Copyright 2012 Medical News TodayLatest Health News and Medical News posted throughout the day, every day.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/flu-sars/admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin)editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors)en-us Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241255.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241255.phpClosing elementary and secondary schools can help slow the spread of infectious disease and should be considered as a control measure during pandemic outbreaks, according to a McMaster University led study...Flu / Cold / SARS Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241008.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241008.phpResearchers at the University of Southampton, University of Oxford and Retroscreeen Virology Ltd 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...Flu / Cold / SARS Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241020.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241020.phpMasks and hand hygiene could cut the spread of flu-like symptoms up to 75 percent, a University of Michigan study found...Flu / Cold / SARS Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240915.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240915.phpInfluenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and anti-viral drugs used to treat it...Flu / Cold / SARS Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240934.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240934.phpAfter scientists have engineered a new strain of H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, which is readily transmitted between humans, the Annals of Internal Medicine , the principal journal of the American College of Physicians, has published two perspectives online in advance, in which concerns are raised as to whether or not this research should be continued, and how the data shoul...Flu / Cold / SARS Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240797.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240797.phpA new diagnosis technique developed by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) has succeeded in detecting influenza virus infection in only 40 minutes and with one hundred times the sensitivity of conventional methods...Flu / Cold / SARS Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240722.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240722.phpOnly about one in five young adults in their late 30s received a flu shot during the 2009-2010 swine flu epidemic, according to a University of Michigan report that details the behavior and attitudes of Generation X. But about 65 percent were at least moderately concerned about the flu, and nearly 60 percent said they were following the issue very or moderately closely...Flu / Cold / SARS Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240454.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240454.phpIncomplete availability of data has hampered a thorough assessment of the evidence for using the anti-influenza drug oseltamivir, a Cochrane Review has found...Flu / Cold / SARS Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240477.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240477.php Two years ago, pharmaceutical giant, Roche, promised the BMJ to release key Tamiflu trial data for an independent investigation. However, Roche refuses to provide full access to all its data. According to a new report by the Cochrane Collaboration, Roche's refusal to provide access leaves critical concerns about how the drug works unresolved...Flu / Cold / SARS Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240399.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240399.php US scientists propose that flu pandemics follow La Niña weather conditions in the equatorial Pacific. The conditions alter bird migration patterns and this promotes new strains of flu (migrating birds are known to be primary pools of human influenza virus)...Swine Flu Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240369.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240369.phpWorldwide 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 Nina conditions in the equatorial Pacific...Flu / Cold / SARS Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240162.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240162.phpMonitoring 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...Flu / Cold / SARS Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240018.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/240018.php Battling colds and doing (or pledging to do) more exercise are familiar activities for most of us in January. But different levels of exercise can actually significantly increase or decrease your chances of catching a respiratory infection, says Professor Mike Gleeson from Loughborough University...Sports Medicine / Fitness Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239657.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239657.php The flu shot, typically the first line of defense against seasonal influenza, could better treat the U.S. population, thanks to University of Pittsburgh researchers...Flu / Cold / SARS Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239777.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239777.phpResearch on the H5N1 influenza (bird flu) virus' human transmissibility is seriously starting to worry WHO (World Health Organization) experts - in a written statement, the authors express concern about the potential risks linked to this research. The possible negative consequences of some experiments are serious and potentially dangerous...Bird Flu / Avian Flu Thu, 22 Dec 2011 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239556.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239556.phpA report published online by The Journal of Infectious Diseases reveals that statins, commonly known as cholesterol-lowering medications, might lower the number of deaths among individuals who are hospitalized with influenza. Vanderbilt's William Schaffner, M.D...Flu / Cold / SARS Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239564.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239564.phpBird Flu virus was identified in a poultry market in Hong Kong, resulting in government officials ordering the slaughter of 17,000 chickens. It has been three years since the last mass culling. York Chow, the Hong Kong secretary for food and health, said in a statement that the cull was a precautionary measure due to the highly pathogenic nature of the H5N1 avian influenza virus...Flu / Cold / SARS Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239482.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239482.phpIf you become infected with the flu after getting vaccinated, your body activates an immune response that stops you from becoming ill. Although, this can trigger the virus to change into a slightly different form - one that may be more infectious. A novel investigation from MIT reveals the mechanism responsible for this phenomenon, known as antigenic drift...Flu / Cold / SARS Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239445.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239445.phpFor pregnant women a new warning outlining the possible dangers or common cold medicines during pregnancy has been issued by experts in pregnancy and breastfeeding health at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information. CTIS is a California non-profit located at the University of California, San Diego...Pregnancy / Obstetrics Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239391.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239391.phpStatins, traditionally known as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study released online by The Journal of Infectious Diseases...Flu / Cold / SARS Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239243.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239243.phpThe two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza...Flu / Cold / SARS Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239209.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239209.php Findings published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases show that statins, one of the most widely sold drugs today, that are more commonly used for combating high cholesterol levels, may have a new use in helping fight influenza in critically ill patients...Flu / Cold / SARS Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239111.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/239111.phpA 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)...Flu / Cold / SARS Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238924.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/238924.php Scientists from the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have discovered that an antigen common to most influenza viruses, and commonly referred to as matrix protein 2 (M2), 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 ("swine flu") virus...Flu / Cold / SARS Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 PSThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/238814.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/238814.phpDuring the 1918 to 1920 global influenza epidemic, between 50 to 100 million people lost their lives, with over a quarter of the world's population having being infected. Although vaccines might help in the event of a similar outbreak today, the possibility still remains that vaccine production would not be able to cope with such an influx in demand to make an important impact...Flu / Cold / SARS