32% for cancer types linked to physical activity," he added.

VILPA is defined as "brief and sporadic bouts of vigorous physical activity during daily living," the study authors wrote.

Examples include climbing stairs, carrying heavy grocery bags, completing physical household tasks, walking fast and playing high-energy games with children.

"VILPA is a bit like applying the principles of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your everyday life," said Stamatakis.

This is thought to be the first study to evaluate the association of VILPA with cancer incidence, the authors wrote.

The study did have some limitations — primarily the fact that a vast majority (96%) of the adults analyzed were White.

The study is also observational and is not intended to prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the release stated.

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Additionally, the participants answered the original screening questions about their activity levels 5.5 years before they wore the fitness trackers.

"We need to further investigate this link through robust trials, but it appears that VILPA may be a promising cost-free recommendation for lowering cancer risk in people who find structured exercise difficult or unappealing," said Stamatakis in the release.

"We are just starting to glimpse the potential of wearable technology to track physical activity and understand how unexplored aspects of our lives affect our long-term health," he added. 

"The potential impact on cancer prevention and a host of other health outcomes is enormous."

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COVID hospitalizations are on the rise, could signal ‘late summer wave,’ says the CDC

The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is rising this summer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hospitalizations of people with the virus are up 10%, per CDC data — the sharpest increase since December 2022.

More than 7,100 patients with COVID were hospitalized in the week of July 15, up from 6,444 the prior week.

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COVID-related emergency room visits are also on the rise, comprising 0.73% of visits as of July 21, compared to 0.49% a month prior.

"After roughly six, seven months of steady declines, things are starting to tick back up again," Dr. Brendan Jackson, the CDC's COVID-19 incident manager in Atlanta, Georgia, told NPR this week.

"We've seen the early indicators go up for the past several weeks," he continued.

"And just this week, for the first time in a long time, we've seen hospitalizations tick up as well."

He added, "This could be the start of a late summer wave."

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The spikes have been most prominent in the Southeast, Jackson said. 

"Early indicators of COVID-19 activity (emergency department visits, test positivity and wastewater levels) preceded an increase in hospitalizations seen this past week," CDC spokesperson Kathleen Conley said in a statement.

Despite the uptick, she confirmed that COVID rates are still at "near-historic lows" in the U.S.

Overall, COVID deaths continue to decline.

They're now at the lowest rate since the CDC started keeping track, according to Jackson.

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The surge in summer cases doesn’t mean the CDC plans to recommend a return to masking, he said.

"For most people, these early signs don't need to mean much," Jackson said.

Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, is skeptical that a summer surge is underway.

"Ordinarily, I would pay careful attention to wastewater analysis, but given the amount of immunity still around from prior infection and vaccination — coupled with the fact that we are still within the Omicron family with most infections remaining mild and hospitalizations showing only a slight uptick — I don't see this as a harbinger of another surge," he told Fox News Digital. 

"These are just embers of a fire not completely out."

More concerning to Siegel are the "mutagenic" subvariants emerging in Asia, the doctor said.

As a result, said Siegel, "I am likely going to recommend the new XBB subvariant booster in the fall, especially for those in high-risk groups who haven't had a recent infection or vaccine."

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Errors in disease diagnosis lead to nearly 800,000 deaths, disabilities in US each year: study

Misdiagnoses in the U.S. lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths and major disabilities each year, according to a recent report from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Maryland.

Each year, an estimated 795,000 Americans become permanently disabled or die due to a misdiagnosis, the study found.

It was published in The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical trade journal. 

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The top five misdiagnosed conditions were stroke, sepsis, pneumonia, venous thromboembolism (formation of a blood clot in a vein) and lung cancer — which together made up 38.7% of all cases.

More than half of all serious harm cases were made up of only 15 dangerous diseases, which led researchers to believe the issue may be more manageable than expected.

Study co-author Dr. David Newman-Toker, a neurology professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence, told Fox News Digital in an interview how he and his team determined the number of affected people.

The "very simple" math, he said, included tallying up the total number of dangerous disease cases — such as heart attack, stroke, infections, vascular events and cancer — and multiplying that by both the error rate for each disease and the "risk of harm" associated with each error.

The researchers used a "complex set of data sources" for each of these factors, according to Newman-Toker. 

These included population-based data such as the National Inpatient Sample and national cancer registries, as well as systematic reviews.

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"For the final totals, we used nine different methods to assess the impact of various assumptions we made along the way," he said, "as well as to externally validate using other data sources and methods that our numbers were reasonable."

Regarding the total number of nearly 800,000 harmful outcomes, Newman-Toker said the results were "sort of unsurprising." 

He added, "We've known for quite some time that diagnostic errors are a significant hidden source of harm from medical error."

And so, "to see a number that exceeded all the prior totals from medical error wasn't that surprising to us."

He added, "Most of those totals basically ignore diagnostic errors, and they're sort of the bottom of the iceberg of patient safety and quality."

What was surprising, Newman-Toker noted, was the relatively small number of diseases that accounted for a majority of errors.

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"Fifteen diseases accounted for half of all the serious harms and just five diseases accounted for nearly 40%," he said. 

"That's an important insight because it makes the problem more tractable, and the diagnostic errors are a problem across all sectors of medicine, with all diseases and in all contexts." 

"It's easy for it to start to feel overwhelming from a problem-fixing standpoint," Newman-Toker said. 

"But this gives us an opportunity to actually tackle some of the highest harm problems and make a big dent in reducing the harms to patients."

The researcher said he is hopeful that this kind of research could help curb major errors in the future.

"It points us in the direction we need to go," he said. "It tells us where the majority of harms are occurring."

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While these findings offer useful insights toward preventing misdiagnoses, Newman-Toker pointed out that this is the "most underfunded" sector of public health.

