Pandemic School Closures Linked To More Mental Health Problems Among Kids

School closures are linked to significant mental health problems – depression, anxiety, ADHD – among children during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study reports.

Kids whose schools reopened sooner during the pandemic had lower rates of mental health problems than those whose schools remained closed, researchers reported Dec. 8 i...

Two Deaths Linked to Rabies-Infected Kidney Transplant

A rare case of rabies linked to an organ transplant has resulted in two deaths, federal health officials announced.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a man in Idaho became infected with rabies after a skunk scratched his leg in October 2024.

About five weeks later, he developed serious symptoms i...

210,000 Portable Power Banks Sold on Amazon Recalled After Fire Reports

A popular portable phone charger sold online has been recalled after reports that it can overheat and catch fire, federal officials said.

The recall covers about 210,000 INIU-branded lithium-ion power banks sold on Amazon between August 2021 and April 2022, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The affected...

Do Not Eat Wild Mushrooms, Officials Warn After Poisonings Turn Deadly

California health officials are warning people not to collect or eat wild mushrooms after a toxin found in some types poisoned nearly two dozen people and killed one.

The California Poison Control System reported 21 cases linked to a toxin called amatoxin, found in a mushroom known as the death cap. 

The illnesses occurred betwe...

Educational Video Game Helps Kids Learn Science, Study Finds

Video games often have a bad reputation as being a distraction, but a new study suggests they may help kids build important science skills.

University of Georgia researchers created an educational video game that helps elementary school students learn about the human body, health and how to use evidence the same way scientists do. 

Air Pollution Undermines Health Benefits Of Exercise, Evidence Says

Air pollution can undermine some of the health benefits active folks expect to derive from regular exercise, a new study says.

The protective effect exercise should have on people’s risk of death was cut by half among those living in areas with heavy air pollution, researchers reported recently in the journal BMC Medicine.