Health
New York health officials warn of whooping cough outbreak among children
An outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) has been reported on Long Island, New York, according to health officials.
On Dec. 30, 2023, Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott released a statement noting that the county’s health department is tracking a growing number of pertussis cases.
Of the 108 cases that have been reported, the “vast majority” are children who attend local school districts and their parents, according to the release.
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Most of the patients were vaccinated and have only mild symptoms.
No hospitalizations have been reported thus far.
An outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis) has been reported on Long Island, New York, according to health officials. (iStock)
“With so many respiratory illnesses currently circulating, some for which there is no treatment, we wanted to make sure that parents know that pertussis, also called whooping cough, can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early,” said Pigott in the release.
“Whooping cough can be very serious for infants too young to be vaccinated, which is why we are alerting both medical providers and the public that this illness is circulating.”
What is whooping cough?
A highly contagious respiratory tract infection, pertussis gets its more common name “whooping cough” from the severe hacking cough that some people develop.
While the vaccine offers protection against severe illness for children, infants who are too young for vaccination are at the highest risk, according to Mayo Clinic.
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In addition to the cough, initial symptoms mimic those of a cold — including nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, and red, watery eyes.
Symptoms get worse over time, often leading to severe and uncontrollable coughing fits, which end with a “whooping” sound after the patient breathes in due to a buildup of mucus in the airways, Mayo Clinic noted.
Who is most at risk?
Infants are at the highest risk of severe disease and life-threatening complications from whooping cough, including interrupted breathing, pneumonia, seizures or, rarely, death.
“Pregnant women, individuals with compromised immune systems, and older adults are also more susceptible to severe symptoms,” Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company, told Fox News Digital.
Of the 108 cases that have been reported so far in Long Island, New York, the “vast majority” are children who attend local school districts and their parents, according to the release. (iStock)
“The condition becomes dangerous when it leads to severe coughing spells that cause difficulty breathing, vomiting or interrupting normal breathing patterns in infants.”
There are some 24 million cases of pertussis worldwide each year and 50,000 in the U.S., according to Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor.
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The primary treatment for pertussis is antibiotics, which are most effective when administered early.
Azithromycin is the common treatment for children and doxycycline is prescribed to adults, Siegel said.
“It’s also important to manage symptoms, especially in severe cases,” Dubinsky added. “This might include hospitalization for infants or those with severe symptoms to monitor and treat complications.”
What causes outbreaks?
Cases of whooping cough decreased during the pandemic, Siegel noted.
“They are increasing more now as our immune systems are exposed to viruses and bacteria we haven’t seen and are slower to respond,” he noted.
Due to the potential severity in young infants and those with weakened immune systems, it’s important to seek medical attention if pertussis is suspected, an expert stressed. (iStock)
Whooping cough outbreaks typically occur when there are populations with low vaccination rates, noted Dubinsky.
“Pertussis is highly contagious, and in areas where herd immunity is not strong due to insufficient vaccination, the disease can spread more easily,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Additionally, the immunity from the vaccine or previous infection wanes over time, which can also contribute to outbreaks.”
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The best way to combat and contain an outbreak is through vaccination, according to Dubinsky.
“The DTaP vaccine for children and the Tdap booster for adults and adolescents are crucial,” she said.
It is recommended that pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, as it helps protect the newborn until they can receive their own vaccinations, Dubinsky added.
It is recommended that pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, as it helps protect the newborn until the child can receive his or her own vaccinations. (iStock)
Siegel agreed that the vaccine is effective at decreasing severity, but noted that even vaccinated people can still get a mild case with cough and congestion.
During outbreaks, Dubinsky emphasized the need to practice good hygiene, such as regular hand washing and the use of tissues or elbows to cover coughs.
“Isolating infected individuals is another key step in preventing the spread,” she said.
Suffolk County health officials recommend that anyone diagnosed with whooping cough stays home from work or school until completing five days of antibiotics.
Due to the potential severity in young infants and those with weakened immune systems, it’s important to seek medical attention if pertussis is suspected, Dubinsky stressed.
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A look back at the medical miracles of 2025
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to highlight 2025 breakthroughs, from a pineapple-derived burn cream to a newly approved heart procedure.
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America has been at the forefront of medical innovation since the nation’s founding in 1776.
From groundbreaking surgeries to cancer breakthroughs, U.S. physicians have helped transform nearly every field of medicine.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, experts are highlighting some of the most influential medical innovations in the nation’s history.
No. 1: Orthopedic care
John Uribe, MD, orthopedic surgeon and system chief executive at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care in Florida, said he believes the greatest breakthrough in orthopedics is the evolution of joint replacement surgery, particularly of the hip and knee.
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“A generation ago, severe arthritis or joint damage often meant a lifetime of pain, limited mobility and loss of independence,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Today, orthopedic surgeons can replace a damaged joint with highly durable implants, use advanced imaging and navigation, and increasingly rely on robotic-assisted technology to personalize implant positioning and improve precision.”
