Birthdays are exciting for everyone. There's celebration, a cake, and balloons. But what if it goes wrong? This is what happened with Giang Pham, from Vietnam, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday on February 14, when a hydrogen balloon in her hand touched the flame from the candle on the cake and exploded on her face.

This incident was also captured on camera. The footage clearly shows how the balloon blew up as soon as it touched the flame. Her friends were shocked and can be heard gasping in the background as they saw this.

In the days following the incident, she also shared photos on her Instagram showing her bandaged face, and revealed the first-degree burns on her hand and second-degree burns on her face. However, the good news was that her vision was unaffected, though for her face to recover, it would take months.

She is now also warning others about the risks of using highly inflammable hydrogen balloons. The other alternative could be a helium balloon, which you could fly higher and they remain on the ceiling.

Health Update

She revealed that her doctor estimated up to six months for her skin to recover. She would still have to go to the hospital for dressing and treatment. Another such case happened with a woman named Tine from Australia, when on her son's 7th birthday, the balloon exploded and "shook her house". Her son was burned in the forearm.

Such incidents happen because decorators want to save the cost by replacing helium with hydrogen, which is highly inflammable.

In Healing

Giang shared that she experienced second-degree burn on her face and first-degree burn on her hands. As per John Hopkins Medicine, first degree burns affect only the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The burn site becomes red, painful, dry, however, there are no blisters. A mild sunburn could be an example of such a burn. This is also called superficial burns.

Whereas, second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site appears red, blistered and could also be swollen and painful. This is also known as partial thickness burn.

Then comes the third degree burns, also known as full thickness burn. This destroys the epidermis and dermis and could also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. However, when the bones and muscles are burned, it could be referred to as a fourth degree burn. The burn sit appears white or charred and there is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

How burns are treated?

The right way to treat a burn depends on its depth and how much of the body it covers. While minor, superficial burns can be managed at home, deeper or larger burns may need medical attention. Keep these essential guidelines in mind:

Do:

• Remove the source of the burn immediately – For example, take off clothing soaked in hot liquid to prevent further damage.
• Run cool water over the burn – This helps soothe the skin, except in cases of certain chemical burns.
• Keep the burn clean and protected – Cover it with a clean, non-stick bandage when possible.
• Seek medical help – If the burn is deeper than a superficial layer, larger than your hand, or full-thickness, see a doctor.

Don’t:

• Use home remedies like bleach or butter – These can make the burn worse.
• Apply ointments or creams on deep burns – They can trap heat and worsen the injury.
• Put ice on the burn – It can cause more damage to the skin.
• Pop blisters – This increases the risk of infection.

Knowing these simple steps can make a big difference in burn care and healing.

Cholera deaths increased by 30% in 2025, reaching their highest level since 1999, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2025, 47 countries reported 451,499 cholera cases and 7,870 deaths to WHO. The actual global burden is likely substantially higher, as many cases go unreported.

“The rise in cholera deaths is a reminder of the challenge ahead,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program.

“No one should be dying from cholera today when we have the tools to prevent and treat this disease,” he added.

7 Countries Account For 90% Of Global Cholera Toll

Seven countries accounted for around 90% of reported cholera cases and deaths globally in 2025:

• Angola
• Bangladesh
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Nigeria
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Yemen

The WHO African Region recorded the largest burden, with cases rising 34% and deaths 58% from 2024.

Further, the WHO stated that more than one in five reported cholera deaths occurred outside health facilities, showing that many patients are still not reaching care in time.

Among patients treated in health facilities, the global fatality rate remained below 1%, the threshold for adequate care. However, it exceeded 1% in 12 countries.

The WHO called for targeted investments in safe water, sanitation and hygiene, along with stronger surveillance, vaccination and access to quality care, to reverse the trend.

The WHO report also covered bacterial meningitis and plague.

Vaccination Behind Declining Bacterial Meningitis Cases

The African meningitis belt, stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia, continues to face a substantial burden. In 2025, 24 of 26 countries reported 21,526 suspected cases and 971 deaths, a fatality rate of 4.5%.

However, among countries reporting data for both years, cases declined 5.9% from the previous year.

Since the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine was introduced in 2010, serogroup A cases have fallen by more than 99% among vaccinated populations.

In 2025, Niger became the first country to conduct a nationwide campaign with the broader Men5CV/MMCV vaccine.

Plague Cases Reported In 10 Countries

Between 2019 and 2025, 10 countries reported suspected human plague cases to WHO, with six reporting confirmed cases.

A total of 3,847 suspected cases and 423 deaths were reported, giving a case fatality rate of 11%.

Most cases came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar, where plague remains endemic in some areas.

What Is Cholera?

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria and spreads through food or water contaminated with feces.

It is preventable and treatable but can be fatal when severe dehydration is not treated quickly. Global production of oral cholera vaccines more than doubled from around 30 million doses in 2022 to approximately 80 million in 2025.

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type and can be life-threatening.

What Is Plague?

Plague is a bacterial disease that usually spreads among animals through fleas but can also infect humans. Surveillance of rodents and other animal populations and rapid outbreak response remain important for preventing transmission.

A powerful synthetic opioid that is described to be up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl is spreading through the US illicit drug supply, raising concerns about a new and deadly driver of overdoses.

According to a drug threat notice from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the drug, cychlorphine, has now been detected in every region of the United States, . It was particularly prevalent in Ohio, Texas and Tennessee.

