In another news, President Donald Trump's latest nominee for US surgeon general, Dr Casey Means, is better known to some as a rising wellness influencer. Over the past year, she has shared her health philosophy with many on various podcast channels, which are popular for wellness content, most of them being right-wing podcast, as US News describes it. These podcasts have discussed everything from organic diets, chronic diseases, their prevention, and of course, vaccine skepticism, and spirituality.

She may use the surgeon general's platform to promote the lifestyle-based approaches that she has been talking about, which may challenge the conventional views on pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and modern medicines.

Focusing On Root Cause

Now 37, Dr Means left her residency program to focus on what she calls the "root causes" of disease. She believes that chronic illnesses such as obesity, infertility, cancer, and Alzheimer's are not being properly addressed by traditional medicines.

As per her, a combination of environmental toxins, processed food, and tech overuse is damaging the body's metabolic system, which remains the core of most chronic health problems.

Speaking to Joe Rogan in October, she said: “It’s all caused by metabolic dysfunction, a term that I never learned in medical school.” Her philosophy closely mirrors that of Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who has called for deep investigations into environmental factors behind conditions like autism.

Dr. Means has voiced concern over the widespread use of certain drugs. On “The Tucker Carlson Show,” she criticized the overprescription of birth control pills, calling it a “disrespect of things that create life.” She also raised alarms over the use of popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, calling them “very dark” and suggesting they promote the false idea of a “magic pill” for health.

Rejection Of Processed Food

Much of Dr. Means’ health advice centers on diet. She advocates for organic, non-GMO foods and warns against refined sugars, pesticides, and ultra-processed meals. On Jay Shetty’s podcast, she even suggested an executive order to eliminate added sugars from school lunches.

Her concerns extend to seed oils—like canola and soybean—which she groups with harmful food additives. Although mainstream nutrition experts say such oils can be beneficial in moderation, Means believes they contribute to declining public health.

While Dr. Means often prefaces her vaccine comments by noting it's not her area of expertise, she has publicly questioned parts of the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule. On Kristin Cavallari’s podcast, she pointed to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns as her “gateway” to questioning broader vaccine policies.

She also criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates, saying they caused significant societal harm and sparked public distrust in health institutions. “Maybe we shouldn’t be blindly trusting the experts,” she said.

Dr. Means blends science with spirituality in her view of wellness. She’s described current public health trends as “extinction-level” and frequently says “Rome is burning” to describe the urgency. For her, healing requires not just lifestyle changes but also a deep spiritual reconnection with the body, Earth, and the divine.

“Do we want to connect with God and respect these temples we’ve been given?” she asked Rogan. “That’s the choice we have right now.”

Marburg virus is one of the world’s deadliest pathogens. Closely related to Ebola, it causes hemorrhagic fever with mortality rates as high as 88%. First identified in 1967 after simultaneous outbreaks in Germany and Serbia, it is classified as a zoonotic disease — one that jumps from animals to humans. The primary reservoir of the virus is the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus), which lives in large colonies in African caves and mines.

Outbreaks in countries like Uganda and Angola have been linked to contact with bat excreta or shared fruit. Until now, however, little visual evidence existed of how Marburg might be moving across species in the wild. A new discovery at Python Cave in Uganda could change that.

Extraordinary Discovery from an Unlikely Source

In early 2025, a remarkable discovery came not from a laboratory or global health agency but from a young Ugandan undergraduate, Bosco Atukwatse. As part of a leopard-monitoring project in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Atukwatse installed camera traps near a known bat cave to monitor predator activity.

What he captured over just four months stunned his team: 261 instances of predation and scavenging around the bat colony, involving at least 14 different species—including crowned eagles, Nile monitors, blue monkeys, and leopards. These bats, crucially, are documented carriers of the Marburg virus.

Atukwatse, working with the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Kyambura Lion Project, had set out to study leopard movements. Instead, he captured unprecedented visual evidence of what disease ecologists call a "spillover interface"—a location where a virus might leap from animals into new hosts, including humans.

New Spillover Pathway: Predation

Until recently, two major spillover pathways for Marburg were recognized:

• Direct contact—through cave exploration or exposure to guano.
• Contaminated fruit—eaten by bats and later consumed by humans or other animals.

Now, Atukwatse's footage suggests a third: predation. Species ranging from blue monkeys to fish eagles were recorded feeding on the bats. This finding indicates a potentially overlooked transmission route in which predators may act as intermediate hosts, spreading the virus to humans or other wildlife.

