Vital Signs

Health & Medicine / Infectious Diseases

An unfamiliar pathogen attacks unsuspecting passengers on a jetliner

by Claire Panosian Dunavan

From the July 2003 issue; published online July 1, 2003

The full text of this article is only available to DISCOVER subscribers.

Subscribe to DISCOVER Magazine and get full web access. Digital subscribers get instant access to the current issue.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

Example of where to find your account number

After you log in, you'll remain logged in on this computer for up to three months, or until you click the Log Out button at the top of the page.

Click here for help.

Vital Signs "We Can Take His Heart Out, Remove the Tumor, and Put It Back In"
A patient’s heart tumor is all but inaccessible to  his surgeons. The only way to deal with it:  Remove the heart and operate on it outside the body. May 09, 2012

Vital Signs Boys and Brains and Genes
A hyperactive five-year-old is having trouble fitting in at school. Does he have ADHD, or could his  behavior be a clue to a deeper, genetic problem? April 04, 2012

Vital Signs A Problem of the Heart, Head, or Hands?
A patient with a history of mental illness claims his hands are possessed. Could his delusional behavior indicate a serious medical condition? December 05, 2011

Vital Signs Life-or-Death Drive
A boy is rushed to the ER after falling and  rupturing his kidney. With no pediatric surgeon  on staff, his doctor faces a difficult decision. October 23, 2011

Vital Signs Far From Oakay
A body scan reveals a lemon-size mass in the chest  of a 16-month-old boy. Fearing cancer, surgeons perform a risky operation to save his life. October 05, 2011

Account Number:
Zip Code:

Health & Medicine / Infectious Diseases

Vital Signs