The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

Robotic technology is set to become an accelerating tool across every specialty of medicine, covering diagnostics, treatment and therapy in India, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference of the Society of Robotic Surgery in New Delhi, Singh said robotics should not be viewed as technology limited to surgery but as a tool that could increasingly be used across different branches of medicine.

“It’s a tool. It will happen everywhere,” he said, adding that the future could see the emergence of robotic medicine, robotic endocrinology and robotic cardiology, just as AI is finding applications across medical specialties.

Robotics, AI and Precision Medicine

Singh said robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and nanoscience could create a larger ecosystem for precision health delivery and precision medicine.

Emerging technologies, he said, could enable increasingly personalized healthcare based on an individual's genetic profile, environmental conditions, lifestyle and dietary patterns.

He said the next phase of medicine could see greater use of genetically driven diagnostics alongside advances in quantum technologies, nanomedicine, AI and robotics.

Gene Sequencing for Every Newborn

Singh also expressed a desire to launch gene sequencing for every newborn. Referring to the Genome India Program, he said 10,000 individuals have already been sequenced and that AI and robotics could support detailed genetic sequencing across India's population of 1.4 billion.

He also highlighted the potential of tele-robotics, sharing his experience of performing an ultrasound on a person located 10,000 kilometers away in Antarctica.

How Robotics Is Changing Surgery

The shift toward robotic medicine is already visible in surgery. AIIMS experts recently explained how robotic technology is changing gallbladder surgery, building on the transition from open surgery to laparoscopy and now robotic-assisted procedures.

Professor Hemanga K Bhattacharjee, Department of Surgical Disciplines, AIIMS New Delhi, said inflammation, adhesions, scarring and unexpected anatomy can make gallbladder surgery difficult.

“What the surgeon encounters once the procedure begins can be very different from what was expected. In such situations, robotic-assisted surgery can be an ideal option, as the enhanced visualization and instrument control can help the surgeon navigate difficult anatomy with greater precision,” Bhattacharjee said.

The AIIMS Department of Surgical Disciplines uses the da Vinci robotic system, which provides a high-definition 3D view and wristed instruments for controlled movements. The department has performed more than 1,500 robot-assisted surgeries across specialties, according to hospital authorities.

Will Robotics Replace Laparoscopy?

Dr. Sunil Chumber, Head of the Department of Surgical Disciplines at AIIMS, Delhi, has worked through the evolution from open surgery and mini-laparotomy to laparoscopy and robotic-assisted surgery.

He described robotic-assisted surgery as “a significant step forward” and said he considers it “a superior surgical platform” based on his experience.

“My expectation is that, eventually, gallbladder surgery will be performed robotically and conventional laparoscopy will be phased out,” Chumber said.

“Every generation of surgery builds on what came before it. Laparoscopy was a major advancement in its time, but having worked with robotic-assisted surgery, I believe robotics is the next step in that evolution.”

TikTok star Brooke Eby, who chronicled her life with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), through candid, humorous and deeply personal videos, has died at 37.

Eby was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2022 at age 33. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that damages the nerve cells responsible for voluntary muscle movement.

Brooke Eby Made ALS Personal

Eby became known for sharing the realities of living with ALS on social media. Her videos combined humor with candid accounts of how the disease affected her mobility, breathing, speech and daily life.

The ALS Network described her as an “extraordinary advocate, storyteller, community builder and friend” whose honesty and humor helped change how people understood ALS.

“Brooke changed the way people see ALS, but she also changed the way people living with ALS find and support one another,” said Sheri Strahl, president and CEO of the ALS Network.

Eby also used her platform to challenge the perception that ALS mainly affects older men.

“I didn’t choose ALS, but I did choose to get loud, and be irreverent about it,” Eby said after receiving an award from the ALS Network for her advocacy.

Also read: New RNA Therapy For ALS, The Disease Stephen Hawking Had: Patient With Rare Motor Neuron Disease Improves

She Documented Her ALS Progression

Eby regularly updated followers as her condition progressed.

In June 2025, she said her breathing capacity had declined significantly over six months. She also shared that she had undergone a procedure to have a feeding tube placed in her stomach.

By January 2026, Eby said she had begun experiencing bulbar symptoms, which can affect speech and swallowing. She reported trouble swallowing, speech disturbances and excess saliva.

In September 2026, she shared that her speech had deteriorated rapidly.

“In the last few weeks, people just can’t understand me at all,” she said, explaining that speaking had also begun requiring careful positioning of her body.

Eby Wanted People To Understand ALS Can Affect Anyone

In a PEOPLE essay, Eby wrote that she wanted people to understand that ALS does not discriminate by age, gender or demographic.