“The future of orthopedics will be less one-size-fits-all and more focused on matching the right procedure, implant, recovery plan and technology to the individual patient,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Today, patients can walk the same day after joint replacement, return home sooner and recover with less disruption than in the past, according to Uribe.
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“Hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic procedures, advanced fracture care and spine treatments have allowed patients to stay active longer and maintain independence as they age,” the doctor said. “The biggest impact is that orthopedic care can give people back parts of their lives they thought they had lost.”
“For many patients, the goal is no longer just to relieve pain; it is to restore movement, independence and quality of life.”
No. 2: Mental health treatment
For most of America’s 250 years, mental illness was largely treated indirectly with medication, or not at all when medication was ineffective, according to Dr. Russ Voltin, a West Virginia-based practicing psychiatrist and medical consultant at BrainsWay.
The biggest breakthrough, Voltin told Fox News Digital, has been neuromodulation therapies like deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which are “clinically proven to non-invasively target the brain circuits involved in conditions such as depression and OCD, helping rebalance neural activity at its source.”
“Mental health is brain health, and for the first time, we have treatments designed to address it that way.”
For most of America’s 250 years, mental illness was largely treated indirectly with medication, or not at all when medication was ineffective. (iStock)
A generation ago, a patient who didn’t respond to medication had very limited options, he said.
“Today, a clinician can offer noninvasive brain stimulation in an outpatient chair – no anesthesia, no sedation, none of the prominent side effects of medication, and all with limited lifestyle interruption.”
The FDA recently expanded clearance for an accelerated Deep TMS protocol that shortens the initial phase of depression treatment from about four weeks of daily visits to just six treatment days.
“Mental health is brain health, and for the first time, we have treatments designed to address it that way.”
“For someone in a depressive crisis, this is the difference between waiting and getting better,” the expert said.
In clinical trials, roughly 78% of patients reached remission and more than 80% were still in remission a full year later.
“The biggest shift is that for people who once cycled through medication after medication with no relief, durable recovery is now a realistic goal rather than a hope.” (iStock)
“As a clinician, that last figure is the one that matters most: People going back to work, repairing relationships and re-entering their own lives, not just scoring better on a questionnaire,” Voltin said.
“The biggest shift is that for people who once cycled through medication after medication with no relief, durable recovery is now a realistic goal rather than a hope.”
No. 3: Cancer care
Cancer care has advanced dramatically over the past 250 years, with breakthroughs in prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment transforming patient outcomes.
Leonard Kalman, MD, acting system chief executive at Baptist Health Cancer Care and acting executive medical director at Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute in South Florida, said one of the most important breakthroughs in oncology is the understanding that “at its core,” cancer is a genetic disease.
Today, physicians can cure certain leukemias and lymphomas that were “once far more difficult to treat,” an expert noted. (iStock)
“Cancer can be driven by inherited germline mutations or by somatic mutations that occur in normal tissue and lead cells to become malignant,” he told Fox News Digital. “That discovery has transformed how we understand, diagnose and treat cancer.”
Today, physicians can cure certain leukemias and lymphomas that were “once far more difficult to treat,” the doctor noted.
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“We can also extend life while preserving quality of life for many patients with metastatic cancers — including diseases such as lung cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer, where treatment options were much more limited a generation ago,” Kalman said.
Many of those advances have shifted cancer care toward more individualized treatment, allowing physicians to tailor therapies based on a patient’s specific disease.
“For many patients, the goal is no longer just to relieve pain; it is to restore movement, independence and quality of life.”
“Advances in targeted therapies, immunotherapy, molecular testing and supportive care allow physicians to better personalize treatment, manage side effects and help patients live longer with a better quality of life, even when cancer has spread beyond the primary tumor,” the doctor said.
No. 4: Cardiovascular care
Tom Nguyen, MD, system chief executive at Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care and chief medical executive at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in South Florida, highlighted the ability to diagnose heart disease earlier and treat “even the most complex conditions” with safer, more precise and less invasive therapies.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, but patients who once might have died in their 40s or 50s are now routinely living into their 80s and 90s with an excellent quality of life,” he told Fox News Digital.
Although cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, patients who once might have died in their 40s or 50s are now “routinely living into their 80s and 90s with an excellent quality of life,” the doctor said. (iStock)
Procedures like open-heart surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, coronary stents, catheter-based valve replacement, advanced imaging and robotic heart surgery have “completely transformed what is possible,” according to Nguyen.
“Robotic heart surgery is a powerful example of how far the field has come,” he said. “For appropriately selected patients, surgeons can now perform highly complex heart procedures through much smaller incisions using robotic technology that provides exceptional visualization, precision and control.”
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The biggest achievement, Nguyen said, is not only helping people live longer, but also helping them “live better.”
“Today, heart and vascular specialists can perform procedures that would have seemed almost unimaginable just one generation ago,” he said. “Patients are surviving heart attacks, valve disease, rhythm disorders and complex vascular conditions at rates that would have been difficult to imagine decades ago.”
