Three years ago, a mile-wide tornado hit Joplin, Missouri, killing 158, and leveling much of the 50,000-person town. Years later, the town is still recovering from this event and dealing with one unexpected effect: Lead contamination. Before the storm, the town had a lead contamination level of near zero. Afterward, 40 percent of the town’s yards were contaminated with lead — a serious health risk, particularly for children. Why lead? Joplin was once a lead mining town, containing hundreds of...

(Thinkstock) As the unofficial start of summer nears, more food recalls are cropping up because of foodborne illnessses — potentially dangerous infections that peak during the summer months. At least seven confirmed cases of E. coli have been linked to raw sprouts, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. The illnesses all occurred in Washington state and Idaho. The states’ public health departments are advising consumers to avoid sprouts from Evergreen Fresh Sprouts while the investigation continues....

If traditional methods of sun protection — like sprays or lotions — aren’t your thing, a new product claims you can drink your way to sun safety. Osmosis Skincare says their Harmonized H2O UV Neutralizer, “isolates the precise frequencies needed to neutralize UVA and UVB rays” to “allow for increased sun exposure.” The UV Neutralizer is one of many Harmonized H2O products, which contain targeted frequencies for conditions like allergies, asthma, sleep problems, digestive problems and many more, according to...

((AFP/Getty Images)) After cases of the MERS coronavirus surged in April, the frequency of new infections in Saudi Arabia has slowed to an average of four per day, according to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health. The drop in cases was highlighted by the most recent daily report, which did not include any new cases. Two previously reported patients in Riyadh were also discharged on May 26. The flu-like illness has infected 562 people in Saudi Arabia, killing 179 of...

Many of These Are Preventable ((Thinkstock/Digital Vision)) Thinking back to your teenage years probably causes you to scratch your head and wonder, “what the heck was I thinking?” These questionable adolescent decisions can be as harmless as an atrocious wardrobe, or as dire as reckless driving in severe weather. In fact, making poor decisions outdoors — in both good and bad weather — contributes to two of the top ten adolescent killers, according to the World Health Organization’s 2012 list...

Concerns about Americans’ weight are widespread — especially, for some, as we head into the swimsuit time of year. But the scale isn’t just a stateside problem, researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington say. Nearlya third of the world’s population is overweight or obese. Globally, obesity has skyrocketed since 1980, from 857 million overweight or obese individuals that year to 2.1 billion in 2013, researchers said, after an analysis of trend...

Slim Down This Summer Berries: Low in calories and high in antioxidants and fiber, berries are one of summer's best superfoods for weight loss, according to Dara Gurau, RD. Here, see more dietician-approved foods that can help you lose weight. (Jupiterimages) Summertime means the livin' is easy — unless you’re spending your time sweating over your bathing-suit body instead of enjoying warm summer weather with family and friends. Fortunately, there are tons of fresh summer foods that can help you...

Speaking from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, President Obama underscored the public health impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed limits on power plant emissions,released as a draft by the agency Monday morning. “For the sake of all our kids, we’ve got to do more to reduce [emissions],” the president said, adding that they "threaten the health of the most vulnerable Americans." (ABOVE: The 25 WORST Cities for Air Pollution) The main feature of the...

A thick melanoma mole. There are four types of melanoma, with the fourth, invasive melanoma, ranking as the deadliest. There are about 77,000 new cases of melanoma every year and nearly 10,000 deaths. (Skin Cancer Foundation) There's a new development in the fight against the deadliest form of skin cancer. The BBC reports doctors in London have found that pembrolizumab could be responsible for curing a patient’s melanoma. (ABOVE: Identifying Skin Cancer: 33 Photos That Could Save Your Life) Doctors...

The2013 Atlantic hurricane season officially began June 1 and goes all the way until Nov. 30. During that time, those living along the coast should be on guard for tropical systems, which can threaten at any time (although it has been almost nine years since a Category 3 or stronger hurricane made landfall in the United States). Authors of a new study are encouraging coastal residents to be particularly vigilant when female-named hurricanes are on the horizon. From 1950 to...

A worker wears a mask, as he touches a camel on May 12, 2014, outside of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Citizens have been urged to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels to avoid spreading MERS, as health experts said the animal was the likely source of the disease. AFP PHOTO/FAYEZ NURELDINE Saudi Arabia revised its number of MERS cases Tuesday, from 575 to 688. The country's death toll changed, too; it now stands at 282, not 190, the country's...

((Thinkstock/Goodshot)) Earlier this year, hundreds of cruise ship passengers faced outbreaks of the highly contagious norovirus. The closed quarters of a cruise ship make it an ideal spot for an outbreak, but infected food service workers cause the large majority of outbreaks, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (MORE: The 10 WORST Cruise Illness Outbreaks) Foodborne illnesses peak in summer, partly because more and more people improperly prepare foods at barbecues, but the...