Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Reports of bird flu in the Bahamas are exaggerated

Preliminary field reports on the investigation of unexplained death of birds on the island of Inagua in the Southern Bahamas were exaggerated.

6 Mar 2006

Mosquito virus kills 78 in a month - Indian ocean fears epidemic

While the rest of the world panics about bird flu, the islands of Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean are in the grip of a mosquito-borne epidemic that has infected thousands and killed at least 78 in a month.

6 Mar 2006

Poland latest on bird flu hit list

The first Polish case of H5 bird flu has been found in two swans found dead on the banks of the River Vistula in the northern city of Torun.

6 Mar 2006

Bird flu comes round again as another dies in China

Chinese health officials have reported that a man in southern China has died from bird flu.

6 Mar 2006

Germans panic and dump their cats as Serbia joins the bird flu list

According to an animal welfare society in Germany, hundreds of cats are being left at animal shelters following the disclosure earlier in the week that a cat on the island of Ruegen had died from the deadly bird flu.

5 Mar 2006

Brits issued with travel advice following cats death from bird flu

Veterinary experts in northern Germany have confirmed that a cat found dead on the island of Ruegen died from the highly pathogenic Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

5 Mar 2006

Reaction to DTaP vaccine finds no help from ibuprofen, acetaminophen

A red splotch forms where most preschoolers get their fifth, and last, shot of the acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, and it can last a few days.

1 Mar 2006

West Nile virus epidemics in North America are driven by shifts in mosquito feeding behavior

Since its introduction to the United States in 1999, West Nile virus has become the major vector-borne disease in the U.S., with 770 reported deaths, 20,000 reported illnesses, and perhaps around a million people infected.

1 Mar 2006

Bird flu will soon be worldwide

Reports that bird flu has now been found in a cat in Germany has served to further fuel the panic spreading across Europe regarding the deadly virus.

1 Mar 2006

Russia sets up HQ to fight bird flu

The Russian government say it will set up a headquarters to combat the bird flu epidemic.

28 Feb 2006

As far as bird flu goes we are in danger - but only of overreacting!

According to an official from the World Animal Health Organisation (WHO), banning imports of poultry from bird flu-affected areas is overreacting to the bird flu situation.

28 Feb 2006

Is persistent bacterial infection good for your health?

Bacteria are bad. Mothers and doctors, not to mention the cleaning product industry, repeatedly warn of their dangers. But a Stanford University School of Medicine microbiologist is raising the intriguing idea that persistent bacterial and viral infections have benefits.

27 Feb 2006

French vaccinate millions of free range birds as farm becomes first victim of bird flu

A farm in eastern France has become the first domestic victim of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the European Union.

27 Feb 2006

Baxter and Chiron awarded UK gov contract for H5N1 vaccine

UK Health Minister, Rosie Winterton has announced the award of contracts to Baxter and Chiron for supplies of around 3.5 million doses of H5N1 vaccine.

24 Feb 2006

Australian researchers design portable diagnostic system to identify bird flu in a human sample within 2 hours

Avian Influenza (commonly known as bird flu) poses a serious threat to global health with experts predicting it could seriously affect millions of people worldwide.

24 Feb 2006

Australia boost preparedness for Avian Influenza

Australia's preparedness for a potential Avian Influenza pandemic will be boosted by four new projects at The Australian National University (ANU), funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

24 Feb 2006

Research highlights importance of detecting anthrax early

When spores sent through the mail in 2001 caused 11 people to contract anthrax - ultimately killing five of them - infectious disease specialists noted that the death rate was substantially lower than the historical mortality rate, which approached 100 percent.

24 Feb 2006