Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Dengue seen as potential threat to US public health

A disease most Americans have never heard of could soon become more prevalent if dengue, a flu-like illness that can turn deadly, continues to expand into temperate climates and increase in severity, according to a new commentary by Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and David M. Morens, M.D., Fauci's senior scientific advisor.

9 Jan 2008

Rockefeller University funds clinical, translational pilot studies

The Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) has announced the recipients of its 2008 Pilot Project grants.

8 Jan 2008

A look at China's most innovative health biotechnology companies

Government funds innovation but venture capital needed; Wary investors 'need to be shown the exits'; Returning 'sea turtles' bring expertise, international credibility

8 Jan 2008

Genital mycoplasmas are a frequent cause of congenital fetal infection

Premature babies are subject to a host of threats that can result in fetal/neonatal disease.

7 Jan 2008

New international health regulations now in force

New International Health Regulations (IHR)-designed to halt the international spread of dangerous diseases and other threats-are now in force, with the chief aim of reducing the time it takes to identify an illness or other public health threat-including chemical and radiological hazards-that could have an international impact, in order to mobilize a more timely and effective response.

7 Jan 2008

Membrane distillation plants provide water for the world's poorest

Lack of water causes great distress among the population in large parts of Africa and Asia. Small decentralized water treatment plants with an autonomous power supply can help solve the problem: They transform salty seawater or brackish water into pure drinking water.

7 Jan 2008

New sugary insights into H5N1 avian flu virus

Scientists have identified a key factor that determines the ability of influenza viruses to infect cells of the human upper respiratory tract - a necessary step for sustaining spread between people.

7 Jan 2008

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals initiates two separate Phase II clinical trials for antibiotic compound

Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the enrolment of the first patients in two separate Phase 2 clinical trials.

7 Jan 2008

MIT researchers discover key to bird flu in humans

MIT researchers have uncovered a critical difference between flu viruses that infect birds and humans, a discovery that could help scientists monitor the evolution of avian flu strains and aid in the development of vaccines against a deadly flu pandemic.

7 Jan 2008

Hospitalizations for gastroespohageal reflux disease on the rise

Hospitalizations for treating disorders caused by gastroespohageal reflux disease (GERD ) increased by 103 percent between 1998 and 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Jan 2008

Treating children with severe pneumonia at home is just as effective as treating them in hospitals

The study results could significantly change the way the illness is managed in developing countries, saving a significant number of lives every year and taking pressure off health systems.

7 Jan 2008

Bird flu found in children's kindy

Officials in Israel say the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in dead chickens at an animal corner in a kindergarten in Binyamina.

6 Jan 2008

New flu vaccine protects against all strains including bird flu

A new flu vaccine which protects against all strains of influenza has had promising results in trials.

6 Jan 2008

Vietnam's first bird flu outbreak in 2008 kills 350 ducks

In the first outbreak in poultry in Vietnam this year government officials say the H5N1 bird flu virus has killed 350 white-winged ducks in the north of the country.

6 Jan 2008

Experts say children with severe pneumonia are better off being treated at home

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says children with severe pneumonia are better off being treated at home instead of sending them to hospital.

6 Jan 2008

New method to study extrasensory perception

Psychologists at Harvard University have developed a new method to study extrasensory perception that, they argue, can resolve the century-old debate over its existence.

4 Jan 2008

FDA clears test for 12 specific respiratory viruses

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing a test that simultaneously detects and identifies 12 specific respiratory viruses.

4 Jan 2008

Women who smoke at increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Here's another reason not to smoke, especially for women: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

3 Jan 2008

Polyphenols in wine may help prevent cavities

A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

3 Jan 2008