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.

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Influenza Infection in Animals

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Disrupted body clocks raise risk of early death, study finds

A large cohort study from China and the U.S. shows that Circadian Syndrome (CircS)—a cluster of metabolic and behavioral disruptions—is linked to higher all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The risk increases with the number of CircS components, especially among adults aged 40–60.

29 Apr 2025

Measles makes a deadly comeback in Europe as vaccine gaps widen

In 2024, measles cases in Europe soared to the highest levels in decades, with over 35,000 reported cases, 87% from Romania alone. Most affected were unvaccinated children, revealing critical immunity gaps and suboptimal vaccination coverage across the EU/EEA.

29 Apr 2025

Global Virus Network urges action to prevent H5N1 pandemic

Today, the Global Virus Network (GVN), representing eminent human and animal virologists from 80+ Centers of Excellence and Affiliates in 40+ countries, published a comprehensive analysis and call-to-action in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas on the North American avian influenza virus, or H5N1, outbreak. The GVN calls on world governments to address the threat of H5N1 avian influenza by enhancing surveillance, implementing biosecurity measures, and preparing for potential human-to-human transmission.

29 Apr 2025

Influenza virus hijacks human gene regulator to evade immune system

The influenza virus manipulates the body's gene regulation system to accelerate its own spread, according to researchers at the University of Gothenburg.

28 Apr 2025

MD Anderson researchers present promising clinical trial results at AACR 2025

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present promising results from clinical trials in three minisymposia abstracts at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025.

26 Apr 2025

Rare lung cell found to protect against COVID-19 death

A rare cell type in the lungs is essential to survival from the COVID-19 virus, a new study shows.

25 Apr 2025

Patients with asthma reminded of the increased risk of severe asthma attacks from overusing blue inhalers

This reminder follows updates to product information and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance for short-acting beta 2 agonists (SABAs), including salbutamol and terbutaline, which are used to relieve sudden asthma symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, coughing and breathlessness.

25 Apr 2025

Manipulating a master regulator prevents tumor growth in mice

A protein identified nearly 40 years ago for its ability to stimulate the production of red blood cells plays a surprising, critical role in dampening the immune system's response to cancer.

24 Apr 2025

H5N1's evolutionary leap could undermine vaccines and heighten human infection risk

From egg prices to pet food recalls – and now, confirmation that another strain of bird flu has infected a large commercial flock of broiler chickens on a Mississippi farm – headlines are capturing escalating concern over H5N1's spread.

24 Apr 2025

New biosensor offers fast detection of H5N1 in farm air

As highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread in the U.S., posing serious threats to dairy and poultry farms, both farmers and public health experts need better ways to monitor for infections, in real time, to mitigate and respond to outbreaks.

24 Apr 2025

Baloxavir marboxil shows promise in reducing household flu spread

One dose of the antiviral baloxavir marboxil lowers the chance of transmitting the influenza virus to family members by about 30%, according to research in the New England Journal of Medicine.

24 Apr 2025

New antibiotic offers hope for more effective Lyme disease treatment

Lyme disease, a disease transmitted when deer ticks feed on infected animals like deer and rodents, and then bite humans, impacts nearly half a million individuals in the U.S. annually.

24 Apr 2025

Research offers new hope in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to public health. When antibiotics don't work, we risk not being able to treat many types of infections and people who would previously have been cured, can die.

23 Apr 2025

New vaccine targets sugar shield to protect against multiple coronaviruses

Sugar coatings aren't only for candies; they also help viruses, like the ones that cause COVID-19, hide from their hosts' immune system.

23 Apr 2025

Clinical AI tool scores highest yet on the United States Medical Licensing Exam

A powerful clinical artificial intelligence tool developed by University at Buffalo biomedical informatics researchers has demonstrated remarkable accuracy on all three parts of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (Step exams), according to a paper published today (April 22) in JAMA Network Open.

22 Apr 2025

AI tool helps GPs spot lung cancer risk months earlier

GPs may soon be able to identify patients with an increased risk of lung cancer up to 4 months earlier than is currently the case.

22 Apr 2025

High-risk adults often do not receive timely flu treatment, study finds

A multi-state study reveals that many high-risk adults diagnosed with influenza (flu) in emergency departments and urgent care centers are not receiving timely antiviral treatment.

22 Apr 2025

Small peptides play big role in halting bacterial translation

Proteins form the structural and functional backbone of the cell, and any perturbation in their synthesis can disrupt normal cellular functions.

18 Apr 2025

Lower temperatures increase the risk of gastroenteritis among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Colder temperatures are linked with increased risk of diarrhea among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, emphasizing the need for climate-sensitive health strategies in refugee settings.

18 Apr 2025

Public ignorance and apathy towards bird flu could hinder preventive efforts

In an editorial in the American Journal of Public Health, a team led by researchers from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) say public ignorance and apathy towards bird flu (highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI) could pose a serious obstacle to containing the virus and preventing a larger-scale public health crisis.

17 Apr 2025