Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

The battle against killer superbugs begins in earnest

A new initiative in the battle against hospital infections caused by antibiotic-resistant superbugs will be led by the very doctor who first raised the alarm bells over the deadly germs.

7 Aug 2007

Indonesia reluctant when it comes to sharing bird flu samples

Indonesia, the country with the highest number of human deaths from the bird flu, remains reluctant to share samples of live bird flu virus for research.

7 Aug 2007

U.S. stocks up again on bird flu vaccine

The Department of Health and Human Services in the United States has ordered more doses of the avian flu vaccine from the international pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

7 Aug 2007

Foot and mouth outbreak in the UK calls into question the safety of labs researching dangerous diseases

A second herd of cattle on another farm in England has been culled because of foot and mouth disease.

7 Aug 2007

Omega-3 fatty acids for a health heart

While a heart-healthy diet has become synonymous with plenty of fruits and vegetables and little fat and cholesterol, there's more to the story. Omega-3 fatty acids should be part of a heart-healthy diet, too, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

7 Aug 2007

Overview of common hand conditions and treatments

When a wrist hurts, it could be carpal tunnel syndrome -- or something else. Over time, many conditions can affect crucial parts of the hands, causing everything from pain to the loss of normal function.

7 Aug 2007

FDA approves maraviroc, an antiretroviral drug for use in adult HIV patients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved maraviroc, an antiretroviral drug for use in adult HIV patients. Maraviroc, sold under the trade name Selzentry, is the first in a new class of drugs designed to slow the advancement of HIV and received priority review by the FDA.

7 Aug 2007

GlaxoSmithKline receives bulk H5N1 antigen order for the US national stockpile

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that HHS has placed another order to purchase bulk H5N1 antigen for the US national stockpile of pre-pandemic vaccines.

6 Aug 2007

Bird flu put 51 in quarantine in Manipur

India's health ministry says 51 people in Manipur have been quarantined following an outbreak of the H5N1 strain of influenza in chickens last month in the northeastern Indian state.

6 Aug 2007

Zinc lozenges are not effective in treating colds

Despite 20 years of research, the benefits of zinc lozenges as a therapy for the common cold have not been proven.

3 Aug 2007

Medical residents score poorly in diagnosing and managing tuberculosis

When quizzed about their knowledge in diagnosing tuberculosis and deciding on the best treatment, medical residents in Baltimore and Philadelphia get almost half the answers wrong, according to a survey by TB disease experts at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.

3 Aug 2007

CT-guided radiofrequency ablation effective in eradicating small malignant kidney tumors

A relatively new, minimally invasive treatment was 100 percent successful in eradicating small malignant kidney tumors in a study of more than 100 patients, report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

3 Aug 2007

Vaccines approved by the FDA are at least a million times safer than the viruses that they prevent

For more than 200 years, vaccines have played an important role in the prevention of infectious diseases.

2 Aug 2007

Decline in adult smokers in Washington State

A new survey by the Washington State Department of Health shows the number of adult smokers in the state is continuing to drop.

2 Aug 2007

TB back in the news again in the U.S.

After years of hearing very little news on tuberculosis (TB), these days it seems to appear in the news on an almost weekly basis.

1 Aug 2007

Novavax begins human clinical testing of novel pandemic flu vaccine

Novavax has announced that it has begun vaccinating healthy volunteers in the first human clinical trial of its virus-like particle ("VLP") based pandemic influenza vaccine.

1 Aug 2007

New TB vaccine could save over a million lives

Initial trials of a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine mean the drug will now progress to phase II trials.

31 Jul 2007

Scientists show how HIV turns into AIDS

A new UC Irvine study sheds light on how HIV develops into AIDS and suggests a possible way to block the deadly transformation.

31 Jul 2007

Pets could be to blame for infections of multi-resistant bacteria in humans

The next time you have difficulty fighting a bacterial infection, your next trip to the doctor might be to the family veterinarian.

31 Jul 2007

Biota increases damages claim against GlaxoSmithKline

Australian company Biota has filed its updated Particulars of Loss and Damage in its suit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for failing to support the influenza drug, Relenza, discovered by Biota and licensed to GSK in 1990.

31 Jul 2007