http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/influenza/ Read current news and medical research on influenza A, influenza B, including symptoms, vaccines and treatments for flu viruses. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/influenza/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522134946.htm Getting a flu shot during pregnancy provides unanticipated benefits to the baby, according to the authors of a large population-based study examining the issue. Specifically, the study showed that H1N1 vaccination during the pandemic was associated with a significantly reduced risk of stillbirth, preterm birth and extremely small babies at birth. Tue, 22 May 2012 13:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120522134946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521163745.htm The pandemic 2009 H1N1 vaccine can generate antibodies in vaccinated individuals not only against the H1N1 virus, but also against other influenza virus strains including H5N1 and H3N2. This discovery adds an important new dimension to the finding last year that people infected with pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus produced high levels of antibodies that were broadly cross-reactive against a variety of flu strains. Mon, 21 May 2012 16:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521163745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517143508.htm Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth, according to new research. And babies with a better innate response to viruses have fewer respiratory illnesses in the first year of life. Thu, 17 May 2012 14:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517143508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514104949.htm Researchers are developing a way to 'barcode' viral diseases to rapidly test new outbreaks for potentially lethal mutations. Mon, 14 May 2012 10:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514104949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508103927.htm Researchers have found a potential way to develop universal flu vaccines and eliminate the need for seasonal flu vaccinations. Tue, 08 May 2012 10:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508103927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120506101543.htm For a virus like influenza, the key to success isn't in overpowering the immune system, it's in tricking it. Scientists have now identified a novel mechanism by which influenza viruses hijack key regulators of the human body's normal antiviral response in order to slip by it undetected. The results they describe have major implications for our understanding of the biology of the seasonal influenza virus and its pathogenesis. The research also suggests a possible target for a new class of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Sun, 06 May 2012 10:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120506101543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502143852.htm After a marathon debate over a pair of studies that show how the avian H5N1 influenza virus could become transmissible in mammals, and an unprecedented recommendation by a government review panel to block publication, one of the studies was finally and fully published on May 3, 2012. Wed, 02 May 2012 14:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502143852.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120411102715.htm When swine flu struck Sweden in 2009, it was clear that certain age groups were more vulnerable than others. An epidemiologist is now planning to study immunity against influenza in children. Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:27:27 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120411102715.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120403193735.htm An intranasal vaccine that includes four weakened strains of influenza could do a better job in protecting children from the flu than current vaccines, new research shows. Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120403193735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120329101804.htm Researchers have identified a number of tiny but powerful "genetic regulators" that are hijacked by avian and swine flu viruses during human infection. Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120329101804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120327124858.htm Researchers have developed a rapid, low-cost, accurate, point-of-care device that matches the accuracy of expensive and time-consuming lab-based tests to diagnose influenza. Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120327124858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120325173138.htm A genetic finding could help explain why influenza becomes a life-threatening disease to some people while it has only mild effects in others. New research has identified for the first time a human gene that influences how we respond to influenza infection. Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120325173138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320152003.htm In a surprising result, researchers looking at the effects of diet on bowel disease found that mice on a calorie-restricted diet were more likely to die after being infected with an inflammation-causing bacterial pathogen in the colon. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320152003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120306073007.htm In the controversy surrounding the newly developed strains of avian H5N1 flu viruses, scientists and policy makers are struggling with one question in particular: what level of biosafety is best for studying these potentially lethal strains of influenza? Experts now argue their different views of how to safely handle H5N1 flu viruses. Tue, 06 Mar 2012 07:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120306073007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227204725.htm A new study has put the accuracy of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) under the microscope. The meta-analysis of 159 studies showed three key findings: that RIDTs can be used to confirm the flu, but not to rule it out; that test accuracy is higher in children than it is in adults; and that RIDTs are better at detecting the more common influenza A virus than they are at detecting influenza B. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:47:47 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227204725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227111536.htm Scientists have found that an emerging class of long-lasting flu vaccines called "universal" vaccines could for the first time allow for the effective, wide-scale prevention of flu by limiting the virus' ability to spread and mutate. A computational model showed that the vaccines could achieve unprecedented control of the flu virus both seasonally and during outbreaks of highly contagious new strains. Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120227111536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223103918.htm The debate about the potential severity of an outbreak of airborne H5N1 influenza in humans needs to move on from speculation and focus instead on how we can safely continue H5N1 research and share the results among researchers, according to experts. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223103918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206174205.htm Using high-quality data about the incidence of influenza infections in Alberta during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, the researchers show that when schools closed for the summer, the transmission of infection from person to person was sharply reduced. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206174205.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175729.htm Masks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a new study found. