The new MERS virus, which has infected 64 people and killed 38 of them, is mostly spread in hospitals and it will take special care to prevent bigger outbreaks, experts reported on Wednesday.An investigation into the outbreak in Saudi Arabia showed 21 people were infected as patients who unknowingly went from one clinic to another, spreading the virus. It can spread quickly in the hospital if stri...

Infections with the human papillomavirus tied to cervical cancer fell by more than half in U.S. teen girls after the HPV vaccine was introduced in 2006, despite high-profile controversy -- and low rates of uptake, a new study shows. Government health officials said Wednesday that the new data should encourage wider acceptance of the vaccine, which became a lighting rod for political controversy al...

The American Medical Association officially designated obesity as a disease on Tuesday a disease that requires medical treatment and prevention.The organization doesnt have any kind of official say in the matter, but its influential nonetheless, and the vote of the AMAs policy-making House of Delegates is one more step in the evolution of social attitudes towards obesity.Recognizing obesity ...

The Food and Drug Administration has backed away from new rules requiring doctors to treat human stool as an unapproved drug, meaning fecal transplants used to treat life-threatening gut infections can continue as planned in the U.S.FDA officials said this week that the agency will not enforce new requirements to obtain investigational new drug applications, or INDs, before doctors can perform the...

Still sleepy after your third cup of coffee this morning? A new fad promises to give your daily cup of joe an extra kick of energy while helping you lose weight with the addition of a surprising ingredient: butter.Thats the idea behind Bulletproof coffee, a trend thats gaining popularity among those who follow the paleo diet, a caveman-type eating style that means consuming mostly anima...