Six young children at a Lubbock, Texas, day care center have tested positive for measles—a dreaded scenario with the potential to accelerate an already out-of-control outbreak that has spread to at least two other states. More than a dozen other states and Washington, DC are dealing with cases of measles unrelated to Texas. As per the Centres For Diseases Control And Prevention (CDC), 22 jurisdictions have been hit by measles as of now.

On Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said the toll rose to 481 confirmed cases, a 14% jump over last week. Fifty-six people have been hospitalized in the area since the disease started spreading in late January.

What Do We Know About The Case In Texas?

Measles outbreak in Texas began on March 24, when a little girl at Tiny Tots U Learning Academy, who had been sick with fever and vomiting tested positive. She later needed to be hospitalized for pneumonia and trouble breathing. Kids who have tested positive at the day care so far are between the ages of 5 months and 3 years old, said Maegan Messick, a co-owner of the center. None was fully vaccinated against measles.

For nearly two weeks, Messick has been working with local health officials who are in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the situation. Messick said she’s not been given clear guidance on how to handle measles in such a large day care with so many vulnerable kids. "From what I’m being told, the CDC doesn’t have a playbook for this," Messick said. "We’ve just had to make judgment calls."

How Is US Dealing With Measles?

Donald Trump lead US is facing the largest measles outbreak in six years, but the CDC has remained relatively silent on the public health threat, providing just weekly updates on its website and sending an alert to doctors last month. The agency sent 2,000 doses of the MMR vaccine to Texas health officials at their request but hasn't held a news briefing about measles since 2019, when two large outbreaks in New York threatened to reverse the United States’ status of having eliminated the virus.

RFK JR Suggests Vitamin A As Possible Treatment, Posioning Reported

Meanwhile, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr has touted Vitamin A as a potential treatment option against measles. For decades, RFK Jr has been openly discrediting vaccines, linking them to Autism and other diseases. On Friday, it was reported that children who were infected with measles and given Vitamin A in Texas were found to be suffering from liver toxicity. Speaking to USA Today, Dr Lara Johnson, a pediatric hospitalist and chief medical officer of the Covenant Health-Lubbock service area, stated that all the children underwent routine lab testing, which showed abnormal liver function believed to be caused by Vitamin A toxicity.

How To Identify Measles?

First symptoms show after 7–14 days after a measles infection. They include:

• High fever (may spike to more than 104°)
• Cough
• Runny nose (coryza)
• Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
• 2–3 days after symptoms begin: Koplik spots
• Tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin.

3–5 days after symptoms begin, a measles rash appear.

Measles rash appears 3 to 5 days after the first symptoms. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline. They then spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet.

• Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
• The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.
• When the rash appears, a person's fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has postponed granting full approval to Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine. The decision, which was anticipated by April 1, has been deferred as the agency says it requires additional information before proceeding.

While the Novavax vaccine is currently available under emergency use authorization, full approval by the FDA would pave the way for broader use and potentially reassure individuals seeking alternatives to mRNA vaccines, according to CNN.

This delay coincides with efforts by Republican lawmakers in at least seven U.S. states to restrict or ban mRNA vaccines. As reported by KFF Health News, some of these legislators are also urging federal regulators to revoke approval for mRNA-based COVID vaccines—shots that former President Donald Trump highlighted as a major achievement of his administration.

Unlike the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna, Novavax uses a protein-based platform, a more traditional vaccine approach.

“As of Tuesday, April 1, we had responded to all of the FDA’s information requests and we believe that our [Biologics License Application] is ready for approval,” the company stated. Novavax added that the application “included robust Phase 3 clinical trial data that showed our vaccine is safe and effective for the prevention of COVID-19.”

The company also said it remains confident its “well-tolerated vaccine represents an important alternative to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for the U.S.”

The delay follows leadership changes within the FDA. Dr. Scott Steele has been appointed acting director of the agency’s vaccine division after Dr. Peter Marks stepped down last month.

Meanwhile, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—a longtime vaccine opponent—has continued to circulate false claims about COVID vaccines and recently shared misleading information about the measles vaccine amid a deadly outbreak.

An HHS spokesperson told CNN that the FDA’s evaluation of the Novavax vaccine, like all vaccines, is undergoing an independent review process.