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131175729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092748.htm Researchers have identified key peptides that could lead to a universal vaccine for influenza and would activate alternative mechanisms of the immune system. They have discovered a series of peptides, found on the internal structures of influenza viruses that could lead to the development of a universal vaccine for influenza, one that gives people immunity against all strains of the disease, including seasonal, avian, and swine flu. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120131092748.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093649.htm The vaccines of the future against infections, influenza and cancer can be administered using an electrical pulse and a specially produced DNA code, new research suggests. The DNA code programs the body's own cells to produce a super-fast missile defense against the disease, researchers say. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120130093649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127162749.htm Influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it. By first understanding the complex host cell pathways that the flu uses for replication, researchers are finding new strategies for therapies and vaccines, according to a new study. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:27:27 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127162749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224526.htm Researchers have demonstrated how a new virus evolves, shedding light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:45:45 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224311.htm Scientists have engineered a new strain of H5N1 (commonly known as bird flu) to be readily transmitted between humans. Two articles raise concerns about if and how this research should be continued, and how the data should be shared for the benefit of public health. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:43:43 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126224311.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124093132.htm Only about one in five young adults in their late 30s received a flu shot during the 2009-2010 swine flu epidemic, according to a report that details the behavior and attitudes of Generation X. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124093132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152536.htm Researchers have created synthetic nanoparticles that target lymph nodes and greatly boost vaccine responses. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152536.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116154457.htm Worldwide pandemics of influenza caused widespread death and illness in 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009. A new study examining weather patterns around the time of these pandemics finds that each of them was preceded by La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific. Since the La Niña pattern is known to alter the migratory patterns of birds, the scientists theorize that altered migration patterns promote the development of dangerous new strains of influenza. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116154457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134045.htm Promoting immunizations as a part of routine office-based medical practice is needed to improve adult vaccination rates, a highly effective way to curb the spread of diseases across communities, prevent needless illness and deaths, and lower health care costs, according to a new study. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111134045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103904.htm Humans are considered the hosts for spreading epidemics. The speed at which an epidemic spreads is now better understood thanks to a new model accounting for the provincial nature of human mobility, according to a new study. Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120111103904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109155511.htm Monitoring Internet search traffic about influenza may prove to be a better way for hospital emergency rooms to prepare for a surge in sick patients compared to waiting for outdated government flu case reports. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109155511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222152021.htm The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the US population, thanks to new research. Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111222152021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112907.htm Statins, traditionally known as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111216112907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212144238.htm A California hospital raised its employee influenza vaccination rate above 90 percent by shifting from a voluntary vaccination program to one mandating all healthcare workers either get vaccinated or wear a mask at work for the entire flu season (December through March). Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212144238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208101756.htm Scientists have discovered that an antigen common to most influenza viruses, and commonly referred to as matrix protein 2, when administered under the tongue could protect mice against experimental infection caused by various influenza viruses, including the highly pathogenic avian H5 virus and the pandemic H1 virus. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208101756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116192801.htm Vaccinating children annually against influenza virus interferes with their development of cross-reactive killer T cells to flu viruses generally, according to a new study. The research points up potentially conflicting policy outcomes. Annual flu vaccines are effective against seasonal flu, but could leave people more vulnerable to novel pandemics. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111116192801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102125346.htm With flu season just around the corner, scientists are reporting development of a new material for the fiber in face masks, air conditioning filters and air cleaning filters that captures influenza viruses before they can get into people's eyes, noses and mouths and cause infection. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102125346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125812.htm New research has looked at whether social media could be used to track an event or phenomenon, such as flu outbreaks and rainfall rates. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101125812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025091642.htm People carrying extra pounds may need extra protection from influenza. New research shows that obesity may make annual flu shots less effective. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111025091642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005170719.htm Black nursing home residents are less likely than their white counterparts to receive flu shots, even within the same nursing home, a new analysis finds. Overall, vaccinations have yet to reach the 90 percent level sought by Medicare and Medicaid. In most cases patients go unvaccinated because they refuse the shots, suggesting that for some patients, homes may have to improve how they communicate the benefits of the flu vaccine. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:07:07 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005170719.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003195258.htm The immune response to an H5N1 avian influenza vaccine was greatly enhanced in healthy adults if they were first primed with a DNA vaccine expressing a gene for a key H5N1 protein, researchers say. