Department of Public Health

A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Massachusetts, health officials said Wednesday. It’s the first case of monkeypox, a rare but potentially serious virus, in the United States this year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Two U.S. cases were reported last year; nine cases have been identified in the United Kingdom this month. It has...

Hospital signage and safety legislation pitched as a response to the tragic 2016 death of Laura Levis became law in Massachusetts on Friday, with Gov. Charlie Baker signing it in a ceremony at the State House. Under the law, the Department of Public Health will implement statewide standards requiring hospitals to improve lighting, signage, wayfinding and monitoring, aiming to ensure…

A patient under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody was discharged from Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center on Wednesday after being tested for coronavirus, a hospital spokesperson confirmed Thursday. The patient was discharged back to ICE custody where they remain under supervision monitored by the department health, county health officials confirmed Friday. During the county update on Friday,...

Cameras inside the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery caught on video the massive blasts early June 21 from just yards away.

A new confirmed case of measles in Los Angeles County was reported in a non-resident that traveled through Union Station, public health officials said Tuesday.

Massachusetts health officials are warning residents to practice safe food handling after an outbreak of a foodborne parasite that has sickened more than 100 people in the last three months alone. The state Department of Public Health said there has been a dramatic increase in reports of Cyclospora, a foodborne illness that causes gastrointestinal symptoms, including severe diarrhea.

Two new cases of measles in Los Angeles County residents are under investigation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Heath said in a news release Friday.

Sodas and other sugary drinks sold in California would come with warning labels about obesity, diabetes and tooth decay under a bill that narrowly cleared the state Senate on Thursday despite strong opposition from the beverage industry.

A traveler with infectious measles passed through Los Angeles International Airport in February, county health officials said Tuesday as they urged anyone who might have been exposed to watch for symptoms of the illness.

NBC 7 Investigates found parental rights are not guaranteed in the state of California for same-sex couples that aren’t married.

A proposed law that would require the state Department of Public Health to provide the public with specific data about lead poisoning in children is awaiting Governor Jerry Brown’s final approval.

A new study offers a set of recommendations based on flaws exposed in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, such as a lack of preparation for a massive natural disaster and a series of missteps in keeping the public informed after the hurricane, NBC News reported. The study, completed by George Washington University’s Milken Institute of Public Health...

It estimated 2,975 deaths from Sept. 2017 through the end of Feb. 2018.

For a third day in a row, New Haven emergency crews responded to multiple overdoses on the New Haven Green that are possibly linked to the synthetic drug K2. City officials said they have reports of a person handing out the drug for free, possibly to get people addicted. The total number of overdoses this week is now over 100,...

Massachusetts has sued the maker of OxyContin over the deadly opioid crisis and has become the first state to also target the company’s executives.

The Hepatitis A outbreak among the homeless and IV drug users cost taxpayers more than $12 million. A new report assesses the county’s response to the epidemic, and offers solutions to avoid similar public health problems.

Seventh-grade students from John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica may have been exposed to Norovirus while on a field trip to Yosemite, school district officials said Thursday.

In an unprecedented move, the California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay the opening of crab season because of potentially deadly levels of domoic acid found in Dungeness and rock crabs along the West Coast.

In an unprecedented move, the California Fish and Game Commission voted Thursday to delay the opening of crab season because of potentially deadly levels of domoic acid found in Dungeness and rock crabs along the West Coast.

Confirmation that an employee at Vista Murrieta High School was stricken with measles prompted Riverside County’s top health official Friday to bar any students not vaccinated against the disease from returning to school.