Epidemics and Plagues

Scientists said Sunday that the Clostridium difficile epidemic from 2002 to 2006 — an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness that spanned hospitals across the globe — was caused by two closely-related strains of the bacterium and not one, as had...

As efforts to crack down on the abuse of prescription drugs have worked, a new problem has emerged, with addicts who can no longer get their fix by popping pills turning to the old-fashioned street drug heroin, health and law enforcement officials say....

The flu epidemic has invaded 48 states, overwhelming medical facilities, exhausting vaccine supplies, and killing 29 children and thousands of seniors. Both the problem and solution to this disaster hinge on how we relate to animals raised for food....

Unlike the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Connecticut, the horrific death of Hadiya Pendleton last week might not have been enough all by itself to spark U.S. Senate hearings on gun violence. Yet the urban teenager's tragic case is sadly far...

People may be getting sick in restaurants and it isn't from poorly prepared food. Restaurant Opportunities Centers United in Miami reported on Wednesday that almost 90 percent of restaurant workers do not have paid sick leave. In addition, the federal...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Researchers and computer scientists at Johns Hopkins University have devised a way to track cases of influenza across the United States using the microblogging site Twitter. Twitter is full of tweets about the flu, which has been...

I wanted to write to thank fellow Huntington Beach residents who generously gave of their time and means to help impact thousands of hurting kids this Christmas. Together we were able to pack over 5,600 shoe boxes — filled with toys, school...

LOS ANGELES -- The Oscar-nominated features "5 Broken Cameras" and "How to Survive a Plague" represent documentaries in the truest, purest form of the word: They capture a spark, a moment in history, and they make us feel as if we were there, too. Both...

Imagine one billion women and those who love them rising up and standing together in solidarity to put an end to violence against women and girls. It's happening around the world, as well as here in Northern Michigan at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at...

Today, President Barack Obama announced his proposals to address gun violence in America. He was flanked by children who have written to him about their desire for change in the wake of the shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which 27 people died, including 20...

For once, the Collaboraction Theatre Company has justified its name. "Crime Scene: A Chicago Anthology," far and away the best Collaboraction show I've seen these past 14 years, is indeed a call for collaborative action. The ensemble piece, which...

Chain restaurants have been nudged and cajoled for years to ditch mammoth portion sizes and high-calorie choices. But perhaps the best motivation to lower-calorie, more healthful menu items is here: profit. A report released Thursday calls lower-calorie...