This is the first time such a large-scale, visual dataset has documented predator-prey interactions involving a known viral reservoir in nature. While individual cases of monkeys or birds feeding on bats have been observed, never before has evidence of repeated, multi-species predation at a virus site been systematically captured.

Human Risk: A Ticking Time Bomb

Perhaps even more concerning, the cameras recorded over 400 human visitors—many tourists—approaching the cave mouth without protective equipment. While the Uganda Wildlife Authority has set up a viewing platform 35 meters away, many visitors ignored safety protocols, walking within two meters of the bat colony.

This proximity to a Marburg hotspot, combined with the newly observed predator activity, presents a chilling risk. In the past, tourists have contracted the virus in the same region, and now more evidence suggests that such spillover scenarios may be far more complex and frequent than previously thought.

A Wake-Up Call for Global Health

Atukwatse’s discovery underscores the critical role of local scientists in uncovering potential pandemic threats. Unlike multimillion-dollar surveillance programs, this breakthrough came from ecological instinct and basic camera equipment. It points to a vital gap in global health: the need to fund and empower local field researchers who are closest to where such threats emerge.

Disease ecologists have long warned that the next pandemic may begin in remote animal-human interfaces. But until now, these warnings were largely based on models and assumptions. This footage shifts that narrative—providing real, observable evidence of a spillover ecosystem in action.

A New Era of Spillover Science

This discovery could mark a pivotal moment in spillover research. It not only confirms theories about how viruses like Marburg may spread through predator chains but also highlights the danger of human encroachment into such ecosystems.

In the future, early warning systems must include support for grassroots surveillance, like the kind Atukwatse led. The next deadly virus may already be circulating—visible not only under a microscope, but also through the lens of a trail camera in the hands of a watchful local scientist.

Alzheimer's disease, as per the National Health Service, UK, is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive brain disorder that gradually impairs memory, thinking skills and eventually, the ability to perform even simple tasks. This also results in the day-to-day ability of functioning, including finding it difficult to identify a known person, experiencing brain fog, and more.

The Kent-born journalist 64 and former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips who in 2023 announced that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia thought her husband had kidnapped her because of "delusions", which were one of the symptoms or traits of the Alzheimer's disease. The Independent reports that she was diagnosed with the same in 2022.

She Thought It Was Menopause

The earliest symptoms were brain fog, this is also common in menopausal women, so her initial guess too was menopause when she experienced "brain fog and anxiety".

Her husband, Martin Frizell, who is the former This Morning editor, has helped her through her condition and has also helped her write a memoir titled Remember When. The memoir aims to help others who have been diagnosed with the disease.

Pain, Anxiety, and Degrading Memory

Frizell, who is 66, shared an update on Phillip's condition on Friday saying that there are times when she does not remember who her husband is.

Frizell said that she "doesn't quite know that I'm her husband." He shared the update with This Morning on Friday and said that Fiona sometimes becomes confused about who he is. He further added pointing to a recent photo in the book, "She is looking great and she is kinda smiling...And what you don't know is she thought I'd kidnapped her." However, he did add that she'd recognise him "most of the time."

Speaking to ITV, Frizell also said, "She'd love to be here, but she's got anxiety. She's got a kind of secondary problem that causes her to be in pain, a lot, a lot of pain, which adds to the confusion. So it's difficult."

He explained that this disease comes with "all sorts of delusions", and that this leaves his wife "kind of worked up".

The forgetfulness is such that on some occasions, Phillips asks to go visit her parents, to which, Frizell says, "I have not got the heart to say they aren't here. What you do is, you say, 'Let's get out coats on, let's get out shoes on', we go around the block a couple of times and come back in. And she says, 'Oh I am home now'."

What Is Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia—a syndrome marked by a continuous decline in brain function, as noted by the NHS.

It is a progressive disease that gradually affects memory, thinking, and other cognitive abilities, with symptoms worsening over time.

While there is no cure yet, certain medications can help ease some of the symptoms temporarily. To this, Frizell says, "Society has decided we’re not going to take it as seriously as we should. The money that’s there for Alzheimer’s research, it’s like buying a Starbucks cup of coffee, basically trying to fight a disease. It’s impossible.”

He also mentioned that early in their relationship, they discussed Phillips granting him lasting power of attorney, so he could make health and financial decisions on her behalf if she ever became unable to do so herself.

Last year, in November, he announced that he was stepping down as the editor of This Morning, after a decade in the post, saying that he was expecting "family priorities to change" and needed to free up time for them.

