Respiratory Illness News and Research

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Repeatedly exposing children to secondhand smoke is child abuse, argues Adam Goldstein

Purposefully and repeatedly exposing children to secondhand smoke — a known human carcinogen — is child abuse, according to an opinion piece written by Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

11 Mar 2015

Rare respiratory virus could be linked to severe neurological illness in children

A cluster of children from Colorado in the USA have been treated for muscle weakness or paralysis that may be connected to a nationwide outbreak of a usually rare respiratory virus called enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), one of more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses.

31 Jan 2015

Early estimates indicate flu vaccine is providing little protection in US

Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) undertake flu vaccine effectiveness studies. Early estimates for the current season indicate that those people (all ages) who had the flu vaccine were only 23% less likely to have to go to the doctor because of flu (influenza).

16 Jan 2015

Leading microbiologist warns of killer fungi’s increasing threat

A leading microbiologist has warned of the increasing threat that killer fungi poses to humans and the environment.

15 Jan 2015

Mayo Clinic expert explains difference between severe sepsis and septic shock

Sepsis can be a dangerous complication of almost any type of infection, including influenza, pneumonia and food poisoning; urinary tract infections; bloodstream infections from wounds; and abdominal infections.

14 Jan 2015

Roche announces launch of cobas Liat System for on-demand testing in different settings

Roche today announced the launch of the cobas Liat System—a fast, compact , easy to use, molecular diagnostic platform, designed for on-demand testing in physician clinics, pharmacies and hospital lab settings.

16 Dec 2014

A new method for determining onset of elevated influenza activity at community level

Predicting the beginning of influenza outbreaks is notoriously difficult, and can affect prevention and control efforts.

20 Nov 2014

WUSM researchers sequence genome of enterovirus D68 samples from patients

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have sequenced the genome of enterovirus D68 sampled from patients treated at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Nationwide, the virus has spread rapidly in recent months and caused severe respiratory illness in young children, with some patients requiring hospitalization.

30 Oct 2014

Research roundup: Older consumers' spending on health care; hospital leaders' views of reporting quality

In 2011, households with at least one member between ages 50 and 64 spent 8 percent of their total budget on health items, compared with 19 percent for those age 85 or over.

13 Oct 2014

RPS Diagnostics receives CE mark for FebriDx test

RPS Diagnostics, Inc. today announced CE mark of its FebriDx test, clearing the way for sales in the European Union and all countries recognizing the CE mark.

9 Oct 2014

Social status can impact health, happiness even among egalitarian forager-farmers

In western society, where keeping up with the Joneses — or, better yet, surpassing them — is expected and even encouraged, status matters. So important is it that for many people, physical and emotional wellbeing are directly connected to their place in the social hierarchy.

9 Oct 2014

CHLA reports first confirmed case of enterovirus D68 in Los Angeles

In September, Children's Hospital Los Angeles physicians predicted it was a matter of when, and not if, Los Angeles children would become infected with Enterovirus EV-D68, commonly referred to as enterovirus D68. On Oct. 1, that day came. CHLA and public health officials announced that a young patient who had been hospitalized at CHLA with a respiratory illness and later experienced partial limb paralysis had tested positive for enterovirus D68.

7 Oct 2014

3 billion people worldwide at risk of early death due to household air pollution

Household air pollution, caused by the use of plant-based or coal fuel for cooking, heating, and lighting, is putting nearly three billion people worldwide at risk of ill health and early death, according to a new Commission, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

4 Sep 2014

Cepheid releases Xpert Flu/RSV XC for accurate determination of Flu A, Flu B and RSV infection

Cepheid announced today the release of Xpert® Flu/RSV XC, an on-demand molecular test for rapid, accurate and reliable determination of Flu A, Flu B, and differentiation of RSV infection.

2 Sep 2014

Recommendation by physician could halve racial disparity in who gets flu shot

Doctors should make a point of offering a flu vaccine to their patients. A simple reminder could considerably reduce the number of racial and ethnic minorities who currently do not vaccinate themselves against this common contagious respiratory illness.

26 Aug 2014

Expert panel issues key suggestions related to unconventional natural gas drilling operations

Groundwater and air quality testing before, during, and after natural gas drilling - which includes hydraulic fracturing -- should be key components of efforts to ensure the safety of communities near these sites, according to an expert panel convened to weigh in on public health research needs associated with unconventional natural gas drilling operations (UNGDO).

12 Aug 2014

Saudi Arabian researchers detect genetic fragments of MERS-CoV in the air of camel barn

Saudi Arabian researchers have detected genetic fragments of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the air of a barn holding a camel infected with the virus. The work, published this week in mBio-, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, indicates that further studies are needed to see if the disease can be transmitted through the air.

22 Jul 2014

Current recommendations advise prompt antiviral treatment for high-risk patients with influenza

Patients likely to benefit the most from antiviral therapy for influenza were prescribed these drugs infrequently during the 2012-2013 influenza season, while antibiotics may have been overprescribed.

17 Jul 2014

GSK begins shipment of flu vaccines to U.S. for the upcoming 2014-15 season

GSK announced today it has begun shipping FLUARIX QUADRIVALENT (Influenza Vaccine) doses to U.S. healthcare providers. This is the first shipment of GSK’s U.S. flu vaccine supply for the flu season, following licensing and lot-release approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.