For anyone concerned about a potential misdiagnosis, patients should come prepared to doctor's appointments, ask plenty of questions and remain vigilant, said the researcher.

Being prepared, according to Newman-Toker, means showing up with a "simple summary" of symptoms, as well as the patient's medical history.

"The most important question to ask your doctor is, 'What's the worst thing this could be? And why is it not that?'" he said.

Rather than asking if they need a different medicine, patients should ask, "Are we sure the diagnosis was right?" said Newman-Moker.

"Those are the main things patients must do to protect themselves."

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Dementia-depression connection: Early sadness can lead to later cognitive issues, study finds

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

People who suffer from depression are more than twice as likely to develop dementia later in life, a new study from Penn Medicine found. It was published in JAMA Neurology.

The link was found for both young and middle-aged adults, but the risk was higher for men.

The study was a collaboration between researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Aarhus University in Denmark. It followed 1.4 million Danish citizens over nearly four decades, according to a press release announcing the findings.

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Overall, those who were diagnosed previously with depression were 2.41 times more likely to receive a dementia diagnosis eventually, the release stated.

"While depression diagnosed later in life is generally thought to be an early symptom of dementia, our results suggest that a depression diagnosis at any point in adulthood increases the risk of dementia later on," first author Holly Elser, M.D., PhD, a neurology resident at Penn, said in the release. 

"Previous studies with smaller sample sizes and shorter follow-up times have consistently illustrated the link between dementia and depression diagnosed later in life, but with our long-term analysis, we were able to precisely estimate the association between dementia and depression over an individual’s life span," she explained.

The correlation existed regardless of the age at which the depression was diagnosed.

Those hospitalized for depression multiple times had a stronger risk of dementia later in life.

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There didn’t seem to be any increased risk among those who were prescribed antidepressants within six months of being diagnosed with depression, the study found.

Dr. Rehan Aziz, geriatric psychiatrist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and associate professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey, was not part of the study but shared his thoughts on the findings.

"The study links depression and dementia — but it does not explain why the risk exists," he told Fox News Digital.

The doctor said he has several theories, however.

"One is that depression and dementia may share similar genetics and cause similar brain changes," he said. 

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"For example, we know that depression can cause shrinkage of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is important for recent memories."

"While the shrinkage is reversible with [the] treatment of depression, it is probable that it has later-life effects," he hypothesized. 

Depression can also create a state of inflammation in the brain and impact other brain chemicals, Aziz noted, which could also trigger later-life memory problems.

Although the study findings stated that the prescription of antidepressants didn’t seem to impact the risk of dementia, Aziz said more research is needed to make a definitive call.

"For example, the study did not comment on which antidepressants were used, the dosages ordered, duration of treatment or the effectiveness of the treatment," he said. 

"It's also not clear if other depression treatments were used."

Mental health conditions should "treat depression aggressively," Aziz said, with a combination of medications, psychotherapy and lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise.

"Clinicians should also discuss the possible linkage between depression and dementia and emphasize to patients the importance of adhering to depression treatment," he added.

The doctor also pointed out that "sadness and depression are not the same thing."

"Everybody experiences sadness from time to time, and that should not increase the risk of dementia," he said. 

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"Clinical depression stops one's life. It can impair functioning and prevent people from working, maintaining relationships, experiencing joy and taking care of themselves."

In extreme situations, people with depression may even have thoughts about not wanting to live anymore, he warned.

"It is important that anybody experiencing depression seek prompt medical evaluation so they can start treatment," Aziz said.

Some 17.3 million people age 18 and older in the U.S. — about 7.1% of the adult population — suffer from major depressive disorder, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

It is estimated that around 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, per the Alzheimer’s Association.

The researchers acknowledged the limitations of the paper and the need for further research of the link between the two mental disorders.

"It is still unclear what about depression increases the risk of a dementia diagnosis," said Elser in the press release.

"And I hope to see further research that evaluates whether the link between depression and dementia may be biological, a result of behaviors associated with depression, like social isolation and other changes in key health behaviors or some combination of these mechanisms," he said.

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CDC likely to recommend annual COVID booster shot, director says

The new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that her agency would likely come out with guidance in the fall that Americans should get an annual COVID-19 booster shot. 

"We’re just on the precipice of that, so I don’t want to get ahead of where our scientists are here and doing that evaluation work, but yes we anticipate that COVID will become similar to flu shots, where it is going to be you get your annual flu shot, and you get your annual COVID shot," Dr. Mandy Cohen told Spectrum News.

"We’re not quite there yet, but stay tuned," she added. "I think within the next couple of weeks, month we’re going to hear more from our experts on COVID shots."

Spectrum News said that the agency is finalizing the recommendation and is expected to announce it in early September.

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Cohen also addressed public trust in the agency since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said that "folks have been very clear that the CDC did lose trust" when asked if the CDC could have taken different action. 

"There were some early places where the CDC didn’t perform and execute in the way they needed to," Cohen said, noting that she is worried about vaccine distrust. 

"I’m very worried about parents not vaccinating kids," she said. "I got my kids vaccinated from the circulating viruses. There’s plenty of other things that are hard as parents that we can’t do. This is one we can do to protect our kids."

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Going forward, the leader said she plans to focus on transparency and building relations with politicians, health officials and the public. 

"Just like we have a military to protect us here and around the world, we need a CDC that can protect us," Cohen said. 

"We can’t see those cuts and have the national security assets we need here at the CDC," she added. 

House Republicans are aiming to make significant cuts to the agency’s funding.

Cohen wants the CDC to be considered a "trusted partner" looking out for families and communities. 

Cohen formerly served as North Carolina's Health Secretary and Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Obama administration. 

GOP lawmakers wrote a letter in June urging President Biden to withdraw his appointee.

