Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Multinationals preparing for Avian flu across the globe

Multinational companies are taking steps in many parts of the world to plan for the possibility of an avian flu outbreak, a new survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, a global human capital firm, has found.

21 Mar 2006

U.S. screening for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in migratory birds

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton and Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt have moved to further ensure the protection of people, domestic poultry and wild birds by unveiling an enhanced national framework for early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild migratory birds in the United States.

21 Mar 2006

Emergence of a human-adapted H5 virus is a clear threat to public health worldwide

The H5N1 avian influenza virus, commonly known as "bird flu," is a highly contagious and deadly disease in poultry. So far, its spread to humans has been limited, with 177 documented severe infections, and nearly 100 deaths in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Iraq, and Turkey as of March 14, 2006, according to the World Health Organization.

21 Mar 2006

Movement routes key to predicting spread of infectious diseases

Knowledge of 'movement routes' is the key to predicting the pattern of spread of infectious diseases of humans, and similar data could be crucial to understand animal disease risks, says team from the University of Edinburgh.

20 Mar 2006

Some soft drinks exceed governmental caffeine recommendations

Some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are loaded with caffeine and can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers, University of Florida researchers warn.

20 Mar 2006

H5N1 influenza virus is undergoing genetic diversity expansion

An analysis of H5N1 influenza samples in Southeast Asia shows not only how the two strains that have caused human disease are related but also that they belong to two different, distinct genetic subgroups.

20 Mar 2006

Attractive birds appear to have greater avian virus resistance

A research team at Uppsala University, Sweden has shown in a new study, published in the journal Acta Zoologica, that the size of the spot on a male collared flycatcher's forehead reflects how well the immune defence system combats viruses such as avian influenza.

20 Mar 2006

New understanding of the critical molecular factors that permit viruses to jump from one species to another

Researchers studying strains of a lethal canine virus and a related human virus have determined why the canine virus was able to spread so quickly from cats to dogs, and then from sick dogs to healthy dogs.

19 Mar 2006

Vaccinated adults less likely to die from pneumonia

Adults hospitalized for pneumonia who have received the pneumococcal vaccine are at a lower risk of dying from the disease than those who haven't been vaccinated, according to an article in the April 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

19 Mar 2006

Warning on caffeine loaded sodas and sports drinks

According to researchers at the University of Florida (UF) some carbonated sodas and energy drinks are so loaded with caffeine they can give an unhealthy pick-me-up to unsuspecting consumers.

16 Mar 2006

Stray dog dies of bird flu in Azerbaijan

Health officials say a stray dog has died of bird flu in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

16 Mar 2006

Bird flu reaches Sweden and Denmark

The National Veterinary Institute in Sweden say that tests done in a laboratory in Weybridge, England, have confirmed that two wild ducks found on its east coast carried the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

16 Mar 2006

Use of high humidity does not improve symptoms of croup

For children with moderate to severe croup treated in the emergency department, use of high humidity did not improve symptoms more than low humidity or mist therapy, according to an article in the March 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

15 Mar 2006

Patients can have misguided view of asthma

Over half of adults with serious asthma believe they only have asthma when they have symptoms and these individuals are significantly less likely to take necessary medications during asymptomatic periods, according to a study in the March issue of Chest.

15 Mar 2006

Impact of a scientific presentation on community treatment patterns for primary breast cancer

The oral presentation of data from a single study at a national scientific conference can have an important impact on patient treatment, even before study publication or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval

15 Mar 2006

Hospitalized schizophrenics more likely to have complications

A Johns Hopkins study of more than 1,700 patients with schizophrenia hospitalized for medical or surgical care unrelated to their mental disorder shows they are at least twice as likely as similar patients without schizophrenia to suffer dangerous and expensive adverse events.

15 Mar 2006