The chances of experiencing long COVID-19 after a second bout with the infection appear to be lower than the first time around, according to new survey findings. 

Some individuals may be more susceptible to catching recurring urinary tract infections because the infections can actually change the urinary tract lining, creating conditions that make an infected individual more prone to catching them again, findings published in Nature April 10 reveal.

A newly discovered test for Parkinson's disease shows promise in diagnosing the condition very early — and may help in identifying if a person is at risk of developing the disease, according to research findings that will be published in May in The Lancet Neurology. 

China's efforts to ramp up the country's biotechnology capabilities are outpacing progress to strengthen laboratory safety, prompting concerns that a deadly pathogen could escape the laboratory setting and potentially spur another pandemic, experts told The Washington Post.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 appears to be causing a new symptom among children: conjunctivitis. So far, the evidence is anecdotal and based on what physicians in India — where the strain is fueling a surge in cases — have seen among patients.

Nationwide syphilis infections increased by 32 percent during the pandemic and resulted in 220 stillbirths and infant deaths, an April 11 CDC news release stated. 

After Chinese health officials reported a human case of avian flu on March 27, the infected individual has now been confirmed dead, according to the World Health Organization. The woman is the third known person infected with the H3N8 strain of the virus and the first to die from it.

Medical misinformation is a contributing factor to lowered life expectancies in the U.S., FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD, told CNBC.

The Biden administration aims to accelerate the development of new coronavirus vaccines and treatments through a more than $5 billion program dubbed "Project Next Gen," The Washington Post reported April 10.

Blastomycosis, a fungus found in soil and decaying wood, is believed to have infected more than 90 employees at a paper mill in Escanaba, Mich., according to an April 8 report from the Detroit Free Press.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.15 has remained dominant since January, but several other XBB offshoots may crowd out the strain over the next few weeks. 

An outbreak of avian flu at a Spanish mink farm in October 2022 and several other reported cases of the virus's spread to mammals sparked concern of its transmission to humans. But experts say it will take a lot for avian flu to become a full-fledged human pandemic, Science reported.

A new SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariant, XBB.1.16, is spreading throughout several countries, including parts of the U.S. Health officials at the World Health Organization have said it is something they are closely monitoring. 

The CDC issued a health advisory April 6 alerting clinicians in the U.S. to be aware of two Marburg virus disease outbreaks currently happening overseas — though at this time no cases have been confirmed in the U.S.

The World Health Organization turns 75 on April 7. While it finalizes its updated list of pandemic pathogens — which is set to be released any day — here are a few things health experts told NPR it should add to its agenda in 2023.

Nearly one month out from the end of the public health emergency in the U.S., hospitalizations are on the rise in 16 different states, and a new omicron subvariant has been spotted in 18 states. 

While some aspects of long COVID-19 — sometimes referred to as post-COVID-19 condition, or PCC — are much better understood than before, researchers have yet to land on a unified definition for the condition.

Roughly 17.5 percent of adults worldwide experience infertility issues, a new report from the World Health Organization has found.

Overall, flu activity in the U.S. remains low and is down significantly from the late fall peak. However, the percentage of specimens testing positive for influenza B has risen in recent weeks. 

Researchers and international organizations are probing for more information on long COVID studies run by the National Institutes of Health because of exercise measurements, Nature reported March 31.