Healthcare

Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientists Make New Connections Regarding Hantavirus In Study

by

A map of 431 hantavirus case reports from 1993 to 2022 used in the analysis from LANL scientists Andrew Bartlow’s and Morgan Gorris’ study. Most of the cases occur in the western half of the U.S. compared to the eastern half. The thick black outlines separate the western and eastern U.S., illustrating the prevalence of the virus in the western part of the country. Courtesy/LANL

Morgan Gorris

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

During their 2024 study on Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) researchers made new connections between Read More

Los Alamos County Monitoring Equine Herpesvirus-1 Outbreak

by

COUNTY News: 

The Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) reports that there are currently no known cases of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) or Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in the County.

CSD staff is monitoring a multistate outbreak linked to the 2025 PRA World Finals in Waco, Texas (held Nov. 5-9) and the Barrel Futurities of America event in Guthrie, Okla. (held Nov. 17-18) where positive cases were confirmed. As a precaution, County staff is coordinating with local veterinarians and the State of New Mexico to be prepared should the situation change.

Regional Read More

Op-Ed: Vaccines – Who Can You Trust?

by

By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

The Republican Trump administration has “gone to war” against vaccines. This includes recently changing the CDC’s website on childhood vaccines at the direct request of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to imply that “vaccines cause autism.” This is despite the complete lack of scientific evidence for this idea.

Secretary Kennedy’s battle against vaccines appears to have four pillars, dealing with trust and the destruction of key vaccine institutions:

  • Reduce trust in vaccines
  • Take over the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
  • Make
Read More

Los Alamos County Social Services Welcomes Applications For Certified Forest Therapy Guides

by

COUNTY News:

The Los Alamos County Social Services Division is excited to announce the opportunity for community members to become a Certified Forest Therapy Guide.

This “train-the-trainer” cohort, hosted by the County and in collaboration with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT), introduces the practice which draws on developing connections with nature and creating experiences centered in mindfulness, as ways to help improve physical and mental wellbeing. Applications are open now for the program beginning Jan. 26, 2026.

The program consists of a 6-month remote Read More

Holiday Gift Guide For People Living With Dementia

by

AA News:

Holiday shopping can be challenging, especially when selecting gifts for someone living with dementia.

More than 46,000 New Mexicans are among 7.4 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and, depending on the stage of dementia, some well-intentioned gifts may no longer be appropriate or practical.

“Choosing a meaningful gift for someone living with dementia requires thoughtful consideration,” said Donald Smithburg, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association of New Mexico. “It’s important to consider the person’s cognitive abilities and select Read More

Dannemann: Affordable Care Act Benefits Must Be Preserved

by

By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again

“Pre-existing condition.” Remember that term? Fifteen years ago, you heard it all the time on the news. It was the issue that scared the daylights out of millions of Americans who couldn’t get health insurance, or whose insurance was impossibly expensive.

A pre-existing condition might have been asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, a past injury, or any other condition that might increase the patient’s need for future health care.

Pre-existing conditions had been debated in Congress constantly and covered regularly on the news. People Read More

Public Safety Alert: Handling Wild Animals Increases Disease Risk And Violates Law 

by

New Mexico Game & Fish News:

SANTA FE – Picking up wild animals in New Mexico is illegal and dangerous — for both people and the animals.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is issuing an urgent public safety alert, reminding the public that handling wildlife spreads disease and violates state law.

Picking up or transporting protected species of wild animals dramatically increases the risk of disease transmission. Handling wild animals can expose humans and domestic pets to zoonotic diseases such as distemper, rabies, hantavirus and various parasites.

“A person’s instinct is to Read More