Eczema appears to heighten the risk of developing shingles.

The shingles vaccine may slow overall biological aging in older adults.

Many patients with psoriasis develop other autoimmune diseases, too

A small study published in 2024 found that nearly three-quarters of patients with psoriasis—a condition in which the body attacks healthy skin cells—also developed autoimmune disorders including thyroid diseases, connective tissue diseases, and more, suggesting such connections between these autoimmune disorders warrant further exploration.

NASA worries about the reactivation of dormant viruses during missions—particularly the virus that causes shingles—because spaceflight suppresses the human immune system and elevates stress hormones, making it more challenging to stay healthy.

Lack of Vitamin D seems to be one major factor fueling MS risk

Researchers believe that a combination of factors can elevate MS risk, including a lack of vitamin D exposure in different locales, genetic history, cigarette smoke exposure, and Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Epstein-Barr virus—the cause of 'kissing disease' mononucleosis—may be the leading cause of MS

A Harvard study with data from more than 10 million US military personnel found that people that contracted Epstein-Barr virus had a roughly 32-fold increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The work, published in 2022, found that Infection of the virus preceded MS onset by a median of five years, raising questions about better Epstein-Barr virus management and potential disease prevention.

Poison ivy, which produces urushiol throughout the plant, not just in the leaves, can cause year-round rashes.

A vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus, researchers hypothesize, could potentially prevent MS

As many as a quarter of MS patients have antibodies in their blood that bind to both a central protein in Epstein-Barr virus and a protein made in the brain and spinal cord that—when attacked—leads to a breakdown of protective nerve fiber insulation. This suggests the immune system's primed to attack the nervous system after mounting a defense against Epstein-Barr.

Twin studies suggest celiac disease is among the more genetically-linked disorders

Genetics appear to play a larger part in this condition's development than many other autoimmune disorders. Research shows a roughly 60-75% genetic probability that if one identical twin has it, the other will too. Celiac triggers a small intestine attack when people eat gluten, a protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye.

See the differences between chickenpox and hand, foot, and mouth

This helpful explainer breaks down the differences between these two contagious, viral diseases, which both present with fevers and sores. It includes photos of the sores that are characteristic of both diseases, showing how they have appeared across different skin tones to better inform people looking for information about their own loved one's symptoms.

Measles infection, which was nearly universal during childhood in prevaccine era, was described by the Persian physician Rhazes in the 10th century as "more to be dreaded than smallpox."

Urushiol, the oily toxin in poison ivy, can remain allergenic on clothing for up to 5 years—or even longer.

A rare measles complication is that the virus can linger in the body for years after apparent recovery and continue to replicate—leading to a progressive and fatal breakdown of the central nervous system that can occur decades after the initial infection.

Measles attacks the body's immune system, leaving it vulnerable to secondary complications.

The gut microbiome may play a major role in autoimmune disease and symptom flare-ups

Certain unhealthy foods can promote gut bacterial growth and inflammation in the lining of the gut, potentially disrupting its lining—leading to a leaky gut that may allow pathogens to dribble out into the bloodstream, fueling further inflammation that can both cause disease flare-ups and set the stage for future disease development.

See colorized mpox virus particles grown in culture at Fort Detrick, Maryland, where high-biosecurity pathogens are studied.

Autoimmune disease prevalence and incidence are on the rise—but no one knows why

Researchers theorize that environmental factors, including shifts to less healthy diets, air pollution, infections, stress, climate change, and exposures to xenobiotics—substances like pesticides, plastics, and toxins that incite immune responses—may all be fueling epigenetic changes to our bodies that make people's immune responses go awry.

Researchers are investigating how altering the gut microbiome may influence the development of rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease.

MS risk is shaped by geography, not just genes

Latitude—and related vitamin D exposure—seems to affect MS risk. People who migrate from a high-risk MS latitude (like northern Europe or the northern US) to a lower-risk latitude (like tropical areas) before age 15 tend to adopt the lower risk of their new country—suggesting there's a critical window for environmental exposure.

