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Study reveals new, potent way to boost immunity and fight viruses

Study reveals new, potent way to boost immunity and fight viruses

Findings aid antiviral drug discovery Many viral infections, such as the common cold, cause mild illnesses that the body’s immune system eventually defeats. But when viruses cause severe disease, doctors have few options for effective treatment. Studying mice with a variety of viral infections, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have […]

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Key studies from Nottingham central to major flu drug report

Key studies from Nottingham central to major flu drug report

A major new national report into the use of antiviral drugs (neuraminidase inhibitors) to treat and prevent influenza has drawn heavily on two pieces of research undertaken at The University of Nottingham. The landmark report, published by the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Wellcome Trust, concludes that anti-viral drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) were […]

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Role of breast cell infection in flu transmission between mothers and breast-feeding ferrets

Role of breast cell infection in flu transmission between mothers and breast-feeding ferrets

Influenza is known as an infectious respiratory disease, but a study published on October 8th in PLOS Pathogens suggests that infected cells in breast tissues could play a role in virus transmission from mothers to breast-feeding infants and vice versa using a ferret model. Alyson Kelvin, from the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada, and colleagues […]

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Latest technology could help curb repeat Ebola crisis, experts say

Latest technology could help curb repeat Ebola crisis, experts say

Recent developments in surveillance technology could enable a swifter, more effective response to potentially deadly outbreaks of disease, a study has found. The Ebola crisis has highlighted a need to bolster global surveillance and enhance the capability to react appropriately to further outbreaks, experts say. This should include making use of modern technologies for detecting […]

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Study backs flu vaccinations for elderly

Study backs flu vaccinations for elderly

A new study of the records of millions of nursing home residents affirms the value of influenza vaccination among the elderly. The Brown University analysis found that between 2000 and 2009, the better matched the vaccine was for the influenza strain going around, the fewer nursing home residents died or were hospitalized. Although flu vaccination […]

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School vacations and humidity linked to multiple waves of influenza in Mexico during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

School vacations and humidity linked to multiple waves of influenza in Mexico during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic

Scientists studying the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic have found that the inconsistent regional timing of pandemic waves in Mexico was the result of interactions between school breaks and regional variations in humidity. The research published in PLOS Computational Biology, led by Dr. James Tamerius at the University of Iowa and Dr. Gerardo Chowell at Georgia […]

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Virus evolution and human behavior shape global patterns of flu movement

Virus evolution and human behavior shape global patterns of flu movement

The global movement patterns of all four seasonal influenza viruses are illustrated in research published June 8 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. In the study, an international team of researchers led by the University of […]

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Confidence in government linked to willingness to vaccinate

Confidence in government linked to willingness to vaccinate

Study looked at 2009 swine flu vaccine use in United States A new study suggests that confidence in government may play a key role in the public’s willingness to get at least some vaccines. The study re-analyzed national survey data from 2009 that examined Americans’ views on a then-new vaccine for the H1N1 virus – […]

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Brain protein found to aid influenza recovery

Brain protein found to aid influenza recovery

Washington State University Spokane scientists have found a brain protein that boosts the healing power of sleep and speeds an animal’s recovery from the flu. Research by WSU Regents Professor James M. Krueger has determined that a brain-specific protein is uniquely involved in sleep responses triggered by the influenza virus in mice. Without the protein, […]