"Dr. Cohen is unfit for the position," the lawmakers asserted. "Throughout her career, Dr. Cohen has politicized science, disregarded civil liberties, and spread misinformation about the efficacy and necessity of COVID vaccinations and the necessity of masks during her time as the Secretary of the North Carolina Health and Human Services."

Fox News' Greg Wehner, Hanna Panreck and Houston Keene contributed to this report.

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Mysterious illness triggered by tick bite could affect thousands, yet many doctors are unaware of it

A little-known, life-threatening food allergy that is triggered by a tick bite could be affecting hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday. 

The condition is called Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) — also known as the "red-meat allergy" or the "tick bite meat allergy." It begins with a bite from the Lone Star tick, found primarily in Southeastern and Eastern states. 

The tick’s saliva contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, which is injected into the body with the bite. This triggers allergies to certain types of red meat (primarily pork, beef, rabbit, lamb or venison) or products made from mammals (including cheese, milk, other dairy products and gelatin).

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When people eat any foods containing the allergens, they can experience serious allergy symptoms within a few hours.

The CDC has only been aware of Alpha-Gal Syndrome since 2008, according to Dr. Johanna Salzer, CDC epidemiologist and a senior author of the new report.

"We have seen an annual increase in the numbers of suspected Alpha-Gal Syndrome cases between 2010 and 2022," she told Fox News Digital.

Between 2017 and 2021, out of 300,000 tests done, 30% were positive for AGS, the CDC found in one study.

Officially, the CDC has received reports of over 110,000 suspected cases — but it’s believed that the actual number could be as high as 450,000 people. 

This is because many people likely don’t get tested and many physicians haven’t even heard of the condition, Salzer said. 

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"Based on our survey of 1,500 physicians and medical professionals, nearly half of them had never even heard of the syndrome," she said. "Another third of them said they have heard of it, but that they have little confidence in their ability to diagnose [it] or manage a patient [with it]."

She added, "It’s important for them to be aware of this condition and the variety of ways in which people can present, as well as the geographic areas where we’ve identified suspected cases and potential hot spots."

In the first documented case of AGS, Salzer said someone ate a steak dinner at night, then woke up at 2 a.m. having an anaphylactic reaction, which led to an emergency room visit. 

"We now know that people can range from milder to more severe reactions," she said. "It’s inconsistent between individuals. Some people only have gastroinestinal symptoms and others have more severe anaphylactic reactions."

Some other common symptoms include hives; itchy or scaly skin; swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat; wheezing or shortness of breath; and stomach pain, diarrhea, upset stomach or vomiting, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.

Complicating things further, the same person can have different reactions at different times. 

"One day, a person could eat a hamburger that causes an anaphylactic reaction, sending them to the ER — but then the next day they might eat meat and hamburgers and not have any symptoms," Salzer said. 

"This makes it difficult for both the patient and a health care provider to understand what is triggering these symptoms."

Dr. Scott Commins, associate professor of medicine and associate chief for allergy and immunology at UNC Medicine in North Carolina, was a co-author of the CDC reports.

He often hears of patients having "middle-of-the-night symptoms" — mainly hives, itching and abdominal pain.

"A red, itchy spot where the tick bite occurred, which can take weeks to heal, is also commonly reported," he told Fox News Digital.

"Some patients describe only having gastrointestinal symptoms — severe abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea — so if this happens repeatedly after eating red meat, that can be a sign of the allergy and may be worth having the blood test performed," he added.

A diagnosis of AGS requires antibody testing and a clinical exam. 

Many patients face a long road to diagnosis — an average of seven years, Salzer said.

"And to get diagnosed, they have to have access to an allergist," she noted. "For many people, there are barriers to get that level of treatment."

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When someone is diagnosed with AGS, the person may have it for a lifetime, Salzer said.

"However, for some people, if they remove the foods from their diet that can reactivate Alpha Gal syndrome, over time, their antibody levels may drop," she noted.

Currently, there is no treatment or cure for AGS — though physicians can help patients manage their symptoms.

"There are a number of things [that] health care providers can provide to alleviate symptoms depending on the patients’ individual reactions," Salzer said. 

"Those with more severe reactions are administered Epi-Pens in case they go into anaphylactic shock."

The CDC has not recorded any known fatalities from Alpha-Gal Syndrome.

The Lone Star tick is found primarily throughout the Eastern, Southeastern and South-Central states, according to the CDC.

"We’re seeing that the geographic pattern is kind of a contiguous region between the South, the Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic region, which follows very closely to the Lone Star tick’s established populations," Salzer said. 

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"So, we still believe that it’s the primary tick species in the U.S. that is associated with Alpha-Gal Syndrome, but other kinds of ticks have not been ruled out," Salzer added.

There have been some clusters of cases in other regions outside the Lone Star tick’s primary areas, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

"That suggests there may be another tick species involved, or that there are perhaps pockets of Lone Star tick populations that have not yet been documented," Salzer explained.

To protect against tick bites, Salzer recommends applying EPA-approved insect repellent — those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone — whenever going into an area where tick bites are a possibility.

Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks can also help to prevent bites, along with avoiding grassy, brushy and wooded areas.

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"When returning from an area that is known to have ticks, be sure to shower and do a very thorough check," she added.

There is a seasonal factor to consider, as the cases occur more in warm months when folks are outside and ticks are active, Commins noted.

"The allergy itself does appear to resolve completely for many patients who can successfully avoid additional tick bites," he said. 

"We find that continued, occasional bites can be sufficient to keep the allergy present."

With its new reports, the CDC aims to educate physicians and patients about an emerging public health problem that can have potentially severe health impacts, said Dr. Ann Carpenter, epidemiologist and lead author of one of the papers released on Thursday. 