Why are women more likely to suffer autoimmune diseases than men?

A majority of Americans with autoimmune diseases have more than one X chromosome, a typical marker of the female biological sex, according to a study published in February of 2024. During fetal development, cells side with one X chromosome over the other, preventing the overproduction of X-chromosome-specific proteins and shutting down the twin chromosome. This article explores how this X-chromosome inactivation can lead to autoimmune disorders by generating antibodies to the body's own tissues.

Autism rate increases are mostly among those with milder symptoms, not individuals with severe symptoms.

Measles cases in the US reached a 35-year high in 2026 as vaccination rates dropped.

Schizophrenia increases heat death risks in several complex ways

Evidence shows that people with schizophrenia have an inherently harder time regulating internal body temperatures. They may also struggle to find safe shelter during extreme heat, and their prescribed antipsychotic medications often have dehydrating effects, collectively elevating the risk of heat-related illness and death, as illustrated by this article that focuses on the final days of Stephan Goodwin's life in 2022. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

More than 5 million Americans have more than one autoimmune disease

Overall, about 4.6% of the US population—15 million people—have an autoimmune condition. Some common examples include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, Grave's disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis.

Measles infection can cause long-term immune system “amnesia”

The measles virus attacks the body's immune system, including preying on T and B cells in the lymphatic system. These cells hold memories of past infections, which can be degraded as the virus destroys them. This leaves patients susceptible to other infections for a year or longer.

People with schizophrenia have triple the risk of developing diabetes

It remains contentious if something inherent about the disease or antipsychotics' side effects (weight gain) are mostly to blame. Some newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients already have insulin resistance, raising questions about if patients' brains are getting enough energy from glucose, and if dietary changes—like a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet—may help alleviate symptoms.

Zoo animals have developed allergies, too

Although scientists do not know if allergies manifest among wild animals—and if animals can survive with them—in a zoo setting, veterinarians have observed zoo animals with common allergy symptoms, including itchiness, crusty skin, and runny eyes. Veterinarians have identified Asian elephants with pollen allergies and at least one jaguar with an allergy to fleas.

Secondary complications from measles in children range across the whole body.

Adults are developing food allergies that they didn’t have as children

Research published in 2019 found that almost half of 40,000 surveyed adults with food allergies developed a new food allergy as adults, underscoring that our immune systems may newly misclassify substances later in life.

Increasing contact between humans and wild animals is driving zoonotic threats

Zoonotic diseases, which spread from animals to humans, present one of the most significant emerging threats worldwide. Scientists have identified around 200 viruses capable of infecting humans, and unfortunately, the number of such diseases are on the rise—at least 60% of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic in origin.

Early research suggests CAR-T therapy might treat scleroderma, reducing skin thickening

Clinical data from a couple patients in 2025 indicated that one experimental CAR-T therapy called rese-cel was able to genetically reprogram T cells to eliminate certain problematic immune B cells that were causing the condition. The therapy reduced skin thickening and allowed the patients to halt using immunosuppressive medications and steroids.

Traumatic childhood experiences heighten the risk of developing schizophrenia

Clinically termed as "adverse childhood experiences," events such as physical or mental abuse or the death of loved ones have repeatedly been linked to an increase in rates of developing schizophrenia later in life. The reasons behind this link remain under investigation.

Poison ivy is in the same family as mangoes, cashews, and pistachios, and they all produce oily urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state—but they are typically prepared in ways to avoid causing human discomfort.

Women typically have more robust immune responses than men

This difference helps women better combat infectious diseases, but this more turbo-charged response may also make women more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases by potentially priming their immune systems to overreact to their own cells and tissues and label them as invaders that must be destroyed. Roughly 80% of American women have autoimmune conditions.

Caucasians are at the greatest risk of developing macular degeneration

A 2016 analysis across ethnic groups found, among other things, that white participants had the highest incidence of the disease, followed by Chinese, Hispanic, and Black participants. This study did not answer why that may be the case.

