diseases and illnesses

The sexually transmitted disease syphilis can be cured with a shot of penicillin if it's found early, but a national shortage is threatening to put this simple treatment out of reach in places like Baltimore where the infection rate far exceeds that of the nation.

As the mosquito-borne Zika virus catches the attention of the country, state and local officials are issuing precautions against the virus alongside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while also sharing presentative measures to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds in communities.

Doctors have known for awhile that those with prediabetes can get mild neuropathy, but a new Johns Hopkins study suggests that the nerve damage is much more significant than once thought.

Baltimore County officials are taking steps to raise awareness about the Zika virus, a disease that has caused birth defects in infants in South America since an outbreak began on that continent last year.

A top state health official said Friday that 12 cases of Zika virus have been identified in Maryland.

Monday marks the beginning of Zika Awareness Week as proclaimed by Gov. Larry Hogan, and state and local health officials are reaching out to inform the public about the risks of Zika , as well as simple actions to mitigate those risks.

As of Wednesday morning I had a column all written about the Canter for the Cure which is a really fun adjunct to the upcoming festivities that occur right

About 350 cases of Zika have been confirmed in the United States, including eight in Maryland. With those numbers expected to continue to rise, it's important that people understand what Zika is, how it can be transmitted and what they can do to protect themselves, because there currently is no vaccine to prevent the disease or drug to treat it.

There may never be a perfect time to talk about sexually transmitted diseases, but April, being Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month, is at least the next best thing to perfect: State health officials are encouraging people to talk about risks, get tested and to get treated.

With an official link established this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between Zika and birth defects, and warmer weather expected to propel the mosquito-borne virus north, the push is intensifying for a drug to prevent or treat infections

One of the joys of living in Carroll County is observing wildlife close to home. Creatures great and small ranging from chipmunks, deer and even black bears visit yards to seek food, water and shelter. They dine on what nature provides, as well as what we humans often do to "set the table" for them with bird feeders, bird baths and salt licks. However, wild critters can also empty garbage cans and invade garages, sheds, and even homes, creating a nuisance for us and a danger for pets.

Nothing puts things into perspective for you as quickly as being sick. This past week as I have struggled with fever, aches, chills and all forms of awfulness that has made me miserable has also made me take stock of some things in my life. When you are sick and even a simple task seems monumental you realize how much you really do in life, as well as how many things you still want to do.

On April 17, Raymond Harris, of Owings Mills, will step out at Camden Yards, in Baltimore, for the first time as a participant of the National Kidney Association's Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk.

Johns Hopkins Medicine has performed the nation's first liver and kidney transplants from a donor infected with HIV to recipients also infected with the virus, a triumph for one of the transplant surgeons, who fought for six years for federal approval of the life-saving surgery.

As spring and the end of the flu season approach, state health officials say they are seeing a surge in cases of the virus. The increase began in late February and continues, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

A few weeks ago, the local Toastmasters organized a presentation to the community on Alzheimer's disease at the Community Media Center. We were fortunate to hear the following keynote speakers: Dr. David Loreck geriatric neuro-psychiatrist at the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, and Dr. Diane Martin, an assistant professor and the director of the Center for the Study of Aging at McDaniel College. The presentation was followed by a roundtable discussion, which also included Ilene

Johns Hopkins neuroscientists and their partners in Florida and Atlanta have shown the Zika virus destroying or damaging cells that are the building blocks of brain development in the lab, another step toward confirming the Zika's connection to the birth defect microcephaly.

Greg Bennett's challenge is remaining free of the prison of other peoples' perceptions. It is keeping loose from restrictions on his movement and personal growth. Greg's challenge is exceeding the expectations that would set an expiration date on his dreams. Greg's Challenge is a website, www.gregshallenge.org, that tells the story of a 19-year-young man who, with the support of his family, is fighting the odds.

The nationally ranked Maryland women's basketball team has taken 6-year-old Ashlyn Barrett into its fold as she battles severe chronic illnesses.

February is National Children's Dental Health Month, but practicing good oral hygiene is something we should be making sure all our children are doing all year long.

