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January 19, 2013 After a decades-long campaign, Guinea worm remains in only four countries, and eradication is in sight. But health workers say that recent violence in Mali is hindering efforts to stamp out the last few cases there.

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January 18, 2013 The Food and Drug Administration just approved a flu vaccine made by cells taken from the fall armyworm, an agricultural pest. The cells produce copies of a piece of the flu virus's outer coat that primes the immune system. Conventional vaccines use the whole virus and take longer to produce.

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January 18, 2013 According to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of people age 65 and older who are getting the flu jumped sharply in the last week or so. But even though 48 states are reporting widespread activity, the agency says there are signs the flu may be easing in some parts of the country.

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January 17, 2013 Flu viruses hijack the machinery inside animal cells to replicate. The theft is a complicated process that takes time. If the virus leaves the cells too early or too late, the risk of infection falls.

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January 17, 2013 A 2008 federal law is supposed to protect people from having their genes used against them. But it only applies to health insurance — not, for example, long-term-care insurance. That's exactly the type of insurance people might seek after learning they're genetically predisposed to some medical problem down the road.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 17, 2013 Researchers were able to identify 50 people whose DNA had been posted anonymously on the Internet for genetics studies. The results highlight a trade-off in making genetic data widely available for researchers and protecting personal privacy.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

January 17, 2013 Chemotherapy wreaks havoc on the taste buds, which can be a real challenge for anyone who loves food. But there are a few things you can do to maximize your food enjoyment while in cancer treatment.

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January 17, 2013 In many parts of the world, like Europe, the plague is thought to have been eliminated. French scientists find evidence that the stubborn bacteria can trigger new outbreaks even after decades of apparent dormancy.

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January 17, 2013 KHNThe president's push to address gun violence and mental health centers largely on training teachers and others who work with children, teens and young adults to recognize illness as it's developing.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 17, 2013 Influenza is especially intense this year, and people are flooding into hospitals and doctors' offices. But the flu is just one of a triple whammy of respiratory viruses — plus the nasty norovirus — that are making lots of people sick.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 17, 2013 A New York law that requires mental health professionals to report potentially violent patients probably won't accomplish much, specialists say. Studies show that even highly trained professionals are often wrong about which patients become violent.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 16, 2013 Smartphone apps that assess moles for skin cancer risk missed threatening moles one-third of the time, say dermatologists who tested some of the apps. The apps could give people a false sense of security about their skin.

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