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

New antibody pair could defeat all SARS-CoV-2 variants

A Stanford-led team has found two antibodies that can work together to defeat all SARS-CoV-2 variants. More research is needed, but the approach could help in the development of treatments to keep pace with evolving viruses.

6 Mar 2025

Smartwatches could be a powerful tool to prevent future pandemics

Everyday smartwatches are extremely accurate in detecting viral infection long before symptoms appear - now, research shows how they could help stop a pandemic before it even begins.

4 Mar 2025

Atlantia Clinical Trials: Investigating the interrelation of microbiology and immunology

To be decided by the editor

From Atlantia Clinical Trials 28 Feb 2025

Trained immunity may exacerbate inflammatory bone loss disorders

Clinical research has long focused on ways to harness the actions of the immune system. From vaccines to immunotherapies, researchers have used their knowledge of the immune system to develop therapies to treat or prevent diseases from influenza to autoimmune disease and cancer.

27 Feb 2025

Air sampling detects 70–90% of poultry viruses and reveals 50 more hidden threats

Researchers found that environmental sampling in live-bird markets detects 70–90% of poultry viruses, often outperforming traditional swab methods, and identified 50 additional viruses, some from non-avian sources.

26 Feb 2025

Discovery of new bat flu strain with potential to infect other species

Scientists have identified a novel influenza A virus (H18N12) in fishing bats in the Colombian Caribbean, revealing genetic reassortment events that impact viral adaptability and host transmission.

25 Feb 2025

Can AI predict the next pandemic? A new study says yes

Researchers explore how artificial intelligence is transforming infectious disease modeling

25 Feb 2025

Study finds strong evidence that bird flu spreads through the air between farms

Researchers provided genetic and meteorological evidence suggesting that windborne transmission of HPAI H5N1 over 8 km is possible, highlighting its role in poultry farm outbreaks.

24 Feb 2025

Machine learning algorithm decodes immune system’s hidden data for disease detection

Your immune system harbors a lifetime's worth of information about threats it's encountered - a biological Rolodex of baddies.

24 Feb 2025

Zika virus hijacks tunneling mechanism to infect placental cells

Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy can lead to neurological disorders, fetal abnormalities and fetal death. Until now, how the virus manages to cross the placenta, which nurtures the developing fetus and forms a strong barrier against microbes and chemicals that could harm the fetus, has not been clear.

22 Feb 2025

Fungal component may protect against flu-related lung damage

A component found in all fungi may provide a shield against flu-related lung damage, according to a new study.

18 Feb 2025

Urgent CDC data and analyses on influenza and bird flu go missing as outbreaks escalate

Sonya Stokes, an emergency room physician in the San Francisco Bay Area, braces herself for a daily deluge of patients sick with coughs, soreness, fevers, vomiting, and other flu-like symptoms.

14 Feb 2025

Flu-related neurologic events pose greater risk for children with pre-existing neurologic conditions

Many clinicians do not consider neurologic complications of the flu when discussing vaccination or treatment of influenza with families.

13 Feb 2025

The growing list of human viruses: Are we prepared for the next outbreak?

Researchers review the ever-growing list of human viruses, examining their diversity, transmission pathways, and the urgent need for prevention and global surveillance.

12 Feb 2025

Temperature and rainfall found to drive dengue fever dynamics globally

The research team led by KIM Jae Kyoung, Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at KAIST and Chief Investigator of the Biomedical Mathematics Group at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), has unveiled new insights into how weather influences the spread of dengue fever.

12 Feb 2025

New project aims to measure nicotine use through sewage

University of California, Merced's Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center has embarked on an innovative partnership with researchers at the university who track an entire community's health and habits with samples of human sewage.

11 Feb 2025

Single dose of antibody shields macaques from severe H5N1 influenza

National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and their colleagues report that a single dose of a broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) administered prior to virus exposure protects macaques from severe H5N1 avian influenza.

11 Feb 2025

Influenza A virus changes shape to evade immune responses

Influenza A virus particles strategically adapt their shape-to become either spheres or larger filaments-to favor their ability to infect cells depending on environmental conditions, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists.

10 Feb 2025

House cats with bird flu could pose a risk to public health

More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 — generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.

10 Feb 2025

AIM Vaccine submits mRNA RSV vaccine for FDA clinical trials

AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd., a leading PRC vaccine company, announced today that its independently developed mRNA RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine has recently been submitted for clinical trials to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

10 Feb 2025