Flu News and Research

RSS

Asthma sufferers could be at greater risk if Trump cuts health program

Esther Bejarano's son was 11 months old when asthma landed him inhh the hospital. She didn't know what had triggered his symptoms — neither she nor her husband had asthma — but she suspected it was the pesticides sprayed on the agricultural fields near her family's home.

6 Jun 2025

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk

The stability of H5N1 in unpasteurized milk poses potential health risks. Study findings emphasize the need for awareness among consumers and dairy workers.

4 Jun 2025

Individual immune variation shapes the evolution of influenza strains

A new study has shown that person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population.

3 Jun 2025

Study: New mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

3 Jun 2025

American doctors are moving to Canada to escape the Trump administration

Earlier this year, as President Donald Trump was beginning to reshape the American government, Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and got out.

30 May 2025

Tree cover helps keep dengue-carrying mosquitoes at bay

Protecting trees might not seem like a public health strategy, but new research suggests it could be-especially in the tropics.

28 May 2025

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

Researchers identified a novel genotype (D1.1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 spreading among wild birds, poultry, and a human in British Columbia, Canada, during fall 2024. Genomic analysis reveals the virus arose from reassortment between Eurasian and North American strains, with implications for surveillance and control.

27 May 2025

Experts explain how H5 avian influenza adapts to infect more animals

The Gs/Gd lineage of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses—including H5N1—has rapidly evolved, spreading globally and infecting a growing range of birds, mammals, and occasionally humans. This review highlights the expanding risks, the challenges of cross-species transmission, and urgent needs for surveillance, vaccination, and a unified One Health response.

25 May 2025

UK surveillance identifies traces of West Nile virus in mosquitoes

Fragments of West Nile Virus have been identified in mosquitoes collected in the UK for the first time, according to a UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitoring programme designed to understand the emergence and transmission of vector-borne disease in the UK.

23 May 2025

Trump’s team cited safety in limiting covid shots. patients, health advocates see more risk.

Larry Saltzman has blood cancer. He's also a retired doctor, so he knows getting covid-19 could be dangerous for him — his underlying illness puts him at high risk of serious complications and death.

23 May 2025

New discovery may help explain why some people infected with CHIKV develop severe joint pain

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has been identified in more than 110 countries around the world. The virus typically causes flu-like symptoms, but it can also trigger chronic, severe joint pain in some people.

20 May 2025

How the Trump administration aims to slash health care spending

Health care has proved a vulnerable target for the firehose of cuts and policy changes President Donald Trump ordered in the name of reducing waste and improving efficiency.

20 May 2025

What makes H5N1 a pandemic risk and how can we stop it?

A new PEARLS article in PLoS Pathogens reviews the rapid evolution and pandemic potential of emerging influenza A viruses, with a focus on H5N1. It highlights scientific advances and future strategies to outpace the virus, from next-generation vaccines to AI-driven antiviral discovery.

19 May 2025

Measles cases surge in the United States amid falling vaccination rates

The United States is in the midst of the second-highest year of measles cases since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated in this country, meaning that cases within the United States originated outside the country.

16 May 2025

New genetic database sheds light on Brazil’s ancestry and disease risks

Since the human genome was first sequenced in 2003, the world's scientific community has been racing to decipher this "book" written in an alphabet of four letters.

15 May 2025

Readers scrutinize federal cuts and medical debt

The recent KFF Health News article "Beyond Ivy League, RFK Jr.'s NIH Slashed Science Funding Across States That Backed Trump" (April 17) struck a nerve.

13 May 2025

CAR-T cell therapy linked to brain fog in cancer patients

After treatment with CAR-T cells - immune cells engineered to attack cancer - patients sometimes tell their doctors they feel like they have "brain fog," or forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.

12 May 2025

WHO Results Report 2024 shows progress on global health goals amid financial uncertainties

The World Health Organization (WHO) Results Report 2024, shows progress on global health goals, even in times of growing financial uncertainties.

12 May 2025

Failure to adopt covid suppression strategy led to avoidable deaths in the UK

Early in the covid-19 pandemic, the failure of UK government advisers to follow World Health Organization (WHO) advice and emerging evidence from East Asia that suppression could bring the virus under control quickly led to avoidable UK deaths, argues an expert in The BMJ today.

12 May 2025

Virtual nurse shows promise in promoting vaccinations

Can a virtual nurse persuade people to get vaccinated? Scientists from SWPS University have proven that it is possible. Finding new forms of informing people about vaccinations is particularly important for public health while some question their validity.

10 May 2025