“Many complex cardiac operations that once required opening the chest can now be performed through small incisions, or robotically – allowing patients to recover much faster with less pain and disruption to their lives,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Success isn’t measured only by survival, Nguyen added. “Our ultimate goal is to help patients feel better and return to the lives they enjoy.”
No. 5: Neurology
Michael McDermott, MD, system chief executive of Baptist Health Brain & Spine Care and chief medical executive at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, said the ability to safely operate on the brain is the greatest advancement in American neuroscience.
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“Less than a century ago, a craniotomy was an extraordinarily risky operation, and survival itself was far from guaranteed,” he told Fox News Digital. “Today, advances in anesthesia, electrocautery, imaging, surgical navigation, brain mapping and intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring have transformed brain surgery into a highly precise and much safer procedure.”
The ability to treat acute stroke in real time has been “equally transformative,” McDermott noted.
The growth of artificial intelligence is “beginning to transform spine surgery,” a neurologist said, by helping physicians identify which patients are “most likely to benefit from complex corrective procedures and by allowing implants to be precisely modeled before surgery.” (iStock)
“Using advanced imaging and mechanical thrombectomy, physicians can now remove a clot from the brain and restore blood flow before permanent damage occurs in many eligible patients,” he said. “At the same time, innovations such as high-intensity focused ultrasound for essential tremor demonstrate how neuroscience has become increasingly precise and less invasive.”
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Today, neuro experts can accomplish tasks that “would have been difficult to imagine just one generation ago,” McDermott noted.
“We can remove blood clots from the brain during an active stroke, implant deep brain stimulation devices for Parkinson’s disease, and perform highly sophisticated brain and spine surgery using advanced imaging, navigation and artificial intelligence,” he said.
Medical advancements have improved quality of life in patients with brain tumors and spinal complications. (iStock)
Advances like image-guided surgery, intra-operative brain mapping, neurophysiologic monitoring and radio-surgery allow surgeons to remove tumors more safely while protecting areas of the brain responsible for movement, speech and other critical functions, he said.
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Beyond brain tumors, other advances across neuroscience, like corrective spine surgery, have allowed doctors to restore posture and mobility in patients with severe spinal deformities. Meanwhile, focused ultrasound can “significantly reduce tremors that interfere with everyday activities such as writing, eating or drinking,” McDermott noted.
“Increasingly, our goal isn’t simply to help patients survive – we’re helping them maintain their independence, preserve function and return to the lives they want to live.”
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Health
West Nile virus detected in southern state as health officials warn residents about mosquitoes
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Health officials in Nashville are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites after West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes for the first time this year.
The Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) announced the virus was found in a mosquito pool collected near Cass Street in North Nashville, marking the city’s first detection of West Nile virus in 2026 and the earliest positive mosquito sample of the season.
The detection comes after health officials reported elevated West Nile virus activity in mosquito pools during 2025, when one human case of the virus was confirmed.
“We can all play a role in reducing the presence of mosquitoes in our community, making our outdoor areas both more pleasant and safer from mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus,” Dr. Sanmi Areola, director of health at the Metro Public Health Department, said in a statement to Fox 17.
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A close-up shows mosquitoes feeding in Tehatta, India, on May 1, 2026. Health officials in Nashville recently detected West Nile virus in a mosquito pool, prompting residents to take precautions against mosquito bites. (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“As our team educates those in the area where West Nile virus was found, we hope the rest of our community does what they can to protect themselves and their families from mosquitoes this summer.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile virus is the leading mosquito-borne disease in the United States. Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, but about one in five experience fever, headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Fewer than 1% develop a serious neurological illness that can affect the brain or spinal cord, with older adults and people with weakened immune systems facing the greatest risk.
Public health officials routinely trap and test mosquitoes throughout the summer to monitor for West Nile virus activity. A positive mosquito sample does not necessarily mean people in the area will become infected, but it serves as an early warning that the virus is circulating locally.
In response to the positive test, MPHD said crews are distributing educational flyers in the affected neighborhood, increasing mosquito trapping, monitoring standing water and applying larvicide where needed to help reduce mosquito populations. The department said it does not spray insecticide to kill adult mosquitoes.
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The Aedes mosquito is a known vector for several viruses, including West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and Zika virus. (Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Residents can also request a free backyard inspection from the department’s Pest Management team to identify areas where mosquitoes may be breeding.
Health officials recommend eliminating standing water from bird baths, flowerpots, buckets, old tires, children’s toys and other outdoor containers where mosquitoes lay eggs. Trimming overgrown vegetation around homes can also help reduce mosquito activity.
A field sample of mosquitoes that could carry West Nile Virus is seen at offices of the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health on April 26, 2007, in Hemet, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
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To help prevent mosquito bites, the health department recommends using EPA-approved insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, wearing long sleeves and pants outdoors during peak mosquito hours around dusk and dawn, and making sure window and door screens are in good repair.
Officials said reducing mosquito breeding around homes can help lower the risk of West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses throughout the community.
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