"It’s critical for clinicians to be aware of AGS so they can properly evaluate, diagnose and manage their patients and also educate them on tick-bite prevention to protect patients from developing this allergic condition," said Carpenter in the CDC report.

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AI tech aims to detect breast cancer by mimicking radiologists’ eye movements: 'A critical friend'

Researchers in the U.K. are training artificial intelligence models to "read" mammogram images by mimicking the gaze of human radiologists, according to Hantao Liu, an associate professor at Cardiff University who is leading the initiative.

The goal is for the AI solution to improve the accuracy and efficiency of scans, thus leading to earlier detection of breast cancer and more informed decision-making.

"We worked with radiologists from hospitals in Wales and England, using an eye-tracking system to record their gazes as they read medical images," Liu told Fox News Digital.

"This is human-centric AI."

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Once the AI is trained, the system theoretically will be able to identify regions where radiologists are most likely to look when making diagnoses.

The goal is not to replace the radiologists — but to enhance their diagnostic performance, the researcher explained.

"We hope this AI system can act as a ‘critical friend’ or colleague," Lui said. "The technology is not a replacement, but a collaborative tool."

The AI doesn’t actually make the diagnoses. Instead, it can help pinpoint which areas on a scan might look "suspicious," he said. 

The system is still in development, with a goal of deploying it across radiology departments in the U.K. in the future. 

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Training and education likely will be the first application of the new AI technology, Liu said.

"We have already used it for some internal training programs," he said. "Our goal is to develop AI-enabled training tools for junior radiologists."

The U.K. currently has a 30% staffing shortage in radiology, so the researchers hope that the AI technology will relieve some of the burden of manual tasks, giving the medical professionals more time to focus on key decision-making work.

While the current focus is on mammograms, the team is working to extend the AI’s capability to other medical images, such as chest X-rays.

Beyond working with a team of 10 radiologists to train the AI, the researchers have also received support from Breast Test Wales, a government organization that provides a mammogram screening program in the U.K.

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"This is just the first milestone of our work," Liu told Fox News Digital. 

"Next, we need to learn more about the specific needs of radiologists and hospitals so we can better deploy the system and adapt to different environments."

Dr. Harvey Castro, a Dallas, Texas-based board-certified emergency medicine physician and national speaker on artificial intelligence in health care, reviewed the details of Liu’s AI model and called it an "innovative development in the intersection of AI and health care."

"This technology has the potential to significantly enhance the early detection of breast cancer and improve the efficiency of diagnosis," he told Fox News Digital. 

"By processing a large number of scans, AI can leave radiologists more time to focus on complex cases, potentially speeding up the diagnostic process and allowing for quicker treatment initiation."

In terms of education and training, this technology could serve as a valuable tool for medical students and junior doctors, Castro said.

"By observing how the AI system identifies areas of concern on a scan, they could learn to mimic this approach, enhancing their diagnostic skills," he said.

The technology, however, is not without its limitations and concerns, said Castro.

"One of the main concerns is the system's reliance on the eye movements of radiologists," Castro said. 

"This approach means the system potentially could inherit any biases or blind spots that the radiologists may have."

"Additionally, while AI can process a large number of scans, the interpretation of these scans still requires a human touch," he continued. 

"AI can highlight areas of concern, but the final diagnosis lies with the radiologist."

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"As we continue to explore the intersection of AI and health care, it's crucial that we leverage these technologies to enhance patient care, while also addressing any potential limitations and concerns," he said.

"The ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes and make health care more accessible and efficient for all."

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COVID air monitor from scientists can detect virus in indoor settings within 5 minutes

A research team said it is paving the way for an easier detection of virus variants within indoor spaces. 

Scientists have developed a novel air monitor with special technology that is said to quickly detect — within five minutes — if any of the virus variants that cause COVID-19 are lurking in an indoor room. 

The results were published in Nature Communications in the journal’s July 10 edition as part of a collaboration between the engineering and medicine schools at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

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"This device can be installed in various settings such as hospitals, airports, office spaces, theaters or any crowded indoor location where the risk of virus transmission is high and ventilation may be inadequate," first author Dr. Joseph Puthussery and co-author Dr. Carla Yuede told Fox News Digital in emailed comments. 

Puthussery is a scientist at the Center for Aerosol Science & Engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University, while Yuede is an associate professor in the departments of psychiatry, neurology and neuroscience at Washington University School of Medicine.

Airborne aerosol detectors have difficulty detecting COVID-19 virus particles because the indoor air is so diluted that it's "like finding a needle in a haystack," said co-author Rajan Chakrabarty, PhD, researcher and associate engineering professor at Washington University.

But now, the scientists said they've created a real-time monitor that can detect any of the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants in a room within about five minutes.

The idea for the project started after the team wondered if a micro-immunoelectrode (MIE) biosensor that was previously developed for detecting a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease could be converted into a detector for SARS-CoV-2. 

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"The MIE biosensor is a microelectrode containing an immobilized antibody (or nanobody) on the surface and uses an electrochemical method of detection," Puthussery and Yuede told Fox News Digital in an email.

"The combination of the small size of the electrode and [the] specificity of the antibody/antigen interaction makes this biosensor very sensitive and specific to the target of interest," they also said.

The team exchanged the antibody in the biosensor that recognizes a marker for Alzheimer’s disease to a "nanobody" — which recognizes the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The group then integrated the biosensor into an air monitor that samples the indoor air at high speeds based on "wet cyclone technology."

The researchers first developed the custom-built air sampler through simulations to discover the optimal size and the sampling flow rate necessary for capturing the "nano-sized" virus particles, Puthussery and Yuede told Fox News Digital. 

Once inside the sampler, centrifugal force pushes the air outward to mix with fluids that line its walls. 

