Resources & Information

NC Health News
October 5, 2026
The largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record in the U.S. this past summer sickened 12,883 people in 21 states, including North Carolina, before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared it over on Sept. 11.

The outbreak, which led to 570 hospitalizations and two deaths, was linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17. The Food and Drug Administration’s investigation is ongoing.

In North Carolina, the picture is more complicated. The state Department of Health and Human Services has reported 955 cyclosporiasis cases and 32 hospitalizations since May, more than half in Wake County alone. That’s compared with the roughly 150 cases a year the state averaged over the past decade. NCDHHS says the increase does not appear tied to the national lettuce outbreak.

Medical News Today
September 29, 2026
Many people believe that eye exercises, like the 20-20-20 rule, figure 8 exercise, and focus change exercise, can help improve vision or treat certain eye conditions. However, research into the topic is limited. Eye exercises may be helpful for managing symptoms of conditions like digital eye strain, myopia, strabismus, and amblyopia. However, these exercises are not likely to be beneficial for cataracts, retinopathy, or glaucoma. Vision therapy may be more appropriate for people with eye conditions who want to improve their visual skills and processing.

MedPage Today
September 14, 2026
When a child presented to the emergency department with a brown, lace-like rash on his abdomen, it took a few weeks before physicians pinpointed the likely source. Initially, they thought it might be bruising from some kind of traumatic injury. However, blood tests and abdominal imaging were clear, and he was sent home. Yet the patient returned after 2 weeks with progression of the rash and increasing tenderness. This time, they considered a diagnosis of erythema ab igne (EAI), a reticulated, erythematous rash caused by repeated exposure to low-grade heat, below the level that would cause thermal burns, reported Mara Znagoveanu, MBChB, and Edward Artley, MBChB, both of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in England, in BMJ Case Reports.

NPR
August 24, 2026
We all know a sprint feels different than a longer, take-it-slow kind of workout. Your heart is pounding. You gasp for air. Maybe your muscles burn. Now, new research reveals this kind of high-intensity training provokes a remarkably robust response throughout the bloodstream. The training substantially mobilizes more proteins and other molecules in the hours after exercising. The findings were published by a team of scientists in the U.S., Australia and Sweden. The results do not mean that sprint workouts and other forms of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, are better than moderate exercise where your heart rate remains at a steady level.

Medical News Today
August 19, 2026
It is well known that being physically active benefits both your body and brain. However, the type of activity that is most beneficial for brain health is not yet entirely clear. A new study has found that when and why you move, rather than just how much you move could influence your risk of developing dementia. The study suggests that leisure activities, such as walking, cycling, running, swimming or playing sports, may decrease your risk of dementia, but physically demanding jobs could actually increase the risk.

Medical News Today
August 14, 2026
Climbing stairs regularly was associated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and stroke, a new review has found. Those who frequently took the stairs were less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and all causes than those who climbed stairs less often. As physical inactivity can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, stair-climbing, for as little as 6 flights of stairs, could be a simple and accessible way for people to add more exercise to their routines.