Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

NIAID findings provide structural basis for developing RSV vaccine

An atomic-level snapshot of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protein bound to a human antibody represents a leap toward developing a vaccine for a common-and sometimes very serious-childhood disease.

26 Apr 2013

New strain of bird flu poses pandemic threat

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling the new strain of H7H9 influenza virus "lethal" and The University of Kansas Hospital is preparing now for any potential cases.

26 Apr 2013

Cempra reports net loss of $10.3 million in first quarter 2013

Cempra, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing antibiotics to meet critical medical needs in the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

26 Apr 2013

Study: Regional anesthesia associated with with fewer postoperative complications in orthopedic surgery patients

A study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology discovered that spinal or epidural anesthesia, types of regional anesthesia that numb patients from the abdomen to the toes, were associated with fewer postoperative complications and death than general anesthesia in patients undergoing primary hip or knee replacement.

25 Apr 2013

New information on mitigating spread of infection from flu viruses

Pandemic flu continues to threaten public health, especially in the wake of the recent emergence of an H7N9 low pathogenic avian influenza strain in humans.

25 Apr 2013

Childhood bacterial meningitis influences educational, financial achievement

Research suggests that children who become infected with bacterial meningitis have a lower educational achievement and are less likely to be economically self-sufficient in adulthood than those who do not.

25 Apr 2013

Protective ventilation strategy offers post-op lung benefits

Patients who receive a lung-protective ventilation strategy during abdominal surgery benefit from better respiratory function and fewer signs of infection afterward, a study finds.

25 Apr 2013

H7N9 flu virus found to transmit from birds to humans but not person-to-person

Scientists in China have confirmed for the first time that the influenza A H7N9 virus has transmitted from birds—specifically, chicken at a wet poultry market—to humans, according to an Article published Online First in The Lancet.

25 Apr 2013

Chinese bird flu continues to spread

The H7N9 avian influenza outbreak in China is continuing to spread, although authorities believe that the large majority of those affected did not become infected via human-to-human contact.

25 Apr 2013

To avoid difficulties experienced during SARS epidemic, China must remain transparent in H7N9 efforts

"On this 10th anniversary of China's April 2003 admission that the SARS virus had spread across that country ... Beijing finds itself once again in a terrible position via-a-vis the microbial and geopolitical worlds," Laurie Garrett, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in a Foreign Policy opinion piece, noting the emergence of a new strain of bird flu, H7N9, in the country.

25 Apr 2013

One's pursuit of health and wellness doesn't stop when work day begins, says wellness officer

Newly released results from a health and wellness survey at The Ohio State University match what previous research has shown to be true: Respondents who reported higher beliefs in their ability to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors also reported more participation in behaviors that support their overall health.

25 Apr 2013

WHO research team still unsure of H7N9 transmission routes

The WHO "has only a limited understanding of a deadly new form of avian flu that has killed 20 people and infected more than a hundred others, a team of researchers said on Monday, leaving unclear how the disease spreads and how virulent it could become," the Wall Street Journal reports.

24 Apr 2013

Research maps risk factors for transmission of animal brucellosis, BTB to humans

A new study at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp analyses the impact of animal brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis on animals and people in urban, peri-urban and rural Niger.

24 Apr 2013

Phase IIb Aviator study demonstrates high SVR rates against genotype 1 HCV

Results from "Aviator," AbbVie's phase IIb clinical trial of its investigational direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection, continue to demonstrate high sustained viral response rates against genotype 1 HCV, across patient types.

24 Apr 2013

Janssen announces safety results from two Phase 3 studies of simeprevir in hepatitis C patients

Janssen R&D Ireland today announced primary efficacy and safety results from two global Phase 3 studies demonstrating that use of the investigational protease inhibitor simeprevir (TMC435) led to sustained virologic response 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) in 80 and 81 percent, respectively, of treatment-naive genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C adult patients with compensated liver disease, including all stages of liver fibrosis, when administered once daily with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

24 Apr 2013

Clinical data on simeprevir for treatment of hepatitis C patients to be presented at EASL meeting

Medivir AB today announces that data will be presented on the investigational protease inhibitor simeprevir (TMC435) for the treatment of genotype 1 hepatitis C patients.

23 Apr 2013

World must be better prepared for potential pandemics

"In China an influenza virus never before seen in people had, as The Economist went to press, infected at least 82 and killed 17. Meanwhile a new type of coronavirus, the family that brought severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is festering in the Middle East," an editorial in the magazine states.

23 Apr 2013

Many parents give young kids medicines that they should not use

Children can get five to 10 colds each year, so it's not surprising that adults often turn to over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to relieve their little ones' symptoms. But a new University of Michigan poll shows that many are giving young kids medicines that they should not use.

23 Apr 2013

Number of H7N9 cases surpasses 100; U.S. CDC warns physicians to be vigilant

"The number of bird flu cases in China jumped Sunday to 102, including 20 deaths, the World Health Organization announced," CNN reports, noting 70 patients remain hospitalized with the new H7N9 avian flu strain and the "WHO said there is still no evidence of human-to-human transmission" (Gray/Armstrong, 4/22).

23 Apr 2013

Researchers urge doctors to consider Lyme disease as cause when presented with skin lesions

When a person contracts Lyme disease, quick diagnosis and treatment are essential to avoiding long term complications. But the diagnostic process may be delayed if a physician does not recognize a skin rash caused by Lyme disease because it does not have the bull's-eye appearance that is best known to physicians and the public.

23 Apr 2013