Over 140 sickened by mystery outbreak on Royal Caribbean cruise out of California
The outbreak occurred during a seven-day voyage on the Navigator of the Seas, which left Los Angeles on July 4 and returned on July 11.
A total of 134 out of 3,914 passengers and seven crew members out of 1,266 reported symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps, the CDC said in a statement.
The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program began monitoring the situation once the illness was reported on July 11. The cause of the outbreak remains unknown, and stool samples collected from those affected are undergoing testing.
In response, Royal Caribbean said it implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures, isolated sick individuals, and consulted with CDC officials remotely.
'The health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit are our top priority,' the cruise line said in a statement. 'To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines.'
According to the CDC, there have been 18 such outbreaks in 2025 alone, matching the total for all of 2024.
Passengers returning from the voyage were advised to monitor symptoms and practice heightened hygiene to prevent further spread.
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2 hours ago
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The hookup talk everyone wishes they'd heard earlier
Dr. Jill Grimes is the author of 'The Ultimate College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything From Hangovers to Homesickness.' With more than 30 years in private practice and academic medicine, she shares her medical wisdom as The College Doc. I know that casual sex and the hookup culture are often considered the norm in college, and many students don't consider negative consequences beyond pregnancy. Unfortunately, nearly half (48.2%) of the 2.4 million reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis (all stages) in the United States in the most recent year surveyed were among adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 24 years, according to the Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance, 2023 from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What I've seen in my clinical experience is that teens and young adults often overlook the need for protection against infections, especially when they are using birth control pills or IUDs to prevent pregnancy. In fact, the Spring 2024 National College Health Assessment data shows that only half (50.2%) of the students who used any method of contraception reported using a male condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse. As a college health doctor, I'm aware that many college students are having sex, and that is clearly their choice. But I've seen firsthand how emotionally and physically devastating these diagnoses can be, with tears flooding the exam room from students diagnosed with herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital warts or HIV. Whether the disease is curable or chronic, the emotional toll is often greater than the physical symptoms — especially since many of these sexually transmitted infections could have been prevented. That's why I want you to know what's really going on in college and what you can do to keep yourself safe and healthy. This is the no-judgment, real-world talk that everyone deserves to hear before swiping right in college — or anywhere. Is everyone else having sex? First, don't believe everything you hear in your dorm, at the dining hall or at keg-fueled parties. While students will hear that 'everyone' is hooking up, that's not true. Nearly 52% percent of college students reported having vaginal intercourse within the last year, according to the 2024 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment. That means 48% did not. And it's not all consensual sex. True consent is clear, enthusiastic, ongoing, verbalized, freely given and able to be withdrawn at any time. Students often feel pressured to be more physically intimate to fit in. Thirteen percent of undergrads report 'nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent,' according to the Association of American Universities. Intoxicated or high individuals cannot give consent, yet many hookups happen under the influence. Many students have tearfully shared that they 'just wanted to get it over with' or chose oral or anal sex to stay a 'technical virgin.' Some feel guilt or regret, while others are fully comfortable with their physical intimacy but are shocked by an STI or pregnancy diagnosis. You can't tell who has an STI When a student comes in concerned about a genital rash, blisters, discharge or pain with urination, STI testing is part of the workup. Students often are selective about which STI tests they want; they're often fine with checking for chlamydia and gonorrhea but decline HIV testing, because their partner is 'not that kind of person.' While the myth persists that these diseases are passed around in other communities (not yours), sexually transmitted infections don't discriminate. Your risk of an STI comes from behavioral choices, not anyone's appearance, skin color, culture, religion, values, wealth, sexual orientation or political persuasion. Yes, some STIs are more common in certain populations. But check your bias anyway, especially with HIV. Heterosexual contact accounted for 22% of new HIV infections in the United States in 2022, and 13- to 24-year-olds made up 20% of new HIV diagnoses, according to a federal website with information and resources related to HIV/AIDS from the US government. Additionally, young adults are increasingly more fluid in their sexuality, which includes having more bisexual experiences, whether or not they identify as gay or bisexual. If you test positive for one STI, you need more testing. Sexually transmitted infections are mostly spread through body fluids, and some are simply shared through direct contact. If you've contracted one infection, you may have another, so you should be tested for them. Unfortunately, we frequently diagnose more than one at a time. Oral sex is not risk-free Did you know your partner's cold sore can become your genital herpes? Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus type 1, or HSV-1, which is easily transmitted by direct contact from one person's oral area to another person's genitals. While herpes is probably the most common disease we see passed via oral sex, it's not the only one. