Breaking News: Influenza

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Released: 4-Oct-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Health Tip: Flu Season Is Beginning Already
University of the Sciences

October marks the start of flu season. Should you get ahead of the falling temperatures and get vaccinated this year? Absolutely, says Stacey A. Gorski, PhD, a biology professor who specializes in immunology and vaccinology at University of the Sciences.“Vaccinations should help contain the spread of the disease and keep people healthy through the holiday season and throughout the winter,” said Gorski.

Released: 3-Oct-2016 8:30 AM EDT
Should Adults Get Flu Shots?
Wake Forest University

There’s no clear prescription for how to effectively encourage adults to hit the flu clinic, but data and pamphlets aren't working. New research recommends a more personal approach.

Released: 29-Sep-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Parents Cite Lack of Need as Reason for Not Getting Kids Flu Shots
Elsevier BV

Despite the fact that influenza leads to more hospitalizations and deaths among children than any other vaccine-preventable disease, parents frequently decline vaccinating their children against influenza because they don’t perceive the need, according to a new case-control study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Released: 21-Sep-2016 3:05 PM EDT
Progesterone Promotes Healing in the Lung After a Bout of Flu
PLOS

Over 100 million women are on hormonal contraceptives. All of them contain some form of progesterone, either alone or in combination with estrogen. A study published on Sept. 15th in PLOS Pathogens reports that treatment with progesterone protects female mice against the consequences of influenza infection by reducing inflammation and improving pulmonary function, primarily through upregulation of amphiregulin in lung cells.

Released: 22-Aug-2016 5:05 PM EDT
Vaccine Developed for Devastating Pig Virus
University of Saskatchewan

University of Saskatchewan scientists at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization International Vaccine Centre have developed and tested a prototype vaccine against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) which has so far killed more than eight million pigs and cost more than $400 million in lost income since 2013.

11-Aug-2016 9:00 AM EDT
Flu Nasal Spray Provides Similar Protection Against Influenza as Flu Shot: Study
McMaster University

For the study, The research team conducted a three-year trial in a Hutterite colony, where people live communally and are relatively isolated from cities and towns, to determine whether vaccinating children and adolescents with the flu nasal spray provided better direct and community protection than the standard flu shot.

Released: 28-Jul-2016 8:05 AM EDT
As Hazard Warnings Increase, Experts Urge Better Decisions on Who and When to Warn
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

Effective warnings are a growing need as expanding global populations confront a wide range of hazards, such as a hurricane, wildfire, toxic chemical spill or any other environmental hazard threatens safety.

       
6-Jun-2016 12:00 PM EDT
Antibodies Triggered by Avian Influenza Virus Vaccine Illuminate a New Path Toward a Universal Flu Vaccine
Mount Sinai Health System

Diverse antibodies induced in humans by vaccination with an avian influenza virus vaccine may offer broader, more durable protection against multiple strains of influenza than today’s vaccines typically provide, according to a study

Released: 27-Apr-2016 2:05 PM EDT
Influenza in the Tropics Shows Variable Seasonality
PLOS

Whilst countries in the tropics and subtropics exhibit diverse patterns of seasonal flu activity, they can be grouped into eight geographical zones to optimise vaccine formulation and delivery timing, according to a study published April 27, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Siddhivinayak Hirve from the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and colleagues.

Released: 7-Apr-2016 4:05 PM EDT
Developing Ways to Study Influenza D Virus
South Dakota State University

Researchers have found antibodies to the newly discovered influenza D virus in pigs, cattle, horses, goats and sheep, but not poultry. South Dakota State University doctoral student Chithra Sreenivasan has proven that the guinea pig can be used as an animal model and is developing a way to study the virus in living cells—trachea and lung epithelial cells from swine and cattle.

