logo
Suspected case of Measles under investigation in Lee County, Alabama

Suspected case of Measles under investigation in Lee County, Alabama

Yahooa day ago

LEE COUNTY, Ala. (WRBL) — The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) is investigating a suspected case of measles in Lee County involving an unvaccinated individual who was not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. The case is currently under review as part of ADPH's standard communicable disease response.
Health officials say while the individual is confirmed to be unvaccinated, they were too young to have received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The ADPH is now working closely with local medical providers to identify any other unvaccinated individuals who may need the MMR vaccine as a precaution.
'At this time, given that most eligible Alabamians are vaccinated against measles, the risk for an outbreak remains low,' ADPH officials said in a statement. 'However, some individuals will need to be vaccinated as part of this ongoing investigation.'
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughing, sneezing, and close contact. In rare but serious cases, it can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death — particularly in young children, the immunocompromised, and unvaccinated populations.
'Measles vaccine is safe and highly effective in producing lifelong immunity against this potentially deadly disease,' said Dr. Karen Landers, ADPH's Chief Medical Officer and a pediatrician. 'Our citizens can protect themselves and others by ensuring that all eligible persons are vaccinated.'
ADPH says anyone who may have been exposed is being contacted directly by health officials or their healthcare providers. Due to patient privacy laws and HIPAA regulations, no additional personal information about the suspected case is being released at this time.
For more information on measles symptoms, vaccine eligibility, and how to protect yourself, visit: https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/immunization/measles.html.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Who should be taking weight-loss drugs? Doctors share best candidates
Who should be taking weight-loss drugs? Doctors share best candidates

Fox News

time42 minutes ago

  • Fox News

Who should be taking weight-loss drugs? Doctors share best candidates

Weight-loss drugs continue to grow in popularity, with market researchers predicting that global demand for the medications could reach $150 billion by 2035. GLP-1 agonists — including semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy and tirzepatides like Mounjaro and Zepbound — are intended to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. Recent studies, however, have linked these medications to additional benefits, such as a reduction in heart disease and dementia risk, as doctors recommend them to a growing number of patients. Even so, recent Yale research found that only 3% of eligible adults received a prescription. Most adults who have obesity are good candidates for these medications, according to Dr. John Anderson, an internal medicine physician and diabetes specialist at the Frist Clinic in Nashville, Tennessee. "However, the most important group that we really want to address are the patients who have obesity alongside other comorbid conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and significant osteoarthritis," Anderson, who is also a board member of the Diabetes Leadership Council, told Fox News Digital. "Anyone who wants to lose weight who is obese is a good candidate, but from a medical standpoint, we're most concerned about this higher-risk patient population." To qualify for a weight-loss drug, the patient should first work with a physician to make lifestyle changes in the areas of diet, exercise, sleep and stress management, according to Dr. Michael Aziz, a board-certified internist and regenerative medicine specialist based in New York City. "A healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and low-sugar fruits should be the first step in weight loss," he told Fox News Digital. "But some people, despite their best efforts, can't lose weight. This could be related to injuries that prevent them from working out or a slow metabolism." "By treating obesity earlier, we can prevent disease progression." Insurance pays for weight-loss medications if the patient's body mass index is over 27, according to Aziz. (Patients are considered overweight if they have a BMI of 25 to 29.9, and are considered obese if the number is greater than 30, according to the National Institutes of Health.) Beyond the high-risk groups, Anderson said he'd like to see these medications made "available and affordable" for a vast majority of patients impacted by obesity. "By treating obesity earlier, we can prevent disease progression," he said. "GLP-1s have been shown to reduce progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes by 94%, and significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events." "Obesity is connected to 200 comorbidities, including heart disease, kidney disease and 40% of all cancers, which is why addressing the disease early is key." Patients don't have to be diabetic to benefit from GLP-1 medications for weight loss, according to Dr. Wiljon Beltre, a board-certified bariatric and metabolic surgeon and the founder of Beltre Bariatrics in Orlando, Florida. "I also agree that patients with lower levels of obesity (BMI lower than 30) can derive great benefits from these medications," he told Fox News Digital. "In fact, these patients can turn out to be excellent candidates for GLP-1s, since they seem to lose weight faster and notice a change almost immediately." Several ongoing studies are exploring the use of weight-loss medications to treat a range of conditions, including alcoholism and addiction, Alzheimer's and dementia, liver disease, and more, according to Anderson. "The way these medications work is by slowing stomach emptying so that you feel fuller longer, but they also have feedback to the appetite center of hypothalamus in the brain, which turns off the food noise," he said. "Experts across the country are finding that it also seems to reduce cravings for alcohol in patients — that their reward center is turning off the desire for alcohol." More research is needed to confirm this effect, but Anderson said these drugs could potentially be "life-changing" for those battling addiction. Aziz noted that GLP-1 drugs have also been shown to reduce the risk of both heart attacks and stroke by 20%. "They also help to reverse a fatty liver and improve sleep apnea," he added. Diabetes and obesity medications are widely known to cause gastrointestinal issues in some patients — primarily nausea, with some reporting vomiting, constipation and diarrhea. "Most of those occur when doing dose escalation, and the vast majority are able to get through that," Anderson said. "This typically occurs early in therapy and tapers off over time." Patients with a family history of medullary thyroid cancer or pancreatitis should avoid these medications, according to experts. Pregnant women are also advised against taking them. Some patients have also reported a loss of muscle mass, hair thinning or shedding, mood changes and other unwanted outcomes. "People should understand that GLP-1 is not a magic solution to weight loss, but one leg of a three-legged stool — it needs to be combined with healthy eating habits and exercise," said Beltre. It's also important for patients to understand that they cannot take these medications forever, the doctor noted. "People should understand that GLP-1 is not a magic solution to weight loss, but one leg of a three-legged stool." Many doctors, however, report that their patients' benefits outweigh the potential side effects. "Importantly, I'm seeing many patients now able to participate in activities for the first time in many years following significant weight loss — ice skating, going on walks, canceling knee replacements and dropping blood pressure medications," Anderson noted. For more Health articles, visit Those interested in weight-loss medications should consult with a physician to explore potential benefits and risks.

