Germ theory is the idea that pathogens can invade the human body and cause disease — and it wasn't always accepted. Evidence for germ theory accumulated over time, and as it did, it butted against ...

In recent months, the U.S. government has taken steps to defund and dismantle key infectious disease programs, including a National Institutes of Health lab that has contributed to groundbreaking work ...

From alleging that the polio vaccine kills more people than it saves to promoting cod liver oil as a remedy during a measles outbreak, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has, ...

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has upended medical research and public health in the U.S. in many ways. One of the ideas that could be influencing his overhaul of federal health agencies dates ...

Gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships hit a 12-year high in 2024, and 2025 has been even worse, with cruise lines seeing an entire year's worth of outbreaks in only the first quarter of the year.

When you don’t believe in germ theory, the world is your oyster—or maybe your bathtub. Over the weekend, America's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shared pictures on social media of ...

With the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., brain worms have gotten a bad rap. A year ago, the long-time anti-vaccine advocate and current US health secretary famously told The New York Times that a ...

Live Science spoke with author Thomas Levenson about his new book on the history of germ theory. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.