PublicHealth

Tim Friede, a former truck mechanic from Wisconsin, has spent the past 18 years doing what most people would consider unthinkable: injecting himself with venom from some of the world’s deadliest snakes. His goal was never fame or notoriety — it was to build immunity and, ultimately, save lives. Now, thanks to his extraordinary biological resilience, Friede has helped scientists develop one of the most promising antivenoms to date — a universal treatment that could drastically change how snakebites are managed globally.

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza poses a serious and growing threat of triggering a global pandemic, warns a new study by the Global Virus Network (GVN), which calls for urgent international action to bolster preparedness efforts.

Dame Helen Mirren has delivered a powerful message to people in their 50s and 60s: don’t fear ageing — prepare for it. Backing a new campaign by Age UK, the 79-year-old Oscar-winning actress encouraged midlifers to incorporate simple physical activity into their daily routines to improve health and maintain independence later in life.

Disruptions to the body’s internal clock — known as circadian rhythms — may significantly elevate the risk of premature death, according to a major new study published in Scientific Reports. Researchers analyzing data from large-scale U.S. and Chinese populations found that adults aged 40 and over with disrupted circadian rhythms faced heightened mortality from cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A devastating explosion at the Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, has left at least five people dead and more than 700 injured, Iranian state media reported on Saturday. The massive blast, which erupted from several cargo containers filled with chemicals, sent shockwaves across the region and ignited fears of further instability.