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These fluids contain the nanobody that detects COVID-19 virus particles — trapping the virus aerosols.

Most commercial bioaerosol samplers have low flow rates — but the team’s air monitor has one of the highest flow rates, it said. 

This means it can sample a larger volume of air over five minutes, the press release noted.

Its compact size, measuring only one foot wide by 10 inches tall, lights up when a virus is detected, alerting people to increased airflow or the circulation in the room, the press release added.

"We conducted experimental comparisons of the virus collection efficiency between the wet cyclone and two commercially available low-flow research-grade bioaerosol samplers," the researchers told Fox News Digital.

"These experiments involved aerosolizing inactivated SARS-CoV-2 at various concentrations within a well-mixed sealed chamber."

They found the wet cyclone either outperformed or had comparable performance to the other samplers. 

They validated their findings by collecting air samples from the self-isolating bedrooms of two individuals infected with COVID-19 — as well as a control room that was not contaminated with COVID-19 air.

The air monitor detected the virus particles in the seven samples in the rooms contaminated with COVID-19 virus. 

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And it did not detect any virus particles in samples from the virus-free control room.

The monitor will help people in the future "easily recognize and avoid areas that have reported a high presence of the virus," the researchers told Fox News Digital. 

The team hopes to expand the air monitor capabilities to measure other common viruses that infect people as well, such as influenza, RSV and rhinovirus.

This will help people know when to wear masks when entering areas that consistently show the presence of a virus.

The device provides "peace of mind," the researchers said. 

"If you are someone who feels stressed attending a crowded public indoor event, you can access real-time data and be assured of your safety," the researchers said.

One limitation of the monitor is "the high noise level (75–80 dB) during device operation, which can have an adverse effect on the health and comfort of the occupants of a building," the researchers told Fox News Digital.

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"Current efforts are underway to find economically feasible solutions to reduce the noise levels to <65 dB, such as using a low-noise motor and soundproofing the device exterior using an acoustic liner."

The monitor is at the proof-of-concept stage as of now. 

The research team is working to commercialize the air monitor in the near future. 

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Heart attack death risk can double during heat waves and high pollution, study finds: ‘A perfect storm’

Certain groups of people may have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack during heat waves and high levels of fine particulate pollution, according to a new study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).

Researchers analyzed the specifics of over 202,000 heart attacks that occurred in the Chinese province of Jiangsu between the years 2015-2020.

They found that days with "extreme heat, extreme cold or high levels of fine particulate matter air pollution" were linked to a higher risk of death from cardiac events.

("Fine particulate matter" refers to particles that are 2.5 microns or fewer in diameter.)

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The study focused on Jiangsu, since the region experiences a wide range of temperatures and fine particulate pollution levels, a press release from AHA said.

To determine when a heat wave was occurring, the researchers used the daily heat index, which measures a combination of heat and humidity.

The death risk was twice as high during four-day heat waves that had fine particulate pollution above 37.5 micrograms per cubic meter, per the study findings. 

The risk was highest among women and older adults.

Among the adults who died from heart attacks, the average age of death was 77.6, with 52% of the those who passed older than age 80.

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"Extreme temperature events are becoming more frequent, longer and more intense, and their adverse health effects have drawn growing concern," said senior author Yuewei Liu, M.D., PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, in the press release.

"Another environmental issue worldwide is the presence of fine particulate matter in the air, which may interact synergistically with extreme temperatures to adversely affect cardiovascular health," he continued.

"However, it remains unknown if and how co-exposure to extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution might interact to trigger a greater risk of death from heart attack, which is an acute response potentially brought on by an acute scenario and a great public health challenge due to its substantial disease burden worldwide."

Dr. Alexander Postalian, a cardiologist at The Texas Heart Institute, was not part of the research but said the findings are in line with what he has observed.

"Exposure to extreme heat not only increases individuals’ risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but it also puts stress on their cardiovascular systems, making their hearts work harder," he told Fox News Digital. 

"This increased exertion can raise the risk of heart attacks or heart failure."

The combination of extreme heat and extreme pollution is the "perfect storm," Postalian said — causing stress for an individual’s cardiovascular system. 

"Exposure to either of these situations increases the risk of heart attacks and heart issues," he said. 

To help prevent the risk of death from heart attack, the study researchers recommended reducing exposure to both extreme temperatures and fine particulate pollution.

"Strategies for individuals to avoid negative health effects from extreme temperatures include following weather forecasts, staying inside when temperatures are extreme, using fans and air conditioners during hot weather, dressing appropriately for the weather, proper hydration and installing window blinds to reduce indoor temperatures," said Liu in the release. 

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"Using an air purifier in the house, wearing a mask outdoors, staying clear of busy highways when walking and choosing less strenuous outdoor activities may also help to reduce exposure to air pollution on days with high levels of fine particulate pollution," he added.

Individuals with a history of heart disease or other significant cardiovascular problems should watch for chest pain or shortness of breath, take shorter walks outside and limit total time spent outside during extreme heat conditions, Postalian recommended.

"Some medications, such as diuretics, can increase the likelihood of developing dehydration," the cardiologist added.

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"Dehydration can cause a drop in blood pressure, creating feelings of lightheadedness, thereby increasing the risk of injuries from falls — and it also can affect one’s kidney function," he continued. 

"All individuals should drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration."

People taking cardiovascular medications or suffering from heart disease should avoid spending prolonged time in temperatures above 100 degrees, and should talk to their doctors about ways to protect themselves from extreme weather conditions, Postalian added.

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Many young kids are not getting ‘life-saving’ vaccines, study finds: 'Concerning trend'

More than one in six toddlers are not getting all of the doses of the recommended early childhood vaccines, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics on July 25.

