The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday announced the first confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza in a pig.

the infected pig was part of livestock, mixed with poultry in a backyard farm, however, the pig showed no signs of illness. It was found out as a part of a routine precautionary test, along with four other swine. When these five pigs were tested, one of them came out positive, two negative, and the other two were pending.

"The livestock and poultry on this farm shared water sources, housing and equipment in other states, this combination has enabled transmission between species," read the release by USDA. It also stated that the farm did not have any bearing on the safety of the nation's pork supply. The farm is now quarantined to contain the flu.

Warnings For Humans

Experts have warned that pigs, known as "mixing vessels" for flu strains could pose new risks if the virus adapts for human transmission. On September 6, the first case of a person in the US to come into contact with avian influenza or the bird flu was confirmed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the person was treated with antiviral medication and was discharged after making a full discovery.

Testing

The initial test indicated an unusual flu strain that got the state and federal laboratories to get involved. The later tests confirmed the presence of H5 virus, or known as the avian or bird flu.

There are a total of 14 cases of bird flu in the US this year. However, this is the first case of human infection without direct exposure to animals.

Missouri health officials also noted that no H5 infections have been reported in dairy cattle within the state, except in wild birds and among commercial and backyard poultry flocks.

Does It Come From Other Animals?

Bird flu primarily infected farmworkers or those in close proximity to livestock. The first human bird flu case in the US was reported in 2022, to a person who was also involved in farm-working.

While this flu is largely confined to birds in the wild and poultry, recent outbreaks have been reported in mammals too, including cattle.

While 14 cases are in the US, the CDC notes that the risk to the general public is still at low, however, this warning could change. "Although human infections are rare, circumstances may evolve as we learn more about this case," said the CDC in a statement.

Senior Congress leader, Sonia Gandhi, has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, after her health conditions worsened on Sunday, June 15. She was admitted to the hospital due to stomach-related issues, which had been confirmed by the hospital in a statement. She is now kept under observation under the gastroenterology department.

Last month only, Gandhi underwent an MRI scan at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla. She had been admitted to Shimla unit from her private residence in Chharabara with restlessness. The IGMC doctors noted that her blood pressure was "marginally higher than normal", however, she was "normal and stable" during her routine checkup and had "some minor ailments."

Sonia Gandhi's Health History

Last year, in an emotional letter that Gandhi penned down right before the Lok Sabha polls, she noted that she will not be contesting for the polls due to her health and age issues.

The now 78-year-old, wrote, "I am proud to say that whatever I am today, I am because of you and I have always done my best to honour your trust. Now on account of health and age issues, I will not contest the next Lok Sabha election."

Before this too, in 2020, when the world was struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi had missed the first part of the Parliament session, as they had gone abroad for Mrs Gandhi's annual check-up.

In 2011, she had gone to the US, for a surgery, the medical condition remains undisclosed. However, the Press Trust of India reported, "It was learnt tonight that the Congress leader had undergone a successful surgery in a US Hospital." In the US, she was admitted to New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

While the medical condition remains unknown, the then Party General Secretary, Janardhan Dwivedi said, that she was "recently diagnosed with a medical condition that required surgery."

While it the cause for the recent medical condition is also unknown, here are some of the common "stomach-related issues" that are related to old age:

As per a 2011 study, titled Gastrointestinal issues in the older female patient, some gastrointestinal issues may be more common in the elderly population and possibly in older women. These issues range from motility disorders, such as fecal incontinence and constipation, to changes in neuropeptide function and its effect on the anorexia of aging.

Another 2019 study published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, titled Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract Disorder in Older Age notes that GI changes in the elderly are common. "While some changes associated with aging GI system are physiologic, others are pathological and particularly more prevalent among those above age 65 years." notes the study.

An article written by Michael Bartel, MD, PhD, Fairfax, Virginia, aging is a factor in several digestive system disorders.

In particular, older adults are more likely to develop diverticulosis and to have digestive tract disorders (for example, constipation—see Large intestine and rectum) as a side effect of taking certain medications. Also, changes in the gut microbiome (all the bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that live in the digestive tract) with age may be connected to overall healthy aging and may affect obesity, metabolic disorders, inflammation, cancer, depression, or other health issues.

Esophagus

As people age, the strength of esophageal contractions and the tension in the upper sphincter decline (a condition called presbyesophagus), but food movement usually remains unaffected. However, some older adults may develop disorders that disrupt these contractions.

Stomach

Aging reduces the stomach lining’s ability to resist damage, increasing the risk of ulcers, especially with NSAID use. The stomach also becomes less elastic and empties more slowly, though these changes rarely cause symptoms. Acid and enzyme secretion generally stay stable, but conditions like atrophic gastritis, which lower acid production, become more common and may lead to issues like vitamin B12 deficiency or bacterial overgrowth.

