You may think twice about hitting the pool or hot tub this summer after a new report from the CDC says the number of parasitic outbreaks is on the rise. The new report, issued Friday, documentedbetween 2011 and 2012. The CDC found at least 1,788 cases, 95 hospitalizations and one death. The cases were tracked in 32 states, as wellPuerto Rico. Ais cryptosporidium, otherwise known as “crypto.” The parasite is easily transmittable in pools or at water parks because of...

The toxin ciguatera — the most-common form of fish-related food poisoning in the world — might be vastly underreported in Florida, according to a new study. And as climate change warms the world's oceans, the problem is only going to get worse, Elizabeth Radke, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, cautioned weather.com. "Florida is right on the geographic border of where we see ciguatera," Radke said. "We're really interested to see if it's starting to move farther north." The...

Are You a Heat Hater? That bright summer sun so many people love can be a big downer for some individuals, to the point where sunlight and hot weather trigger depression, said Norman Rosenthal, M.D. Do you have the summer blues? Click through the slideshow to learn the signs. That bright summer sun so many people love can be a big downer for some individuals, to the point where sunlight and hot weather trigger depression, said Norman Rosenthal, M.D.,...

Circa 1950: Woman applying suntan lotion. (George Marks/Retrofile/Getty Images) In recent years, fears over skin cancer — — have dampened summer sun worshipping. But for many people, sun tanning remains a celebrated summer ritual, though it is a relatively modern invention. In the 19th century, the ideal lady was was "pale, dressed in a white dress with a hat or sunshade that protects [her] face and hair from the sun," dermatologists from the University Hospital in Zagreb, Croatia. Today, a...

Bacterial contamination in both fresh and salt water is a huge public health threat — this and every summer. The problem mostly stems from storm water runoff. When a big rain hits, water contaminated with "trash and chemicals, oil and animal and human waste," flows in nearby waterways, Jon Devine, an attorney in the water program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told weather.com in June of 2014. "In a lot of places around the country, they have sort of...

They bring oohs and ahhs, but Fourth of July fireworks can take your breath away in another way. According to federal scientists, the particles that cloud the air from fireworks can cause some serious health issues because they spew pollution. around the country found that the holiday explosions temporarily boosted the levels of airborne microscopic particles that can pose a health risk, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For those already dealing with lung and heart...

Zyrees Oliver is one of several teens to die in recent years from hyponatremia, or overhydration. A new position paper calls these deaths "100 percent preventable." (Photo Courtesy Family of Zyrees Oliver) (Courtesy Family of Zyrees Oliver) When 17-year-old Zyrees Oliver (pictured) collapsed after a high school football practice last August, his friends and family likely did not guess that the cause wasn't the heat and humidity, but actually overhydraton. The medical term for this — drinking too much water...

A glass of OJ a day might not keep the doctor away. High citrus consumption — 1.6 servings or more per day — may be associated with the development of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, researchers from Brown University and the Harvard School of Public Health report after a prospective study of more than 100,000 people. The study is one of the first to consider how dietary composition could affect skin cancer risk. The data set included 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) As we head into summer, it’s time to kick your safeskinpractices into high gear. All individuals should apply a broad spectrum SPF every day, and watch their local UV forecast for daily updates when outside activities are planned. Why? Skincanceris the most common form...

When summer hits, longer days, warmer weather and the abundance of in-season fruits and vegetables make adopting healthy habits easier than ever. To determine which regions are the best at starting off — and sticking to — healthy habits through this and every season, calorie and fitness trackers MyFitnessPal and MapMyFitness collaborated to across the country. Dietitians, coaches and data scientists crunched the numbers of 65 million registered users to determine who meets their calorie, sugar, sodium and fiber goals...

Eating with the seasons can be great for your health — and the planet. The thinking is that seasonal, locally grown foods preserve more of their nutritional content because they spend less time traveling from farm to plate. This lessened travel time typically results in a lower environmental impact, too. In the summer, seasonal eating is easier than ever, as fresh fruits are bountiful, including peaches, cherries, berries and watermelon. This means now is the perfect time to add a...

When wildfires recently blanketed parts of Canada's west coast, prompting evacuation of more than 13,000 individuals and sending plumes of smoke across the U.S. and Canada, it's likely evacuees did not consider their heart health. But published in the Journal of the American Heart Association concludes that they should. The tiny fragments of particulate air pollution in the air as a result of wildfires might increase risk for cardiac arrest and other acute heart conditions, researchers at Monash University in...