Erin Prater

Stay informed with Erin Prater’s coverage and analysis for Fortune.

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Are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS prion diseases? It's a complicated question and one that involves semantics, experts say.

Alzheimer’s disease may be transmissible, some experts say—but only in rare, unusual circumstances. Here’s how

A young man is seen drinking from a beer bottle on Aug. 13, 2014, in Berlin, Germany. Global cancer diagnosis rates are expected to rise 77% to 35 million by 2050, fueled by aging, obesity, and tobacco and alcohol use, according to the World Health Organization.

Global cancer rates are expected to rise 77% by 2050, the WHO warns. From aging to alcohol, here’s why

Activists pose at a colorectal cancer awareness installation on the National Mall showcasing the increasing number of cases in young adults on March 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The installation was a visual representation of more than 27,400 people under the age of 50 estimated to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2030.

More Millennials and Gen Xers are dying from colorectal cancer. Obesity and alcohol consumption are fueling the trend

“The increased number of measles importations seen in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the disease,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Jan. 25 bulletin to health care providers.

Measles cases are mounting in the US as the UK declares a ‘national incident’ over the disease. What parents need to know to keep their kids safe

So-called “chronic wasting disease”—colloquially referred to as “zombie deer disease,” a condition related to "mad cow disease" that affects cervids like deer, elk, reindeer, and moose—has been detected in 32 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, South Korea, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

Lethal deer disease could spill over to humans, research group warns as it launches an international effort to prepare

Low poly human brain dissolving, symbolizing mental disorder, Alzheimer’s disease and mental health concepts. ( 3d render )

COVID survivors may be at a greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease–like symptoms, researchers warn. What you need to know to protect your health

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to tell COVID, RSV, flu, and cold apart without testing—even by cough, experts tell Fortune.

That nagging cough you have might not be COVID. Here’s how to determine if it’s the JN.1 variant, RSV, the flu, or a cold instead

Some say that COVID headaches are no different than your run-of-the-mill headache. Others describe it as more of a tension or migraine-type headache.

Have a COVID headache? What you can expect, how to treat it, and when it might go away

Longer life spans comes with an added challenge, Manulife CEO Roy Gori said in Davos on Thursday at the World Economic Summit: expanding health spans in tandem.

People are living longer lives—but not healthier ones. Here are 4 reasons why, according to this CEO at Davos

Stella Kyriakides, European Union commissioner for health and food safety, speaks at the session “Facing a World Without Antibiotics” at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Antimicrobial resistance currently causes over 1 million deaths each year and contributes to 5 millions, experts say. By 2050, it could cause as many as 10 million deaths annually.

Failure of some prescription drugs could kill 10 million annually by 2050, Davos leaders warn, calling the issue a ‘silent pandemic’

The World Economic Forum's run-of-the-mill pandemic preparation session was blown out of proportion late this week, leading to the phrase “Disease X” trending on both Twitter and Google at times.

‘Disease X’ could cause the next pandemic, according to the WHO—or Ebola, SARS, or Nipah. 9 pathogens researchers are keeping a watchful eye on

World Health Organization's technical lead on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove speaks on during a press conference on the World Health Organization's 75th anniversary in Geneva, on April 6, 2023.

COVID levels are up to 19 times higher than reported, WHO says as it warns of the potential dangers of repeat reinfection: ‘We don’t know everything about this virus’

A Muslim woman is walking past a mural painting of a face wearing masks amid a sudden surge of the JN.1 coronavirus in Mumbai, India, on Jan. 11. The variant is dominant globally, and its descendants appear poised to take off.

Highly mutated COVID variant ‘Pirola’ JN.1 is spawning. Its descendants are climbing the charts, as the global death toll mounts

While families will shrink horizontally in the future, they’re expected to grow vertically thanks to longer life expectancies. Older grandparents and great-grandparents, however, might be “too old and frail” to provide caregiving support to grandchildren, according to a recently published journal article.

Grandparents and even great-grandparents are projected to live longer by the end of the century. But don’t expect them to help with childcare

A diet rich in vegetables, legumes, and nuts—and low in dairy and meat—may help keep COVID at bay, according to a Brazilian study published this month in the British Medical Journal.

Looking to avoid COVID infection? Your diet could help, according to a new study