A team of researchers from the University of Montana analyzed vaccination records from 2019 for several childhood immunizations — measles, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, mumps, rubella, Haemophilus influenzae type b, varicella and pneumococcal infections — for more than 16,300 U.S. toddlers between 19 and 35 months of age.

Most of the vaccines require three or four doses for full protection — but more than 27% of the children had not received the entire series. 

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Nearly 73% of them completed the full series of vaccines, nearly 10% did not start any of the series — and 17.2% started but did not complete one or more of the series, the study said. 

"Increased focus on strategies to encourage multi-dose series completion is needed to optimize protection from preventable diseases and achieve vaccination coverage goals," the study authors wrote.

The biggest risk factors of vaccine non-compliance included moving across state lines, the number of children in the household and a lack of insurance coverage, according to the study findings in Pediatrics.

Lowered household income, living in a rented home, and race and ethnicity were also factors. 

Black children were more likely to have not completed a full vaccine series than White children, the study found.

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Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, was not involved in the University of Montana study but reviewed the findings.

"These findings highlight well-known issues in the U.S. health care system, including fragmented care with poor coordination across providers, a complex and difficult insurance system, and unequal access to health care," she told Fox News Digital.

On a positive note, Johnson pointed out that 8.4% of the children needed only one additional vaccine dose to complete the series. 

"If the children who were missing only one dose from the vaccine series had received it, the U.S. would have met the Healthy People 2020 goal of 80% coverage for vaccine series completion," she said.

(The Healthy People 2020 goal was an initiative established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.)

One limitation of the study, noted by the authors, is that the actual reasons behind the missed doses were not collected. 

"The associations provide important insights, but the actual reasons are important data points," Johnson said.

Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, also reviewed the study findings and said they mark "a concerning trend."

"This is occurring especially in socioeconomic disadvantaged areas and involves diseases that are highly contagious and could easily reappear," he told Fox News Digital. 

"This is a worsening from prior CDC statistics of over 90% compliance, which is what you need for herd immunity," he also said. 

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Josh Sharfstein, a pediatrician who is also vice dean of public health at Johns Hopkins in Maryland, told Dr. Siegel last week that he is "very concerned" that the "anti-vaxx movement with COVID" is spilling over to resistance of life-saving childhood vaccines or people not taking them at the right times for full effectiveness.

"I think he is quite right to be concerned," Siegel said.

The study authors recommended increasing support for children from low-income families or racial minority groups, who are "most at-risk for infectious diseases and poorer outcomes due to social and environmental determinants of health."

Some suggested aids include greater use of reminder systems, flexible scheduling and pre-visit planning. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also offers a Vaccines For Children (VFC) program, which provides free vaccines to children who may not get immunized due to financial constraints.

"Renewed efforts to better support timely completion of multi-dose vaccine series in early childhood are needed to achieve vaccination coverage goals," the study authors wrote.

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These are the best prebiotic-packed foods for boosting gut health, new study finds

Consuming more prebiotic foods may help to regulate the body's blood sugar while boosting immunity, digestion and the absorption of calcium and other minerals, a new study has shown. 

Incorporating more prebiotic-packed foods may be easier than one might think, according to researchers from San Jose State University in California. They presented the findings of their study at the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition in Boston this week.

"The key takeaways are that eating prebiotic-dense foods can promote microbiome wellness, and the findings of this study show that consumption of 5 grams of prebiotics, as recommended by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), may be more attainable and accessible than one might think," Cassandra Boyd, a master’s student at San José State University and a member of the research team, told Fox News Digital. 

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Prebiotics are compounds typically found in plants that stimulate "good" bacteria in the gut. 

These can help enhance the body’s anti-inflammatory response, regulate bowel movements and affect moods, according to the Cleveland Clinic’s website.

These compounds can also aid in appetite control, boost calcium absorption to strengthen bones and help decrease the bad bacteria that can cause disease, the Cleveland Clinic also noted.

Prebiotics are different from probiotics — but both contribute to microbiome health. 

Some studies have described prebiotics as fertilizer for the gut, while probiotics are actually live microorganisms found in certain foods and supplements that help maintain and improve "good" bacteria.

In the study, the researchers analyzed 8,690 foods in the Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS). 

The foods that packed the biggest prebiotic punch were dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, leeks and onions, which ranged from about 100 to 240 milligrams of prebiotics per gram of food (mg/g), the report noted. 

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Onion rings, creamed onions, cowpeas, asparagus and Kellogg's All-Bran cereal also made the list, with each containing around 50 to 60 mg/g.

"The findings from our preliminary literature review suggest that onions and related foods contain multiple forms of prebiotics, leading to a larger total prebiotic content," Boyd said in a news release. 

"Multiple forms of onions and related foods appear in a variety of dishes as both flavoring and main ingredients," she continued. "These foods are commonly consumed by Americans and thus would be a feasible target for people to increase their prebiotic consumption."

In a news release, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, which is a Colorado nonprofit that established the currently held definition of prebiotics, recommends a daily intake of 5 grams — but there are no set guidelines for consumer intake, Boyd said.

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"What we can currently recommend is to consume more of the top prebiotic-containing foods," she told Fox News Digital. 

"Onions are an easy-to-find, commonly consumed food, and the example we have been using is a small, raw onion."

She also said, "If a small onion tends to weigh around 4 ounces, then by eating around half a small onion in a day, one can consume the recommended 5 grams of prebiotics."

Wheat-containing foods were low on the list of prebiotic foods, according to the news release. 

Foods that had little or no prebiotic content included dairy products, eggs, oils and meats.

"Additionally, evaluating the effects of cooking on the prebiotic content of foods is necessary, because many prebiotic-containing foods are cooked before consumption," Boyd added.

The investigators aim to provide a database of the estimated prebiotic intake for certain foods, which will help future researchers explore the correlation between prebiotics and health and disease variables.

