Health – Headline Smart

Panic Erupts as Unknown Spray Sickens Dozens

Police in Japan are investigating after an unknown substance was reportedly sprayed inside a crowded commercial building. TOKYO, Japan — At least 26 people were injured after a person allegedly sprayed an unidentified substance inside a busy Tokyo shopping complex, triggering panic among shoppers and a large emergency response Sunday, authorities said. The incident occurred inside a multistory commercial facility in central Tokyo during one of the weekend’s busiest shopping periods. Witnesses reported hearing screams …

Mom of Six Died After Drinking Costco Water, Lawsuit Claims

A lawsuit alleges toxic contamination in bottled water caused a mother of six to develop Lou Gehrig’s disease before her death. CHICAGO, Ill. — The family of a deceased Illinois mother of six filed a lawsuit alleging contaminated bottled water exposed her to toxins that triggered ALS, the progressive neurological disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The civil complaint, filed in Cook County court, claims years of consuming bottled water containing dangerous chemical compounds …

Young Father Has 4 Inches of Penis Amputated After Diagnosis

Steven Hamill said early symptoms were first treated as an infection before doctors found an aggressive cancer. LIVERPOOL, England — Steven Hamill, a British father who was 26 when he was diagnosed with penile cancer in 2019, is describing the bleeding, pain and delayed diagnosis that led surgeons to remove about four inches of his penis. Hamill’s account, shared on ITV’s “This Morning” and in later interviews, has renewed attention on a rare disease that …

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 …