Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Common cold virus actually transmitted from camels to humans

There are four globally endemic human coronaviruses which, together with the better known rhinoviruses, are responsible for causing common colds. Usually, infections with these viruses are harmless to humans.

18 Aug 2016

New non-invasive MRI-based method can measure dermal fat

Mammals contain two main varieties of fat: white adipose tissue (WAT), which is used to store energy, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which is involved in the regulation of body temperature, particularly in infants.

18 Aug 2016

New book from Cold Spring Harbor examines major antibiotics and mechanisms of resistance

One of the greatest medical accomplishments of the past century was the introduction of antibiotics into the clinic.

18 Aug 2016

Mice study finds new approach to halt cycle of chronic inflammation in lupus

Molecules that scavenge debris from dying cells appear to halt the cycle of chronic inflammation in lupus, while also enhancing the body's ability to combat flu, according to Duke Health studies in mice.

17 Aug 2016

Large emergency vaccination campaigns to curb yellow fever outbreak in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo

One of the largest emergency vaccination campaigns ever attempted in Africa will start in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo this week as WHO and partners work to curb a yellow fever outbreak that has killed more than 400 people and sickened thousands more.

17 Aug 2016

Study explains long-term pulmonary outcomes among childhood cancer survivors

A team of researchers from nine leading academic hospitals and research centers have published a paper in the early online edition of the journal Cancer that describes pulmonary outcomes among childhood cancer survivors.

16 Aug 2016

Researchers explain why secondary infection with MRSA kills influenza patients

Researchers have discovered that secondary infection with the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium (or "superbug") often kills influenza patients because the flu virus alters the antibacterial response of white blood cells, causing them to damage the patients' lungs instead of destroying the bacterium.

16 Aug 2016

Study estimates health care costs of gastrointestinal illnesses in Switzerland

In Switzerland, between 300,000 and 700,000 patients per year visit a doctor due to acute diarrhoea. Until now, the financial burden on the Swiss health care system had been completely unclear.

12 Aug 2016

St. Jude scientists identify key innate immune sensor that attacks influenza virus

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital immunologists have identified the protein trigger in the body's quick-reaction innate immune system that specifically recognizes the influenza virus in infected cells and triggers their death.

12 Aug 2016

Cold plasma could help bones heal faster, study shows

Cold plasma looks like the glow from the "Star Wars" blue light saber but this beam of energy, made of electrons that change polarity at micro-second or nanosecond speeds, could help bones heal faster, according to a study published August 11th in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.

12 Aug 2016

Hygiene hypothesis: a misleading misnomer? An interview with Professor Sally Bloomfield

Professor Strachan first proposed the hygiene hypothesis back in 1989. Reviewing the evidence, he suggested that one of the causes of the recent rapid rise in allergic diseases in children was lack of exposure to childhood infections

11 Aug 2016

Study: Risk of sports fans catching dengue fever during Rio Olympics low

The risk of sports fans catching dengue fever during the Rio Olympics is very low, according to a new study involving mathematicians at the University of Strathclyde.

11 Aug 2016

Distraction techniques can help calm children from shot-related anxiety during flu season

A typical visit to the pediatrician when it is time for a child to get a shot can include tears, tantrums and might not seem worth the trouble.

10 Aug 2016

Understanding brain circuit development: an interview with Dr Hollis Cline

There's a tremendous amount known about brain circuit development. Our work was inspired by experiments that were done over 50 years ago by scientists at Harvard University, Hubel and Wiesel. They received a Nobel Prize for their work and have inspired many additional experiments over the last 50 or 60 years.

10 Aug 2016

Mayo Clinic expert offers tips to avoid illness at major events

Zika isn't the only health concern now that the games have begun in Rio. Massive crowds from around the globe will be at the Olympics, and that means a world-class array of germs will mix with them.

8 Aug 2016

GSK launches educational campaign to help raise awareness of meningitis

GSK today launched an educational campaign to help raise awareness of meningitis, a rare but potentially deadly disease.

8 Aug 2016

New drug could help decrease symptoms of asthma

The first new asthma pill for nearly 20 years has the power to significantly reduce the severity of the condition, a study led by the University of Leicester has found.

8 Aug 2016

UM SOM selected as study site for human safety trial of new Zika vaccine

As world leaders increasingly recognize the Zika virus as an international public health threat, the Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute for Global Health has been chosen as one of three study sites in a human safety trial of a new Zika vaccine.

7 Aug 2016

Study shows hospitals that send more number of heart patients to ICU perform worse in quality of care

Patients who suffer heart attacks, or flare-ups of congestive heart failure, can be cared for in a variety of hospital locations. But a new study suggests that they'll fare worse in hospitals that rely heavily on their intensive care units to care for patients like them.

3 Aug 2016

New Valley Fever testing technology developed by TGen and NAU receives U.S. patent

Valley Fever, a potentially deadly dust-borne fungal disease, should be easier to diagnose and treat thanks to a testing technology developed by the Translational Genomics Research Institute and Northern Arizona University, and now protected by a patent issued today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

3 Aug 2016