Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Fluid-filled lung sac found to be the hub for virus-eating cells

Scientists have long thought of the fluid-filled sac around our lungs merely as a cushion from external damage. Turns out, it also houses potent virus-eating cells that rush into the lungs during flu infections.

14 Feb 2024

New study finds 4’-fluorouridine effective against avian influenza in vitro and in vivo

A PLOS Pathogens study reveals 4’-fluorouridine effectively combats avian influenza in vitro and in animal models, showing promise as a treatment that overcomes resistance and reduces disease severity without significant adverse effects.

11 Feb 2024

Vaccines safe for pregnant women with HIV but show reduced immune response

A meta-analysis in eClinicalMedicine finds vaccines are safe for pregnant women living with HIV, showing reduced immunogenicity compared to those without HIV but no increase in adverse events, highlighting the need for their inclusion in vaccine trials.

9 Feb 2024

COVID-19 linked to higher dementia risk in older adults, study finds

Research indicates a potential link between COVID-19 and an increased risk of new-onset dementia in adults over 60, with the risk being similar to that from other respiratory infections.

9 Feb 2024

Immune cells in overdrive: Study finds unbalanced response worsens lung infections

CD4+ T cells have been highlighted in the scientific literature for the important role they play in the immune response to lung infections.

8 Feb 2024

Media stories on parental vaccine hesitancy drive a false narrative, distort reality

Media stories focusing on vaccine hesitancy can distort reality and drive a false narrative that a large percentage of parents are refusing to get their children vaccinated, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine by two pediatricians from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

6 Feb 2024

HPV infection quadruples risk of death from heart disease in women

Women have a four times higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease if they have an infection with a high-risk strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV), according to research published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday).

6 Feb 2024

Promising influenza drug candidate shows activity against resistant variants

Influenza A viruses with induced resistance to a new candidate antiviral drug were found to be impaired in cell culture and weakened in animals, according to a study by researchers in the Center for Translational Antiviral Research at Georgia State University.

6 Feb 2024

How is long-COVID different from other post-viral infection syndromes?

The symptoms, illness duration, long-term clinical traits, and possible healthcare burden of post-viral conditions in children and adolescents under 20 years.

6 Feb 2024

Congressman off-base in ad claiming Fauci shipped covid to Montana before the pandemic

A fundraising ad for U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) shows a photo of Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, behind bars, swarmed by flying bats.

5 Feb 2024

CRISPR revolutionized: New method edits genes directly in the body

Most approved gene therapies today, including those involving CRISPR-Cas9, work their magic on cells removed from the body, after which the edited cells are returned to the patient.

1 Feb 2024

Gut microbiome may hold key to fighting common respiratory viruses

The composition of microbiota found in the gut influences how susceptible mice are to respiratory virus infections and the severity of these infections, according to researchers from the Center for Translational Antiviral Research in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

30 Jan 2024

New DNA-based vaccine can induce strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2

Using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA, researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have created a vaccine that can induce a strong antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.

30 Jan 2024

Clinical study supports the long-lasting impacts of typhoid conjugate vaccine

A single dose of the typhoid conjugate vaccine, Typbar TCV, provides lasting efficacy in preventing typhoid fever in children ages 9 months to 12 years old, according to a new study conducted by researchers at University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) and led by in-country partners at the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust (MLW) Clinical Research Programme.

25 Jan 2024

Study confirms safety of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy for infant neurodevelopment

A large cohort study in "JAMA Pediatrics" found no significant differences in neurodevelopmental rates between infants exposed to COVID-19 vaccines in-utero and those who were not, affirming the safety of maternal COVID-19 vaccination.

24 Jan 2024

Curcumin spray shows promise in fighting SARS-CoV-2 and flu viruses

A study in the Virology Journal reveals a curcumin-containing oro-nasal film spray with potential antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses, boosting mucosal immunity without cytotoxic effects.

24 Jan 2024

UKHSA unveils groundbreaking Pathogen Genomics Strategy for pandemic preparedness

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has today published its Pathogen Genomics Strategy, laying out a 5 year plan for the organization's role in the wider delivery of pathogen genomics to prepare for and respond to infectious disease threats to public health.

24 Jan 2024