Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Key barriers that prevent access to antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries

Antibiotic resistance is an emerging global public health threat spurred by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.

9 Apr 2019

Common food preservative could make flu vaccine less effective

A preservative commonly used to increase the shelf life of food products may weaken the body’s immune defense against influenza, thus reducing the response to the flu vaccine.

9 Apr 2019

Researchers discover mechanism to form influenza A virus

The influenza A virus is known to form new strains every year. These strains are the result of small variations occurring at the level of the genome, which cause the virus to become different and no longer recognized by the immune system.

9 Apr 2019

Experts detail efforts to improve seasonal and universal influenza vaccine

In a new series of articles, experts in immunology, virology, epidemiology, and vaccine development detail efforts to improve seasonal influenza vaccines and ultimately develop a universal influenza vaccine.

9 Apr 2019

Study: Non-thermal plasma can inactivate 99.9% of dangerous airborne viruses

Dangerous airborne viruses are rendered harmless on-the-fly when exposed to energetic, charged fragments of air molecules, University of Michigan researchers have shown.

9 Apr 2019

Advances in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s could lead to treatments for other disorders

A new paper published in Nature Reviews Neurology suggests that recent advances in deep brain stimulation for Parkinson disease could lead to treatments for conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, Gilles de la Tourette syndrome and depression.

8 Apr 2019

New study reveals five facts about allergies to vaccines

There is little chance you are actually allergic to vaccines and, if you are, your allergist can give it to you. Only one in 760,000 vaccinations will respond with anaphylaxis. For all other side effects, there are ways around any problem.

8 Apr 2019

Researchers determine atomic structure of fusion protein of a prokaryotic organism

Many viruses, including that perennial winter affliction, the influenza virus, are protected by a lipid membrane on loan from the host cell.

5 Apr 2019

Researchers discover 'taste bud cells' in mice lungs after severe bout of flu

Most people who weather an infection with influenza fully recover after a week or two. But for some, a severe case of the flu can actually reshape the architecture of their lungs and forever compromise their respiratory function.

29 Mar 2019

Dogs could be source of novel human influenza strains, 10-year study suggests

Results from a 10-year study suggest two strains of influenza that could mix and form a dangerous new strain of influenza spread by dogs.

28 Mar 2019

Study offers new insights for vaccine development to prevent RSV disease

In healthy adults, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, feels like the common cold with a runny nose, chest congestion and cough.

27 Mar 2019

New model could revolutionize the way researchers investigate spread of pathogens

A sophisticated new analysis tool developed by Florida State University scientists may signal a new era in the study of population genetics.

22 Mar 2019

Study shows ACA's positive impact on healthcare affordability and access for women

According to a new study appearing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, the rate of health insurance coverage and access to affordable acute and preventive care services improved for women after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

21 Mar 2019

Role of immunological imprinting in elicitation of new antibodies

We are repeatedly exposed to the influenza virus via infections, vaccinations and our communal environments. The annual flu shot is believed to be the best line of defense, and doctors recommend vaccinations every year because the flu virus is in a constant state of adaptation and mutation, rendering older vaccines obsolete.

21 Mar 2019

Pollutants appear to weaken immune system and increase pathogen virulence

Many people view pollutants and pathogens as separate causes of illness. However, recent research indicates that the two can interact, changing how people and animals respond to infectious diseases.

21 Mar 2019

New analysis compares scenarios to find the best time to get a flu shot

When flu season peaks after mid-winter, tens of thousands of influenza cases and hundreds of deaths can likely be avoided if older adults wait until October to get their flu immunization, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine analysis reveals in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

15 Mar 2019

Killer flu pandemic is inevitable and world is not prepared, says WHO

The World Health Organisation has said that the world is not prepared for a global flu pandemic and that resources are inadequate.

12 Mar 2019

Study uncovers potential new strategy to treat influenza A

A team of researchers from Scripps Research and Janssen Research & Development LLC has discovered an orally active small molecule that neutralizes influenza A group 1 viruses, the most common flu strains.

11 Mar 2019

Yearly flu shot may also protect from having a heart attack

There's now another reason to get your yearly flu shot. Not only can it protect you from the body aches, fever and fatigue associated with a bout of influenza, it may even prevent you from having a heart attack, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

8 Mar 2019