Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Allergist says people allergic to multiple trees may have tough allergy this spring

The polar vortex may be on its way out, but it's certainly leaving its footprints behind. As spring rolls in, people allergic to multiple trees may have a tough allergy season - a consequence of the cold winter, says Mark Dykewicz, M.D., professor of allergy and immunology at Saint Louis University.

17 Apr 2014

Study: Bacterium that causes whooping cough changes in Australia

The bacterium that causes whooping cough, Bordetella pertussis, has changed in Australia - most likely in response to the vaccine used to prevent the disease - with a possible reduced effectiveness of the vaccine as a result, a new study shows.

16 Apr 2014

Sneeze and cough generate cloud of invisible gas that propels droplets of infectious material

Each sneeze, cough or burp generates a cloud of invisible gas that propels droplets of infectious material farther than originally thought, and smaller droplets actually travel farther than larger ones. A new study from MIT researchers published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics says this gas cloud extends the reach of droplets by 5 to 200 times.

16 Apr 2014

Community efforts boost people for HIV testing and reduce new infections

Communities in Africa and Thailand that worked together on HIV-prevention efforts saw not only a rise in HIV screening but a drop in new infections, according to a new study in the peer-reviewed journal The Lancet Global Health.

16 Apr 2014

Irvine Scientific announces launch of BalanCD MDCK cell culture medium

Irvine Scientific is pleased to announce the launch of its BalanCD MDCK cell culture medium, a next generation cell culture product responding to today's requirements for media used in cell-based vaccine manufacturing. This new flagship product expands Irvine Scientific's current BalanCD product portfolio of animal component-free and chemically-defined media with the addition of a new purpose-built product.

15 Apr 2014

Study shows how infection worsens damage caused by stroke

Infection is bad news for all of us - but it can be really serious to people who have had a stroke. Evidence is mounting that infection makes things much worse after a stroke.

15 Apr 2014

New drug combination proves effective in treating patients with HCV genotype 1

Treatment options for the 170 million people worldwide with chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are evolving rapidly, although the available regimens often come with significant side effects. Two multi-center clinical trials led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center show promise for a new option that could help lead to both an increase in patients cured with a much more simple and tolerable all oral therapy.

15 Apr 2014

Irrational health beliefs associated with lower adherence to prescribed cardiac rehab program, says study

Heart patients with beliefs about health that aren't based on medical evidence are more likely to skip sessions of cardiac rehabilitation, new research suggests.

15 Apr 2014

S. pneumoniae serotypes differ between primary and post-viral disease

Certain capsular serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae are particularly likely to cause disease in people who have recently experienced a respiratory viral infection, study findings indicate.

14 Apr 2014

Study examines effect of community on hospital readmission rates

Nearly 60 percent of the variation in hospital readmission rates appears to be associated with where the hospital is located rather than on the hospital's performance, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

11 Apr 2014

Findings pave way for potential therapy to combat H1N1 flu virus

Flu epidemics cause up to half a million deaths worldwide each year, and emerging strains continually threaten to spread to humans and cause even deadlier pandemics. A study by McGill University professor Maziar Divangahi published by Cell Press on April 10 in the journal Immunity reveals that a drug that inhibits a molecule called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) increases survival rates in mice infected with a lethal dose of the H1N1 flu virus.

11 Apr 2014

Scientists discover protein potentially good target for influenza A virus

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that a protein produced by the influenza A virus helps it outwit one of our body's natural defense mechanisms. That makes the protein a potentially good target for antiviral drugs directed against the influenza A virus.

11 Apr 2014

EU-funded project aims to find solution to combat hepatitis C epidemic in Egypt

New ways to differentiate between chronic and self-clearing infections may help towards effective patient management and reduce drug costs. But there are major challenges in implementation.

11 Apr 2014

Guidance on use of Tamiflu needs to be reviewed in light of most recent evidence

Tamiflu (the antiviral drug oseltamivir) shortens symptoms of influenza by half a day, but there is no good evidence to support claims that it reduces admissions to hospital or complications of influenza.

11 Apr 2014

Housing projects in developing world expose low-income workers to natural disasters, disease

Satellite city projects across the developing world are putting an increasing number of poor people at risk to natural hazards and climate change, according to a new study from the University of Colorado Denver.

11 Apr 2014

Rite Aid's fourth quarter revenues increase 2.2% to $6.6 billion

Rite Aid Corporation today reported operating results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended March 1, 2014.

10 Apr 2014

Experts connect sleep deprivation to elevated risk of developing diabetes

Excessive noise is a common cause for a loss of sleep. Now, experts connect sleep deprivation to an elevated risk of developing diabetes.

10 Apr 2014

Novel prediction model improves patient outcomes after paracetamol-induced acute liver failure

In the UK paracetamol toxicity is the most common cause of ALF and has a high mortality rate. It is estimated that 150 to 200 deaths and 15 to 20 LTs occur as a result of poisoning each year in England and Wales.

10 Apr 2014

Scientists discover promising agents to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

In the fight against "superbugs," scientists have discovered a class of agents that can make some of the most notorious strains vulnerable to the same antibiotics that they once handily shrugged off. The report on the promising agents called metallopolymers appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

10 Apr 2014

New book is an essential resource for academic scientists working in biomedicine

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is pleased to announce the publication of Connecting with Companies: A Guide to Consulting Agreements for Biomedical Scientists by Edward Klees, J.D. and H. Robert Horvitz, Ph.D. The book is an essential resource for academic scientists and physicians considering consulting work in biomedicine.

10 Apr 2014