Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Syrupy medications may cause cavities in children

A spoon full of sugar may help the medicine go down, but most dentists would likely encourage parents to skip that step when treating a child's illness.

9 Jan 2006

Turkey on alert as bird flu spreads

As the numbers of suspected bird flu cases in Turkey rises there is concern that the deadly virus is rapidly spreading across the country and is heading for mainland Europe.

9 Jan 2006

Travelers in Russia warned about bird flu in Turkey

Following the confirmation by officials that two children and one adult have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in Turkey's capital Ankara, Russians are being warned against traveling to Turkey.

8 Jan 2006

Risk factors for nongonococcal urethritis

The study, by Australian researchers Catriona Bradshaw, MD, and colleagues at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, is the first major case-control study to simultaneously address all currently hypothesized causes of NGU.

6 Jan 2006

Molecular finding will help better understand measles and mumps

A team of Northwestern University researchers has solved the structure of a molecule that controls the ability of viruses of the paramyxovirus family, including the viruses that cause measles, mumps, and many human respiratory diseases, to fuse with and infect human cells.

5 Jan 2006

MIT offer logitics solution to Flu vaccine shortages

Although the flu causes tens of thousands of deaths each year in the United States, vaccine to fight the illness is often in short supply when the flu season is at its peak.

30 Dec 2005

Bird flu case number seven in China

China has confirmed its seventh human infection and third human death from bird flu which follows two fatalities from the virus in Anhui province in eastern China.

29 Dec 2005

China's new bird flu vaccine ready to go

According to the state media, China is about to begin mass-production of a new bird flu vaccine for poultry by the end of the month.

28 Dec 2005

Tamiflu may not be as effective as hoped against bird flu

The stockpiles of bird flu drug Tamiflu, accumulated by governments around the world as the first line of defense against a flu pandemic, may prove to be useless.

22 Dec 2005

Brain cell activity influences formation of brain plaque ingredient

Increased communication between brain cells increases levels of amyloid beta, the key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaques, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

22 Dec 2005

Genome discovery may prevent leukaemia

An international consortium has cracked the gene code behind a key family of fungi, which includes both the leading cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients and an essential ingredient of soy sauce.

From The University of Manchester 22 Dec 2005

Extremely infectious pneumonia-like disease slips through body's immune system

A new study found that an extremely infectious pneumonia-like disease in humans slips through the immune system's usual defense mechanisms.

21 Dec 2005

Effectiveness of Influenza vaccine on elderly substantially overestimated

Studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness in elderly people substantially overestimate vaccine benefits, according to new research from the US published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology (IJE), edited at the University of Bristol.

21 Dec 2005

Deadly bird flu spreads to more Ukraine villages

Health officials in the Ukraine are warning that bird flu, including the H5N1 strain dangerous to humans, has spread to more villages in the Crimea peninsula.

21 Dec 2005

New rapid test can identify bird flu in 15 mins

The diagnostic test maker Inverness Medical Technology Inc. says its Binax Inc. unit has been granted U.S. regulatory approval to add a bird flu claim to a rapid flu test.

19 Dec 2005

Fake bird flu drugs reach the U.S.

Custom officers in the U.S. have seized 51 shipments of a fake anti-bird flu drug.

19 Dec 2005

Japanese brewery claims antibody works against bird flu

A Japanese brewery says its U.S. subsidiary has developed an antibody that may be effective against bird flu.

19 Dec 2005

Cannabis medication linked to grandmother's death

A British grandmother who died after being given a controversial and experimental cannabis-based medicine had apparently told her family that she thought the drug was driving her mad.

19 Dec 2005