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New drug combo outperforms Tamiflu in fighting deadliest flu strains

A surprising new drug combo—including a compound found in chocolate—has outperformed Tamiflu in fighting the flu, according to a study published in PNAS.

4 Aug 2025

New Swiss study probes lingering fatigue after Legionnaires' disease

Researchers in Switzerland launched the LongLEGIO study to compare the long-term health impacts of Legionnaires’ disease and other bacterial pneumonias. Baseline data reveal key differences in comorbidities and quality of life between the groups, with follow-up underway.

4 Aug 2025

Perceived sickness activates real immune responses

Findings indicate the brain's anticipatory response to virtual infections activates immune mechanisms, showcasing the link between neuroscience and immunity.

31 Jul 2025

Dental floss may offer a novel vaccine delivery method

Researchers have demonstrated a novel vaccine delivery method in an animal model, using dental floss to introduce vaccine via the tissue between the teeth and gums.

28 Jul 2025

Fearing Medicaid coverage loss, some parents rush to vaccinate their kids

For two decades, Washington, D.C., pediatrician Lanre Falusi has counseled parents about vaccine safety, side effects, and timing. But this year, she said, the conversations have changed.

28 Jul 2025

Study finds past H1N1 exposure shields animals from deadly H5N1

Preexisting immunity to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus provided near-complete protection against severe H5N1 disease and transmission in ferrets, even after high-dose exposure. In contrast, H3N2 immunity alone offered only partial, inconsistent protection.

28 Jul 2025

Tribal health officials work to fill vaccination gaps as measles outbreak spreads

Cassandra Palmier had been meaning to get her son the second and final dose of the measles vaccine. But car problems made it difficult to get to the doctor.

24 Jul 2025

Scientists make breakthrough in developing Nipah virus vaccine for pigs

Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have taken a major step forward in tackling one of the world's most dangerous viruses, the Nipah virus, by evaluating vaccine candidates for pigs.

23 Jul 2025

Local climate and wildlife factors help predict avian flu outbreaks in Europe

Several local factors - including the minimum temperature reached in autumn, the water level in lakes and ponds in winter, and the presence of mute swans (Cygnus olor) - could be key for predicting the potential of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) occurring in Europe.

17 Jul 2025

Routine vaccines may be the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

A study reveals that rising vaccine coverage in children is linked to reduced antibiotic prescriptions, suggesting a shift in the fight against drug resistance.

16 Jul 2025

TB bacteria can play dead to outlast the immune response, study reveals

A vaccine protects more than 100 million infants each year from severe tuberculosis (TB), including the fatal brain swelling it can cause in babies and toddlers.

15 Jul 2025

Infectious disease outbreaks erode trust in political institutions

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn the attention to the far-reaching social implications of emerging infectious diseases, bringing to mind similarly impactful events like the Black Plague in early modern Europe or the Spanish Flu after World War I.

15 Jul 2025

New AI tool can help doctors read chest X‑rays better and improve health care outcomes

Can artificial intelligence, or AI, potentially transform health care for the better? Now, rising to the challenge, an Arizona State University team of researchers has built a powerful new AI tool, called Ark+, to help doctors read chest X‑rays better and improve health care outcomes.

15 Jul 2025

Genetic secrets of Spanish flu revealed through century-old sample

Researchers from the universities of Basel and Zurich have used a historical specimen from UZH's Medical Collection to decode the genome of the virus responsible for the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Switzerland.

14 Jul 2025

Early antibiotic exposure weakens infant immune development

A new study led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) found that early-life exposure to antibiotics can impair an infant's developing immune system, and that a naturally occurring metabolite may hold the key to reversing that damage.

14 Jul 2025

Many Americans turn to AI for health answers despite accuracy warnings

Traditionally, individuals asked health questions of their primary health care provider. Confidence in that provider as a source of trustworthy health information has been consistently high in recent years and was at 90% in April, according to survey data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

14 Jul 2025

Scientists identify key role of T-bet in flu memory B cells

At the surface, the immune response to a flu virus is simple. Some cells recognize the pathogen and send a signal to the immune system, and immune cells produce a potentially lifesaving antibody against the virus. Antigen in, antibody out.

11 Jul 2025

Powerful new AI tool help doctors read chest X‑rays better

Can artificial intelligence, or AI, potentially transform health care for the better?

11 Jul 2025

Does soup really work when you’re down with cold or flu?

A systematic review found that chicken-based and vegetable-enriched soups may modestly reduce the severity and duration of acute respiratory tract infections. However, stronger evidence is needed before soup can be recommended as a clinical treatment.

10 Jul 2025

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics and Therapeutics

In this interview, Professor James J. Collins, founder of the field of Synthetic Biology, discusses his journey to founding the field of synthetic biology and the potential of living diagnostics.

From Pittcon 7 Jul 2025