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

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

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

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Conflicting advice on covid shots likely to ding already low vaccine rates, experts warn

More than three-quarters of American adults didn't get a covid shot last season, a figure that health care experts warn could rise this year amid new U.S. government recommendations.

14 Nov 2025

Machine learning model boosts success of liver transplants from circulatory death donors

There are more candidates on the waitlist for a liver transplant than there are available organs, yet about half the time a match is found with a donor who dies after cardiac arrest following the removal of life support, the transplant must be canceled.

13 Nov 2025

Age and flu vaccine type influence immune activation

New research comparing four different flu vaccines found that the ability of the vaccines to activate cells of the immune system that help to protect against infection varied greatly depending on the vaccine type and age of the patient.

12 Nov 2025

Artificial intelligence improves diagnosis of invisible airway blockages

Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can spot hard-to-see objects lodged in patients' airways better than expert radiologists.

11 Nov 2025

Tiny airborne plastics may facilitate virus spread

As plastic pollution worsens worldwide, scientists are uncovering a new and unsettling possibility. Tiny airborne fragments of plastic, known as micro- and nanoplastics, may do more than pollute the air we breathe.

11 Nov 2025

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 linked to progression and spread of triple-negative breast cancer

When researchers look for potential cancer therapy targets, they typically go after protein-coding genes that participate in disease progression. Disrupt them and negate whatever role they play in cancer's development or spread.

11 Nov 2025

Prior exposure to cold viruses boosts antibody response against SARS-CoV-2

Prior exposure to coronaviruses that cause ordinary colds can boost the immune system's ability to attack a vulnerable site on the COVID-19-causing coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

11 Nov 2025

Earlier blood transfusion reduces heart complications post-surgery in high-risk patients

An earlier blood transfusion- done when hemoglobin levels were higher - after major general or vascular surgery among people with heart disease was associated with a lower risk of some complications but not the most severe ones, according to a preliminary late-breaking science presentation today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025.

11 Nov 2025

Groundbreaking vaccination approach could transform respiratory disease prevention

A research team from Trinity College Dublin has unveiled a groundbreaking new approach to vaccination that could redefine how we protect against respiratory infections.

10 Nov 2025

New delivery particle could make mRNA vaccines cheaper and more effective

A new delivery particle developed at MIT could make mRNA vaccines more effective and potentially lower the cost per vaccine dose.

7 Nov 2025

Evolving epidemiology of invasive Group A Streptococcus in critical care

Streptococcus pyogenes or invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) is a major clinical concern around the world, since iGAS infections can quickly escalate into life-threatening conditions such as necrotizing fasciitis, septic shock, and pneumonia.

6 Nov 2025

COVID-19 vaccination may have broader health benefits for children with atopic dermatitis

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD), commonly known as eczema, may experience fewer infections and allergic complications if they receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new research being presented at the 2025 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando.

6 Nov 2025

Thunderstorms can trigger sharp increases in asthma-related emergency department visits

A new study finds that thunderstorms can trigger sharp increases in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits, underscoring the importance of storm preparedness for people with asthma. The research is being presented at the 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Orlando.

6 Nov 2025

White House calls this 9/11-era fund ‘wasteful.’ Red and blue states rely on it.

President Donald Trump's push to eliminate a federal disaster preparedness program threatens a fund used by state health systems from Republican-led Texas to the Democratic stronghold of California.

6 Nov 2025

Experimental intranasal vaccine triggers broad immune response against multiple strains of H5N1

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) reported encouraging results from an early phase clinical trial that found an experimental intranasal vaccine triggered a broad immune response against multiple strains of H5N1 "bird flu".

6 Nov 2025

AI and protein language models can accelerate the design of antiviral antibodies

Artificial intelligence (AI) and "protein language" models can speed the design of monoclonal antibodies that prevent or reduce the severity of potentially life-threatening viral infections, according to a multi-institutional study led by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

5 Nov 2025

Machine-preserved kidneys show better function ten years after transplant

A long-term follow-up study from a consortium of six European countries, coordinated by the department of Surgery of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) shows that, even 10 years after transplantation, deceased-donor kidneys performed better when they were preserved on a machine between organ retrieval and transplantation than those that underwent static cold storage before implantation.

5 Nov 2025

Researchers uncover molecular key to prevent brown fat decline with age

As the body ages, brown adipose tissue activity decreases, fewer calories are burned, and this can contribute to obesity and certain chronic cardiovascular diseases that worsen with age.

5 Nov 2025

GLP-1 drugs calm inflammation beyond diabetes and weight loss

This Journal of Clinical Investigation review describes how glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)–based medicines reduce systemic and tissue inflammation through both weight-dependent and weight-independent mechanisms. It details preclinical and clinical evidence linking GLP-1 receptor activation to cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neural, and joint anti-inflammatory effects while outlining uncertainties and future research needs.

4 Nov 2025

Motor protein Myosin II regulates temperature sensitivity of immune cells

Temperature is a key physiological factor that determines the speed of immune reactions. While this may seem obvious, it has remained largely unexplored at the single-cell level-until now.

4 Nov 2025