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.

Nathan Crawford from the UK was just 9-years-old when his testicular tissue was frozen, before undergoing chemotherapy for his brain tumor.

About 16 years later, the cryopreserved immature testicular tissue was reintroduced into his body, which triggered sperm cell production and restored his fertility, according to researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

“This is an important step in further scientific research to preserve the fertility of children with cancer or other blood diseases for the future. While the procedure is specifically designed to restore fertility, we cannot at this time guarantee that it will be successful or that patients can go on to have children. This treatment offers lots of perspectives for these young adults. They now have options that they did not have until recently,” said Dr Veerle Vloeberghs, part of the novel trial and staff member at Brussels IVF.

What Had Happened To Nathan

Nathan, now 27-years-old, had a type of tumor called a glioma, which develops from the glial cells that support the nerve cells of the brain, The Guardian reported. The tumor was so close to vital brain tissue that surgeons were unable to remove it without causing serious damage to important brain functions.

He underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy to shrink his tumor, before which surgeons at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford in a keyhole surgery removed and froze a wedge of testicular tissue, with the aim that it is one day re-implanted into Nathan.

How Is The Testicular Tissue Preserved?

While Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are lifesaving they can destroy testicular stem cells, the precursors of sperm cells in boys who undergo radical treatments before starting puberty. As it can affect their fertility, preventively removing and freezing testicular tissue is an option pioneered by UZ Brussel.

In 2002, UZ Brussel became the first hospital worldwide to initiate a clinical fertility preservation program for young boys suffering from cancer or diseases of the blood, bone marrow or lymph nodes.

Since then, the hospital has frozen testicular tissue fragments of 141 boys.

The tissue is preserved in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.

Prepubescent boys do not yet produce sperm cells. The removed tissue contains stem cells that would normally produce sperm after starting puberty.

"While the procedure is specifically designed to restore fertility, we cannot at this time guarantee that it will be successful or that patients can go on to have children,” Dr Vloeberghs said.

How Was The Testicular tissue Implanted

The Guardian reported that in 2025, four tissue fragments were grafted back into the remaining testicle and four under the skin of the scrotum.

After a year inside the body, the grafts were removed and analysed in the laboratory. The results are published in a preprint paper, which is yet to be peer reviewed.

Two of the grafts from inside the testicle had produced mature sperm, which was collected and frozen.

Because the tissue fragments are not directly connected to the sperm duct, the researchers do not expect sperm cells to naturally find their way into the semen.

“This is a huge finding,” Prof Ellen Goossens, of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, who led the trial was quoted as saying. “Many more people will have hope that they can have biological children. It’s great to see for the patients for whom we already have tissue banked.”

A new research paper published in the PNAS Journal triggered concerns over the potential risk of influenza D spilling over into humans.

Although primarily found in livestock such as cattle and swine, this virus has been increasingly studied due to evidence of exposure among agricultural workers.

A key concern raised was that the influenza D virus triggers a relatively weak early immune response in human respiratory cells.

However, to understand whether it is just a hype or a real concern, HealthandMe spoke to Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Ex-President of IMA Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala.

“So far, this virus has not been a major cause of respiratory disease in man, unlike other types of Influenza viruses like H1N1 and H3N2 of the Influenza A family. It is true that studies have demonstrated antibodies against this virus among cattle farmers, which is consistent with its ability to infect species other than cattle,” Dr. Jayadevan said.

He noted that the virus may not be an “imminent threat” to humankind as feared.

“So far, the signals are that this virus remains primarily a cattle pathogen, which doesn’t pose an imminent threat to man, unlike other types of influenza viruses”.

What is the Influenza D Virus?

Influenza D is one of four types of influenza viruses and belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family. Unlike the more familiar influenza A and B viruses that cause seasonal flu in humans, influenza D has primarily been detected in animals, particularly cattle and pigs.

According to the US CDC, the virus was first identified in 2011. It has since been found across multiple species, including livestock and wildlife, including camels, deer, giraffes, kangaroos, llamas, wallabies, and wildebeests.

It is not currently known to cause illness in humans, but has had a spill over in different animal species — more recently in poultry.