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes and less commonly, HIV, can all be spread bidirectionally from oral-genital intimacy. That means STIs can also cause throat, genital and anal infections. Barriers such as condoms or dental dams can significantly reduce your risk. (This is why flavored condoms exist.) No sign of symptoms is no guarantee Most STIs are silent, causing no, fleeting or minimal symptoms, yet capable of causing significant disease in you or your partner. Screening tests are critical to detect asymptomatic bacterial infections early while they can still be easily treated. Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in the world, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Chlamydia is also the most common bacterial STI in the United States, with more than 1.5 million reported cases per year, and yet chlamydia causes no obvious symptoms in most women (75% of females and 50% of males, according to Scripps Health). Left untreated, 10% to 15% of women will develop pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, and roughly 10% of those women with PID develop infertility, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial STI, with more than 600.000 cases in the United States in 2023, according to the National Overview of STIs in 2023. Although gonorrhea can also cause PID, very often there is a coinfection with chlamydia, ranging from 10% to 40% in some National Institutes of Health studies. Gonorrhea's biggest challenge is its growing resistance to antibiotics, making it increasingly difficult to treat. PID is the most common preventable cause of female infertility in the United States, affecting an estimated 100,000 women per year, the Cleveland Clinic noted. Sexually active young women should proactively get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea each year to protect their future fertility. Human papillomavirus is the most common STI overall. Although most HPV infections will resolve spontaneously without problems, persistent infections can quickly cause genital warts or, years later, lead to cancer. Because HPV may be transmitted to a person performing oral sex, HPV also causes 60% to 70% of the roughly 60,000 oropharyngeal cancers (twice as common in men versus women) diagnosed annually in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. The emotional burden of STIs Human papillomavirus genital warts are not lethal, but they will make you miserable. The treatment is painful, with repeated procedures and a high risk of recurrence. Patients are often scared, embarrassed and emotionally distraught, terrified that this incurable disease will make them undesirable to any future potential partners. I cannot emphasize enough how this emotional burden (which we see with herpes and HIV as well) critically affects students' self-image, confidence and mental health. Since the HPV vaccine rollout, HPV high-risk infections (including genital warts) have fallen by up to 88% among teen girls and young women, thanks to both direct immunization and herd immunity, according to the CDC. Patients with genital warts used to fill our college clinics, and now thankfully are significantly less common. The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Impact Monitoring Project shows that cervical precancers dropped roughly 80% in women ages 20 to 24, and researchers predict HPV vaccination can prevent over 90% of all HPV-related cancers from ever developing, according to the CDC. How to reduce your risk If you're going to have sex, be prepared before you have sex. Birth control pills are extremely effective when used correctly, but college life is filled with irregular schedules, late nights, road trip weekends and, for some people — vomiting. If pills are delayed, forgotten, missed or thrown up, the efficacy plummets. Adding condoms not only decreases your risk of conception but also adds protection against STIs. Do not, however, double up on condoms. This myth is still perpetuated, but using two condoms at once can increase your risk of breakage and failure. Numbers also matter. If you never drive or ride in a car, you'll never have a car accident. The more you drive, the higher your cumulative risk. It's math, not morality. What you deserve Teens and young adults deserve more than outdated, awkward and judgmental sex talks. They need to learn how to protect their health, their future fertility and their emotional well-being while learning to live life as adults. If more students knew this information, far fewer would end up blindsided in their college medical center's exam rooms. Hookups may be part of college culture for many students, but let's normalize being open, prepared and honest about the risks. Check with your university health center to learn more about prevention, screening and treatment. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
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How Bad Is It That I Already Have Back Pain in My 30s?
All products featured on Self are independently selected by Self editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. Delmaine Donson/Getty Your first episode of back pain can come at you fast. One minute you're sitting crisscross on the ground and yapping for hours or flinging a duffel over a shoulder no problem, and the next, you're on the market for an ergonomic desk chair. That first dull ache or searing jolt may feel like the beginning of the end—that it's all downhill from here. In reality, back pain in your 30s is common, and it probably has little to do with your body getting older. CDC data suggests 35% of people ages 30 to 44 experience it, so know that you're far from the only 30-something wincing at a backless stool or waxing poetic about a supportive couch. And in the majority of cases, there are simple steps you can take to find relief and thwart future episodes. Below, learn why back pain can rear its head in your 30s, what might signify a more serious issue, and how to alleviate everyday twinges. Back pain in your 30s is typically caused by a few factors working in tandem. The good news is, your back probably isn't hurting because of your body's natural aging process this early in life (unlike your knees, for instance, where tissue breakdown can spark joint pain in this decade). The discs, or gel cushions between vertebrae, do flatten out with age (sometimes beginning in your 30s), which may cause irritation, Claire Morrow, PT, DPT, a San Francisco–based physical therapist and head of clinical consulting at virtual clinic