In a case raising global public health concerns, a three-year-old girl from the western Mexican state of Durango has emerged as the nation's first officially confirmed human case of bird flu (H5N1), health officials announced on Friday. The case, combined with recent patterns of virus mutations, is highlighting increasing concerns among scientists globally that the avian influenza virus is moving closer to becoming a more general human threat.

The young girl, currently in serious condition at a hospital in Torreón, Coahuila, was diagnosed with the Type A H5N1 influenza virus, Mexico’s Health Ministry said in an official statement. While initially treated with antiviral flu medication, the severity of her symptoms prompted immediate hospitalization.

The question that still is not answered is how she became infected. Authorities initiated an investigation, screening wild birds in the area around her house, but no specific source has been confirmed. The Health Ministry stressed that the risk to the general population at present is still low. Nevertheless, the timing of the case—in the midst of growing H5N1 activity worldwide—is prompting greater alarm.

While H5N1 bird flu has been present in bird populations for decades, the last few years have produced a disturbing increase in its host range. In the United States alone, at least 70 people were infected in the last year, reports the World Health Organization (WHO), although experts estimate the true figure may be many times higher because of restricted testing and lack of reporting.

What was previously thought to be an avian-exclusive pathogen is now infecting an increasing band of species, small mammals, and, more recently, cattle. The virus's expanding capability for interspecies jumping dramatically increases the stakes for human health.

A new study by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte provides new evidence on why this outbreak—and future outbreaks—may become more deadly. Released in the peer-reviewed journal eBioMedicine, the research highlights how quickly the H5N1 virus is mutating to infect mammals and evade immune systems.

"The H5N1 virus is exhibiting evidence of enhanced adaptability to mammalian hosts, such as humans," explained lead author Colby Ford, a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina Charlotte's Center for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER).

Ford and his colleagues employed powerful AI software to examine more than 1,800 virus-antibody interactions, targeting the hemagglutinin (HA) proteins—key molecules that enable the virus to infect host cells. The research discovered that newer virus variants have altered these proteins in ways that render them more evasive to current immune responses.

"This evolution makes previous infections and even current vaccines less effective," Ford said.

How the Virus Is Evading Human Immunity?

Perhaps the most dramatic revelation from the UNC Charlotte team was a dramatic mutation in a gene critical for the virus to infect mammalian cells and avoid immune detection. These mutations are making H5N1 transmit more easily—not only within bird flocks, but across species boundaries.

“High-performance computational modeling is helping us decode viral behavior at a much faster rate,” said CIPHER co-director Dan Janies. “We’re learning how the virus is shifting in real time and identifying key changes that could impact vaccine development and infection control.”

The speed and scope of the virus’s changes, Janies said, reinforce the urgency of proactive health measures rather than reactive responses.

Although the girl's case in Mexico appears to be an isolated incident, scientists warn that it could be the tip of the iceberg. As the virus becomes more effective at infecting mammals, such as livestock like cattle, the chances of human spillover events rise.

"Whenever a virus broadens its host range, it broadens its chance to mutate again," said Dr. Eleanor White, an international infectious disease expert at the Global Health Security Alliance. "Every new host is a possible lab for evolutionary change for the virus."

The fact that the girl's case took place in a non-agricultural environment, without a confirmed source, indicates environmental transmission is already occurring at a level health officials are not yet aware of.

The Mexico case has spurred demands for more intense surveillance, quicker diagnostic testing, and more comprehensive vaccine development programs that take into account viral evolution. It also underlines the need for global cooperation since viruses such as H5N1 have no borders.

"To avoid future outbreaks, we need to invest in visionary research, responsive systems, and public education," Ford emphasized. "The time is now—before a more virulent pandemic breaks out."

Public health professionals across the globe are called upon to keep close watch on livestock, wildlife, and human populations and remain open about reporting cases. Meanwhile, people are asked to keep their distance from ailing or deceased birds and report any strange animal behavior to the local authorities.

Although the risk to the general public is low at this time, the initial confirmed human case of H5N1 in Mexico, in addition to increasing studies on the virus's changing behavior, emphasizes a pressing need for caution. As the bird flu virus continues to become increasingly skilled at breaching species barriers, the world health community must get ready for a future in which H5N1 will no longer pose only a risk to animals—but to humans as well.