   
Released: 29-Mar-2016 9:00 AM EDT
UGA, Sanofi Pasteur Develop New Vaccine for H1N1 Influenza
University of Georgia

Researchers at the University of Georgia and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, announced today the development of a vaccine that protects against multiple strains of both seasonal and pandemic H1N1 influenza in mouse models. They published their findings in the Journal of Virology.

11-Mar-2016 10:05 AM EST
St. Jude Research Will Guide Development of New Anti-Influenza Drugs
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have revealed new details about how a promising class of anti-influenza drugs blocks the virus from replicating.

19-Feb-2016 9:05 AM EST
Parents Rate Flu Vaccine Less Important, Effective, Safe Than Other Childhood Vaccines
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Parents who do not get their children flu shots rate flu vaccine less favorably than other childhood vaccines, a national poll finds.

Released: 2-Feb-2016 7:00 AM EST
Flu Tackles Super Bowl Fans
Cornell University

A Cornell University economist and his colleagues have found the geographical areas that have an NFL team advance to the Super Bowl had an 18 percent spike in flu-related deaths among people above the age of 65.

Released: 21-Jan-2016 8:05 AM EST
The Immune System Maintains a Memory of Past Infections by Priming Genes for Future Encounters
University of Birmingham

Our ability to fight off recurrent infections, such as a colds or flu, may lie in the ‘immunological memory’ found in a newly discovered class of gene regulatory elements, according to research from the University of Birmingham, supported by the BBSRC and Bloodwise.

Released: 19-Jan-2016 9:00 AM EST
Estrogen Protective Against Flu Virus in Women but Not Men, Study Suggests
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Estrogen dramatically reduced the amount of flu virus that replicated in infected cells from women but not from men, a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows.

Released: 13-Jan-2016 11:05 AM EST
Safe to Cuddle with Pets While Home with a Cold or Flu, Vanderbilt Infectious Disease Expert Says
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

A Vanderbilt infectious disease expert, while stopping short of actually prescribing in-home “pet therapy” for colds or flu, says that if having your companion by your side makes you feel better, go right ahead. Pets won’t catch or spread human viruses.

Released: 7-Jan-2016 10:05 AM EST
New NDV-H5NX Avian Influenza Vaccine Has Potential for Mass Vaccination of Poultry
Kansas State University

In the course of three months, Kansas State University researchers were able to develop and test a new vaccine that protects chickens and other poultry from multiple strains of avian influenza found in the U.S., including H5N1, H5N2 and H5N8.

8-Dec-2015 6:05 PM EST
Using “Big Data” to Combat Influenza
Sanford Burnham Prebys

Team of scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute among those who combined large genomic and proteomic datasets to identify novel host targets to treat flu

Released: 8-Dec-2015 3:05 PM EST
Less Than Half of U.S. Hospitals Require Flu Shots for Staff, Study Suggests -- Despite Risk to Patients
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Within weeks, flu will start spreading. Multiple national recommendations urge all healthcare workers to get the influenza vaccination, to reduce the chances they will pass the virus on to their patients. But a new study finds that more than half of hospitals still don’t require this.

3-Dec-2015 6:05 PM EST
New Vaccine Strategy Better Protects High-Risk Cancer Patients From Flu
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

Yale Cancer Center researchers have developed a vaccine strategy that reduces the risk of flu infections in cancer patients at highest risk for influenza. The findings were presented Dec. 6 at the 57th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Orlando, Florida.

Released: 23-Nov-2015 9:05 AM EST
Vitamin D Does Not Reduce Colds in Asthma Patients
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Vitamin D supplements do not reduce the number or severity of colds in asthma patients, according to a new study published online ahead of print publication in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Released: 2-Nov-2015 9:05 AM EST
Maglab Research Paves Way for Flu Treatments
Florida State University

Led by Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Tim Cross and his team at the Florida State University-based National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, scientists delved into the complexities of exactly how the flu virus works and why it’s so effective at making people so sick. With a better understanding of how it works, researchers will now be able to turn their attention to creating more effective prescription drugs to fight the flu.

