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For years, rising autism diagnoses have fueled claims that the disorder is becoming increasingly common. But a major study of more than 62,000 children has found that the underlying rate of autism may have remained remarkably stable all along, even as diagnoses have risen dramatically. (Gray, 10/8)

Unpasteurized milk and milk products are the source of preventable, life-threatening infections in both healthy people and those with compromised immune systems, warns the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in an updated policy statement published this week in Pediatrics. Unpasteurized dairy poses particular dangers to children, pregnant women, and those who are breastfeeding, continues the statement. The statement also highlights H5N1 avian flu as an emerging concern. (Bergeson, 10/7)

Veterans who received psychiatric therapy using the substance ibogaine to treat PTSD and other mental health conditions have detailed positive results one year after their treatment, according to a new study. The majority of those who went into remission from their conditions after treatment sustained this remission 12 months on, according to a Stanford Medicine study released Tuesday of 30 special forces veterans suffering with mental health conditions connected to traumatic brain injuries (TBI). (Plummer, 10/8)

There’s no feeling in the world like cuddling up at night with your pooch, even when we think they’re messing up our sleep by hogging space, stealing covers and yapping at random sounds. A surprising new study found that people who sleep near their dogs don’t experience disrupted sleep. If anything, the University of Toronto researchers discovered, we humans are the ones disturbing our dogs’ sleep. (Vivinetto, 10/7)

Cats live in nearly 80 million American households, but a new study suggests nearly one out of fifteen cats are infected with a common parasite, and one out of five infected cats can transmit it to humans. In the study, published in PLoS One, researchers tested over 150,000 samples from cats in 49 states and five Canadian provinces for Giardia duodenalis, a gastrointestinal parasite found in the United States that can cause frequent diarrhea in both animals and humans. (Chang, 10/7)