The appearance of Zika in Maryland represents a public health threat that could affect the entire Mid-Atlantic region

Despite a slow start, flu season is not over, not by a long shot, according to health officials, and there is still time to get a flu shot.

Almost a year after deploying to Liberia to help fight Ebola, soldiers with the 1st Area Medical Laboratory are still combing over the experience, looking to share tips that might help the Army better respond to major disease outbreaks in future.

As carriers of the Zika virus get closer to Maryland, the state health department said Friday it is keeping in close contact with federal health officials about spread of the disease and will soon begin testing people who have traveled to regions where it is prevalent.

Researchers across the country, including at the University and Maryland, Baltimore County and John Hopkins University, hope to slow the rise of STDs by developing faster tests that allow patients to get results in mere minutes rather than days.

The rare tropical disease spreading rapidly in Latin American and the Caribbean that authorities suspect is linked to a devastating birth defect is raising alarms in other countries including the United States.

Bladder cancer is one of the more common types of cancer but often gets confused as an easily treatable infection. It is far from easy to treat and, if caught in the most advanced stages, it could even lead to removal of the bladder.

Maryland is the only state testing an "all Payer" model for Medicare insurance payments. This model pays hospitals a fixed amount for each patient, in contrast to standard fee-for-service payments for each test or doctor's visit. A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine showed Maryland's experiment has resulted in a 26 percent drop in infections, surgical errors and other preventable conditions. The model's success is counter-intuitive and throws into question our belief that more

If a virulent strain of the flu sickened a large number of people, the governor could decide who is put on life-saving ventilators — and who isn't.

Army investigators on Friday blamed a one-star general who now works at Aberdeen Proving Ground and 11 other people for management failures they say contributed to the accidental shipment last year of live anthrax to labs around the globe.

It's too early to judge the value of requiring businesses to post warning about the adverse health effects of sugary drinks.

Nearly all children will catch the common wintertime respiratory infection known as RSV before they are two, but for decades researchers have been unable to develop an means to prevent it. Now a vaccine is showing promise in early trials at Johns Hopkins University.

From her early swirling solos as the Sugarplum Fairy on Howard County stages to co-founding Charm City Ballet in May, Friedman has followed the steps of many gifted dancers before her. But her journey to dance, teach and direct her company's first performance of "A Christmas Carol" on Saturday at the Baltimore Museum of Art has included a challenge most dancers don't face: a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that clogs the lungs, damages the digestive system and reduces life expectancy.

Research published Wednesday suggested a surprising consequence to an increase in Maryland's alcohol tax: Thousands of fewer cases of gonorrhea.

Dr. Richard Tidball Johnson, 84, a Johns Hopkins scientist and physician who was a pioneer in global central nervous system infection research, died of pneumonia Nov. 22 at the Hopkins Hospital.

The Fast-Track Cities Initiative coming to Baltimore was launched in Paris in 2014 and targets cities where the infection rates are high

Doctors at Johns Hopkins Children's Center successfully treated a young child with drug-resistant tuberculosis, which may suggest ways others could tackle a growing global scourge — and highlight the need for more study of the disease in the young.

Back in the 1960's, while thousands of Americans were "sitting in" for civil rights, and burning draft cards to end the Vietnam War, one Colorado nurse started a quiet health care revolution, collaborating with a physician colleague to create the first nurse practitioner. Since then, More than 205,000 nurses have been trained as NPs and they deliver half of the primary health care in the U.S.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University hope to help those with the neurological condition by collecting information about their seizures through their Apple Watch

Before the football games and the endless supply of turkey, there is something else going on in Baltimore County that defines Thanksgiving: The Green Valley North Turkey Trot.

A single vaccine Profectus BioSciences is developing to protect against two strains of the Ebola virus and a third similar pathogen is effective in monkeys.

Although my last column focused on Alzheimer's disease and dementia, I couldn't allow an opportunity for awareness to slip away. This past week, the wife of Robin Williams' shared his autopsy results. Initially misdiagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Robin Williams' autopsy confirmed that he was suffering from Lewy Body dementia.

Maryland health officials say they've confirmed the state's first case of influenza this season.

The state's first case of seasonal flu was diagnosed in an adult in the Baltimore area, health officials said Thursday.