Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Potential new ways to design vaccines, antibiotics

A University of Louisville scientist has determined for the first time how the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease manipulates our cells to generate the amino acids it needs to grow and cause infection and inflammation in the lungs.

18 Nov 2011

Inovio announces results from SynCon avian influenza vaccine Phase I study

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is advancing synthetic vaccines to fight cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that a single intradermal (ID) electroporation boost of its SynCon avian influenza vaccine generated HAI titers against six different, unmatched strains of H5N1 - a distinct new clinical achievement on the global research community's path to develop universal influenza vaccines.

18 Nov 2011

CINJ experts available to comment on blood donations

Every two seconds, someone in the United States is in need of blood. According to the American Red Cross, more than 38,000 blood donations are needed each day. With just one donation of a pint of blood, up to three lives can be saved. In New Jersey, according to the state Department of Health and Senior Services, fewer than four percent of eligible residents donate regularly, resulting in the need for critical blood donations.

18 Nov 2011

New framework to improve care for patients with delirium

A new national plan of action provides a roadmap for improving the care of patients with delirium, a poorly understood and often unrecognized brain condition that affects approximately seven million hospitalized Americans each year.

18 Nov 2011

MU scientist examines how enzymes influence immune system's ability to fight infection

The influenza virus remains a worldwide threat to humans, causing an average of 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States alone. As health care professionals prepare for another flu season, a University of Missouri scientist is studying how two enzymes could be used to stop the virus in its tracks.

18 Nov 2011

Research shows how the bite of a small Texas snake causes extreme pain

Examining venom from a variety of poisonous snakes, a group of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has discovered why the bite of one small black, yellow and red serpent called the Texas coral snake can be so painful.

17 Nov 2011

Vitamin D and its good and bad effects on the heart

Vitamin D in excess may not be beneficial and may even harm the heart says a new study. Scientists have long known that low levels of the nutrient can hurt the heart, but new research shows that higher than normal levels can make it beat too fast and out of rhythm, a condition called atrial fibrillation. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.

17 Nov 2011

Complications from preventable surgical-site infections leading to hospital readmissions after colon surgery

Nearly one-quarter of privately insured colon surgery patients are readmitted to the hospital within three months of discharge at a cost of roughly $9,000 per readmission, according to Johns Hopkins researchers, who've identified a major area for quality improvement and cost reduction in health care.

17 Nov 2011

Improper payments reduced by $17.6 billion, White House says

This cut in wasteful or improper payments in social welfare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, applies to the year ending Sept. 30.

17 Nov 2011

Flu strains migrate back and forth between different regions of the world

Influenza researchers have found that flu strains migrate back and forth between different regions of the world, evolving along the way. This is contrary to the common belief that flu strains from the tropics are the source of global seasonal epidemics.

17 Nov 2011

TNF inhibitors may minimally increase risk of serious infections

Biologic drugs have revolutionized treatment of autoimmune diseases during the past decade despite belief there is an increased risk for serious infections from using them. But new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics reveals that a class of biologics called tumor necrosis factor antagonists, or TNF inhibitors, may only minimally increase risk compared to more traditional therapies.

17 Nov 2011

Severity of smoke-inhalation injury may play a role in overall pulmonary inflammatory response

A study of burn patients has found that those who suffered the most severe smoke inhalation also had more inflammation and spent more time on ventilators and in intensive care.

17 Nov 2011

WSU researchers to study novel antibiotic that may treat VRE infection

The bacteria Enterococcus can cause infections that typically target the digestive tract or bowel; if the bacteria spread, an abdominal abscess or urinary infection could result. Enterococcus also can invade the bloodstream, leading to meningitis, pneumonia or endocarditis - an infection of the heart valve.

17 Nov 2011

New AAOS guideline on 'The Treatment of Supracondylar Humerus Fractures'

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors has recently approved and released an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) on "The Treatment of Supracondylar Humerus Fractures."

17 Nov 2011

Study: Pneumonia the most common serious infection post-heart surgery

Pneumonia - not a deep incision surgical site infection - is the most common serious infection after heart surgery, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

16 Nov 2011

Pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar13 effective in seniors

Pneumococcal disease kills millions worldwide and the largest affected groups are children and the elderly. Federal health scientists now assure that the popular pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar is at least as effective as a rival vaccine at protecting adults from the sometimes-deadly infection.

15 Nov 2011

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer helps reduce influenza A in children

A hand and respiratory hygiene program including frequent use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer helps reduce illness caused by influenza A and missed school days in elementary school children, reports a study in the November issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

15 Nov 2011

VOA News examines Foundation's efforts to treat MDR-TB patients in North Korea

VOA News examines the Eugene Bell Foundation's work in North Korea to detect and treat patients with multiple-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The foundation is treating about 600 patients in North Korea, where "conditions ... are ideal for the spread of TB. The climate is cold. Most citizens live and work in small spaces, and lack proper nutrition to maintain a strong immune system," VOA writes.

15 Nov 2011

New technology speeds up 'near real-time' vaccination data collection

New technology now makes it possible to collect 'near real-time' data about whether people are having any side effects from vaccination. By studying people who received the 2009-10 swine flu vaccination in Scotland, researchers showed that this rapid reporting can add another layer of safety to future vaccination campaigns. In addition, the data collected revealed no significant safety issues in patients exposed to the vaccine.

15 Nov 2011

Possible link between norovirus and food allergies

Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin have found a possible link between norovirus, a virus that causes "stomach flu" in humans, and food allergies.

15 Nov 2011