WHO Monitors New Covid Variant Spreading in America and Europe
WHO Monitors New Covid Variant Spreading in America and Europe

WIRED

time43 minutes ago

  • WIRED

WHO Monitors New Covid Variant Spreading in America and Europe

Jun 10, 2025 5:00 AM NB.1.8.1 has mutations that could increase the virus's transmissibility and decrease the efficacy of certain neutralizing antibodies against it. Photograph: Calvin Chan Wai Meng A new Covid variant is being kept under surveillance by the World Health Organization (WHO) as its emergence has led to an increase in infections in several regions of the world. First identified at the end of January, the variant—called NB.1.8.1 but known informally as 'Nimbus'—is a descendant of the Omicron family of Covid sublineages, and has become increasingly prevalent throughout the spring in Europe, the Americas, and the Western Pacific. The virus has mutations that may increase its infectiousness and allow it to escape certain antibodies. Nevertheless, 'considering the available evidence, the additional public health risk posed by NB.1.8.1 is evaluated as low at the global level,' the WHO wrote in its most recent risk evaluation for the variant. Like other variants before it, Nimbus has specific mutations to its spike protein. These proteins coat the virus's surface and are what it uses to gain entry into cells, where it reproduces. Nimbus' spike protein modifications could increase its transmission capacity and partially reduce the neutralizing efficacy of certain antibodies generated by previous infections, both of which would contribute to its spread. However, the WHO says that there is no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease compared to other strains currently circulating. Nor have increases in hospitalizations or deaths related to its emergence been observed. Symptoms associated with NB.1.8.1 are similar to those caused by other SARS-CoV-2 variants: sore throat, cough, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, loss of taste or smell, respiratory distress, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The WHO experts explain that, although this variant may partially evade some antibody responses, such 'immune escape' is comparable to that observed in other Omicron sublineages. This suggests that the mutations present in NB.1.8.1 do not give the virus increased resistance to antivirals such as nirmatrelvir, and that current vaccines continue to be effective in preventing severe disease when infected with this version of the virus. However, to those most vulnerable to Covid—such as the elderly, immunocompromised, or those with preexisting chronic conditions—Nimbus represents a new health threat, and these groups should stay up to date with booster vaccinations to ensure they are protected against Covid's worst effects. This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

How to Tackle Your To-Do List if You Struggle With Executive Functioning
How to Tackle Your To-Do List if You Struggle With Executive Functioning

New York Times

time44 minutes ago

  • New York Times

How to Tackle Your To-Do List if You Struggle With Executive Functioning

The pomodoro technique. Power poses. Planners. Denise Daskal has tried them all, searching for the right strategy to improve her executive functioning, or the mental skills used to manage time and pursue goals. Ms. Daskal has spent hours hunting through TikTok, reading books and taking classes to become better organized and more focused both at work and in her personal life. But the long list of strategies, while somewhat helpful, has felt exhausting, she said. 'My mind breaks a bit when I get overwhelmed and I have too much coming at me all at once,' said Ms. Daskal, 63, who lives in Dearborn, Mich., and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a few years ago. Conditions like A.D.H.D., autism, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression can impede executive functioning; so can the period of life when women transition in and out of menopause. Life circumstances such as parenting young children, getting a bad night's sleep or even missing a meal can scramble a person's ability to focus and complete tasks, too. Here's how to understand executive functioning, and figure out which coping strategies might work for you. What is executive functioning? Executive functions are life management skills that help people 'convert intentions into actions,' said Ari Tuckman, a psychologist in West Chester, Pa., and author of the 'The ADHD Productivity Manual.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store