CDC’s January 2026 report stated that “influenza D has shown to have considerable potential for causing future human epidemics, but diagnostics and surveillance for the viruses are lacking”.

Also read: Can A Common Cold Virus Save You From Cancer? New Study Claims So

What Did The PNAS Study find?

Researchers investigated multiple influenza D virus isolates collected from livestock between 2011 and 2020 to assess their ability to infect human airway systems.

The paper demonstrated that the virus is capable of infecting human respiratory cells and was also adept at switching off the interferon-based ‘alarm systems’ of the cell.

This means that the virus may spread silently and efficiently, but without causing significant symptoms, Dr. Jayadevan said.

Importantly, the findings suggest that only small genetic changes might be needed for influenza D virus to achieve more sustained transmission in humans, although this has not yet been observed.

Read More: Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Flags 6 Suspected Cases; How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Spreads

H5N1 Bird Flu: A More Deadly Threat

Dr. Jayadevan told HealthandMe that a bigger concern for humans besides the commonly circulating human Influenza A and B viruses is the avian influenza (bird flu) virus H5N1.

H5N1 spreads among birds and carries a very high death rate whenever it infects humans.

“Fortunately, this bird flu virus isn’t able to easily spread from person to person, but ongoing mutations could potentially change that,” the expert said.

US President Donald Trump’s visit to a dentist in Florida over the weekend has reignited discussions about his health.

While past presidents have opted for the White House's on-site clinic, Trump went for a local dentist instead, a choice he made previously in January.

Trump's Dentist Visit Triggers Concern

Concern for the health of the President, set to turn 80 next month, was further fueled by a social media post by Nancy Mace, representative for South Carolina, where she wrote, “Pray for President Trump.”

Her sudden post came after the news that Trump had left his Jupiter golf club in Florida for a dentist appointment.

The White House, in a press pool reported: "President Trump is going to a scheduled dental appointment at his local dentist in Florida", The NewsWeek reported.

Republican strategist Cheri Jacobus also wondered about the timing of the President's appointment and what "caused him to suddenly leave his golf course?" Jacobus also questioned the White House for hiding Trump's health status.

However, there has been no statement from Trump’s office, family, or verified government channels confirming any medical emergency or surgical procedure as of now.

Also read: Donald Trump’s Discolored Left Hand Triggers Health Speculation: Expert Explains

Trump's Health Issues

It is not the first time that Trump has been the subject of numerous health-related scrutiny — ranging from his mental state to visible bruising around his hands.

While there remains no official medical update on the discoloration in Trump's hand, Dr. Amit Prakash Singh, Consultant - Internal Medicine at the CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, told HealthandMe that there are possible underlying causes that can result in hand discoloration. He noted that the condition may be due to:

• Bruising (bleeding under the skin)
• Low oxygen or poor circulation
• Swelling (fluid buildup in tissues)
• Infection or inflammation

Media reports also expressed concern over Trump’s swollen ankles, which were photographed again during his weekend trip to Florida.

On Saturday, Trump was photographed with his son, Donald Trump Jr. His swollen ankles visible in the photos are likely the result of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), which he was diagnosed with last July.

"CVI damages those valves, causing blood to pool in your legs. This increases pressure in your leg veins and causes symptoms like swelling and ulcers," according to the Cleveland Clinic.

In January, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he'd tried using compression socks to help treat the issue but stopped because he "didn't like them."

Trump has also made some unusual medical choices in the past. Most notable is his use of aspirin. Trump takes 325 milligrams of aspirin every day, according to the Daily Beast. That's four times the doctor-recommended dosage.

Read More: Why Does Donald Trump Stand Like That? The Age Factor Of Poor Posture Explained

Trumps' Dipping Image Among Americans

Meanwhile, nearly 60 per cent of Americans are questioning whether or not Trump is healthy enough to serve in the Oval Office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.

In addition to dissatisfaction over Trump’s leadership on the Iran war, economy, and inflation, a growing share of Americans are also questioning the President’s mental acuity for the position.

Nearly 6 in 10 say he does not have the mental sharpness, while 55 percent say he is not in good enough physical health to serve effectively.