The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates for vaccinations for pets to extend their lives

A growing number of Americans are leaving trust funds behind for their pets

A pet trust ensures that an animal receives financial support and care if its owner can no longer care for the pet. Some lucky dogs have inherited millions of dollars from their owners.

Understanding vaccine side effects

A vaccine is a medical intervention, and as with any medical intervention, may have side effects. This article discusses side effects and adverse events related to vaccination.

What is vaccination? The World Health Org explains

Read up on the basics of vaccinations with this 101 from the World Health Organization, the public health arm of the United Nations.

More than 20 mosquito-borne and tick-borne diseases are found in the US

Children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems are at particular risk of poorer health outcomes from these diseases. But dog owners and outdoor enthusiasts are among those at particular risk of contracting these illnesses, which include Lyme disease, Zika, and the condition Alpha-gal Syndrome.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

Annual flu shots remain the best defense against influenza

Flu vaccination typically reduces the risk of medical visits by 30 to 60% and lowers hospitalization rates by around 40%. Between 2023 and 2024, in the US alone, vaccines prevented an estimated 120,000 hospitalizations and nearly 7,900 deaths.

The US military, concerned about potential deployments worldwide, has long funded experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies.

Collaborations between the military, biotech, and academic researchers led to an experimental antibody treatment for the Andes hantavirus strain—the one that more readily passes between humans. As of spring 2026, it had only been tested in animals. The US Army has also tested a potential hantavirus vaccine in people. It published early findings in 2023 that seemed promising, eliciting some immune system response. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Are cats good for our health?

Being a cat lover can have a profound effect on your life. This article in The Conversation presents a fascinating collection of findings related to the benefits and consequences of cat ownership. Discover compelling research about the positive heart health and mental health outcomes cats can bring, along with potential risks.

Zoo animals have developed allergies, too

Although scientists do not know if allergies manifest among wild animals—and if animals can survive with them—in a zoo setting, veterinarians have observed zoo animals with common allergy symptoms, including itchiness, crusty skin, and runny eyes. Veterinarians have identified Asian elephants with pollen allergies and at least one jaguar with an allergy to fleas.

Reporting food poisoning aids in limiting outbreaks

If you suspect you were sickened by meat or poultry or by other food products (or your pet was sickened), the US has different voluntary online reporting forms and hotlines you can call. There’s even one for concerns about potentially contaminated pet food products. If you were potentially sickened at a restaurant, however, you report that directly to state and local health departments, not the federal government.

The Dog Aging Project uses information from over 50,000 dogs to explore longevity

The study gathers health, lifestyle, and genetic data to understand what helps dogs live longer, healthier lives. Findings could also provide human health insights due to our shared surroundings and biology.

See a ranking of the most memorable presidential pets in history

This list highlights famous White House animals—from Abraham Lincoln's goats, Nanny and Nanko, to Joe Biden's German shepherds, Champ and Major—showing how pets have long been part of presidential life. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

Horses can—rarely—get West Nile, too

The animals can contract the virus via infected mosquito bites, but for horses there are four vaccines available. Though West Nile's often asymptomatic or mild in horses, the disease can sometimes be deadly, killing via severe neurological inflammation. There are no reported instances of people becoming sickened by infected horses or vice-versa.

What is the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine?

Federal guidance currently recommends a two-shot schedule of the MMR vaccine for children in most cases, once at 12 to 15 months and once at 4 to 6 years. (A September 2025 update only called for the elimination of a combined vaccine that included protection against varicella, the MMRV shot.)

Pets can experience vertigo, particularly older dogs

This type of dizziness is often caused by disorders of the vestibular system, and in dogs is often referred to as "old dog vestibular disease" because it tends to occur in older animals. The condition tends to resolve on its own in days or weeks. Vertigo is less common among cats than dogs, and in felines is typically caused by inner ear infections or other causes including a tumor.

