Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Smartphone virus scanner could help tackle the spread of diseases

The current leading method to assess the presence of viruses and other biological markers of disease is effective but large and expensive. It is prohibitively difficult for use in many situations, especially due to certain economic and geographic factors.

31 Jul 2019

Scientists discover lung cell that can hustle to repair its damaged DNA and survive influenza

Scientists at Duke University have identified one kind of lung cell that can hustle to repair its damaged DNA and survive an attack of the influenza A virus while other kinds of cells around it die in droves.

30 Jul 2019

Researchers discover SIGN-R1 molecule that recognizes multiple variants of influenza

A team of researchers from the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, affiliated to USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland) have discovered and identified a molecule - SIGN-R1 - capable of recognizing the multiple variants of influenza and consequently 'directing' the immune response in individuals affected by the disease.

30 Jul 2019

Heart disease is still the number 1 killer in Australia, according to latest figures

The latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that heart disease and heart attacks are still the most common causes of death.

17 Jul 2019

Women's greater immune response to flu vaccine declines with age

Women tend to have a greater immune response to a flu vaccination compared to men, but their advantage largely disappears as they age and their estrogen levels decline, suggests a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

17 Jul 2019

Nanotechnology-based compound used to deliver hepatitis B vaccine

Nanotechnology-based compounds are now being tested as a possible delivery vehicle for vaccines. A team of researchers demonstrated how the oral delivery vehicle SBA-15, one such nanotechnology-based compound can deliver an oral vaccine against hepatitis B to the immune system.

11 Jul 2019

Australia leads the world in childhood immunization coverage

Even as Australia reels under a deadly flu season, some solace may be found in the fact that almost 95% of of five-year-old Australian children are almost completely immunized against deadly childhood diseases, according to the latest report.

8 Jul 2019

Number of fully-immunized Australian kids hits record high

New data for the March quarter in 2019 revealed the immunization rates for all five-year-old children in the country increased to 94.78 percent from the previous record of 94.67 percent in December 2018.

7 Jul 2019

Researchers study the role of nasal ecosystem and viral infection on pneumococcal acquisition

Researchers at LSTM, along with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh and the University Medical Center Utrecht have looked at the impact of the natural microbial flora or microbiota in the nose and viral co-infection on pneumococcal acquisition in healthy adults.

5 Jul 2019

Antibiotics can wipe out early flu resistance, study finds

Antibiotics can leave the lung vulnerable to flu viruses, leading to significantly worse infections and symptoms, finds a new study in mice led by the Francis Crick Institute.

From The Francis Crick Institute 2 Jul 2019

Georgia State researcher wins $3.26 million federal grant to develop universal flu vaccine

Influenza remains a major public health risk, and Dr. Baozhong Wang, associate professor in Georgia State University's Institute for Biomedical Sciences, has received a five-year, $3.26 million federal grant to combat this threat by developing a universal vaccine that offers more protection against influenza than seasonal vaccines.

2 Jul 2019

More effective flu vaccine begins clinical trials across the U.S.

A more effective seasonal flu vaccine is about to be tested in clinical trials across the US.

1 Jul 2019

Comprehensive gene activity database could significantly reduce animal use

A comprehensive database of gene activity in mice across ten disease models, which could significantly reduce animal use worldwide, has been developed by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, which gives a full picture of the immune response to different pathogens.

29 Jun 2019

FDA approves first drug for treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Soliris (eculizumab) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder in adult patients who are anti-aquaporin-4 antibody positive.

27 Jun 2019

How black pharmacists are closing the cultural gap in health care

After a health insurance change forced Bernard Macon to cut ties with his black doctor, he struggled to find another African American physician online. Then, he realized two health advocates were hiding in plain sight.

27 Jun 2019

Measles vaccination associated with health, schooling benefits among children

While the measles vaccine has eliminated the virus in many high-income countries, the global burden of disease persists with an estimated 245,000 measles cases and 68,000 measles-associated deaths worldwide in 2016.

21 Jun 2019

Many healthcare workers often care for patients while sick, study finds

Large numbers of healthcare workers risk transmitting respiratory viruses to patients and co-workers by attending work even when they have symptoms, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

18 Jun 2019