CNN.com - Health - Infectious Disease

Flu test wrong, girl almost dies

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:29:25 GMT

Hayli Murphy hears her mother's cell phone ring, and she bounces off the couch to get it. Watching her run around, it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, the 9-year-old was heavily sedated in a pediatric intensive care unit, a ventilator doing the job her lungs -- ravaged by H1N1 flu -- could no longer do.

CDC: Fewer states seeing widespread flu activity

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:45:56 GMT

Only 32 states are currently reporting widespread H1N1 flu activity in the United States, down from 48 states three weeks ago, federal health officials said Monday.

Oral cancers in women rising, HPV sometimes a factor

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:05:12 GMT

Pat Folsom, 54, knows the importance of preventive medicine. As a health care worker, she goes for scheduled checkups. So when she went in for a routine dental exam last year, she didn't expect more than a cleaning, maybe a filling. But her dentist found something more serious.

Will cutting back on teen Pap tests result in more STDs?

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:02:03 GMT

Teen girls can skip Pap tests, according to new guidelines that say women should start cervical cancer screening at age 21. But some experts are concerned that rates of sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancies could increase without the Pap test to prompt a doctor's visit.

Can your doctor spot H1N1?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:26:11 GMT

It was early on a Monday, just the seventh week of school, when Danelle Olivares decided she would have to keep her 5-year-old daughter home from kindergarten. Trinity had a nasty stomach bug, but no fever, and Olivares figured that a day of rest at home would make things OK.

H1N1 death toll estimated at 3,900 in U.S.

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:42:05 GMT

Nearly 3,900 people, including about 540 children, are believed to have died from the H1N1 flu in the first six months of the epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Respirator or face mask? Best H1N1 protection still debated

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:52:16 GMT

A preliminary report suggesting that N95 respirators -- filtering devices worn over the mouth and nose -- protect against swine flu better than surgical face masks seems to be incorrect, researchers revealed during a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

H1N1 is now world's dominant flu virus, World Health Organization says

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:50:01 GMT

The H1N1 virus has now become the dominant influenza virus around the globe, with high levels and an increase of activity in many regions, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

How to dodge germs in the time of H1N1

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:55:19 GMT

On a recent flight from San Francisco, California, to Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Julie Gerberding was thrilled to get bumped up to first class. The thrill, however, quickly disappeared: As she did her victory walk to the front cabin, she noticed that the woman in the seat next to hers was hacking up a lung.

30 ways to outsmart the flu

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:27:01 GMT

In the new "super flu" era, who among us hasn't thought of bundling up our kiddos in hats, gloves, and surgical masks this winter? Better yet, how about plastic bubbles? (Remember that true story?)