Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and; about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Scientists are always searching for new weapons to add to their arsenal in the pursuit of creating vaccinations that would better support the body’s immune system in fending off disease.
Research on H9N2 avian influenza shows extensive genetic changes, raising public health concerns and emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and vaccines.
A new study found that person-to-person heterogeneity in antibody immunity influences which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population.
After treatment with CAR-T cells - immune cells engineered to attack cancer - patients sometimes tell their doctors they feel like they have "brain fog," or forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
Effective vaccines dramatically changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing illness, reducing disease severity, and saving millions of lives.
WEHI scientists have uncovered a promising new way to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by tapping into the potential of a specific type of immune cell, opening the door to long-lasting vaccines for viruses and enhanced cancer therapies.
Researchers at the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä have achieved a first in Finland by isolating a giant virus, which they have named Jyvaskylavirus.
An international team of researchers led by Professor Huaijun Zhou from the UC Davis Department of Animal Science has created the first-ever detailed map of how genes are regulated in chickens - a breakthrough that could help scientists breed birds that are more resistant to diseases like avian influenza.
A Stanford-led team has found two antibodies that can work together to defeat all SARS-CoV-2 variants. More research is needed, but the approach could help in the development of treatments to keep pace with evolving viruses.
New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that a combination of messenger RNA (mRNA) and a novel lipid nanoparticle (LNP) could potentially be used to repair lung damage.
Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy can lead to neurological disorders, fetal abnormalities and fetal death. Until now, how the virus manages to cross the placenta, which nurtures the developing fetus and forms a strong barrier against microbes and chemicals that could harm the fetus, has not been clear.
Previously, researchers thought that microRNA was a kind of useless residue in cells and blood. But these tiny threads are far more important than some imagined. Also for those who study wildlife.
Influenza A virus particles strategically modify their shape becoming either spheres or larger filaments to enhance their ability to infect cells based on environmental conditions, according to a new study conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
An exciting collaboration between the Ragon Institute and the Jameel Clinic at MIT has achieved a significant milestone in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to aid the development of T cell vaccine candidates.
Researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute reported in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections that one of the first strains of bird flu to be isolated from a human in Texas exhibits a distinct set of mutations that allow it to more readily replicate in human cells and inflict more severe disease in mice than a strain found in dairy cattle.
Phylowave reveals evolutionary dynamics in pathogens, identifying fitness-linked lineages and mutations, essential for effective public health interventions.
For more than ten years, researchers have been investigating the microbiome, the ecosystem of microorganisms that inhabit the body, and its impact on health and disease.
Researchers have come up with a new way to identify more infectious variants of viruses or bacteria that start spreading in humans - including those causing flu, COVID, whooping cough and tuberculosis.
To fight the virus that causes influenza, one of the avenues being explored by scientists is the development of drugs capable of destabilizing its genome, made up of eight RNA molecules.
Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus?
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