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Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef in Northeast sickens 16, hospitalizes 6

An outbreak of Salmonella linked to ground beef has sickened 16 people in the Northeast and hospitalized six others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The agency said nine people who had taken ill were from New Jersey, with others in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Investigators are working to identify the source of the ground beef, and all of those who remembered the type of ground beef they ate and where they bought it reported eating 80% lean ground beef purchased from ShopRite locations. 

Ground beef is the only common food people reported eating, although there has not yet been a recall.

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Recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person as part of an outbreak. 

Furthermore, the true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.

"We are aware of the CDC’s notice and we are assisting as investigators seek to identify the origin of the reported cases. It’s important to note that no recall has been issued and ground beef products can be safely consumed when they are prepared to the recommended proper cooking temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit," ShopRite told FOX News in an email on Wednesday. "Customers should also know that all of the ground beef sourced by ShopRite comes from USDA inspected facilities and includes instructions for safe handling and proper cooking."

Ground beef is a known source of Salmonella illnesses, and any ground beef can have germs.

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Salmonella germs live in the intestines of people and animals and can be spread through contaminated food, water, food preparation surfaces and unwashed hands.

Such germs are killed when ground beef is cooked to an internal temperature of 160 F. 

Symptoms of Salmonella typically start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria and include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, but children younger than 5 years old, seniors and people with weakened immune systems may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.

People should contact their healthcare provider right away if experiencing signs of dehydration, so much vomiting that liquids cannot be kept down, bloody diarrhea, diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, or diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 F.

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Be well: Stop ‘summer sadness’ with these expert tips

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Summer is typically associated with carefree fun — but for some people, sunny days can spark sadness.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — a condition that causes depressive symptoms and mood changes — is often linked to the dark winter months, but it can rear its head any time of year, according to experts.

Dr. Michael Groat, director of psychology for Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, spoke with Fox News Digital about why some people suffer from summer sadness.

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There are two types of seasonal affective disorder, the doctor said.

"One is a winter pattern where the symptoms occur during the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight," he said. 

"The other is a summer pattern, where the symptoms occur during the spring and summer months when it is lighter."

"Symptoms of either pattern usually last four to five months," he added.

Signs of summer sadness can include difficulty sleeping, a lack of energy, trouble concentrating and even suicidal despair, Groat said.

Individuals also can exhibit increased restlessness, weight loss and agitation.

Anyone can experience periods of sadness, but existing mental health conditions can raise the risk. 

Twenty-five percent of people with bipolar disorder and 10%-20% of people with major depressive disorder also have seasonal affective disorder, according to Groat. 

Women are more prone to the disorder than men, and it is most likely to begin in younger adults between the ages of 18 and 30. 

"It is thought that the increased light found in the summer months affects the Circadian rhythm — the natural biological clock that regulates hormones, sleep and moods — of those who develop summertime SAD," Groat explained.

This could explain why people who live in areas with long winter nights (higher latitudes) and less sunlight are more likely to experience SAD, he added.

Although it may not always be preventable, there are steps one can take to lessen symptoms or keep sadness at bay, Groat said.

"These steps include healthy lifestyle habits such as routine exercise and movement, good nutrition and healthy sleep," he said. 

"Sleep in particular is essential for helping maintain mood stability. Effective stress management is also important."

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Dr. Maggie Tipton, senior director of psychological services at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, also recommended limiting alcohol consumption.

"Alcohol consumption often increases during the summer, and the depressant quality of alcohol can exacerbate feelings of summer sadness," she told Fox News Digital. 

"It’s a time when we need to be increasingly mindful of intake."

"If you find yourself increasing your scrolling on Instagram or Facebook, feeling jealous of others’ highlight reels or comparing your summer experiences to theirs — consider taking a break from social media," said Tipton. 

"Be mindful and more thoughtful about your social media consumption and the times you are engaging," she added.

Even if it appears that everyone on your feed is having the time of their lives, the doctor noted that social media is a "highlight reel" of people’s lives, which can set "highly unrealistic expectations."

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"Give yourself permission to do what makes you happy and what works for your lifestyle," she said. 

"It’s OK to say no to a day by the pool if staying indoors is what you or your family really needs to reset and recharge so you can be your healthiest."

She also said, "The important thing is to figure out what you can do, regardless of season, that brings you happiness or contentment."

Those who have persistent symptoms can see a psychiatrist or mental health professional for a diagnosis.

"If you’re feeling increased agitation, restlessness, changes in sleep patterns and/or a lack of appetite, these are signs you or a loved one may benefit from professional help," Tipton said.

The professional can review the symptoms, along with their duration, to determine a diagnosis, Groat added.

"If the symptoms continue past summer, the diagnosis might change to major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder," he said.

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Summer SAD can be treated with psychotherapy, medication and lifestyle, the doctor said.

"Individual psychotherapy can provide support and address underlying thoughts and feelings related to the experience of depression," he said.

"Medication, such as antidepressants, can provide relief of symptoms as well."

Healthy lifestyle habits, such as adequate sleep, good nutrition, social support and stress management, also lay the foundation for ensuring well-being, experts say.

Seeking "moments of joy" also helps to boost mental health, said Tipton.

"Be creative and thoughtful with your summer plans, finding things that you can look forward to," she suggested. 

"That may just mean having a favorite ice cream cone or taking in a summer concert, enjoying a picnic outside with your family or sitting outside to watch the sunset."

She added, "Little pieces of daily joy can often mean as much as an extended vacation away."

​​To read more pieces in Fox News Digital's "Be Well" series, click here.

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Tuberculosis at the border: Doctors issue warnings of ‘drug-resistant strains’

Cases of tuberculosis (TB) — an illness that kills more people than any other infectious disease — rose in the U.S. during 2022, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And some doctors are concerned that limitations of testing at the border could be partly to blame for the surge.

