Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

Latest Cold, Flu & Cough News and Research

European electrosurgical devices - market analysis

Heightened awareness among both electrosurgical device companies and consumers about the potential spread of communicable diseases during surgery is encouraging the uptake of disposable electrosurgical devices.

16 Feb 2006

More wild birds threatened with slaughter as bird flu spreads across Europe

German officials have confirmed that two swans found on a beach on the Baltic island of Rugen have tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

16 Feb 2006

Almost half of heart attacks are not recognised

According to Dutch researchers almost fifty percent of heart attacks are not recognised as such.

14 Feb 2006

Nigeria struggling to cope with bird flu and more scares in Europe

The lethal strain of H5N1 bird flu has now reached Nigeria and there is concern as officials there in their efforts to prevent any human infections are having difficulty convincing many poor people not to eat dead poultry.

14 Feb 2006

Control interventions crucial for stopping the spread of bird flu in Africa

The outbreak of the deadly Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus (H5N1) in Nigeria confirms the fears expressed by FAO for quite some time that African countries are facing a high risk of becoming infected by the virus.

13 Feb 2006

African countries should step up surveillance and border controls for bird flu

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus often spreads through the movement of affected birds, FAO/World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.

13 Feb 2006

Researchers unmask secrets of a tiny virus that infects bacteria

Using powerful computer tools and cryo-electron microscopes, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine unmasked the secrets of a tiny virus that infects bacteria and, in doing so, opened the door to a better understanding of a variety of viruses that infect people and animals.

13 Feb 2006

Asthmatic children in multi-family housing hit by pollutant byproduct of gas stoves

Children with asthma living in multi-family housing who are exposed to certain levels of indoor nitrogen dioxide, a poisonous pollutant byproduct of gas stoves and unvented heaters, are more likely to experience wheeze, persistent cough, shortness of breath and chest tightness.

12 Feb 2006

National childhood flu-vaccine programs should include evaluation component

If the United States were to launch an annual influenza-vaccination program among the nation's school children, resources also should go to evaluate the program's success in reducing community-wide flu transmission, according to a "Policy Forum" editorial in Science authored by researchers based at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

12 Feb 2006

Bird flu found in wild birds in Greece, Italy and Bulgaria

According to European officials, the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has been found in wild birds in Italy and Greece, and in Bulgaria.

12 Feb 2006

Discovery of the molecular mechanism that inhibits HCV replication in vitro

Since its discovery several decades ago, the insidious human pathogen has stymied the quest for anti-viral therapies by refusing to reproduce in test tubes for more than a few hours or days, denying scientists an efficient virus production and infection system for experimental research.

7 Feb 2006

Sanofi pasteur delivers more H5N1 vaccines to U.S. Government

Sanofi pasteur has delivered more H5N1 vaccine to the U.S. government including investigational doses formulated with an adjuvant.

7 Feb 2006

New technology for accelerating development of vaccines against H5N1 flu

Technology that enables scientists to identify targets for the development of vaccines against viruses such as H5N1 in weeks rather than months has entered a pilot study at ProImmune, Oxford, UK.

7 Feb 2006

FDA grants fast track status for ViroPharma's Maribavir

ViroPharma Incorporated has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation for maribavir, an oral antiviral drug candidate for the prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in allogeneic bone marrow (stem cell) and solid organ transplant patients.

7 Feb 2006

Two-drug treatment could help asthma and chronic bronchitis sufferers

Current treatments for asthma and chronic bronchitis aren't able to address the ultimate source of the problem--they can only alleviate symptoms.

7 Feb 2006

Babies fully breastfed for six months less likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses

Babies fully breastfed for six months are less likely to suffer from respiratory illnesses in their first two years than babies fully breastfed for only four months, according to research conducted by investigators at UC Davis Children's Hospital, the University of Rochester and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Center for Child Health Research.

7 Feb 2006

Doctors' conscience has little place in the delivery of modern medical care

A doctor's conscience should not be allowed to interfere with medical care, argues an ethics expert in the British Medical Journal.

7 Feb 2006

Patients checking into a top rated hospital have a 27 percent lower chance of mortality

Patients checking into a hospital rated in the top five percent in the country have, on average, a 27 percent lower chance of mortality and a 14 percent lower risk of complications, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings company.

7 Feb 2006

Kegel exercises reduce urinary incontinence in women

Women suffering from urinary incontinence can benefit from pelvic floor muscle training, commonly known as Kegel exercises, according to a new review of studies.

5 Feb 2006

Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections

Copper could help prevent the spread of flu infections. Recent research at the University of Southampton shows that the Influenza A virus is virtually eradicated within six hours on copper surfaces.

2 Feb 2006