The 2010 whooping cough outbreak in California may have been fueled, at least in part, by clusters of parents who refused to vaccinate their children, a new study suggests. (ABOVE: Too Few Getting Flu Vaccine, CDC Reports) Researchers analyzed local rates of children entering kindergarten with "non-medical" vaccine exemptions, meaning parents or guardians applied for an exemption from school policies requiring vaccines due to personal beliefs, rather than for medical reasons. They compared these rates with rates of whooping cough...

Peter Lehner is executive director of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). This piece is adapted from post which will appear on the NRDC blog Switchboard. Lehner contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. When Russ Kremer, a fifth-generation hog farmer from Missouri, was gored in the knee by one of his Yorkshire boars, he figured it was a routine injury. But the cut got infected. His knee swelled up to twice its normal size, and his...

((Thinkstock/Jupiterimages)) Warm weather and coastal waters make Florida a prime location for deadly bacteria. These conditions contributed to an unusually high amount of bacterial infections this summer, including 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus, according to a report The Daytona Beach News-Journal. The bacteria, considered one of the most deadly in the world, recently caused the death of 59-year-old Henry Konietzky. Konietzky contracted the bacteria after wading through the Halifax River with an open-wound. Similar to the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri...

Fears over the environmental toxin mercury in seafood might be overblown, according to a new study — even as separate reports recently predicted thatrain and pollution will force mercury levels in fish to rise over time. The new study from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom,published in Environmental Health Perspectives, tested mercury levels in pregnant women with surprising results. Blood samples from 4,484 pregnant women showed a relatively minor average blood mercury level of only seven percent — and the...

50. Utah: In this state, 104.7 per 100,000 residents will develop breast cancer this year, according to the most recent CDC estimates. The remaining states are counted down here — from the lowest breast cancer rates to the highest. (VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm) Appalachia is a mountainous, wooded region that's known for wild and wonderful natural beauty. But this rural setting might not be good for women's health: Women in this region have higher rates of late-stage breast cancer than any other...

(AFP/Getty Images) Although a number of large chain restaurants have heralded their new healthy menu items over the past few years — just this week, the Burger King "Satisfry" — the overall calorie and sodium levels in the main entrees offered remains the same, according to a new study published in theJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The study underscores the point that for truly healthy food, whole, natural foods, such as in-season fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds,...

((Thinkstock/John Howard)) People who prefer going outside for a run — rather than popping a pill — to treat or prevent heart disease, stroke, heart failure and type 2 diabetes could be in luck. Exercise might have the same effectiveness as medication for treating and preventing these diseases, according to a new analysis of hundreds of trials published in BMJ. The British researchers noted that, as the prescription drug rate continues to rise, the number of adults exercising regularly remains...

Egg allergies — previously seen as a reason to exercise precaution with flu shots — should no longer prevent or restrict children from receiving the vaccination, according to a letter from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Earlier recommendations suggested that children with severe egg allergies only get flu shots under the supervision of an allergist, because certain vaccines were grown in eggs. However, new research has caused the ACAAI to update its recommendation, stating now that such...

((Thinkstock/Jupiterimages)) The beginning of flu season also means the beginning of bronchitis season. The infection commonly follows conditions like the flu and could require antibiotics to treat. But many patients who can treat the inflammation without the use of antibiotics are still receiving prescriptions from their doctors, despite the growing concerns over antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to data from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Antibiotic-resistant diseases kill at least 23,000 people per year in the United...

American retirees flock to warm-weather states such as Florida, Arizona and Texas. But globally, the best place to spend your old age is just a little bit cooler. In fact, the top five countries for older people are all in temperate climates, at least according to the new Global AgeWatch Index, a division of HealthAge International, a nonprofitnetwork devoted to healthy aging around the world. (MORE: The Worst States for a Long Life) The ranking is based on four key...

((Thinkstock)) Is carrying a few extra pounds into your senior years healthy? Advice has been mixed. Now, two studies published this month attempt to better define the ideal weight for fitness and longevity for adults over age 60. The gist is that you don't need to worry about beingslightlyoverweight, as long as that extra weight is maintained at a consistent level. However, being very overweight is detrimental to health, and exercising tolose body fatand to gain muscle mass is always...

Air pollution contributes to more than just climate change, cancer and heart disease. Pregnant women with psychological distress and high exposure to pollutants can greatly increase the risk of behavioral problems in their children, according to research published in Pediatrics from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at the Mailman School of Public Health. (ABOVE: The Most Polluted Cities in America) Previous research had independently linked air pollution exposure and psychological distress during pregnancy to childhood behavioral problems. The...