Health

Newsweek - A nationwide warning of salmonella has caused a range of cured meats to be recalled over fears they are contaminated, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced on Monday. The FSIS is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health officials to investigate a multistate outbreak of salmonella. On Monday, Fratelli Beretta, also known as Busseto Foods, recalled an undetermined amount of ready-to-eat meat charcuterie products containing Coppa that may be under-processed, which may have resulted in possible contamination with foodborne pathogens.

Long-term effects of smoking on the immune system persist for up to 15 years after quitting; study finds heightened inflammatory response, dampened cellular response in ex-smokers (More)

Maine Public Radio -  People living alone are more likely to report feeling depressed compared to those living with others, according to a new study by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. And that effect is particularly stark for people living alone who say they have little or no social and emotional support....The new study comes at a time when the number of single person households in the U.S. has skyrocketed. In the decade from 2012 to 2022, the number of Americans living alone jumped from 4.8 million to 37.9 million. The study relies on 2021 data from the annual National Health Interview Survey, which interviews people in a nationally representative sample of households across the country. It found that a little over 6% of those living alone reported feelings of depression, compared to 4% of people living with others. The good news about the findings, says author Laryssa Mykyta, is that the vast majority of people living alone didn't report adverse mental health symptoms. "Most adults who live alone – 93% – report either no feelings of depression or low feelings of depression," she says.

NPR - The bubonic plague has appeared in Oregon for the first time in nearly a decade. Health officials say the person likely caught it from their cat. Doctors treated the patient with antibiotics and gave their contacts medication. They don't expect the disease to spread or cause any deaths. So, just how dangerous is the disease that caused the Black Death — the 14th-century pandemic that killed 30% to 50% in parts of  Europe? Here's what you need to know.