Small Intestine

Aging causes little structural change in the small intestine, so nutrient absorption mostly remains intact. However, reduced lactase levels can cause lactose intolerance, and bacterial overgrowth becomes more common, leading to bloating, pain, weight loss, and poor absorption of nutrients like B12, iron, and calcium.

Pancreas, Liver, and Gallbladder

The pancreas shrinks slightly and may develop some scarring, but its enzyme production remains adequate. The liver and gallbladder undergo structural changes, but these generally don’t impair their digestive functions.

Large Intestine and Rectum

The large intestine changes little with age, though the rectum may enlarge. Constipation becomes more frequent due to slower movement, weaker rectal contractions, reduced activity, medication use, and, in women, pelvic floor weakness—which can also cause fecal incontinence.

Chronic diseases impact six in 10 American adults—amounting to nearly 130 million individuals—public health funding is more than a policy debate. It is a matter of life, longevity, and dignity. From autoimmune disorders to blood conditions like sickle cell disease, chronic illnesses don’t discriminate, but the effects of budget cuts just might. And women, particularly women of color, are poised to bear the brunt.

Chronic disease management relies on continued research, innovation, and the ability to translate scientific breakthroughs into accessible treatments. Yet, that progress hinges on adequate funding. According to a Minority Staff Report released on May 13, the Trump administration had already terminated $13.5 billion in health-related funding and dismissed thousands of workers responsible for America’s scientific infrastructure. Now, proposed fiscal budget reductions for 2026 may deepen the damage.

Among the most contentious measures is a 15% cap on indirect costs for federally funded research at universities. Institutions like those governed by the NIH, DOE, DOD, and NSF could lose billions in essential operational funding. These cuts would not only affect research in cancer and infectious diseases but also severely limit progress in chronic illness management, including diseases with heavy gender and racial disparities such as sickle cell disease.

"The 15% cap will drastically change grant-making for the healthcare community," warns Steven Taylor, president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. "We’re going to be going backwards in the research of many diseases."

While legal battles rage over cost caps, the broader budget outlook appears equally grim. The proposed FY2026 budget includes a 37% cut to the NIH, the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research. Coupled with a proposed $880 billion cut to Medicaid and related programs, the implications for patients with chronic diseases are dire. Health disparities are expected to widen, particularly for Black women already navigating compounded risks.

Why Women With Chronic Conditions Are at Greater Risk?

In April, the CDC disbanded a crucial eight-person team that maintained contraception safety guidelines for patients with chronic illnesses. Known informally as the nation’s "contraception bible," this set of guidelines helped clinicians assess birth control safety for individuals with conditions like lupus, kidney disease, and notably, sickle cell disease.

The disbandment means doctors are left without updated, evidence-backed tools to make informed decisions about contraception for medically vulnerable populations. A woman in Michigan living with sickle cell disease expressed concern that her life is now endangered without these vital guidelines. And her fear is not unfounded.

According to the most recent CDC guidance, combined hormonal contraceptives pose an "unacceptable health risk" for people with sickle cell disease due to elevated blood clot risks. This marks a shift from earlier versions that viewed the benefits as outweighing the risks. The latest update also reclassified the Depo-Provera shot with higher risk and highlighted progestin-only pills and IUDs as safer alternatives.

Sickle Cell and the Disproportionate Burden on Black Women

At least 90% of Americans living with sickle cell disease are Black, and the maternal mortality rate for Black patients with the disease is a staggering 26 times higher than for their non-Black counterparts. When federal funding cuts target research and public health programs that cater to this community, the results can be devastating.

The intersectionality of race, gender, and chronic illness in this context highlights the urgency of protecting these programs. Reducing CDC and NIH resources not only curtails research but also removes critical guardrails meant to protect women from life-threatening reproductive complications.

Implications for Chronic Disease Communities

The implications extend beyond sickle cell. The CDC team was also responsible for reviewing contraception safety for those with a wide range of conditions, including HIV, epilepsy, and autoimmune diseases. Without their expertise, clinicians across the country will operate with outdated or incomplete information, increasing the risk of complications and undermining patient trust.

Medical experts worry that continued cuts will halt the momentum achieved in areas like gene-editing therapies, personalized medicine, and immunotherapy. For patients, this could mean fewer treatment options, reduced quality of care, and ultimately, shortened lifespans.

There is still hope that not all is lost. Both NIH and HHS have appealed the cost-cap ruling, and advocacy groups are mobilizing to pressure legislators to reconsider the draconian cuts. Public awareness and civic engagement will be crucial in ensuring that health funding is restored or, at the very least, preserved.

