The McDonald’s slogan may be “I’m lovin’ it,” but many customers can’t say the same — at least, not after a foodborne illness outbreak at the chain led many to press pause on their regular fast food runs. Now McDonald’s is hoping to bring diners back — leading many to wonder if it’s actually safe to head to the Golden Arches once more.

A total of 15 cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) or Sleeping Sickness reported in 2024 thus far in the United States is causing alarm because this disease is very rare in the US. Prior to 2024 the previous cases were in 2015 and were very few. It is a viral disease caused by mosquito bite and can have very serious sequelae. Typical mosquitoes that are infected with EEE include Aedes, Culex, and Coquillettidia. EEE virus is sustained in nature through a cycle between the Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and birds.

Every year the United States reverts its time by one hour in Fall and forward in Spring. This year daylight saving time (DST) ends on November 3, 2024. This shift hurts health in several ways. The impact is more pronounced in Spring and Fall is somewhat less troublesome. However, both time adjustments are problematic.

With cooler temperatures here, that means mosquito season is thankfully coming to an end. Following up on a story I covered on Monday when I stopped at UNLV to talk to experts about how bad this past mosquito season was, on Tuesday I wanted to find out what can be done to help fight the problem.

If you have noticed more mosquitoes — or felt their bites — this past summer... You are not alone. Experts said not only did we have more mosquitoes, but we had more cases of West Nile virus when comparing it to previous years.

More than a dozen researchers collaborated on a report for Lancet that deems gambling as a public health threat on the same level as alcohol and tobacco. Manoj Sharma is a professor of social and behavioral health at UNLV who worked on the Lancet’s commission and explains the findings. He speaks with host Carolyn Beeler.