illness news stories on Newser

4th Victim Loses Leg to Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:34:00 CDT

An astounding third victim in Georgia—the fourth in recent weeks in the Southeast—has been infected by a flesh-eating bacteria and has already lost his leg to the disease. Paul Bales cut his leg three weeks ago while removing a section of dock on Lake Sinclair in Milledgeville. "Very...

Now Student Losing Hands to Flesh-Eating Infection

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:47:50 CDT

The Georgia grad student who already lost her left leg to amputation will now lose her hands and her right foot to save her from a flesh-eating infection. Aimee Copeland's life turned into a nightmare after a zip-line cut her calf during a kayaking trip. Shortly afterward she was felled...

George McGovern Hospitalized

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 02:12:30 CDT

George McGovern has been hospitalized in Florida for tests, his daughter said yesterday. The former South Dakota senator and one-time presidential candidate was admitted to a St. Augustine hospital so doctors can determine why he occasionally passes out and loses his ability to speak, reports the Sioux Falls Argus Leader...

Girls With Mystery 'Tic' Illness Getting Better

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:45:05 CST

Two teenaged girls have recovered and three others are getting better after a mystery illness broke out in small-town New York state, WHEC-TV reports. A Buffalo doctor revealed the good news this week, saying her mix of medication, psychological help, and behavior modification helped girls suffering from strange verbal and...

Investment Banking Hazardous to Your Health

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:42:55 CST

Becoming an investment banker might be great for your wallet but it's terrible for your health, a comprehensive new study makes clear. Think addictions, insomnia, heart trouble, eating disorders, depression, and rage. A University of Southern California researcher trailed two dozen investment bakers through their first decade on the job...

New Theory on Mystery Tic Illness: Blame Facebook

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:05:03 CST

Erin Brockovich is testing soil samples to see whether there might be a toxic link to a mysterious illness hitting teens in upstate New York, but a neurology professor has a different culprit in mind: Facebook and other forms of social media. He thinks the victims—more than a dozen...

Erin Brockovich Probes Teen Illness Mystery

Matt Cantor — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:49:42 CST

A handful of teens at a New York state high school are suffering from a mysterious illness—and Erin Brockovich is on the case. Some 15 Le Roy teens, mostly girls, have displayed facial and verbal tics, including sudden outbursts, USA Today reports; the environmental activist is investigating a possible...

Gas Pumps Top List of Germiest Objects

Neal Colgrass — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:35:05 CDT

You may use hand sanitizers in rest rooms, but how about gas stations, mail boxes, and ATM machines? A new survey of America's yuckiest touchables found that 71% of gas pump dispensers and 68% of mailbox handles were highly contaminated with high-risk germs. Next on the list were escalator rails...

Smartphone App Knows You're Sick Before You Do

Tim Karan — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:57:05 CDT

Your smartphone might have a better grasp on how you're feeling than you do. A new startup has unveiled an Android app that uses your phone's activity to detect the onset of the common cold, the flu, and depression, reports Mashable . DailyData , developed by a group of MIT alumni, collects...