“I have ALS at a relatable age. Personally, I always associated this disease with older men,” she wrote. “But I could be someone’s daughter, sister, mom, girlfriend, wife.”

While much of her content was comedic, Eby also educated her audience about ALS, including how symptoms can vary and how the disease progresses.

Read More: Stanford Scientists Say The Human Brain May Be Two Separate Organs: How It Could Affect ALS & SMA Research

What Is ALS?

ALS affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. As these nerve cells degenerate, people can develop muscle weakness, loss of movement, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and eventually breathing problems.

ALS can begin in the limbs or with speech and swallowing problems, known as bulbar-onset ALS.

There is currently no cure for ALS, although treatments can help manage symptoms, improve quality of life and extend survival.

ALS Symptoms

Symptoms vary but can include:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle cramps and twitching
• Muscle atrophy
• Stiffness and spasticity
• Difficulty speaking or swallowing
• Breathing difficulties
• Changes in emotional expression

Some people with ALS also develop cognitive or behavioral changes.

Eby’s social media posts gave thousands of followers a candid look at how the disease could change everyday life, while helping raise awareness about a condition that is often associated with older adults.

Raw milk is often promoted as a natural alternative to pasteurized milk. But unpasteurized milk can carry harmful bacteria, including E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Two young girls in California — 17-month-old Brooklyn and 6-year-old Victoria — were hospitalized with severe E. coli infections after drinking raw goat milk from the same farm, ProPublica reported.

Brooklyn developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially life-threatening complication of E. coli infection, and nearly died.

Doctors suspected the raw milk was the source of the infections.

How Did Brooklyn Get Sick?

Brooklyn’s mother, Emily Marris, had been looking for an alternative to formula after breastfeeding her daughter for a year. As she could not continue breastfeeding due to a medication for chronic hip pain, she tried cow’s milk, which left Brooklyn with constipation.

Marris was then guided to raw goat milk in a Facebook group run by her chiropractor.

Members recommended it, claiming goat milk was easier to digest. The group also directed her to MoonLight Ridge Farm.

Also read: Unsafe Sleep Factors Linked To 73% Of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths In US: CDC

Brooklyn Developed Severe E. Coli Infection

Brooklyn drank the raw milk for about six months. But on June 2, Brooklyn suddenly began vomiting. Her condition rapidly worsened and she was transferred to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

Doctors diagnosed her with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which blood clots damage small blood vessels and can cause kidney failure.

A stool test confirmed E. coli O157:H7. Doctors suspected the raw milk was the likely source.

Brooklyn required intensive care, including a breathing tube and dialysis. Her condition became so severe that her parents feared she would not survive. She also went into cardiac arrest three times.

E. coli can live in animal intestines and contaminate milk through fecal matter. Even a small amount can cause infection.

Victoria Also Hospitalized

Brooklyn was not the only child affected. Six-year-old Victoria, who had also consumed milk from the same farm, was treated at the same San Diego hospital for a severe E. coli infection and required blood transfusions.

There are more children suffering from severe infections after drinking raw milk. In the past two years alone, hundreds had fallen ill across nine states from drinking raw milk or eating products made with it, as social media influencers and President Donald Trump’s White House continue to promote the unproven benefits of raw milk and downplaying its risks.

Read More: Are GLP-1 Drugs Safe for Children? Study Finds Nutritional Deficiency in Nearly 17% Within a Year

What Happened to the Farm?

California regulates raw-milk sales, but ProPublica reported the farm sold unlabeled milk without the required license. However, on August 1, the Food and Agriculture Department found that the farm had sold unapproved raw milk without a CDFA license. It was not penalized, the report said.

Brooklyn Faces Long-Term Health Problems

After leaving the hospital, Brooklyn required physical therapy and experienced problems with walking and sleep. Her mother said her development had stalled.

Doctors also warned of possible long-term kidney problems and advised regular nephrology follow-up.

What Is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. Pasteurization uses heat to destroy harmful bacteria and other pathogens.

Raw-milk proponents often claim that pasteurization destroys nutrients or improves the health benefits of milk. However, experts say pasteurization does not significantly alter milk’s mineral or protein content.

Claims that raw milk improves digestion or boosts immunity have not been scientifically established.

How Does Raw Milk Become Contaminated?

Raw milk can be contaminated through:

Animals: E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter can enter milk through infected animals or fecal contamination.

Environment and equipment: Polluted water, dirt, manure and contaminated milking equipment can also introduce pathogens.

Raw Milk Health Risks

Raw milk can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fever. In some cases, infections can become severe or life-threatening.

Children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

Certain E. coli infections can cause HUS, which may lead to kidney failure and other serious complications.

Pasteurization destroys harmful bacteria while preserving the nutritional value of milk. The FDA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics advise against consuming raw milk because of its foodborne infection risks.