In 2021, the disease infected nearly 11 million people and caused 1.6 million deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease caused by a bacterial infection. It primarily affects the lungs, but can also affect the brain, kidneys and spine. 

The CDC states that all refugees ages two and older must be tested for tuberculosis before entering the U.S.

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"By law, refugees diagnosed with an inadmissible condition are not permitted to depart for the United States until the condition has been treated," the agency states on its website. 

The CDC uses its Electronic Disease Notification (EDN) system to notify federal, state and local health departments of any immigrants and refugees who are found to have medical conditions that require follow-up.

There are limitations to that process, however.

"By design, the EDN system only collects information for the approximately 10% of immigrants who have an overseas medical classification," explained Neha Sood, health communication specialist for the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, in a statement to Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor. 

"Thus, DHS [Department of Homeland Security] data were used to approximate the immigrant denominators."

There is also some degree of human error that comes into play, Sood added.

"Because data transfer for immigrants during the study period primarily relied on staff at ports of entry to correctly review, retain and route paper forms for each immigrant with a medical classification, human error likely caused some losses, resulting in possible underestimates of immigrants with medical classifications," she said.

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While health departments are "encouraged and provided incentives" to share the results of immigrants’ testing with the CDC, Sood said there is always the chance of "underreporting."

She added, "The proportion of immigrants, refugees and eligible others who completed a post-arrival examination might be higher than indicated in this report."

Although the CDC has "comprehensive surveillance systems" to track communicable diseases within the U.S., the agency does not track diseases by immigration status, Sood explained.

Linda Yancey, M.D., a specialist in infectious disease who is affiliated with Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas, said she regularly sees people who have screened positive for the disease and need treatment to prevent developing symptomatic illness.

"Tuberculosis is quite common in Texas, especially in the big cities," she told Fox News Digital. "Houston is an international port of entry, so we get people from TB-endemic areas coming here frequently."

Most of the imported tuberculosis cases seen at Memorial Hermann are among people coming from Africa and the Indian subcontinent, Yancey said. 

"This is why immigrants coming into the U.S. are screened at the time of entry," she said.

"People can be exposed to TB years before they become contagious," she went on. "By doing early screening, we are able to treat people long before they develop severe pneumonia."

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Immigrants who have positive screenings are given three to four months of pills to protect their TB from developing into an illness, Yancey said.

In a 2022 study by the University of Texas, researchers analyzed patterns in tuberculosis patients who had been diagnosed when crossing into the U.S. from the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which serves as a "migration waypoint."

The study, which was published in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, found that an average of 30% of immigrants screened positive for tuberculosis over an eight-year period.

Immigrants with tuberculosis may be less likely to get successful treatment due to various factors, the study authors also wrote in a discussion of their findings.

The barriers to treatment that were cited included mobile living conditions, economic constraints, fear of deportation and the policy of the host country to provide free TB therapies.

Another concern is the type of TB that potentially could be coming into the U.S.

James Hodges, M.D., an internist in Waco, Texas, is concerned that immigrants are bringing in a drug-resistant strain of the disease.

"I have found that immigrants who are positive for TB are more likely to have a drug-resistant type," he told Siegel.

"This is likely due to the over-the-counter meds and antibiotics that are available in Mexico and other central and South American countries — these patients have incompletely treated coughs on their own," Hodges continued. 

"This is becoming more common with the last two years of an open border."

Tuberculosis treatments need to be "specialized, complex regimens," Dr. Siegel explained. "Here in the U.S., we use INH, Rifampin, PZA, Ethambutol and others. If you use an over-the-counter antibiotic that only partially treats TB, resistance is more likely to emerge."

Exposure to tuberculosis is very common, but only about 20% to 30% of people who are exposed to it become infected, according to Mount Sinai.

Most new infections occur when bacteria enter the air after the infected person coughs or sneezes, and is then breathed in by someone else.

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A majority of people who get the infection will have no symptoms and are not contagious, which is known as "latent tuberculosis."

Those who have "active infections" develop the disease, experience symptoms and can potentially spread it to others.

During the first stage of TB, most people don’t experience any symptoms, though some may have a mild fever, cough and/or fatigue.

Patients who develop an active infection — either immediately after the primary infection or after months or years of a latent infection — may experience coughing (sometimes with blood or mucus), chest pain, pain when breathing or coughing, fever, chills, weight loss, night sweats, loss of appetite and/or fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.

Some people may develop extrapulmonary tuberculosis, which is when the infection spreads from the lungs to affect other parts of the body. 

There is currently no vaccine for TB available in the U.S. 

Diagnosis can be made via a skin test or a blood test.

For those who have positive screenings, additional tests — including chest X-rays, CT scans and lab analysis of lung fluid — can determine the extent of the infection and the impact on the lungs, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.

There are multiple treatments available for both latent and active tuberculosis, Yancey said.

"For latent disease, we treat with drugs like rifampin, rifapentine and isoniazid," she said. "People only need to take the pills for three to four months."

For active disease, additional pill options include pyrazinamide, ethambutol, moxifloxicin and linezolid, Yancey said. 

There is also an injectable option called amikacin.

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"Because we have so many different options to treat TB, drug shortages are very seldom an issue," Yancey said. "If one drug is in short supply, we have multiple effective alternative regimens."

Medications are typically taken for a period of at least six to nine months. 

If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.

"If you have tuberculosis and you’re treated, your outlook is good if you’ve followed directions and taken your medications for as long as you should and in the way you were told," the Cleveland Clinic’s website indicates.

People who experience chest pain, severe headache, seizures, confusion, difficulty breathing, bloody mucus or blood in the urine or stool should seek emergency medical care right away, per the Mayo Clinic.

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