Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Researchers comprehensively sequence the human immune system

For the first time ever, researchers are comprehensively sequencing the human immune system, which is billions of times larger than the human genome. In a new study published in Nature from the Human Vaccines Project, scientists have sequenced a key part of this vast and mysterious system -- the genes encoding the circulating B cell receptor repertoire.

14 Feb 2019

Preventing infections could help combat antimicrobial resistance

Preventing infections will help us get antimicrobial resistance under control, according to a new plan from the UK Government.

13 Feb 2019

Study estimates value of investing in antibiotic to reduce repercussion in influenza pandemic

There have been roughly three global pandemic influenza outbreaks each century for the past four hundred years, each of which have resulted in larger numbers of infections and deaths.

13 Feb 2019

Study evaluates impact of air-exchange rates on respiratory health in low-income homes

A team of investigators from the Colorado School of Public Health at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Colorado Boulder has identified that people living in homes with high ventilation are more likely to suffer from respiratory health issues such as asthma.

12 Feb 2019

False lead: Senator’s offer to help patient import cheap insulin goes nowhere

It sounded like an answer to prayers for millions with diabetes struggling to pay soaring prices for insulin.

11 Feb 2019

New heated tobacco device is as toxic as vaping and traditional cigarettes

A new study that directly compares new heated tobacco devices with vaping and traditional cigarettes shows that all three are toxic to human lung cells.

11 Feb 2019

Measles alert at Sydney airport

Passengers passing through or visiting the Sydney airport last week were warned about a possible exposure to highly contagious viral illness measles after one of them tested positive for the disease.

11 Feb 2019

Beer before wine does not change hangover severity

Despite popular belief, drinking beer before wine does not reduce the severity of veisalgia, otherwise known as a hangover, the following day.

8 Feb 2019

What ‘dope sick’ really feels like

Detoxing off heroin or opioids without medication is sheer hell. I should know. For many users, full-blown withdrawal is often foreshadowed by a yawn, or perhaps a runny nose, a sore back, sensitive skin or a restless leg. For me, the telltale sign that the heroin was wearing off was a slight tingling sensation when I urinated.

8 Feb 2019

Scientists receive $1.5 million to develop new technology for detecting healthcare-associated infections

Healthcare-associated infections are the fourth leading cause of death in Canada, predicted to move up to second place by 2050.

8 Feb 2019

Caltech scientists develop new methods for rapidly determining T cell targets

The human body's immune system is like a vast team of special agents. Certain cells called T cells each individually specialize in recognizing a particular intruder, such as the influenza virus or salmonella.

8 Feb 2019

Interaction between two immune cells may play key role in fight against dengue virus

Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have demonstrated for the first time a physical interaction between two types of immune cells that plays an important role in the early fight against dengue virus infection.

8 Feb 2019

New research on viral biology could lead to efficient vaccines against leishmaniasis

New research from McGill University has found that a virus infecting the Leishmania parasite spreads by exploiting a mechanism used for cell-to-cell communication, a discovery that could pave the way to new vaccines against infections that cause severe disfiguration.

8 Feb 2019

Indoor smoking bans may not fully protect children, study finds

The harmful effects of exposure to tobacco smoke have been known for many years. Cigarette and cigar smokers are at significantly higher risk of contracting all sorts of respiratory maladies, and research linking secondhand smoke to cancer goes back nearly three decades.

7 Feb 2019

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ A ‘healthy’ state of the union

Health policy played a surprisingly robust role in President Donald Trump's 2019 State of the Union address.

7 Feb 2019

Swine fever outbreak spreads to five prefectures across Japan

Government health officials have reported an outbreak of swine fever in Japan that has spread over five prefectures, including Osaka.

7 Feb 2019

Hibernation spurts of hamsters hold clues to better treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Syrian hamsters are golden-haired rodents often kept as house pets. Cold and darkness can cause the animals to hibernate for 3-4 days at a time, interspersed with short periods of activity.

7 Feb 2019

Vitamin D helps clear bacteria from lungs of people with multi-drug resistant TB

Vitamin D has been found to speed up the clearance of tuberculosis bacteria from the lungs of people with multi-drug resistant TB, according to a study of 1,850 patients receiving antibiotic treatment, led by Queen Mary University of London.

6 Feb 2019

ALS and Tow Foundation announce their continuing support to New York Genome Center

The ALS Association and The Tow Foundation are pleased to announce their continuing support of the New York Genome Center's Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, in recognition of the substantial genomic research being carried out by NYGC scientists.

6 Feb 2019

Study uncovers how lung tissue remodels to support immune response to influenza

Immunology researchers at the Babraham Institute have discovered how lung tissue in mice is remodelled in response to infection with influenza in order to support an immune system response.

6 Feb 2019