The Check-Up: Today’s Top Health Headlines

• A new study found kids who have autistic siblings have an increased risk of being diagnosed with the disorder than experts previously thought. A survey of 600 three-year-olds with older siblings diagnosed with autism found that about 20 percent—almost one in five—had an autism-spectrum disorder, too. Previous data suggested a much lower rate—between just 3 and 14 percent.

• A bat somehow made it on to an August 5th flight from Madison, WI, to Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting. The agency is working to contact the 50 passengers onboard to make sure no one was infected with rabies. So far they’ve reached all but 15; none have needed treatment.

• Trying to quit smoking? Add this to your list of reasons to stop: Two new studies from researchers at Penn State found that people who smoke within the first half hour of waking up are 79 percent more likely to get lung cancer than those who wait an hour.

• This headline says it all: “Meet the boy with the backward leg.” A must read.