Released: 12-Oct-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Say “Boo!” to the Flu by Getting Vaccinated Before Halloween
Loyola Medicine

Get your flu shot in October for best shot at protection and here's why, says Jorge Parada, MD, infectious disease, Loyola University Health System. Parada explains how the flu serum is formulated and why 2014 was a bad year for the flu.

7-Oct-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Study Finds Significant Decrease in Hospitalization of Older Nursing Home Residents with High Dose Influenza Vaccine
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Researchers found that flu immunizations with four times the strength of standard flu shots significantly reduced the risk of being hospitalized during the influenza season. The group that received the high dose vaccine had a 19.7 percent hospital admission rate versus 20.9 percent in admission for those who received the standard dose vaccine. The findings were presented as a late breaking research presentation on Oct. 10 at the Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting in San Diego.

25-Sep-2015 1:00 PM EDT
Flu Infection Reveals Many Paths to Immune Response
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

A study of influenza infection in animals broadens understanding of the immune response to flu virus, showing that the process is more dynamic than usually described. The findings may offer key insights for developing better vaccines.

Released: 24-Sep-2015 8:05 AM EDT
The Medical Minute: This Year’s Flu Vaccine Expected to Be a ‘Good Match’
Penn State Health

Every year at this time, we hear it's time to get the flu shot. After last year's vaccine missed the mark, how does the Center for Disease Control regain the public's confidence that their predictions will hold up this year? With the facts.

Released: 22-Sep-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Possible Contributor to the Virulence of the 1918 Flu Pandemic Discovered
University of Alabama at Birmingham

UAB researchers have discovered a novel mechanism for one 1918 flu virus protein that may help explain the virulence of that unusually deadly pandemic. That outbreak killed 50 million to 100 million people.

24-Aug-2015 8:05 AM EDT
New Study by TSRI and Janssen Makes Major Advance Toward More Effective, Long-Lasting Flu Vaccine
Scripps Research Institute

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) have found a way to induce antibodies to fight a wide range of influenza subtypes—work that could one day eliminate the need for repeated seasonal flu shots.

Released: 20-Aug-2015 12:05 AM EDT
Animal Trial to Test Promising Vaccine for H1N1
University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)

A new H1N1 vaccine is entering a definitive round of testing this month. Researchers hope to establish its ability to ward off the virus. If tests yield results as expected, hog farmers could begin using the new vaccine as early as the end of the year.

7-Aug-2015 8:30 AM EDT
Could Flu Someday Be Prevented Without a Vaccine?
Ohio State University

Researchers have discovered a way to trigger a preventive response to a flu infection without any help from the usual players – the virus itself or interferon, a powerful infection fighter. The finding suggests that manipulating a natural process could someday be an alternative way to not just reduce flu severity, but prevent infection.

Released: 10-Aug-2015 9:05 AM EDT
Developing a Better Flu Vaccine
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers say they have developed a method that could make a nasal spray flu vaccine effective for those under two and over 49 – two groups for which the vaccine is not approved.

5-Aug-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Internet Programme to Encourage Handwashing Reduces Spread of Cold and Flu Viruses
University of Southampton

A web-based programme to encourage more frequent handwashing reduces the risk of catching and passing on respiratory tract infections to other household members, a randomised trial of more than 16,000 UK households published in The Lancet has found.

Released: 5-Aug-2015 12:05 AM EDT
Viruses Thrive in Big Families, in Sickness and in Health
University of Utah Health

A study led by the University of Utah School of Medicine finds that every child puts a household at increased risk for viral infections. Childless households had infections during 3-4 weeks of the year, while families with six children were infected for 45 weeks. But only half who tested positive reported feeling ill. Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the results can help families and health care providers know when illness should be cause for concern.

