Influenza

Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Types of Influenza

Influenza is caused by three types of RNA viruses called influenza types A, B and C, which all belong to the family Orthomyxoviridae.

Influenza Immunization

Influenza Epidemiology

Influenza Prognosis

Influenza Symptoms

Influenza Treatments

Influenza Pandemics

Influenza Research

Influenza Infection in Animals

Should I get the Flu Shot?

Latest Influenza News and Research

Study shows potential for universal flu vaccine with broad antibody response

Study discusses the potential of universal influenza vaccines, emphasizing the importance of antibody breadth and Fc receptor (FcR) effector functions in protecting against various influenza strains, including those with pandemic potential.

15 Apr 2024

Antibiotics ineffective for cough treatment in lower respiratory tract infections

Use of antibiotics provided no measurable impact on the severity or duration of coughs even if a bacterial infection was present, finds a large, prospective study of people who sought treatment in U.S. primary or urgent care settings for lower-respiratory tract infections.

15 Apr 2024

Breast milk's secret weapon against RSV revealed in new study

Researchers explored how human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), suggesting that these components in breast milk may prevent or reduce the severity of RSV infections through multiple mechanisms including gut microbiome modulation and direct antiviral actions.

15 Apr 2024

Annual COVID-19 vaccine proves to be a wise investment for personal health and pocketbook

Study finds that receiving an annual COVID-19 vaccine is clinically and economically beneficial for individuals, regardless of insurance status, offering savings by reducing the likelihood of infection and its associated costs.

11 Apr 2024

ChatGPT could be an effective tool to help reduce vaccine hesitancy

New research being presented at this year's ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) suggests that the free-to-use, widely accessible ChatGPT could be an effective tool to help reduce vaccine hesitancy among the general public, as well as providing helpful advice on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in conjunction with sexual health clinics, by improving knowledge and access to care.

10 Apr 2024

Researchers create novel drug that can prevent flu-induced lung injury

Infection with the influenza virus leads to lung injury through inflammation over-activation that causes collateral damage to cells required for breathing.

10 Apr 2024

Human-wildlife interface: Starling movements linked to E. coli carriage

Research unveils how spotless starlings' movements, monitored via GPS, relate to the carriage and potential spread of Escherichia coli (E. coli), emphasizing the significant role of bird movement patterns in transmitting pathogens across different environments.

10 Apr 2024

Avian flu's leap to humans: Understanding risks and prevention strategies

Comprehensive report by the EFSA and ECDC delves into the factors that could prompt an avian influenza virus to evolve and potentially spark a pandemic, emphasizing the One Health approach for effective prevention and risk mitigation strategies.

10 Apr 2024

Gold nanoparticle adorned polymers boost infectious disease testing

By harnessing the power of composite polymer particles adorned with gold nanoparticles, a group of researchers have delivered a more accurate means of testing for infectious diseases.

5 Apr 2024

Study evaluates the feasibility of discontinuing CLL specialist care

A study published today in Blood Advances showed that among patients in Denmark who had slow-growing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with no symptoms and a low risk for ever needing treatment, those who stopped seeing their doctors for specialized follow-up had fewer hospital visits, fewer infections, and similar survival after three years compared to those who continued to undergo specialized follow-up.

4 Apr 2024

Mental illness does not diminish COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness

A large multi-state electronic health record-based study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) VISION Network has found that COVID-19 vaccines are as effective for adults with anxiety or depression or mood disorders as for individuals without these common diagnoses.

3 Apr 2024

Scientists develop trivalent vaccine offering broad protection against coronaviruses

Scientists have been searching for the optimal coronavirus vaccine since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

1 Apr 2024

Researchers identify viable vaccine targets for hepatitis C infections

By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year.

26 Mar 2024

Project PROTECTS launches to track acute respiratory infections across the United States

The City University of New York (CUNY) Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH) and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH), in collaboration with Pfizer, are initiating a critical two-year prospective epidemiologic study in the spring of 2024 to track acute respiratory infections across the United States.

22 Mar 2024

Study finds higher burden of neurologic disease after influenza than COVID-19 hospitalization

People who have an influenza infection are more likely to need medical care for neurologic disorders within the next year than people who have a COVID-19 infection, according to a study published in the March 20, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Mar 2024

Researchers study newborn piglets to better understand the progression of influenza

Although prevention and treatment strategies are available for influenza, they are not sufficient for vulnerable populations such as young children and newborns.

18 Mar 2024

Measles outbreak in Illinois underscores critical need for vaccination

Study reports a measles outbreak among five unvaccinated children in Illinois, highlighting the disease's high transmissibility even among those not in direct contact, underscoring the critical importance of vaccination.

17 Mar 2024

Long COVID manifests as a post-viral syndrome indistinguishable from other respiratory illnesses

Long COVID appears to manifest as a post-viral syndrome indistinguishable from seasonal influenza and other respiratory illnesses, with no evidence of increased moderate-to-severe functional limitations a year after infection, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April).

14 Mar 2024

AI framework can identify and track new and concerning COVID-19 variants

Scientists at The Universities of Manchester and Oxford have developed an AI framework that can identify and track new and concerning COVID-19 variants and could help with other infections in the future.

11 Mar 2024

Why covid patients who could most benefit from paxlovid still aren’t getting it

Evangelical minister Eddie Hyatt believes in the healing power of prayer but "also the medical approach." So on a February evening a week before scheduled prostate surgery, he had his sore throat checked out at an emergency room near his home in Grapevine, Texas.

11 Mar 2024