Health – Headline Smart

College Runner Dies During Championship Race

Graycen Vargo was competing in New Orleans when he suffered a medical emergency. TEXARKANA, Texas — A Texas A&M University-Texarkana distance runner died after collapsing during a conference championship race Friday in New Orleans, the school said, prompting tributes from two universities and leaving the cause of the medical emergency undisclosed. Graycen Vargo, a junior computer science major from Dallas, was competing at the Red River Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships when he collapsed. …

Flesh-Eating Bacteria Found in Popular Waterway

Researchers say Vibrio vulnificus has appeared in South Fork hot spots as officials confront wider water-quality problems heading into summer. RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Researchers at Stony Brook University said Tuesday they found Vibrio vulnificus, the bacteria behind rare but often severe flesh-eating infections, in several Long Island waters, adding a new health concern to a region already wrestling with shellfish closures, algal blooms and poor water quality. The findings matter because the bacteria has already …

Teen Cheerleader’s Death Blamed on Popular Energy Drink

The suit names two Glazer’s distributors, not the brand’s owner, and seeks more than $1 million. WESLACO, Texas — The parents of a 17-year-old South Texas cheerleader filed a wrongful death lawsuit this week accusing a local beverage distributor of supplying Alani Nu energy drinks that they say contributed to their daughter’s fatal cardiac collapse in October. The filing turns a private loss into a closely watched court fight over caffeine warnings, youth marketing and …

Student Died in ICU While Doctor Watched Remotely

The case over care at Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford campus centers on whether a tele-ICU system left Conor Hylton without direct bedside physician evaluation as his condition worsened. MILFORD, Conn. — The family of Conor Hylton, a 26-year-old University of Connecticut dental student, has sued Bridgeport Hospital and related Yale New Haven Health entities, alleging that remote oversight and missed bedside care at the Milford campus ICU preceded his death on Aug. 15, 2024. The lawsuit, …

World’s Most Contagious Disease Continues to Spread in California

Two newly identified infections in unvaccinated children widened concern in the Sacramento region and added to a statewide rise tied to several local outbreaks. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento County said Monday that two more measles cases were found in unvaccinated children, pushing the county’s recent total to five and sharpening California’s response as the state recorded 34 confirmed cases this year through March 30. The new cases matter because they show that measles is still …

Expert Warn Common Travel Item Had Alarming Bacteria Levels

A lab experiment released by travel provider JRPass found that passports carried far more bacterial growth than other common travel items, with samples from the document testing well above shoes, checked luggage, hand luggage, phones and coats. The finding is getting attention because it flips a familiar travel assumption. Many people worry most about shoes, suitcase wheels or airport trays, but the experiment pointed instead to the item travelers repeatedly hand over at check-in counters, …

Police Sergeant Dies After Sudden Brain Infection

A northern Minnesota police sergeant known for working with a K-9 partner and mentoring students died Feb. 27, less than 24 hours after doctors diagnosed a brain infection, his department and relatives said. Sgt. Cody Siebert was 33. Siebert’s rapid decline and death sent a wave of grief through the Iron Range communities he served and the school halls where he worked security. East Range police and family members have shared few medical details, saying …

“Dawson’s Creek” Star, Dies at 48

Actor James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery on the teen drama “Dawson’s Creek” and later reinvented himself with self-mocking comedy roles, has died at 48 after a battle with colorectal cancer, his family said Wednesday. A statement shared by his family said he died peacefully. Van Der Beek’s death drew an immediate wave of tributes from co-stars, comedians and fans who grew up with the show’s earnest late 1990s voice. …

Arsenic Found in 28 of 46 of Popular Candies, Sparking Fear Among Parents

Florida health officials said this week that laboratory testing detected arsenic in 28 of 46 candy products sampled from 10 companies, a finding that triggered national headlines and a swift rebuttal from confectionery manufacturers. The results, released Jan. 26 under the state’s Healthy Florida First initiative, did not prompt recalls but placed a spotlight on how candy is tested and what levels of the toxic element are considered a health concern. The announcement matters because …

Man Dies During Routine Dental Procedure

The parents of Derek Swanson have settled a wrongful death lawsuit tied to complications during his March 2023 dental implant, concluding a case that drew attention after Swanson shared a smiling selfie from the chair shortly before anesthesia was administered. Swanson, a 40-year-old Arizona man, suffered a brain injury linked to oxygen deprivation during sedation at Scottsdale Facial and Oral Surgery and died seven days later. His parents, Brenda and Bill Swanson, sued the attending …