Respiratory Illness News and Research

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California landscapes linked to differing rates of Valley fever

Researchers from University of California San Diego and University of California, Berkeley have found that certain landscapes surrounding California communities are associated with differing rates of Valley fever, a fungal respiratory infection caused by inhaling spores carried in windblown dust.

24 Aug 2026

Superstorm Sandy reshaped indoor fungal communities, with an unexpected asthma result

and lower fungal diversity than non-damaged homes. Despite these persistent but variable fungal changes, researchers found no statistically significant increase in asthma morbidity, impaired lung function, or airway inflammation among children with relatively mild asthma.

13 Aug 2026

Automated oxygen delivery system improves precision for hospitalized patients

A University of Colorado Anschutz-led clinical trial has found an automated oxygen delivery system helped hospitalized patients spend significantly more time in their target oxygen range compared with standard care, while also reducing exposure to both low and high oxygen levels.

3 Aug 2026

Fractional COVID booster doses provide strong long-lasting immunity

Smaller doses of COVID-19 booster vaccines can provide long-lasting immunity, helping to reduce costs and improve access to vaccination, according to new research. And the findings could also inform vaccine dosing and options during future pandemics.

16 Jul 2026

Maternal RSV vaccine shows 68% protection against infant RSV hospitalization

In a test-negative case-control study of 274 hospitalized infants aged 90 days or younger, maternal RSVpreF vaccination was associated with 67.6% effectiveness against RSV-associated acute respiratory illness hospitalization. Protection was similar against RSV-linked lower respiratory tract disease, with the highest point estimate in the first month of life, although confidence intervals were wide.

16 Jun 2026

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

Maternal vaccination provides protection against RSV-associated hospitalization in early infancy

A study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC published today in JAMA Network Open, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Medical Association, found that vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during pregnancy reduced the risk of hospitalization in young infants by nearly 70%.

5 Jun 2026

WHO urges global governments to protect youth from nicotine addiction

Worldwide, at least 40 million children aged 13–15 use tobacco products, and young people's use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches continues to rise. In advance of World No Tobacco Day – 31 May – the World Health Organization (WHO) urges governments around the world to protect a new generation from becoming addicted to tobacco and nicotine products.

30 May 2026

Hantavirus scare on cruise ship prompts WHO response

Hantavirus infections among cruise ship passengers have sparked a global health response, highlighting the need for effective outbreak management strategies.

7 May 2026

Extreme weather and airborne dust linked to rising Valley fever cases in El Paso

A new study by researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso has identified a significant rise in Valley fever cases in El Paso over the past decade and found strong connections between the disease and extreme weather, wind and airborne dust.

29 Apr 2026

Targeting two influenza proteins may reduce viral transmission

A long-running debate in vaccine design revolves around whether a vaccine should be optimized to prevent the virus from replicating inside an infected host or prevent the virus from transmitting to others.

13 Mar 2026

Airborne toxin exposure drives unique biological pattern of chronic rhinosinusitis

Researchers at the University of California San Diego and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System have identified a distinct biological pattern of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a chronic respiratory illness frequently associated with exposure to airborne toxins, such as wildfire smoke and military burn pits.

11 Feb 2026

Influenza D virus and canine coronavirus pose human risks

Two emerging pathogens with animal origins - influenza D virus and canine coronavirus - have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans.

5 Feb 2026

Clinical trial launched to test experimental intranasal spray against respiratory viruses

Last year, at least one million people in the U.S. were hospitalized for respiratory virus illnesses like the flu or COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2 Feb 2026

Overlooked animal viruses slipping past global disease surveillance

The study on Influenza D and Canine Coronavirus HuPn-2018 underscores urgent needs for targeted surveillance and diagnostics in infectious disease research.

2 Feb 2026

Emerging animal viruses may pose overlooked threats to future human outbreaks

29 Jan 2026

Survey shows growing public familiarity with RSV vaccines and antibody injections

Amid a surprisingly severe flu season and a Covid-19 resurgence, those highly contagious respiratory illnesses are drawing the largest share of media coverage and public attention.

21 Jan 2026

Vaccines are helping older people more than we knew

Let's be clear: The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide at least 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences.

14 Jan 2026

Bat-borne virus linked to unexplained illnesses in Bangladesh

Infectious disease researchers have identified Pteropine orthoreoviruses (PRVs), a group of newly emergent bat-borne viruses, as the culprit for previously unexplained illness in five Bangladeshi patients, one of whom eventually died with unexplained illness.

5 Jan 2026

Poor housing conditions harm children’s school attendance and grades

Children living in substandard housing in England miss 15 more school days and achieve worse test scores in English and maths than their peers living in better quality housing, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

16 Dec 2025