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Moderna's flu + Covid jab produces "higher immune response" than two separate shots

Our long-term fight against viruses continues — but we're getting new weapons.

Researchers zero in on why older people are more vulnerable to influenza -- and maybe other infections as well

One of our bodies' natural defensive processes may be to blame.

China confirms first human case of H3N8 bird flu strain

Oh no, not this again.

Discovery of a new target promises a long-lasting, universal flu vaccine

The annual flu shot might become a thing of the past.

Pfizer begins human trials of an mRNA-based flu vaccine

It's a similar technology to the one behind the compoany's Covid-19 shot.

Influenza vaccine could also help against severe Covid-19 -- but we're not entirely sure why

It's not a huge boost, but it's a significant one.

COVID-19 survivors, even those who weren't very sick, have a 50% greater risk of death

"It is not an exaggeration to say that long COVID-19 is America's next big health crisis," said concerned scientists.

Scientists are 'encouraged' by advanced universal flu vaccine

The vaccine offered "strong" and "durable" protection in early-stage clinical trials.

Scientists are working on a biosensor that detects COVID-19 and the flu at the same time

The novel testing kit would work with only a saliva sample.

The more we look at COVID-19, the less it looks like the flu

The comparisons were ill-suited the first time around, now they are just inane.

New approach neutralizes influenza with modified bacteria predator membranes

The team is currently working on adapting it for use against the coronavirus.

People are less likely to catch common cold if they're already infected with influenza

Understanding how these distinct viruses hinder each other could be useful to improve forecasting models that predict respiratory disease outbreaks and strategies for controlling disease spread.

Diabetes rising worldwide: one in 11 adults affected

Approximately 4.2 million adults will die as a result of diabetes and its complications in 2019

Got a heart condition? High blood pressure? Beware of the flu

People with heart disease are at least six times more likely to have a heart attack after coming down with the flu.

Why are people more likely to get sick or die from flu during winter months?

Low humidity might be what's causing flu outbreaks during the winter.

More evidence showing that flu vaccination lowers risk of death in heart failure patients

Flu vaccines also offer protection against heart failure.

When it comes to influenza -- Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Flu vaccine seems more effective in women; men recover faster from the flu.

Obesity May Also Increase Flu Spread, Not Just Flu Severity

A new study suggests obesity may play an important role in flu transmission.

A lung-healing protein could be the reason why men recover from flu faster than women

Sorry, ladies.

Dog flu might cause the next influeza pandemic

Its pattern of development is strikingly similar to bird flu.

A fiber-rich diet can protect against the flu

The bottom line: eat more fiber.

Scientists identify new Flu H1N2 from a mix of two other influenza viruses

The first case was reported in the Netherlands.

New studies describe a link between influenza and parotitis

Parotitis may be a complication of infection with the influenza virus.

H7N9 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Vaccine Trials Begin

Could we be drawing close to finally defeating this disease?

Far-ultraviolet lamps could eradicate airborne viruses in public spaces -- with no risk to us

It can't go through our skin, but it will wreck viruses and bacteria.

How to spot the difference between a cold and the flu

The viral infections share many symptoms but the flu can be a lot worse. Deadly worse.

The average adult catches a flu only twice a decade

Sick, got the flu? Well, maybe what you think is the flu really isn't the flu... a new study has found that while children catch a flu once every two years on average, the rate goes down significantly in adults - the average adult only gets it once every 5 years.

Universal flu vaccine: now closer than ever

Researchers have identified a new class of antibodies that are capable of neutralizing a wide range of influenza A viruses, a discovery that could potentially lead to a universal flu vaccine. The vaccine would be applied only once an, instead of once every flu season today. Protection against all strains of flue, even mutated ones, would be assured for life according to scientists at McMaster and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

A third of Americans think antibiotics cure the flu

A lot of Americans seem to be confused about what are antibiotics and what they're good for. According to a YouGov survey (full results), a third of American correspondents replied that antibiotics can cure the flu, while a third also thought that vaccines can give you the flu. It goes without saying that this is false. The findings suggest an over prevalence of thought that antibiotics are "good for everything", an abuse that might cost public health dearly.

