Throat News and Research

RSS

Australia’s diphtheria outbreak shows why boosters, antibiotics, and better housing all matter

A 131-case diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory showed how toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae can re-emerge even in highly vaccinated populations. Genomic and epidemiological evidence linked most cases to a dominant ST381 strain, with transmission shaped by overcrowding, poor skin health, and persistent health inequities.

15 Jun 2026

NHS pathology staff face unsafe formaldehyde exposure levels

Routine exposure to harmful levels of the human tissue preservative formaldehyde are risking the health of thousands of NHS staff working in pathology departments across the UK, due to poor monitoring and control, finds an analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

9 Jun 2026

Researchers discover a biological barrier that limits mucosal vaccine immunity

A consistent biological barrier that stops the immune system from making the antibodies most needed to protect the nose and throat from respiratory viruses has been identified.

4 Jun 2026

Simple probiotic may treat acid reflux and prevent cancer

Patients with acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid pushes up into the esophagus, know the symptoms all too well: heartburn, belching, chest pain and trouble swallowing.

3 Jun 2026

Giving antibiotics for throat infections overrates their power against sepsis

Antibiotics for sore throats have hardly any preventive effect against serious streptococcal infections in the population, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg.

3 Jun 2026

AI chatbots answer health questions with moderate overall accuracy

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots respond to everyday health-related questions from general users with nearly 76% accuracy, which raises concerns about their trustworthiness in real-world client-facing applications, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

28 May 2026

Specialized care helps child thrive despite chronic swallowing disorder

Today, 11-year-old Logan Fitzpatrick of Malverne, New York, spends his time playing baseball, practicing tae kwon do, painting, and cheering on the Mets and the Islanders.

22 May 2026

Once-nightly oral pill helps control obstructive sleep apnea

A once-nightly oral pill helped control obstructive sleep apnea in a large, phase 3 clinical trial presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference.

18 May 2026

Medical imaging could improve precision diagnosis of aggressive head and neck tumors

Medical imaging routinely used in cancer care may hold far more biological information than previously thought.

13 May 2026

Targeted RAS inhibitor shows promise against pancreatic cancer mutations

The targeted RAS inhibitor therapy daraxonrasib demonstrated the potential to improve patient outcomes over current standard treatments for patients with RAS-mutant pancreatic cancer, according to results of a Phase 1/2 trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

7 May 2026

New clinical guidelines significantly reduce opioid prescriptions after ear surgery

A new retrospective study published in OTO Open, the open-access journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), demonstrates that the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) Opioid Prescribing for Analgesia After Common Otolaryngology Operations has had a measurable and sustained impact on prescribing practices following parotidectomy, which a surgical procedure to remove the parotid gland.

28 Apr 2026

Bioengineered chewing gum reduces cancer-linked oral microbes

Researchers led by Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine have shown that extracts from bioengineered chewing gum reduce the levels of three microbes known to be associated with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), paving the way for more effective and affordable therapies.

23 Apr 2026

Sleep apnea more common in former football players than previously recognized

New research led by investigators at Vanderbilt Health and the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University suggests that sleep apnea may be far more common - and more clinically significant - among former professional football players than previously recognized.

22 Apr 2026

Injectable immunotherapy shrinks precancerous oral lesions in clinical trial

Injecting nivolumab (Opdivo) directly into precancerous oral lesions led to reduction in lesion size and allowed some patients to avoid surgery, according to research from a phase I clinical trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026

Simple oral care cuts hospital-acquired pneumonia risk

A landmark trial presented today at ESCMID Global 2026 shows that improving oral hygiene for hospital patients can reduce the risk of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) by 60%.

20 Apr 2026

Hidden viral reservoirs in tonsils may explain school-year respiratory outbreaks

A study conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil reveals that tissues such as the tonsils and adenoids can serve as hiding places for the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold and is responsible for most respiratory infections worldwide.

17 Apr 2026

Scientists discover how the immune system signals the brain to avoid germs

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival

16 Apr 2026

Eardrum perforations and cholesteatoma linked to higher odds of dementia

A new study published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the official peer-reviewed publication of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), finds that two common and treatable causes of conductive hearing loss-eardrum perforations and cholesteatoma, a type of abnormal skin growth in the middle ear-are associated with higher odds of dementia.

13 Apr 2026

Flu vaccines protect children well across Europe, but H3N2 remains harder to stop

Influenza vaccination provided strong real-world protection for children in European primary care across two seasons, with overall vaccine effectiveness of 68% in 2022–2023 and 71% in 2023–2024. Protection was highest against influenza B and H1N1, while H3N2 showed lower and more variable effectiveness, supporting the need for higher uptake and continued monitoring.

8 Apr 2026

Blood-based test could personalize treatment for patients with HPV-associated throat cancer

Researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) are advancing the understanding of a promising blood test that could personalize treatment and surveillance for patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated throat cancer.

2 Apr 2026