As we all age, the global population ages too, and so does the incidence of age-related brain disorders. More than 55 million persons now suffer from dementia and this number is likely to almost triple by 2050. Deaths due to stroke are likely to double and 10% to 20% of elderly persons suffer from late-life depression—a triple burden that affects quality of life, families, and healthcare systems globally.

But there is a silver lining: most of these conditions are not unavoidable. In an extensive review published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, researchers at Mass General Brigham have identified 17 modifiable risk factors that connect stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. The research finds that changing even a few of these lifestyle and behavioral factors might decrease the risk of all three conditions—emphasizing the need for urgent preventive brain care measures.

Why Lifestyle Changes Matter More Than You Think?

Genetics and age do play a part, but this new study reaffirms that environmental and lifestyle factors have a significant impact on brain health outcomes. Dr. Sanjula Singh, the principal investigator in the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital, stressed, "There are many different steps individuals can take to lower their risks for these age-related brain diseases. The hopeful message here is that change is possible."

The researchers performed a systematic review of 59 meta-analyses—summaries of data from multiple studies done between 2000 and 2023. They aimed to find risk factors that are modifiable and common among at least two of the three conditions: stroke, dementia, and late-life depression.

What Are the 17 Modifiable Risk Factors?

These aren't just medically relevant—they're actionable.

The list includes:

1. High blood pressure
2. Body mass index (BMI)
3. Kidney disease
4. Blood sugar
5. Total cholesterol
6. Alcohol use
7. Diet quality
8. Hearing loss
9. Chronic pain
10. Physical activity
11. Sleep quality
12. Smoking
13. Social engagement
14. Stress management
15. Cognitive stimulation
16. Depressive symptoms
17. Sense of purpose in life

They interlink and tend to overlap, so working on one can have a positive impact on several others.

Why Blood Pressure is The Most Important Factor?

Among all the variables examined, blood pressure was the most significant one. Adults with blood pressure levels more than 140/90 mm Hg were:

• 2 times more likely to have a stroke
• 20% more likely to develop dementia
• 16% more likely to have depression

This is an appeal. Cutting down on salt, raising potassium through proper diet, daily exercise, stress management, and treating sleep apnea are starting points. Medication from a doctor may be required for some.

Are Smoking, Sleep, and Sugar A Dangerous Threat?

Smoking strongly raises the risk of vascular injury, resulting in strokes and impaired brain function. Stopping smoking—even later in life—can significantly lower risk.

Sleep, so frequently underestimated, is an essential function in brain detoxification. Lack of sleep has been associated with cognitive impairment, depression, and metabolic syndrome. Elderly individuals need a minimum of 7 hours of quality sleep each night and must establish a regular sleep routine.

High blood sugar due to bad eating or unknown diabetes also leads to cognitive impairment. Keeping blood glucose under control by proper eating and exercise will stop both vascular and neurological injury.

Importance of Movement and Mental Engagement

Regular physical activity in the form of walking, yoga, or strength training increases blood flow to the brain, lowers stress levels, and enhances sleep. At the same time, mental activities like puzzles, reading, or acquiring a new skill keep the brain sharp.

Although it is hard to disentangle whether these habits are causes or consequences of disease, the evidence tips in favor of the advantages of physical activity.

Social and Emotional Well-Being

A sense of direction, social connections, and the capacity to cope with chronic stress are protective factors that are too often neglected. Research indicates that loneliness and social isolation raise the risk of cognitive decline and depression. Adding social interaction, volunteer activities, or group hobbies can serve as potent buffers.

In addition, left untreated, depressive symptoms can speed up neurological damage. Identifying early warning signs and seeking mental health care is critical to maintaining long-term brain health.

Given these findings, scientists have revised the Brain Care Score—a measure that assists individuals in determining their brain health in physical, lifestyle, and emotional aspects. Initially developed by the McCance Center for Brain Health, this 21-point score now includes new knowledge in the form of pain, symptoms of depression, hearing impairment, cognitive activity, and kidney function.

While more randomized controlled trials are necessary to evaluate interventions utilizing the score, it provides an encouraging foundation upon which clinicians and individuals can start.