Hinge Health, tells SELF. But, as she points out, imaging studies suggest disc degeneration commonly occurs in folks without back pain too. What's more likely at the root of back pain in your 30s comes down to lifestyle. It's a period when you might be making strides at work, starting a family, or caring for aging parents—all of which can chip away at your physical activity, April Fetzer, DO, a board-certified physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery at Naples Comprehensive Health, tells SELF. Just sitting down for long swaths may cause additional pressure within those discs. And letting your shoulders hunch forward (for instance, as you're texting, driving, or working on a computer) makes matters worse, misaligning your spine in ways that could cause stiffness and discomfort in your neck and back, she adds. At the same time, this decade's mix of life stressors can directly pile onto back pain. Being emotionally on edge can translate into physical tension, Dr. Fetzer says, which you might carry in your shoulder girdle or low back. Research even shows a link between degree of stress and chronic low back pain: More of the former ups your risk for the latter. It also gets easier to overexert yourself as you surpass 30. Patients in this demo tend to be 'weekend warriors,' Dr. Fetzer says: They're heads-down on work and life obligations during the week, so wind up cramming all their physical activity into their couple days off, making it more likely that they hurt themselves. With age, the threshold for injury also lowers, Dr. Morrow says. So pushing it just a little too much could leave you with a minor strain or sprain even if you'd have been fine with the same movement a few years ago. It might take you increasingly longer to recover from tweaking your back too. Your nervous system can initiate a protective mechanism of sorts, which can cause lingering stiffness and spasming even after the actual injury has healed, Dr. Morrow says. When back pain could signal something serious The majority of back pain isn't caused by an underlying issue or condition, Dr. Morrow notes. There are instances, however, where treatment may require more than lifestyle changes. Always see a doctor about back pain resulting from an injury, or if the pain interferes with everyday activities, gets progressively worse, or sticks around for longer than four weeks. Sometimes, back pain can ripple into your butt and down the back of your leg—this is called sciatica and happens when your sciatic nerve gets compressed. While it can feel alarming, the occasional episode is nothing to panic over, Dr. Morrow says. Just be sure to see a doctor if the radiating pain persists or becomes more frequent. One more important note: If your back pain is accompanied by nerve-related symptoms like numbness or tingling, or changes in your ability to control your bladder or bowel, you may have a serious neurologic condition, Dr. Morrow says, and it's essential to seek medical attention ASAP to prevent permanent nerve damage. How to relieve back pain and ward off future episodes Resting might feel intuitive for a sore back—and you do want to take it easy on high-impact exercises, heavy lifting, and any movement that triggers your pain. But conking out on the couch and staying immobile is 'the worst thing you can do,' Dr. Morrow says. It has a way of stiffening everything and locking the pain in place. Instead, both she and Dr. Fetzer advocate for some gentle movement, for instance a 10- or 20-minute walk each day. On the same note, if you have a desk job, it's helpful to get up every hour or so and pace around a bit to avoid the plight of constant sitting. And for when you are seated, Dr. Fetzer suggests paying mind to your posture. Push your butt to the back of your chair and scooch in so it's tougher to slouch. If you can, adjust your chair height so your knees and hips are at a 90-degree angle, and ensure the top of your screen is roughly at eye level. Some soft stretching can also help loosen the kinks and wring out the soreness. A few of Dr. Morrow and Dr. Fetzer's favorites include: Cat-Cow (a.k.a. Cat-Camel): While on all fours, alternate between rounding and arching your spine. Knees to Chest: Lie on your back, and hug your knees to your chest, gently rocking from side to side. Open Book (a.k.a. T-Spine Windmill): Lie on one side with your knees bent, and stack your arms straight in front of you. Then lift the top arm and windmill it to the other side of your body, twisting as you do so. Sphinx: Lie on your stomach and press your forearms into the floor to lift your chest. You can also take OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (a.k.a. NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) for a surge of back pain—just be sure to follow the package instructions for dosing, and pop them with food to avoid stomach upset. But if you wind up needing to take these meds continuously for more than five days in a row, Dr. Fetzer suggests checking in with your doctor to figure out whether they're actually the best option for you, and if so, to determine a dosing plan that minimizes long-term risks. To stave off back pain in your 30s and beyond, make a habit of exercising your core (Dr. Fetzer recommends regular and side planks), as well as your hamstrings and glutes—a classic glute bridge will knock out both of 'em. Working with a physical therapist can also help you figure out where your weaknesses lie and how to combat them, Dr. Morrow notes. Carving out pockets of time for stress relief, even if it's just a few rounds of deep breaths or a five-minute meditation, can help unravel some of the tension that may be worsening your pain. It's impossible to erase all of your worries, but also do your best to let go of concerns about your back pain itself—which can amplify your sensation of it, Dr. Morrow notes. Instead, remember that you're not doomed to feel this pain forever, and take solace in the fact that you're actively working to remedy it. Related: What to Do If Back Pain Is Taking a Toll on Your Mental Health 8 Excellent Posture Exercises to Add to Your Routine How to Get a Good Night's Sleep When You Have Chronic Back Pain Get more of SELF's great service journalism delivered right to your inbox. Originally Appeared on Self
New York Post
3 hours ago
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CDC shooter Patrick Joseph White's dad repeatedly called 911 fearing he was gunman
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