Flu News and Research

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International science team pave way for fast and accurate diagnosis of the influenza virus

Statistics indicate that, on average, adults over the age of 30 only contract the influenza virus twice in a decade – but far more frequently (self) misdiagnose a cold virus (commonly rhinovirus or coronavirus) as being the flu...

16 Apr 2015

Health-related tweets may help predict hospital emergency room visits

Twitter users who post information about their personal health online might be considered by some to be "over-sharers," but new research led by the University of Arizona suggests that health-related tweets may have the potential to be helpful for hospitals.

16 Apr 2015

Focus Diagnostics announces FDA clearance for Simplexa Group A Strep Direct Kit

Focus Diagnostics, the clinical-laboratory products business of Quest Diagnostics, today announced the FDA 510(k) clearance and CLIA moderate-complexity categorization for its Simplexa Group A Strep Direct Kit. Simplexa Group A Strep Direct is a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of Group A Streptococcus bacteria directly from throat swabs.

From Quest Diagnostics 15 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers named recipients of Hartwell’s 2014 Individual Biomedical Research Award

Gul Dolen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Eili Y. Klein, Ph.D., an assistant professor of emergency medicine, are among 12 recipients of The Hartwell Foundation’s 2014 Individual Biomedical Research Award competition, the foundation announced on April 1.

15 Apr 2015

Simple, effective portable tool can help predict avian flu outbreaks

A simple and effective portable tool to predict avian flu outbreaks on farms has been created by University of Guelph researchers.

12 Apr 2015

UofL-led study focuses on flu vaccine for children with neurological disorders

Children who have neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy are no more likely to be vaccinated against influenza than youngsters without these conditions, despite the increased risk for complications from flu these children experience.

10 Apr 2015

Nielsen BioSciences launches skin test that helps physicians manage Valley Fever infections

Nielsen BioSciences announced today the launch of SPHERUSOL (Coccidioides immitis Spherule-Derived Skin Test Antigen), a skin test that provides valuable data to physicians managing Valley Fever infections. SPHERUSOL has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the only skin test to detect an immune response to the fungus called Coccidioides, or "cocci," in patients with history of the disease.

9 Apr 2015

HPAI H5 viruses of Eurasian origin continue to circulate in North American wild birds

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses of Eurasian origin continue to circulate and evolve in North American wild birds.

2 Apr 2015

Can-Fite BioPharma's CF101Phase II/III psoriasis trial fails to meet primary endpoint

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory and cancer diseases, announced today that its Phase II/III psoriasis trial for the Company's drug candidate CF101 did not achieve its primary endpoint.

30 Mar 2015

Rare genetic mutation explains why flu can kill in rare cases

Nobody likes getting the flu, but for some people, fluids and rest aren't enough. A small number of children who catch the influenza virus fall so ill they end up in the hospital — perhaps needing ventilators to breathe — even while their family and friends recover easily. New research by Rockefeller University scientists, published March 26 in Science, helps explain why: a rare genetic mutation.

30 Mar 2015

IU researchers reveal how Toxoplasma parasites modify brain cells

Rodents infected with a common parasite lose their fear of cats, resulting in easy meals for the felines. Now IU School of Medicine researchers have identified a new way the parasite may modify brain cells, possibly helping explain changes in the behavior of mice -- and humans.

19 Mar 2015

Researchers team up to study stomach flu

Rice University bioengineers are teaming with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center to apply the latest techniques in tissue engineering toward the study of one of the most common and deadly human illnesses -- the stomach flu.

17 Mar 2015

Flu vaccine based upon four strains of inactivated influenza enhances flu protection

A flu vaccine given just under the surface of the skin that includes four strains of inactivated influenza could be more protective than a similar flu vaccine containing only three strains, Saint Louis University research found.

16 Mar 2015

Brazil's first open-access research facility to be established at UNICAMP

Open-access research into drug discovery has arrived in South America, with a ground-breaking collaboration between leading scientists in North America, Europe and Brazil to provide completely free and open research results to the world.

12 Mar 2015

Narcolepsy bears trademarks of classic autoimmune disorder

Narcoleptics suffer from bouts of sleepiness and sleep attacks, which impair their ability to function in daily life. But the precise cause of narcolepsy has long eluded scientists, and the cure for the devastating neurological disorder afflicting an estimated three million people worldwide -- and one in 3,000 Americans -- remains at bay.

10 Mar 2015

Clinical study launched to evaluate effectiveness of new HCV therapy in Washington, D.C.

Officials from the National Institutes of Health and the city of Washington, D.C., launched a clinical trial to examine whether primary care physicians and other health care providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, can use a new antiviral therapy as effectively as specialist physicians to treat people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

9 Mar 2015

New type of vaccine holds promise for prevention of genital herpes

Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have designed a new type of vaccine that could be the first-ever for preventing genital herpes--one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, affecting some 500 million people worldwide.

9 Mar 2015

Adults only really catch flu about twice a decade, suggests study

Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. Flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess how often people are infected by influenza.

6 Mar 2015

Nova Medical Centers announces acquisition of Industrial Medicine

Occupational medicine company, Nova Medical Centers, is excited to announce the acquisition of Industrial Medicine, P.C. in Savannah, GA.

5 Mar 2015

Kinsa Groups launched to monitor overall health of children in U.S. public schools

Kinsa, the maker of the first FDA approved app-enabled smartphone thermometer, today announced the launch of Kinsa Groups for its iOS and Android apps. The Groups feature is currently available for public schools across the United States. With Kinsa Groups, parents can monitor the overall health at their child's school to better track, treat, and stop the spread of illness at the earliest signs of symptoms.

4 Mar 2015