Shock and grief rippled through the health community as lifelines for care were abruptly severed.

President Trump’s pause on aid, and the gutting of the primary aid agency, could jeopardize the health of more than 20 million people worldwide, including 500,000 children, experts say.

A new version of the virus is widespread in wild birds but had not previously been detected in cows.

Vague federal directives have led to frantic action, and perhaps overreaction, before a Friday deadline.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, made disputed claims before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

President Trump’s decision to pull out of the international health agency could deprive the United States of crucial scientific data and lessen the country’s influence in setting a global health agenda.

Many of the frozen programs are aimed at alleviating disease and malnutrition, but even security programs with U.S. funding are shutting down.

PEPFAR’s computer systems also are being taken offline, a sign that the program may not return, as Republican critics had hoped.

In recent months, bird flu has started raising red flags among scientists and public health officials. Apoorva Mandavilli, a New York Times reporter who covers infectious diseases, explains why we need to start taking bird flu seriously.

A pandemic is not inevitable, scientists say. But the outbreak has passed worrisome milestones in recent weeks, including cattle that may have been reinfected.

Pepfar, which is estimated to have delivered lifesaving treatment to as many as 25 million people in 54 countries, faces a funding delay of as long as 180 days.

Scientific meetings were canceled, and research data on the bird flu outbreak was delayed, amid confusion over the directive.

In its original form, the virus survives in just two countries. But a type linked to an oral vaccine used in other nations has already turned up in the West.

Outbreaks among the unvaccinated are a predictable consequence of falling immunization rates. But even vaccinated adults may be vulnerable to some illnesses.

Venomous snakes bite millions of people worldwide each year, killing at least 120,000. Many of them are poor people in rural areas of Africa without easy access to treatment.

The deceased was over 65 and had other medical conditions, state officials said.