Wash. Patient With Strain Of Bird Flu Never Before Seen In Humans Has Died
The resident of Washington state was an older adult with underlying conditions, The Washington Post reported, and was infected with the H5N5 strain. State health officials said the risk to the public is low. Other health news is on lung cancer screening, female crash-test dummy standards, and more.
The Washington Post:
Bird Flu Patient Dies, Marking Second U.S. Fatality In 2025
A Washington resident who was the first human case of bird flu in the U.S. since February died on Friday, state health officials said. The person was an older adult with underlying conditions and had been hospitalized since early November with a strain that was previously reported in animals but never before in humans. The person had been undergoing treatment for infection with H5N5 avian influenza, the health department said in a news release. State epidemiologist Scott Lindquist said last week that the person, who was hospitalized after developing high fever, confusion and respiratory distress, was “a severely ill patient.” (Sun, 11/21)
On cancer —
The Washington Post:
Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Should Change, New Study Finds
A new study reveals that current lung cancer screening guidelines may be missing most cases, prompting calls for changes to detect the disease earlier. (Chiu, 11/24)
Axios:
Nearly 1 In 10 U.S. Adults Have Had Cancer: Gallup
Nearly one in ten U.S. adults have been diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, a new high in Gallup's surveys dating back nearly two decades. Cancer death rates have declined in recent decades, along with incidences of certain types of cancer like lung cancer. But other cancers, notably those associated with obesity, have seen an uptick. (Lotz, 11/24)
More health and wellness news —
The New York Times:
U.S. Introduces New Female Crash-Test Dummy Standards
When a woman gets behind the wheel of a vehicle today, she is protected by safety features — from seatbelts to airbags — that have largely been designed to protect the average man from about 50 years ago. But female drivers in the United States are 73 percent more likely than a male driver to be severely injured in vehicle crashes, and they are 17 percent more likely to die, according to government data. (Hassan, 11/23)
KFF Health News:
Kids And Teens Go Full Throttle For E-Bikes As Federal Oversight Stalls
E-bike of Colorado sales manager Perry Fletcher said his sales and repair shop saw an increase in back-to-school sales to young riders and families this fall as the popularity of the battery-powered bicycles revs up. But the kids’ excitement for their new rides is tempered by a recurring question from worried parents: Are they safe? That can be a difficult question to answer. The federal government’s e-bike regulations are sparse, and efforts to expand them have stalled, leaving states and even counties to fill the void with patchwork rules of their own. (Ruder, 11/24)
Fox News:
More Adults Suddenly Developing Food Allergies, Baffling Experts
More adults are suddenly developing allergic reactions later in life — and experts aren't sure why. Nearly 50% of adults developed at least one food allergy in adulthood, according to a 2019 investigation published in JAMA. Illana Golant, founder and CEO of the Food and Allergy Fund (FAF) in New York City, told Fox News Digital that she developed allergies in her 40s. (DiMella, 11/23)
CNN:
What Is MASLD: Millions Of Americans Have This Liver Disease And Don’t Know It
A health condition many people have never heard of has become one of the most common liver diseases in the United States. Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, often develops quietly, so many people do not realize they have it until it is more advanced and signs show up in blood tests or ultrasounds. Even then, the disease can be hard to detect. (Hetter, 11/21)
In celebrity news —
The Washington Post:
Donald Glover Says He Had Stroke, Surgeries For Hole In Heart In 2024
Donald Glover, the multitalented creative known as Childish Gambino, addressed last year’s world tour cancellation during a weekend concert, telling fans he had suffered a stroke and doctors discovered a hole in his heart. Glover recalled performing in Louisiana in 2024 with “a really bad pain” in his head. “So when we went to Houston, I went to the hospital, and the doctor was like, ‘You had a stroke,’” he said during a Saturday performance at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles. (Masih, 11/24)
The Wall Street Journal:
Celebrities Are Making Smoking Cigarettes Cool Again
The stars are lighting up again. “Need a cigarette to make me feel better,” crooned pop star Addison Rae on her 2025 single “Headphones On,” while Lorde sang “this is the best cigarette of my life” in her own 2025 release, “What Was That.” Sabrina Carpenter was recently photographed wearing a corset made of Marlboro Gold packages, and sells shirts with song names emblazoned on mock-ups of cigarette boxes and lighters. (Cooper and Wright, 11/23)