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:52:52 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003195258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151836.htm There's more than one way to mop up after a flu infection. Now, researchers report that a previously unrecognized population of lung immune cells orchestrate the body's repair response following flu infection. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003151836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928190110.htm Soon-to-be released Hollywood film Contagion stars Kate Winslet as a doctor battling the horrors of a global pandemic -- but real-life scientists are urging people to complete a survey to help scientists track how contagious diseases spread in the real world. Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928190110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926083358.htm People with asthma who are admitted to hospital with pandemic influenza H1N1 (swine flu) are half as likely to die or require intensive care than those without asthma, according to new research. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926083358.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926083349.htm A newly tested compound destroys several viruses, including the deadly Spanish flu that killed an estimated 30 million people in the worldwide pandemic of 1918. This lead compound -- which acts by increasing the levels of a human antiviral protein -- could potentially be developed into a new drug to combat the flu, a virus that tends to mutate into strains resistant to anti-influenza drugs. Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110926083349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110923104221.htm Life scientists have discovered the first evidence of the H1N1 virus in animals in Africa. In one village in northern Cameroon, a staggering 89 percent of the pigs studied had been exposed to the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110923104221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922180025.htm Fresh insight into how viruses such as SARS and flu can jump from one species to another may help scientists predict the emergence of diseases in future. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922180025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919171333.htm Many of the people who died from the new strain of H1N1 influenza that broke out in 2009 were suffering from another infection as well: pneumonia. A new study reveals how the two infections, pandemic influenza and pneumonia, interact to make to make a lethal combination. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919171333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919151326.htm Examination of lung tissue and other autopsy material from 68 American soldiers who died of respiratory infections in 1918 has revealed that the influenza virus that eventually killed 50 million people worldwide was circulating in the United States at least four months before the 1918 influenza reached pandemic levels that fall. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919151326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919121800.htm Vaccinating children aged two to four years against seasonal influenza resulted in a 34 percent decline in flu-like illnesses, a new study finds. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919121800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915134410.htm Most of the time, being ill with the flu is little more than a nuisance. Other times, it can spark an exaggerated immune response and turn deadly. Researchers have now traced the origins of this severe immune response -- called a cytokine storm -- to its source. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915134410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915134408.htm Researchers have found a novel mechanism by which certain viruses such as influenza trigger a type of immune reaction that can severely sicken or kill those infected. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915134408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914143641.htm In the new movie "Contagion," fictional health experts scramble to get ahead of a flu-like pandemic as a drug-resistant virus quickly spreads, killing millions of people within days after they contract the illness. Although the film isn't based entirely on reality, it's not exactly science fiction, either. In a new study, researchers explain how seasonal H1N1 influenza became resistant to oseltamivir, otherwise known as Tamiflu, the most widely used antiviral agent for treating and preventing flu. The scientists say that a combination of genetic mutations and human migration through air travel can lead to the rapid global spread of drug-resistant strains. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914143641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912143449.htm Higher flu vaccination rates for health care personnel can dramatically reduce the threat of flu outbreak among nursing home residents, according to a new study. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912143449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901163927.htm How does our remarkable immune system retain the ability to defend against viruses previously encountered? While antibodies persist in our blood for only a few short weeks, our bodies retain the cells that make specific, successful antibodies for decades. Researchers have determined the protein signals that keep the memory of old viruses alive, findings that may aid in creating better, more effective vaccines. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110901163927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093927.htm Immunizations, including a yearly flu vaccine, are the best way to protect children from life-threatening pneumonia, according to new guidelines. Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110831093927.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830082259.htm PiggyDemic, an application developed by researchers in Israel, allows Facebook users to "infect" their friends with a simulated virus or become infected themselves. This will allow researchers to gather information on how a virus mutates, spreads through human interaction, and the number of people it infects. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110830082259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825172457.htm Why do some folks who take every precaution still get the flu, while others never even get the sniffles? It comes down to a person's immune system response to the flu virus, according to new research. In one of the first known studies of its kind, researchers used genomics to begin to unravel what in our complex genomic data accounts for why some get sick while others don't. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:24:24 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825172457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825135158.htm Researchers have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight seasonal influenza epidemics caused by the common influenza B strain. Their discovery also helps explain how influenza B is limited to humans, and why it cannot be as virulent as A strains that incorporate new genes from influenza viruses that infect other species. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110825135158.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115647.htm A new study shows children's hospitals nationwide are not equipped to handle a major surge of patients in the event of a pandemic. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:56:56 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115159.htm New research may help to explain why live attenuated influenza vaccine, commonly known as FluMist, elicits protection. Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823115159.htm