Avian flu suspected in cats that drank raw milk as virus kills animals at Arizona zoo The Los Angeles County Department of Health today announced that it is investigating two suspected avian flu illnesses in indoor pet cats that drank recalled raw milk, fueling more concerns about wider spread in other animals, which includes zoo animals infected in Arizona's Maricopa County. CIDRAP

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Improving health in rural areas takes community, say researchers With type 2 diabetes on the rise, prevention measures are critical. But it's often hard for people living in rural areas to access health care and lifestyle resources that can improve their health. Sydney Barrilleaux Medical Xpress

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Involving local leaders and churches could make all the difference in these communities, according to a study from the University of Georgia. The research is published in The Journal of Rural Health.

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Flu vaccines drop among kids despite record deaths last year: CDC Fewer children in the U.S. have gotten a flu vaccine in 2024 compared to last year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   As of Nov. 30, about 36 p… aoconnelld The Hill

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As of Nov. 30, about 36 percent of the nation’s children aged six months to 17 years received a flu vaccination, a drop from last year’s 43 percent.

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Latest symptoms of COVID-19: New strain presents like the common cold XEC, the latest strain of the coronavirus, is more transmissible than others, but its symptoms tend to be milder. Newsweek

Another year is drawing to a close, with another strain of the coronavirus making the rounds.

But this time, medical professionals say it might be harder to distinguish whether you have COVID-19, the flu or the common cold without taking a test.

What states have the highest COVID rates? Map shows where it's spreading as winter approaches Is COVID going around again as the U.S. approaches the winter? Infectious disease experts share what to know and how to stay safe. TODAY

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According to viral activity in wastewater — one of the most accurate ways to measure cases since the CDC stopped tracking overall cases, — the states with the highest COVID rates, as of Nov. 30, are:

Studies describe vaccine efficacy against long COVID In the first study, published in eClinicalMedicine, researchers measured the real-world efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine against long COVID in children and adolescents using data from 20 US health systems collected in as part of the RECOVER PCORnet electronic health record (EHR) Program. CIDRAP

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Record outbreak of Dengue fever in Central and South America More than 12.6m cases were recorded this year, the region's UN health organisation says. BBC News

The number of cases of dengue fever in Central and South America has nearly tripled to a record high this year, the Pan American Health Organisation (Paho) said on Tuesday.

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Malaria cases up again in 2023, African children worst hit, WHO reports

How Americans View Climate Change and Policies to Address the Issue Among Republicans, 56% think climate policies usually hurt the U.S. economy. By contrast, 52% of Democrats say they usually help. Brian Kennedy Pew Research Center

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Overall, 69% of Americans say large business and corporations are doing too little to help reduce the effects of global climate change. Six-in-ten also say state elected officials are doing too little on climate.

More Americans say health care is government responsibility: Gallup Sixty-two percent of Americans say it’s the federal government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health care coverage, a survey from Gallup found. The figure is the highest it’s been in more … lirwin The Hill

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The figure is the highest it’s been in more than a decade. It slipped to its low of 42 percent in 2013, during the difficult rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as ObamaCare.

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