17-Jul-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Adjuvants Improve Immune Response to H7N9 Flu Vaccine
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a phase 2 trial that included nearly 1,000 adults, the AS03 and MF59 adjuvants (a component that improves immune response of inactivated influenza vaccines) increased the immune responses to two doses of an inactivated H7N9 influenza vaccine, with AS03-adjuvanted formulations inducing the highest amount of antibody response, according to a study in the July 21 issue of JAMA.

Released: 29-Jun-2015 11:30 AM EDT
Scientists Identify “Decoy” Molecule That Could Help Sharply Reduce Risk of Flu Death
University of Maryland Medical Center

The flu virus can be lethal. But what is often just as dangerous is the body’s own reaction to the invader. Now, a University of Maryland School of Medicine researcher has identified a “decoy” molecule that can rein in this runaway inflammatory response.

23-Jun-2015 12:00 PM EDT
Wistar Scientists Pinpoint Mutations Responsible for Ineffectiveness of 2014-2015 Flu Vaccine
Wistar Institute

Viruses like influenza have the ability to mutate over time, and given that the flu vaccines administered during the 2014-2015 season were largely ineffective at preventing the spread of the flu, it appears the virus that recently circulated had taken on mutations not accounted for when last year’s vaccine was developed. Now, researchers at The Wistar Institute identified specific mutations that influenza recently acquired to escape the current vaccine design.

Released: 16-Jun-2015 2:05 PM EDT
Trending Stories Report for 16 June 2015
Newswise Trends

Trending news releases with the most views in a single day. Topics include: An anonymous donor for cancer research, solar storms and incidences of rheumatoid arthritis, vulnerabilities in genome’s ‘Dimmer Switches’, new treatments for Alzheimer's, How people make decisions for or against flu vaccinations.

       
Released: 15-Jun-2015 4:05 PM EDT
Personal Experience a Major Driver in Decision for or Against Flu Vaccination
University of Georgia

Convincing someone to receive the annual flu vaccine goes beyond clever messaging and well-written public service announcements, University of Georgia research finds. The study, led by UGA’s Glen Nowak, outlines both the barriers and facilitators that motivate people in their flu vaccine decisions.

Released: 8-Jun-2015 11:00 AM EDT
Virus Evolution and Human Behavior Shape Global Patterns of Flu Movement
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

The global movement patterns of all four seasonal influenza viruses are illustrated in research published today in the journal Nature, providing a detailed account of country-to-country virus spread over the last decade and revealing unexpected differences in circulation patterns between viruses.

Released: 22-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
First Case in Texas: Four Ways to Protect Against West Nile Virus from Dr. Ross Tobleman
Baylor Scott and White Health

Follow the "four Ds" to prevent infection and decrease the spread of West Nile Virus this summer.

Released: 22-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Measles-Flu Comparison Yields Insights for Vaccine Design
Mount Sinai Health System

By comparing flu viruses to the virus that causes measles, researchers fine-tuned a tool that may enable faster vaccine design.

Released: 22-May-2015 10:05 AM EDT
Vaccines Developed for H5N1, H7N9 Avian Influenza Strains
Kansas State University

Researchers have developed vaccines for H5N1 and H7N9, two new strains of avian influenza that can be transmitted from poultry to humans. The strains have led to the culling of millions of commercial chickens and turkeys as well as the death of hundreds of people.

Released: 28-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
NIH Awards SLU Contract to Study Universal Flu Vaccine
Saint Louis University Medical Center

SLU researchers are investigating a new vaccine approach that could be an important step in ending the need for annual flu shots.

Released: 27-Apr-2015 11:05 AM EDT
Veterinarians, Diagnostic Lab Prepared for Dog Flu
South Dakota State University

The new strain of flu that affected more than 1,000 dogs in Chicago has not yet spread to South Dakota, but South Dakota State University veterinarians advise owners to be vigilant. To test for the virus, veterinarians will swab the animal's nose and throat and send the samples to the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at SDSU, which typically processes them the same day they are received.



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