Live virus vaccines predated polio—that's how we vaccinate against smallpox

Since 1796, smallpox vaccines have used a live poxvirus related to smallpox. Yellow fever vaccines have used a live weakened form of the virus responsible for yellow fever since 1937.

Tips for reducing the risk of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is bad news. But there are lots of things you can do to both protect yourself from superbugs and help keep the problem of antimicrobial resistance from getting worse. This page from the CDC offers clear, straightforward guidelines that can help keep you—and your loved ones—healthy.

Over the years, the USDA has changed its definitions of healthy eating

The US Department of Agriculture began offering eating advice in 1894 and has updated its guidance as both science and politics have evolved. In the early 20th century, its guidance emphasized recommended minimum servings of important foods; in later decades, its visual guides became more nuanced, illustrating the composition of a healthy diet and encouraging exercise.

Watch how viruses like Ebola can spill over from animals to humans—and vice-versa.

Some animals have little or no bacterial populations in their gut

Gut microbiomes are essential to human health, but many animals have a much smaller, transient, or even nonexistent microbiome. The discoveries have advanced our understanding of the evolution of the human microbiome.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

States are creating legislation to try to better protect their healthcare workers

State lawmakers and hospitals are scrambling to protect the nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers that are increasingly experiencing workplace violence. Dozens of states have passed laws or are working on bills that aim to curb hospital and clinic violence by requiring detailed violence prevention plans from employers, increasing legal penalties for those who attack healthcare workers, or taking steps like requiring hospitals to have a law enforcement officer—not just a security officer—on-site.

Home allergy tests don’t work well and experts urge caution

Doctors do not recommend at-home allergy test kits because their results may be inaccurate and confusing, and lead people to make lifestyle changes that are not warranted. Tests that require sending in a hair sample, for example, will not be helpful because hair does not have the relevant antibodies that blood testing would detect.

An overview on germ theory, the crucial framework developed by Louis Pasteur

Germ theory of disease is based on the concept that many diseases are caused by infections with microorganisms, typically only visualized under high magnification. Read this general overview to understand the basic framework which allowed for development of vaccines.

Most Americans are now dying at home, reversing 20th century trends

For most of the 21st and 20th centuries most Americans died in hospital settings. But in 2016, home-based deaths overtook hospitals; most Americans are now dying at home, likely fueled by individual preferences to die at home or to receive at-home palliative care.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

A photo essay on 'French ring,' the storied sport for disciplined protection dogs

The sport dates back to the 1800s in France and tests canine agility, discipline, and aggression in protection dogs. This photo essay follows Judo de Loucyn, a 72-pound Belgian Malinois, the sport's preferred breed, as he competes in obstacle clearing, long jumps, and obedience and attack drills in the North American Ring Association Western Regional Trial in Arizona.

Healthy adults should perform 'progressive resistance training'

That's the recommendation in March 2026 from the American College of Sports Medicine. They reviewed existing studies on the topic and concluded that resistance training with progressively more weight and repetitions improves muscle strength, size, power, endurance, gait speed, balance, and more.

Animal phobias are likely the most common type of phobias, followed by an extreme fear of heights.

Patients are a part of the progress

Navigating a cancer diagnosis can be terrifying and overwhelming. There is a robust community of patient advocates dedicated to prevention and diagnosis, research and clinical trials, legislation, needs of individual cancer types, among others. See how patient advocacy improves cancer research leading to improved treatment options and patient care.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

The power and influence of the American presidency have expanded significantly over time—far beyond what the founders envisioned.

The tragic Pulitzer Prize-winning image 'The Vulture and the Little Girl' (1993) generated controversy, raised concerns about ethics in photography, and eventually led to the photographer's death.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

The word 'jazz' evolved from 'jasm,' 19th-century American slang for 'energy'

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

The Ramones' 'Pet Sematary,' the theme song for the Stephen King novel of the same name, was written while the band was admiring the writer's collection of horror memorabilia.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.