Influenza

Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Types of Influenza

Influenza is caused by three types of RNA viruses called influenza types A, B and C, which all belong to the family Orthomyxoviridae.

Influenza Immunization

Influenza Epidemiology

Influenza Prognosis

Influenza Symptoms

Influenza Treatments

Influenza Pandemics

Influenza Research

Influenza Infection in Animals

Should I get the Flu Shot?

Latest Influenza News and Research

DNA-based nanorobotic hand could block viruses and enable rapid diagnostics

A tiny, four-fingered "hand" folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.

27 Nov 2024

A toddler got a nasal swab test but left before seeing a doctor. The bill was $445.

Ryan Wettstein Nauman was inconsolable one evening last December. After being put down for bed, the 3-year-old from Peoria, Illinois, just kept crying and crying and crying, and nothing would calm her down.

27 Nov 2024

Researchers explore the power of podcasts in fighting infectious disease misinformation

With legacy media cutting staff in the face of unprecedented financial challenges and critical science and health information scattered among unfamiliar digital platforms, how can people keep up with medical issues that might affect them?

27 Nov 2024

WHO and partners announce grants to boost pathogen genomic surveillance

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners announced 10 projects that will receive almost US$ 2 million in grants to improve capacities in pathogen genomic surveillance.

26 Nov 2024

Advanced diagnostic kit developed for detecting highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus

The Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD Hub), a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan, and the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR BII), has successfully developed Steadfast, an advanced diagnostic kit for detecting the highly pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV).

22 Nov 2024

Cigarette smoke can induce disordered oropharyngeal microbiota that aggravates flu severity

New research has shown that cigarette smoke can induce disordered oropharyngeal microbiota that aggravates the severity of influenza A virus infection.

20 Nov 2024

Electronic nudges boost flu vaccination rates among heart attack survivors

An electronic letter, or nudge, highlighting the cardiovascular benefits of influenza vaccines improved vaccination rates among more than 2 million adults—with a greater impact on those who have had a heart attack—across three clinical trials spanning the most-recent, two consecutive influenza seasons in Denmark.

18 Nov 2024

New insights into how IFITM3 protein protects against severe flu

Researchers have identified new roles for a protein long known to protect against severe flu infection – among them, raising the minimum number of viral particles needed to cause sickness.

15 Nov 2024

FasL inhibitor speeds recovery and reduces mortality in severe COVID-19 patients

A new clinical study shows that an inhibitor of Fas ligand (FasL), also called CD95 ligand (CD95L), led to a faster recovery of COVID-19 patients and reduced mortality.

14 Nov 2024

HEPA air purifiers fall short in cutting respiratory infections in aged-care facilities

Research on HEPA-14 air purifiers in aged care reveals no significant impact on respiratory infections, though initial phase results suggest potential benefits.

13 Nov 2024

Inequities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage for older adults highlighted in global study

Researchers provide a global overview of COVID-19 vaccination programs among the elderly.

13 Nov 2024

Next-generation metagenomic sequencing test quickly detects any kind of pathogen

Next-generation metagenomic sequencing test developed at UCSF proves its effectiveness in quickly diagnosing almost any kind of pathogen.

12 Nov 2024

Limited impact of prenatal COVID-19 exposure on child neurodevelopmental outcomes

Research shows prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 linked to slight regulatory behavior improvements in infants, but no significant neurodevelopmental impacts.

12 Nov 2024

Seasonal influenza adapted and evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although travel restrictions and social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic global drop in seasonal influenza cases, certain influenza lineages in specific regions kept the virus circulating and evolving, according to a new study.

7 Nov 2024

Study reveals how COVID-19 affected the spread and evolution of seasonal influenza

Seasonal influenza epidemics impose substantial burdens on healthcare systems and cause >5 million hospitalizations of adults each year.

7 Nov 2024

WHO study names top pathogens in need of new vaccines

A new World Health Organization (WHO) study published today in eBioMedicine names 17 pathogens that regularly cause diseases in communities as top priorities for new vaccine development.

5 Nov 2024

New study uses internet data to map seasonal allergy patterns across the US

Internet-derived data and AI enhance seasonal allergy predictions, revealing patterns and regional variations crucial for public health management in the U.S.

30 Oct 2024

Unraveling the mechanism of Shufeng Jiedu Capsules in influenza treatment

Shufeng Jiedu Capsules (SFJD), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation, are widely used in the clinical treatment of influenza, yet their mechanism of action remains unclear.

29 Oct 2024

Genetic marker could revolutionize neonatal sepsis diagnosis

A genetic signature in newborns can predict neonatal sepsis before symptoms even start to show, according to a new study.

29 Oct 2024

Research identifies respiratory transmission potential of H5N1 virus

A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, isolated from the eye of a farm worker who became infected through contact with dairy cows, was lethal in mice and ferrets infected in a high-containment laboratory environment, according to a new study in Nature.

28 Oct 2024