Cold, Flu & Cough

What is the Common Cold?

The common cold, also known as rhinopharyngitis, is a type of respiratory tract infection caused by a virus.

Influenza Infection in Animals

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Does the 'Stomach Flu' Vaccine Prevent Type I Diabetes?

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

New report provides the most detailed picture of preventable child deaths worldwide

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today.

18 Mar 2026

Blocking a single protein could make hidden HPV-positive tumors vulnerable to treatment

A team of scientists at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences have uncovered a mechanism that allows certain head and neck cancers to hide from the immune system, a discovery that could change how some of the most treatment resistant tumors are approached.

18 Mar 2026

Gut-derived blood markers may help predict who develops coronary heart disease

Researchers used five prospective cohorts from the US and China to identify circulating gut microbiota-related metabolites linked to future coronary heart disease, then tested the findings through discovery, in silico validation, and targeted quantitative validation. The study ultimately highlighted nine metabolites associated with incident CHD, supporting a potential role for microbial metabolism in heart disease risk while not proving causation

18 Mar 2026

New breath test could quickly diagnose bacterial infections

Infectious diseases are a major cause of death worldwide, and diagnosing bacterial infections remains a challenge in medicine.

18 Mar 2026

Protein targeted by cancer drugs may help the body fight influenza

A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX).

18 Mar 2026

New nanoparticle therapy overcomes T cell exhaustion in solid tumors

Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new type of lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that could one day serve as a universal immunotherapy for cancers that form solid tumors, including common variants such as cancers of the breast, liver and colon.

18 Mar 2026

Evidence shows ACA’S mandated benefits alone don’t drive up costs. The debate continues.

In January, when President Donald Trump unveiled his one-page outline to address health care spending, dubbed "The Great Healthcare Plan," he specifically mentioned the Affordable Care Act's role in driving up costs.

18 Mar 2026

One-dose oral treatment may be the simplest weapon against sleeping sickness

Sleeping sickness has been killing people across Africa for generations. A disease with no vaccine, spread by the bite of a tsetse fly, it was once treated with injections of an arsenic derivative, a cure that could be as dangerous as the illness itself.

17 Mar 2026

New risk models improve food safety guidelines for pregnant individuals

Listeria is the third-leading cause of death among bacterial foodborne pathogens in the U.S. and pregnant individuals bear a disproportionate share of that burden.

17 Mar 2026

Swedish study reveals COVID-19 may increase glandular fever risk

Even individuals who did not become seriously ill with COVID-19 may have developed a weakened immune system that could lead to serious illnesses in the future.

17 Mar 2026

Protein MIIP suppresses colorectal cancer by regulating immune cell signaling

Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, largely due to metastasis and limited responses to immunotherapy in most patients.

16 Mar 2026

Precision mapping identifies household hotspots of schistosomiasis

High-precision mapping tools can pinpoint where schistosomiasis persists down to the household level, potentially transforming efforts to eliminate the disease affecting 250 million people, a 13-year study has found.

16 Mar 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

New aeroponic technology delivers essential Vitamin B12 through salad crops

A pioneering research-industry partnership has used advances in indoor farming technology to grow pea shoots fortified with Vitamin B12, opening an exciting route to market for farmers and addressing a major public health need.

13 Mar 2026

Prior flu exposure may weaken the immune response to other strains

Prior exposure to one strain of influenza virus may weaken children's ability to mount an effective antibody response against their subsequent exposure to a different flu strain, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

11 Mar 2026

Severe COVID and flu infections increase risk of lung cancer

Severe COVID-19 and influenza infections prime the lungs for cancer and can accelerate the disease's development, but vaccination heads off those harmful effects, new research from UVA Health's Beirne B. Carter Center for Immunology Research and UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates.

11 Mar 2026

Disrupting protein production in tumors triggers potent immune responses

A new study led by Pierre Close's team (GIGA, Laboratory of Cancer Signaling, and WELRI Investigator) reveals how subtly disrupting the way tumors produce their proteins can trigger a potent antitumor immune response.

11 Mar 2026

DNA origami vaccine platform shows promise against multiple infectious viruses

The COVID-19 pandemic brought messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to the forefront of global health care. After their clinical trial stages, the first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine was administered on 8 December 2020 and mathematical models suggest that mRNA vaccines prevented at least 14.4 million deaths from COVID-19 in the first year alone.

11 Mar 2026

Training game helps nurses spot fungal infections in breastfeeding

This educational game simulates breastfeeding complications, equipping nurses with skills to detect and manage fungal infections in the nipple-areola area.

11 Mar 2026

The winter dare that leaves kids’ tongues stuck to metal

Insights from historical reports on tundra tongue incidents reveal risks to children and emphasize the need for education and effective first-aid strategies.

10 Mar 2026