Risk factors linked with ASD include older parents, preterm births, and toxic prenatal exposures

Though researchers agree that there is a strong genetic component to ASD development, certain environmental factors heighten that risk, with studies suggesting older parents, premature birth, maternal obesity, and air pollution exposure in utero all elevate risks of ASD development. There is no connection between receiving vaccines and ASD development.

Embracing poor hygiene in early life won't stave off allergies

The hygiene hypothesis, first proposed in 1989 by British immunologist David Strachan, suggests that early life exposure to microbes—like those from farm dust or pets—properly trains our immune systems to respond to threats. But sometimes the idea is misinterpreted: It doesn’t mean that poor hygiene—like failing to wash hands–will help ward off allergies; that type of behavior leads to infections and won’t help with allergy prevention.

An Ebola vaccine was developed during the 2018 west African Ebola outbreak, but the 2026 Ebola outbreak is with a different species of the virus, not the one that the vaccine is approved to treat.

Poison ivy's rash-causing compound is found in the plant's roots, stem, and leaves—so coming into contact with any part of the plant can lead to rashes for the 85% of people who are allergic to it.

Almost 80% of people diagnosed with autoimmune diseases are women

Yet it's still unanswered what may account for that difference. To better understand this disparity researchers are exploring factors including hormonal changes that occur around puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as gut microbe differences, and aspects of X-chromosome protein-coding genes. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

A look at the 2025 measles outbreak in West Texas and surrounding areas

A measles outbreak in the summer of 2025 ultimately led to more than 900 cases and the deaths of two young children. The highly contagious virus requires vaccination rates near 95% to achieve herd immunity—the Texas outbreak spread through areas of significant mistrust of vaccines, including the area’s Mennonite community.

In 1982, around 20% of the people who ate some of the roughly 7,400 bags of cashews sold as part of a Little League fundraiser in Pennsylvania broke out in rashes because of natural urushiol residue on the nuts' shells that hadn't been removed and fully cooked off—the same allergy-inducing substance found in poison ivy.

Measles symptoms range from fever to pneumonia and encephalitis

While less common, most measles-related deaths come from secondary conditions such as pneumonia (one to six cases per 100 patients) and encephalitis (one case per 1,000 patients). Blindness, which is rare, may arise from corneal ulceration.

Some data links schizophrenia to older paternal age and birth complications

Yet both associations are not yet considered firm enough to definitively be causative. Schizophrenia is a multi-causal syndrome and a mixture of factors, including genetics, are widely believed to be behind its development.

Erythema migrans rash is common in Lyme—but it often doesn't look like a bull's-eye

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that this rash occurs in roughly 70% or more of Lyme disease patients, and typically occurs at the site of a tick bite. The rash may expand slowly over several days and feel warm to the touch, but it's rarely itchy or painful. As it grows, areas of it may clear—creating a target or "bull's-eye" appearance.

Environmental conditions, shifting immunity, and viral strain could help explain 2025 spike

The surge in HFMD in the summer and early fall of 2025 in the mid-Atlantic could be the result of a confluence of factors, including a more virulent strain of disease-causing virus, good environmental conditions for the virus to spread—hot, humd—and a potential immunity gap among kids due to milder HFMD outbreaks the previous year.

People with blue eyes appear to be at elevated risk of developing macular degeneration, perhaps because more light can penetrate their eyes.

Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir suffered from arthritis in the 1800s when there were no treatments, and eventually had such limited hand function that he painted with brushes placed in his mouth.

80% of schizophrenia cases may be inherited

Some research suggests that anywhere between 60% and 80% of people with schizophrenia had genes that predisposed them to the syndrome. That high rate has fueled interest in further exploration of what environmental and lifestyle factors cause some people with that genetic risk to develop the disease when others with the same genetic risks do not.

Measles evolved from an ancient cattle disease, branching off as recently as 3,000 years ago.

Measles is one of the most contagious preventable diseases—it was eliminated in the US in 2000, but it is now making a resurgence due to declining vaccination rates.