Advocacy groups like the Arthritis Foundation and the American Hospital Association are encouraging constituents to contact their representatives and demand that health funding remain a national priority. Grassroots campaigns, coalition-building, and direct appeals to Congress will likely determine the final outcome of this debate.

As debates around federal spending continue, it’s vital not to lose sight of what’s at stake. Budget lines may be written in ink, but their effects are etched in the lives of real people—particularly women battling chronic illnesses. Stripping research and public health funding not only undermines scientific progress but also endangers the most vulnerable. Now more than ever, robust investment in chronic disease research must remain a cornerstone of public health policy.

Breathing is as natural and unconscious as the pounding of a heartbeat. The majority of us don't consciously process each inhalation or exhalation. However, an intriguing recent study finds that the way you breathe may be as distinctly identifiable as your fingerprint. Scientists have found that each human has a personalized "respiratory fingerprint"—a breathing cycle so unique it can recognize an individual with almost 97% accuracy.

This new discovery has implications far beyond interest. From assessing mental illness to safeguarding biometric privacy, your breath could tell us more about you than you ever knew.

Carried out by researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, the research was headed by doctoral candidate Timna Soroka and published on June 12 in Current Biology. Researchers recruited 97 volunteers, who wore a device called the "Nasal Holter" for 24 straight hours. The wearable device, which weighed only 22 grams, took measurements of their natural breathing rhythms—while sleeping, working, resting, and going about their daily activities.

The payoff: By examining the subtle temporal rhythms of nasal breathing, scientists were able to determine that each subject's breath could identify him with 96.8% accuracy. The sensor tracked everything from inhale-exhale patterns to pauses before and after breathing, revealing a distinct rhythmic signature for every person.

What Is a "Respiratory Fingerprint"?

The "respiratory fingerprint" is the complex breathing pattern—how much, how frequently, and with what rhythm a person breathes. It may sound too ordinary to be special, but breathing is controlled by the brain's intricate respiratory control network. And because every brain is different, so is the breath it controls.

Lead researcher Noam Sobel said the team broke each 24-hour dataset into five-minute chunks and considered dozens of features with machine learning. They included esoteric but revealing traits like the time between inhalation and exhalation and the normal flip in airflow between nostrils.

Surprisingly, the research didn't rest there. Researchers cross-referenced the breathing information for each participant with a question about mental and physical health. What they discovered was nothing short of intriguing: higher self-reported anxiety individuals had more variability in their pauses between breaths. Other aspects of breathing pattern also matched up with BMI and other bodily states.

This linking of breathing and mind supports the increasingly robust literature suggesting that breath is a compelling diagnostic device—one that indicates not only lung function but also psychological and neurological well-being.

Renato Zenobi, an analytical chemistry professor at ETH Zurich, who was not part of the research, described the findings as "novel." According to him, the research would improve the significance of breath analysis as a non-invasive diagnostic tool. When applied along with breath metabolite testing, it would reinforce the accuracy of diagnosing metabolic disorders to anxiety and depression.

Envision a future in which a wristwatch-size device silently tracks your breath and warns your doctor of incipient signs of Parkinson's disease, sleep apnea, or even a panic attack. This would provide unprecedented preventive treatment with no needles, no scans, and no self-reporting bias.

What About Privacy?

As exciting as these breakthroughs are, they introduce a raft of ethical considerations. If our breath is a biometric signature, can it be used for monitoring? Currently, the Nasal Holter needs to be in direct contact and requires hours of usage. But with developing sensor technology, it's possible that distant breath monitoring could be achieved.

Soroka and Sobel recognize these issues and call for balancing scientific advancement with protecting privacy. Biological information such as breathing rates is involuntarily generated—i.e., we exhibit it all the time, whether we mean to or not. If it becomes readable from a distance, it might redefine the terms of biological privacy.

Real-World Limitations and Challenges

Notwithstanding the enthusiasm, the research is not without limitations. The population used was primarily healthy, young adults, and one can raise issues regarding the universality of the findings for children, the elderly, or people with respiratory illness. Also, wearing the device for 24 hours was daunting for some participants—especially while sleeping, when the nasal tubes fell out of position from time to time.

And although there was a high degree of association between breathing patterns and subjects' self-rated state of anxiety, these tests were not clinically certified. Additional research is required to determine if respiratory prints can accurately identify diagnosed medical or psychological illnesses.

We are headed toward an age when breath diagnostics could become a part of routine healthcare but as is the case with all great technologies, this development will need to be taken cautiously, respecting peoples' privacy and having ethical standards clear. As your lungs rhythmically fill and empty with air, they could be speaking your story in ways unimaginable to you.