Latest Public health News
Today in History: January 31, US declares public health emergency over coronavirus
Today is Friday, Jan. 31, the 31st day of 2025. There are 334 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 31, 2020, the United States declared a public health emergency over the new coronavirus, and President Donald Trump signed an order to temporarily bar entry...
Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion kills at least 70 people, authorities say
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 70 people have died in north-central Nigeria after a gasoline tanker exploded, the country’s emergency response agency said. The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to...
AP Photos: Japanese bathe in icy water at a Tokyo shrine to purify their souls
TOKYO (AP) — Dozens of people soaked and splashed themselves in painfully icy cold water on Saturday in a pool at a Tokyo shrine, adhering to Japanese tradition to purify the soul and pray for good health in the new year. Mostly half-naked men with just white loincloth around their...
FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods
U.S. regulators on Wednesday banned the dye called Red 3 from the nation’s food supply, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk. Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health...
Chemicals in sewage sludge fertilizer pose cancer risk, EPA says
Harmful chemicals in sewage sludge that is spread on pasture land as fertilizer are causing cancer, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday. The risk is highest for people who regularly consume milk, beef and other products from farms where it is spread. The risk is “several orders of...
Contaminated drinking water is a growing concern for cities facing wildfires
As fires continue to burn across Los Angeles, several utilities have declared their drinking water unsafe until extensive testing can prove otherwise. A warmer, drier climate means wildfires are getting worse, and encroaching on cities — with devastating impact. Toxic chemicals...
Interpol cracks down on illegal mining in West Africa as police make 200 arrests
PARIS (AP) — Interpol said Tuesday a major operation targeting illegal gold mining in West Africa has resulted in 200 arrests and the seizure of harmful chemicals, explosives and drugs. The operation spanned Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea and Senegal, exposing extensive networks...
DC sues federal government over pollution in Anacostia River
The District of Columbia on Friday filed a lawsuit against the federal government over pollution in the Anacostia River, arguing it has inflicted “catastrophic harm” on the mostly poor and minority communities living along the urban waterway. The lawsuit argues that federal...
In freezing temperatures, swimmers in China plunge into a river for health and joy
HARBIN, China (AP) — Even as the mercury dropped well below freezing, enthusiasm soared among about a dozen hardy swimmers during a daily ritual in northeast China’s “ice city” of Harbin. The swimmers trained daily throughout the year for this. They first...
Doctors worry that iodine deficiency — a dietary problem from the past — is coming back
NEW YORK (AP) — The 13-year-old boy came to the clinic with a rapidly ballooning neck. Doctors were puzzled. Testing ruled out their first suspicion. But further tests pinpointed what they — and the boy — had been missing: iodine. A century ago, iodine...