A sudden and tragic death in Northern Arizona has jolted both local officials and public health experts. A resident died from the plague within just 24 hours of showing symptoms, marking one of the rare but serious instances of the disease in the United States. The person, who has not been publicly identified, was rushed to Flagstaff Medical Center in critical condition but succumbed the same day. An autopsy confirmed the presence of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague.

The case has sparked renewed concern, especially as it occured at the same with a reported die-off of prairie dogs near Flagstaff, an ecological warning sign that the plague may be spreading through local wildlife.

Though it’s often associated with the Black Death of the 14th century, which wiped out millions in Europe, plague is far from extinct. In fact, it continues to appear in small pockets across rural parts of the western United States—including areas of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

According to the CDC, the U.S. reports an average of seven human plague cases annually. Most of them are bubonic plague, and the disease remains treatable with antibiotics—if caught in time.

The recent Arizona case is a stark reminder of how fast and fatal plague can be if untreated. Coconino County health officials said symptoms can appear within 1–8 days of exposure, and immediate medical care is essential to survival.

While officials have withheld the identity and demographic details of the deceased, their rapid deterioration has been linked to an ongoing investigation into unusual prairie dog deaths northeast of Flagstaff. These rodents, commonly found across the Southwest, are known to harbor fleas that can transmit Yersinia pestis.

“Prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague but are not considered long-term reservoirs of the disease,” the county stated. However, their die-off is often the first sign that plague is circulating in the environment.

Authorities are working with private property owners to collect flea samples from affected areas. So far, no other human cases have been confirmed.

What Is Yersinia pestis?

Yersinia pestis is a highly infectious bacterium that causes plague. It spreads primarily through bites from infected fleas or direct contact with infected animals, especially rodents. Humans may also become infected through handling contaminated animal tissues or inhaling respiratory droplets from an infected person or animal.

Despite its ancient roots, modern plague is very much a public health concern and if left untreated, it can quickly escalate into a medical emergency.

3 Forms of Plague

Plague manifests in three distinct ways, depending on how the infection spreads in the body:

Bubonic Plague

The most common form, often spread by flea bites. Symptoms include fever, chills, extreme fatigue, and painful, swollen lymph nodes (called buboes). If treated promptly with antibiotics, survival rates exceed 90%.

Septicemic Plague

This form affects the bloodstream and can arise from untreated bubonic plague or direct infection. It’s more severe and presents with symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding under the skin, and tissue death—often turning fingers, toes, or the nose black. Left untreated, it is often fatal.

Pneumonic Plague

The rarest and most dangerous form, pneumonic plague infects the lungs. It can be transmitted from person to person through airborne droplets, making it the only contagious form. Symptoms include fever, chest pain, cough, and difficulty breathing. Without treatment, it progresses rapidly and is often fatal.

In the Arizona case, the resident reportedly died within a day of showing symptoms, underscoring the disease’s swift progression. According to health officials, timing is everything. Plague must be treated within 24 hours of symptom onset for the best outcome.

The last significant outbreak in Arizona occurred in 1996, when two out of five infected individuals died. In both cases, a delayed diagnosis was the critical failure. One of them, an 18-year-old, likely contracted the disease after walking through a prairie dog colony in Navajo County. Traces of Yersinia pestis were later found in the fleas of pet dogs in the area.

Risk Factors and Tips to Stay Safe Related to Plague

While plague is rare, it remains a risk in certain rural areas where wild rodent populations are common. Arizona’s Department of Health and the CDC recommend the following precautions:

• Avoid contact with wild rodents, especially sick or dead animals.
• Use flea control products for pets and avoid letting them roam in areas with prairie dogs or wild rabbits.
• Clear clutter and debris around homes to deter rodent nesting.
• Stay away from burrows or animal dens, particularly when camping or hiking.
• Report unusual animal deaths, particularly among prairie dogs or squirrels, to local authorities.

Residents experiencing fever, swollen glands, or flu-like symptoms following exposure to wild areas should contact their physician immediately and mention possible rodent or flea exposure.

Is the Plague Coming Back?

No. While the term “plague” conjures images of medieval pandemics, modern medicine has kept it in check. Still, experts caution against complacency.

“People hear ‘plague’ and think it’s a relic of the past,” said a public health official from Coconino County. “But for those of us in rural areas of the West, it’s something we monitor every year.”

The plague hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s just rare. And in the few places where it remains endemic, vigilance is essential.

If you're in a region where plague is known to exist, take precautions seriously. Public health officials stress that education, awareness, and prompt action are the most powerful tools we have to prevent future tragedies like this one.