Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

New research could pave way for better influenza vaccines

Influenza vaccines that better target the influenza surface protein called neuraminidase (NA) could offer broad protection against various influenza virus strains and lessen the severity of illness, according to new research published in Cell.

6 Apr 2018

Research reveals how bacteria prepare sticky adhesion protein

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Georgia have described how the protein that allows strep and staph bacteria to stick to human cells is prepared and packaged.

6 Apr 2018

Researchers discover Tfh cell dysfunction in HIV-infected patients

A team of chemical and biomedical engineers from the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, have discovered that HIV-infected patients experience a dysfunction in a certain type of immune cell: the follicular helper T (Tfh) cell.

6 Apr 2018

Research provides new insights about gender differences in airway disease risk

Human airways already demonstrate gender-based differences in DNA methylation signatures at birth, providing an early hint of which infants may be predisposed to develop respiratory disorders like asthma later in life, a research team reports in a paper published online April 3, 2018, in Scientific Reports.

6 Apr 2018

Cleaning out a fish tank leaves whole family seriously ill

Chris Matthews and his family of six ended up being seriously ill when they were cleaning out a fish tank at their home. The tank released a deadly poison from a coral when it was handled. The incident occurred last week.

6 Apr 2018

Scoliosis surgery improves quality of life for children with severe cerebral palsy

For children with severe cerebral palsy, surgery for scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine) significantly improves the quality of life for them and their caregivers, reports a study in the April 4, 2018, issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

5 Apr 2018

Viruses dating back millions of years identified

Scientists have now discovered over 200 viruses that were till date unknown to humans. These belong to same strains that cause diseases such as hemorrhagic fevers (Dengue or Ebola) and influenza. Their origins have been traced back to millions of years when the animals first roamed earth. The study appeared in the latest issue of the journal Nature and was released online yesterday 4th April 2018.

5 Apr 2018

Researchers reveal new tactic to fight antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat in bacterial pneumonia. While immune-stimulating treatments can help the body kill the bacteria, they can also cause inflammation that damages and weakens lung tissue. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital now describe an approach that offers the best of both worlds: enhanced bacterial killing with reduced lung damage.

4 Apr 2018

Behavioral strategies more effective in promoting immunizations than persuasion

Faced with outbreaks of influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases, parents, educators, healthcare providers, and policymakers around the world often want to know how to persuade people to get their vaccinations.

4 Apr 2018

TSRI research could lead to new approach for better flu prevention and treatment

This year's flu vaccine has been less effective in protecting people from the most common strain of the virus, compared with recent years. And once people become infected with the flu, there are few good ways to treat it.

3 Apr 2018

UGA study reveals cause for resurgence of pertussis

A team of researchers including scientists from the University of Georgia has found that the resurgence of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, in the U.S. is a predictable consequence of incomplete coverage with a highly effective vaccine.

3 Apr 2018

Condom snorting - a trending bad idea!

What is condom snorting? A bad idea to say the least! Youngsters these days are uncoiling a condom and snorting it up one nostril and inhaling right into their throats from where they are hawking it out of their mouths. This apparently is a dare that young people are falling for!

2 Apr 2018

New links found between Mediterranean diet and healthy aging outcomes

A series of six articles appearing in the March issue of The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences finds new correlations between a Mediterranean diet and healthy aging outcomes -- while also underscoring the need for careful approaches to the use of data in order to measure the diet's potential benefits.

30 Mar 2018

Researchers create synthesized nanosheets to inactivate or detect pathogens

Researchers have developed a process for creating ultrathin, self-assembling sheets of synthetic materials that can function like designer flypaper in selectively binding with viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

29 Mar 2018

Topical solution may be less cytotoxic than cryosurgery for patients with seborrheic keratosis

Seborrheic keratosis is the most common noncancerous skin growth in adults seen by doctors in everyday practice.

29 Mar 2018

New tracing methods reveal breadth of neural communication in visual cortex

An international collaboration of neuroscientists have today published a paper in Nature demonstrating the breadth of neural communication in visual cortex using a combination of methods for tracing the projections of individual neurons across the brain.

29 Mar 2018

Study identifies potential genetic link in sudden infant death syndrome

Rare genetic mutations associated with impairment of the breathing muscles are more common in children who have died from sudden infant death syndrome (also known as ‘cot death’) than in healthy controls, suggesting a possible genetic element of the disorder, according to a case-control study in the UK and USA published in The Lancet.

29 Mar 2018

Tackling Hand Hygiene Barriers in Healthcare

Hand hygiene is critical to preventing the spread of infection in hospitals. Current methods are outdated, and new technologies are expensive. Zoono's products offer an alternative to alcohol-based hand sanitizers that protect the skin's surface for longer.

28 Mar 2018

UC researcher granted patent for potential pulmonary infection treatment

A researcher in the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine has been granted a U.S. patent for a potential treatment for a pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

27 Mar 2018

Porvair Sciences offers 96-well Multi-Tier Microplate System for high throughput chromatography

The patented 96-well Multi-Tier Microplate System from Porvair Sciences and sister company - JG Finneran is a unique device providing analysts with the convenience of an ANSI/SLAS microplate footprint but loaded with inert glass vials.

From Porvair Sciences Limited 27 Mar 2018