At least 55 deaths were linked to cychlorphine in 2025 and 2026, according to the federal warning. Tennessee has recorded the largest number of confirmed deaths so far. The number of drug samples containing the opioid also increased sharply, from just one in 2024 to 106 samples from 10 states in 2025.

All About Cychlorphine

Cychlorphine is a synthetic opioid, meaning it is manufactured chemically rather than derived directly from the opium poppy.

Belonging to a growing group of highly potent synthetic opioids, cychlorphine has crept up in the illicit drug supply in the US in the last few years. ONDCP says that cychlorphine could be “up to ten times more potent than fentanyl”.

Fentanyl is already notorious for being an extremely powerful opioid. Cychlorphine adds another layer of risk to an illicit drug supply that is already difficult to predict.

Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful opioid. The CDC says illegally manufactured fentanyl is about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Cychlorphine may be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the ONDCP.

That level of potency means the difference between an amount that produces an opioid effect and an amount that causes a fatal overdose can be extremely small.

Also read: 21% In 80 Weeks: Lancet Study Finds Lilly’s Retatrutide Delivers One Of The Biggest Weight Losses Ever

Cychlorphine Is Hard To Detect

Cychlorphine can be mixed into other drugs or pressed into counterfeit prescription pills, meaning someone may believe they are taking a familiar medication when the tablet actually contains a much more powerful opioid.

Powerful synthetic opioids can be mixed into other drugs or pressed into counterfeit pills. The DEA has similarly warned that nitazenes, another class of potent synthetic opioids, are being mixed with fentanyl, heroin and counterfeit prescription pills.

Fentanyl test strips do not detect cychlorphine, so a negative fentanyl test does not mean a drug is free from cychlorphine. "Cychlorphine is not detected by drug test strips or in routine hospital opioid urine screens," ONDCP warned.

This also means that deaths from the drug are likely being underestimated, according to the Journal of Pain Research. The author, Robert Raffa, professor emeritus at Temple University's School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, confirmed the drug is detected in a specialized lab.

ONDCP Warns

The New York Times reported that multiple doses of Narcan may be needed to reverse cychlorphine's effects, while people responding to an overdose may have only one or two doses available.

ONDCP has warned that anyone who might respond to an overdose should be ready with extra doses of naloxone (Narcan), a drug that helps reverse opioid overdoses. But response to these extremely potent synthetic opioids can be complicated.

34-year-old ABC News correspondent Will Reeve, the son of late actor Christopher Reeve, recently revealed his testicular cancer diagnosis. He said that first noticed a tender lump that seemed like nothing but it turned out to be the first sign of cancer.

Reeve recently opened up about his diagnosis and treatment journey, revealing that he first noticed something unusual in his left testicle while showering in April. He initially thought it would go away.

“I assumed it was nothing or would go away,” He told People.

But his wife, Amanda Dubin Reeve, encouraged him to get it checked. He got an ultrasound and found out later that it was a mass. “It’s probably nothing,” she told him, “but what if it’s something?”

Reeve's story highlights the importance of catching signs of testicular cancer. Any change that seems minor should not automatically be dismissed, particularly if it persists.

Will Reeve's Testicular Cancer Diagnosis

After the ultrasound showed a mass, Reeve underwent surgery to remove the affected testicle, a procedure called an orchiectomy.

Testing showed that most of his cancer was embryonal carcinoma, an aggressive type of testicular cancer. Doctors subsequently found cancer in three lymph nodes in his abdomen, leading to another surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy.

“I hadn’t had surgery since I got my tonsils out at 5,” said Reeve. “So I was more nervous about the unknown of the surgery rather than the overwhelming realization that I would be losing an essential part of my body forever.”

He took a few days off work to recover and was declared cancer-free on September 8.

Also read: H. pylori, HPV Among Five Infections Behind 1 In 8 Cancers Worldwide: Lancet

Early Signs Of Testicular Cancer

A lump on the testicle is one of the most common first signs of testicular cancer. The lump may or may not always be painful. Other possible changes include:

• Swelling or enlargement of a testicle
• A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
• An ache or discomfort in the testicle or lower abdomen
• A change in the size or consistency of a testicle
• Breast enlargement or tenderness in some cases

The American Cancer Society notes that many of these symptoms can also be caused by other conditions that are not cancer, including infections or injuries. However, any unexplained lump or persistent change should be evaluated by a doctor.

This is one reason a new lump can be easy to overlook. Most testicular cancers do not cause pain, although some tumours can cause aching or discomfort. In Reeve's case, the lump was tender, but he initially assumed it was nothing serious.

Also read: IARC Says Low-Dose CT Can Cut Lung Cancer Deaths: AIIMS Expert Explains Why India Needs Its Own Screening Evidence

Who Is At Risk?

Testicular cancer is generally uncommon overall, but it is the most common cancer in young men, particularly those in their teens and 20s.

Certain factors can increase risk, including having had an undescended testicle, a previous testicular tumour or a family history of testicular cancer.

If you notice a lump or a tender swelling on your testicles, get evaluated by a medical professional immediately.

A doctor can examine the testicle and may recommend an ultrasound, which can help determine whether a mass is present and whether further evaluation is needed.

Before jumping to conclusions, remember that conditions like infections, fluid accumulation or enlarged veins can also cause swelling or changes in the testicle. But the only way to know what is causing the new change is to get it checked.