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.

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

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Influenza Infection in Animals

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Vaccination protects the immune system from long-term infection damage

Vaccination not only prevents disease caused by acute infection but also protects against long-term immune-related sequelae that can follow an acute viral infection.

8 Oct 2026

Why is dengue spreading while malaria has declined?

Rising temperatures are reshaping malaria and dengue dynamics, revealing contrasting trends driven by urbanization, disease control, and socioeconomic factors.

8 Oct 2026

Low uptake limits benefits of maternal RSV vaccination

Vaccination against a common respiratory virus during pregnancy lowers the risk of severe disease in babies by 74 per cent, but uptake in many countries remains low, a new review suggests.

8 Oct 2026

REUP technique expands access to pediatric heart transplants

A groundbreaking donor heart recovery technique developed at Vanderbilt Health has been successfully adapted for children by pediatric heart transplant surgeons at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, potentially expanding access to lifesaving heart transplants for children.

7 Oct 2026

Psychopathic traits linked to distinct patterns in everyday language

Popular culture often depicts people with psychopathy as cold, emotionless and hollow, but a recent University of Mississippi study found that the language associated with psychopathic traits is more complicated than often described.

6 Oct 2026

Political views and science trust shape American vaccine perceptions

Vaccine perceptions can influence acceptance and uptake. Dr. Dror Walter, with the Department of Communication at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and colleagues examined these perceptions using data from a national probability sample of 1,763 US adults surveyed in November 2024.

6 Oct 2026

Updated AAP guidance warns raw dairy poses severe health risks

Unpasteurized milk, cheese and other "raw" dairy products are unsafe to drink or eat, especially for young children and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

5 Oct 2026

Walking remains highly beneficial for COPD patients in polluted environments

Regular walking reduces symptom flare ups for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, even if they live in an area with poor air quality, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research.

5 Oct 2026

Study urges parents to take sibling aggression more seriously

Sibling aggression takes many forms, like hitting, shoving, threatening or calling names. Although sibling aggression is widespread and can shape people for years, it hasn't been studied well by psychological researchers.

5 Oct 2026

Mitochondrial protein SLC25A34 links body clock, cold and diet to brown fat metabolism

Brown fat burns fuel to make heat, and this activity is controlled by the body clock: dropping during sleep and rising before waking. But a cold morning or a skipped meal makes demands the clock never planned for.

1 Oct 2026

MSU researchers seek to better understand a viral mechanism shared between influenza and HIV

When you get your yearly flu shot, you're helping your body stay one step ahead of the rapidly mutating influenza virus. But what if there was a way to achieve stronger, multi-year protection from a single jab?

30 Sep 2026

Declining benzodiazepine use reflects more cautious medical prescribing practices

The number of benzodiazepine prescriptions like Xanax and Valium dispensed in the United States decreased over the past 10 years, potentially suggesting that doctors have become more cautious when prescribing these sedatives, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

30 Sep 2026

Pneumococcal disease may signal undiagnosed blood cancer

Severe pneumococcal disease requiring hospitalization, most commonly pneumonia, can be a sign of previously undiagnosed blood cancer and immunodeficiency in adult patients, according to a study from the University of Gothenburg.

30 Sep 2026

Annenberg poll reveals confusion over RFK Jr. vaccine recommendations

The number of measles cases in the United States is at the highest level in decades, attributed to a decrease in vaccination against measles.

29 Sep 2026

From espresso to filter coffee, brewing may shape what reaches your gut

A focused narrative review traces how caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and coffee fibers move through the gut and interact with microbes. The authors identify plausible links between the microbiome and liver health, but human studies have not shown that microbiome changes cause coffee’s reported metabolic benefits.

28 Sep 2026

Intentional substance exposures at school rise sharply among younger children

A new study found that rates of intentional substance exposures at school reported to U.S. poison centers increased substantially among elementary- and middle-school-aged children from 2000 through 2024, while high-school-aged adolescents continued to experience the highest rates of serious medical outcomes and hospital admissions.

28 Sep 2026

MIT engineers use artificial intelligence to create heat-resistant RNA vaccines

MIT engineers have found a way to stabilize the lipid nanoparticles used to deliver RNA vaccines, which could allow the vaccines to be more widely distributed.

28 Sep 2026

New project aims to make cellular therapies more accessible through room temperature storage

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, has executed an award of up to $36.5 million in support of a University of California, Davis-led project aiming to make cellular therapies cheaper and more accessible through room temperature storage.

25 Sep 2026

Specialized immune cells bridge the nervous and immune systems

A collaborative team led by Professor Jie Zhou at Tianjin Medical University School of Basic Medicine and Professor Qiang Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital published a comprehensive review in Volume 2 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on September 8, 2026.

25 Sep 2026

Neuromedin U drives immune suppression in aggressive prostate cancer

A new study from The Wistar Institute has found a link between the nervous system and the rapid development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an aggressive form of the disease.

24 Sep 2026