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Media Frenzy Triggers 2,000% Surge in Leucovorin Use for Autism
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The world isn’t ready for the next pandemic
The piece argues that global readiness for a future pandemic is weaker than during COVID-19, citing reduced funding for public health, staff burnout, gaps in disease surveillance, and insufficient stockpiles, and it calls for sustained, cooperative investment in early warning systems, rapid vaccine development, surge capacity, and stronger international health coordination to prevent a repeat of COVID-era weaknesses.
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War, No Vaccine, and Weakened Health Systems Threaten Ebola Containment
The Washington Post•1 hour ago
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2-Watt GEO Laser Achieves 1 Gbps Ground Link
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Aid cuts and conflict impede Ebola response in Congo and Uganda
Aid cuts and ongoing conflict are hampering surveillance and response to an Ebola outbreak across eastern Congo and Uganda, with at least 395 suspected cases and more than 100 deaths, figures likely higher due to weak surveillance. The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccines or treatments; while European funding has supported rapid sequencing and supplies, shrinking foreign aid threatens containment amid global health funding tensions.
Canada braces for tougher allergy season as pollen levels rise
Canadian researchers say pollen levels across the country have doubled in recent years, driven by warmer weather and shifting seasons, worsening allergies from hay fever to hives. With cedar, maple, birch, oak and poplar pollen overlapping this spring and urban heat islands amplifying the effect, experts say the season may be more intense in 2026. People are advised to limit outdoor activity and keep windows closed on high-pollen days to manage symptoms.
Ketamine–buprenorphine combo may rapidly reduce suicide risk in depression
A new study suggests a single ketamine infusion followed by low-dose buprenorphine can quickly and durably reduce suicidal ideation in adults with major depressive disorder, though longer-term safety and effectiveness remain uncertain.
Next-gen obesity drug race tightens as pivotal readouts loom
Pharma is racing to commercialize next-generation obesity drugs as pivotal readouts approach from Lilly, Viking Therapeutics, and Pfizer; Lilly’s retatrutide shows potentially stronger weight loss and knee-pain relief in Triumph-4, Viking is testing maintenance dosing for VK2735, and Pfizer’s PF’3944 posted encouraging phase 2b results for monthly maintenance injections, signaling a crowded path to a multi-billion GLP-1 market by 2030.
APOE2 Lets Neurons Fight DNA Damage, Slowing Brain Aging
Buck Institute researchers show that APOE2 helps neurons repair DNA and resist aging by reducing DNA damage and cellular senescence; studies in human iPSC-derived neurons and aged mice reveal APOE2–driven DNA repair activation and better nuclear integrity, offering a potential mechanism for APOE2's lower Alzheimer’s risk and longer lifespan and suggesting therapies that boost DNA repair for APOE4 carriers.
Hantavirus cruise-ship case tests global traveler monitoring strategies
Passengers exposed on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius are entering a key window for symptom onset, prompting countries to adopt divergent monitoring—mandatory hospital quarantines in France and Spain vs. voluntary home isolation in the U.S. and U.K.—with varying testing approaches. Incubation averages about three weeks and can extend up to six, leading many nations to monitor for 42 days after disembarkation. The U.S. currently tests only after symptoms appear, a strategy experts warn may miss early infections that timely PCR testing could catch. The case highlights differences in risk communication and public-health resource use as exposed travelers return home and authorities seek to contain spread.
North American hantavirus case linked to cruise ship prompts health review
A Canadian passenger on the MV Hondius cruise tested positive for hantavirus, marking the first North American case linked to the voyage and the 10th overall from the ship’s outbreak. One of four Canadians who returned home received a presumptive positive and is undergoing further testing; the other three remain in isolation, with two elderly travelers hospitalized in Victoria. Officials say the overall risk to the Canadian public remains low, as hantavirus is typically rodent-borne, though the Andes strain has shown limited human-to-human transmission in early illness. Isolation rules are being reassessed and investigations continue.
Global Alarm: Ebola Outbreak Declared International Health Emergency
WHO declares the Bundibugyo-strain Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern as the CDC issues travel restrictions, including a 30‑day Title 42 entry ban for travelers from the region; the outbreak has more than 100 deaths with hundreds of suspected cases and no vaccine or therapy for this strain. An American doctor treating patients in the DRC has tested positive and is evacuated to Germany, with several others being evacuated; U.S. risk remains low.
Engineered Neural Bridges Could Rewire Damaged Brain Circuits
Duke researchers developed LinCx, a system of engineered proteins that form targeted electrical connections between specific neurons to create a bypass around damaged brain circuits. In worms and mice, these custom electrical links strengthened communication, altered brain-wide activity, and changed behaviors related to social interaction and stress, suggesting a precision therapy for neurological disorders without external stimulation. The work, published in Nature, demonstrates long-lasting, cell-type-specific circuit edits and lays groundwork for future testing in models with genetic deficits.
Cannabis and Tobacco Co-Use Linked to Near-Threefold Psychosis Risk in At-Risk Youth
A multisite study of over 1,000 individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis finds that using cannabis and tobacco together markedly raises long-term risk of developing a full psychotic disorder—about 2.9 times higher than non-users—compared with single-substance use. The effect is partly biological, as smoking tobacco increases cannabis THC absorption, potentially accelerating brain changes. Short-term symptoms rise with either substance, but the major difference appears over time in conversion risk, especially for heavy cannabis use paired with light tobacco use. Stopping both substances could reduce risk, highlighting the need to address co-use in at-risk populations. For those with established psychosis, ongoing tobacco use is linked to a roughly 20-year decrease in life expectancy due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.