Vaccination starts with pregnancy, for everyone's good health

The most important message mommies are missing is that pregnant women and their babies need vaccines to stay healthy, according to Saad Omer, a researcher the Royal Society for Public Health.

This protein makes you sleepy with the flu, but helps speed recovery

When the flu hits, an unmistakable feeling of drowsiness sinks in. Washington State University Spokane scientists have now found a specific protein that is uniquely involved in sleep responses triggered by the influenza virus in mice. They found that the protein boosts the healing power of sleep and helps recovery. The researchers speculate that it might be possible to develop treatments based on it that might speed up recovery even more.

Members of a previously uncontacted Amazonian tribe become infected with influenza

A few months ago, I reported how Google is using its drones and Google Earth technology to monitor an uncontacted Amazonian tribe. Now, there’s convincing evidence that the same tribe has come in contact with non-indigenous locals, then with western researchers in the most unfortunate of circumstances. One, the contact was initiated by criminals operating illegal […]

New bird flu infects Antarctic penguins

It’s so cold even penguins get the flu in the Antarctic. Seriously, researchers report in a paper published in the journal mBio how they identified a new strain of influenza that infects Adelie penguins which breed in huge colonies on the rocky Antarctic Peninsula. The virus itself seems to be dormant as the penguins don’t exhibit any visible flu […]

Two children have a gene mutation which protects them from many viruses, including influenza, hepatitis C and HIV

A new study on which a swarm of scientists worked on showed that two children (an 11 year old boy and a 6 year old girl)  have a mutation which greatly reduces viral replication in HIV, dengue fever, herpes simplex virus type 2 infection, and hepatitis C – effectively protecting them from the viruses. The two […]

Over 70% of sea otters have H1N1 swine flu, and researchers don't know how they got it

Sea otters have entered a select, but unfortunate club: they joined the ranks of ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, horses  elephant seals and humans – all of which can contact the influenza. According to a new study conducted by the US Geological Survey and the CDC, sea otters living in a remote area in Washington state were found to […]

Flu’s coming, but which kind?

The beginning of autumn brings cold weather, and with it, another type of flu. We here at ZME have already all gone down with a bad case of the flu, and of course, we’re not nearly the only ones. Each year seems to bring the threat of a new flu virus; first it was the […]

Scientists Discover Blueprint for (almost) Universal Flu Vaccine

It may not seem like it, but the influenza (flu) virus is one of the most dangerous in the world due to the speed with which it evolves – each year, several new strains appear, making existing vaccines (and sometimes treatments) obsolete. The bird and swine influenza are just two examples of recent outbursts caused […]

Got the flu? Tweet it!

The flu season has started, and it promises to be one of the worst in years; so far, over 2.200 people have been hospitalized due to influenza related issues just in the US. For example, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a citywide public health emergency, with some 700 declared influenza cases – 10 times more […]

Avian flu jumps from birds to mammals, killing New England baby seals

A novel avian influenza virus has developed the ability to infect aquatic mammals and is responsible for an outbreak of fatal pneumonia that recently struck harbor seals in New England. The announcement was made by researchers from the Center for Infection & Immunity (CII) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the National Oceanic […]

Dutch researcher created super-influenza, with the capacity of killing billions

A Dutch researcher has created a virus so deadly that it has the potential to wipe out half of the world’s population. Now, researchers and experts seem to consider that this research is so dangerous it shouldn’t even be published; there are voices which state this shouldn’t even have happened. The virus in case is […]

The swine flu - now a pademic

The swine influenza is now, officially, the 4th flu pandemic in the last 100 years. Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organization made an official move and declared the first global influenza pandemic in the last 40 years, for the A(H1N1) virus. However, it’s still unknown if this decision will actually change something […]

Researchers find out why swine flu is harder on some than others

Despite the fact that some researchers claim the swine flu is already declining, we are still on the verge of a pandemic that threatens to spiral out of control if we don’t take action. However, the major problem was to understand the virus, because there are still many things we have yet to find out […]