How infections can cause cancer—and what can help

Plus: the kind of music that can act as pain relief  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 13, 2026     We often think of cancer as a result of genetic predispositions, certain lifestyle choices, and bad luck. But another factor that gets less attention also plays a role: pathogens. Viruses and bacteria can sometimes lead to cancer, and a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) explores how many new cancer cases worldwide are caused by infections. My colleague Veronique Greenwood explains which infections are linked to cancer—and what people can do to lower their risk. TODAY’S TOPICS Help! There’s a bat in my house Can music ease your pain? A virus linked to cancer (and more) Bedbugs on a plane         PLEASE ADVISE Here’s a great question we received from a reader: A bat has flown into my house. How can I safely get it out—and how do I know whether anyone in my family needs rabies shots, especially if we were asleep when it appeared? Rapeepong Puttakumwong—Getty Images Your first instinct might be to usher your winged visitor out the window. Not so fast: The bat will likely need to be tested for rabies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people who find a bat in their house to immediately contact animal control or their local health department and not to release it. These professionals can safely capture and test it. Never touch a bat (especially not with bare hands). Knowing whether you were bitten isn’t always straightforward. “Bat teeth are so small that a bite can leave no mark and cause no pain,” says Dr. Shannon Markus, an emergency physician in Austin. If you woke up with a bat in your room or found one with an unattended young child, contact your health department promptly to assess possible exposure. Not everyone in the house necessarily needs shots; the circumstances and the bat’s test results matter. If anyone was bitten or scratched, wash the area with soap and water and get medical help right away. If treatment is recommended, “it’s not the old ‘20 shots in the stomach’ myth,” Markus says. For someone who hasn’t previously been vaccinated, treatment generally involves rabies immune globulin, which provides protective antibodies, and four vaccine doses over two weeks. If the bat tests negative for rabies, you can likely avoid those shots. –Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness Got a health question of your own? Send it our way to healthmatters@time.com, and we might tackle it in a future edition.         SPONSORED Stop Drowning In AI Information Overload Your inbox is flooded with newsletters. Your feed is chaos. Somewhere in that noise are the insights that could transform your work—but who has time to find them? The Deep View solves this. We read everything, analyze what matters, and deliver only the intelligence you need. No duplicate stories, no filler content, no wasted time. Just the essential AI developments that impact your industry, explained clearly and concisely. Replace hours of scattered reading with five focused minutes. While others scramble to keep up, you'll stay ahead of developments that matter. 600,000+ professionals at top companies have already made this switch. Join them today, for free.         TODAY I LEARNED The types of music that can relieve pain Alberto Case—Getty Images Not any old song will do. In a fascinating new study I recently covered for TIME, people were poked by a needle as part of a medical procedure and asked how much pain they felt, while music played in the background. Two types of songs rose above the rest. —Jeffrey Kluger, Editor at Large         SPONSORED 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         QUICK CHAT You’ve probably had this cancer-linked virus Viruses and other pathogens can contribute to developing cancer, even years after you first get infected. A recent study I wrote about for TIME finds that 12% of new cancer cases in 2024 were linked to infections.  I spoke to Lawrence Young, a leading researcher in the study of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which causes mononucleosis—and, in some people, cancer—about the progress scientists have made in learning how this virus works. —V.G. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. A computer illustration of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library—Getty Images Tell me about EBV. Even after we recover from mono—or glandular fever, as it’s called in the U.K.—it stays in the body for life? The virus is very, very clever. 95% of the world's population is infected. This is the most common persistent virus infection in all human communities. It hides in our bodies, in our memory B cells. In most of us, our bodies can more or less control it, although most will have a little bit of virus in our throats throughout our lives because it's being produced there, and virus in our blood. But in some people, it can result in cancer. And the other danger is it can also drive autoimmunity. That's a big interest at the moment, now that the association of EBV with multiple sclerosis has been firmed up, and we know the virus is a driver to that disease. It also appears to be a driver to systemic lupus erythematosus and some cases of Long COVID and ME/CFS, for reasons we don’t yet understand. There are vaccines now being explored? Yes.The vaccine issue is complicated because there are two ways you could use a vaccine. One is, you could boost the immune response in individuals with disease for a therapy for either MS or patients being treated for EBV-associated cancer. And the other side of it is, could you completely prevent EBV infection? But the complication here is EBV is so efficient at infecting us and establishing this latent, long-term, persistent infection that sterilizing immunity to completely prevent infection is going to be challenging.         SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.          WHAT WE’RE READING As if flying weren't stressful enough, bedbugs grounded a Qantas plane in Rome. ABC News Australia explains how the pests end up on airplanes—and what travelers can do to protect themselves.   Institutionalized mental health care is “outdated” and “a human rights issue hiding in plain sight,” write Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for TIME. Jessica Glenza at the Guardian explains how the U.S. health care system will change dramatically on Jan. 1 when work requirements kick in for Medicaid recipients.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe

Why audiobook walking clubs are taking off

Plus: how to start a social group, a crowd-surfing grandma, and more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 12, 2026     Most of the walks I take are solitary, if you don't count my dog. But after reading my colleague Angela Haupt's new story about the rise of audiobook walking clubs, I'm tempted to ditch the leash for a pair of headphones and some new bibliophile friends. Later in this edition, Angela shares some behind-the-scenes reporting that might just inspire you to start this type of social club in your own town. TODAY’S TOPICS Go ahead, ask us How to start an audiobook walking club A crowd-surfing granny         PLEASE ADVISE Ask the health team Have a burning health or wellness question? Wondering how to handle a tricky social situation? Please write to healthmatters@time.com, and we’ll weigh in weekly in the newsletter.         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         QUICK CHAT Go ahead and start your own social club While reporting my new story about audiobook walking clubs, I spoke with Morgan Menzies, who started one in the Washington, D.C., area because she wanted to make friends. When I asked what she'd tell someone nervous about launching a similar group, she said something I immediately wanted to write down: “No one's measuring your metrics.” As someone who can turn even a hobby into a performance review, I found this deeply appealing. —Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Images: DmitriiSimakov, Thinkstock, WhiteTea, Westend61—Getty Images) You told me something I haven't stopped thinking about: “No one's measuring your metrics.” What did you mean? I think sometimes we get so caught up in thinking that if something doesn't reach a certain number, it's not working. But if you're starting something because you enjoy it and want to connect with people, why does it have to be a certain size? No one's measuring your metrics. It's totally fine. What if you organize something and only one person shows up? Who cares? That's one person! You've met someone new, and you get to spend time together doing something you enjoy. And if two people show up the next month, look at that—you've already improved. Do you think we put too much pressure on ourselves to make our hobbies successful? I think it's important to remember that it's a hobby. You're doing something you enjoy. You don't need to get caught up in how many people are participating or whether it's growing. Just start and see where it goes. What would you tell someone who's been sitting on an idea because they're afraid it won't take off? Just do it. It takes effort to build a community, and there are probably other people in your area who want the same thing. If it's something you want, put yourself out there and see what happens.         SPONSORED 1.1M+ readers start each morning with TLDR AI, the free AI newsletter with the newest tools worth a look and research made readable. Subscribe for free         WHAT WE’RE READING For TIME, Neale Mahoney and Abigail Sanchez explain how the looming health care hike will impact insurance costs, wherever you get your coverage. At 99, a grandmother broke the world record for crowd surfing. She tells Alexandra Sims at the Guardian how making videos with her grandson gave her a whole new life. Parents, clinicians, and anyone who cares about LGBTQ+ young people should be paying attention to the new fight to legitimize conversion therapy, writes Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez in a new piece for TIME.         SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.        More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe