influenza

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Routine Vaccines May Help Cut Dementia Risk: Studies

Researchers highlight flu, shingles, and RSV for potential brain benefits

(Newser) - A growing body of research suggests that several common vaccines may do more than just prevent infectious diseases—they're also linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. Physicians and researchers point to this as an added incentive for adults, especially older ones, to keep up with routine...

Feds Pull Plug on Moderna's Bird Flu Vaccine

HHS says it's for safety reasons, but experts warn move could hinder US pandemic flu preparedness

(Newser) - The federal government is canceling a $766 million contract with Moderna to develop an mRNA-based vaccine for pandemic flu, including the H5N1 bird flu. The Department of Health and Human Services cited concerns about the safety of mRNA technology as the main reason for the decision, saying the technology...

Chickens, Prepare for Your Flu Shots

Zoetis receives conditional license from USDA for vaccines designed to combat avian influenza

(Newser) - As bird flu continues to wreak havoc across the US, killing millions of birds on poultry farms, sending eggs prices soaring , and even popping up in cows and humans , some good news for chickens: A vaccine against the infectious disease is on the horizon just for them. In a Friday...

Data Suggest Flu Visits to Doctors Hit 15-Year High
Data Suggest
a Bad Flu Season
Feb 7, 2025 3:56 PM CST

Data Suggest a Bad Flu Season

CDC estimates 24M flu illnesses so far, though some places haven't seen an increase

(Newser) - The US winter virus season is in full force, and by one measure it's the most intense in 15 years. One indicator of flu activity is the percentage of doctor's office visits driven by flu-like symptoms. Last week, that figure was clearly higher than at the peak of...

Barbie Hsu, Star of Taiwan's Meteor Garden , Dead at 48
Taiwanese Actor
Barbie Hsu Dead at 48
OBITUARY
Feb 3, 2025 8:00 AM CST

Taiwanese Actor Barbie Hsu Dead at 48

'Big S,' star of Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden , dies of flu-triggered pneumonia

(Newser) - "Big S passed away." CNN reports that was the top trending topic on Monday on China's Weibo social media platform, as news of the death of one of Taiwan's most famous actors circulated. In a statement cited by the nation's Central News Agency, Dee Hsu...

Flu Emergency Room Trips Are 'Very High, CDC Says

Vaccination rates remain low for COVID and RSV as well

(Newser) - The number of emergency room visits involving influenza in the US has crossed into the "very high" level, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Western states are recording some of the largest increases, per CBS News . At the end of December, for instance, the data show 8....

With Bird Flu, Key 'Sits in the Lock' for Humans

CDC says mutations in Louisiana patient with the virus are 'concerning but not a cause for alarm'

(Newser) - A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the nation's first severe case of the illness, the CDC said this week. Scientists believe the mutations may allow the virus to better bind to receptors in the upper airways of humans—something they...

In the Last Week, Flu Has 'Exploded' Across US

This year's season is in full swing, per the CDC

(Newser) - The US flu season is underway, with cases surging across much of the country, health officials said Friday. The AP reports that the CDC noted sharp increases in several measures, including lab tests and emergency room visits. "It's been increasing at a pretty steady pace now for the...

In This State, First Confirmed US Case of Bird Flu in Kids

The child has mild symptoms and is recovering

(Newser) - Health officials on Friday confirmed bird flu in a California child—the first reported case in a US minor. The child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication, and is recovering, the CDC said in announcing the test results, per the AP . State officials have said the child attends...

Teenager With Bird Flu in Critical Condition

Teen has Canada's first human case of the virus

(Newser) - In what is believed to be Canada's first human case of bird flu, a teenager is in a British Columbia children's hospital in critical condition with a presumptive case of the virus, the CBC reports. Authorities say the unnamed teen developed symptoms Nov. 2 and was hospitalized Nov....

Another Person Diagnosed With Bird Flu in US

This is the 4th or 5th case, depending how you're counting

(Newser) - Once again amid the current bird flu outbreak, a human case has been reported in the United States. This time it's a Colorado dairy farm worker who tested positive for avian influenza, Reuters reports. Three previous cases were also found in dairy farm workers, two of whom reported mild...

US Will Pay Moderna $176M to Develop a Bird Flu Vaccine

Funds will pay for continued development of same mRNA technology used in COVID vaccines

(Newser) - The US government will pay the vaccine maker Moderna $176 million to develop a pandemic vaccine that could be used to treat bird flu in people as cases in dairy cows continue to mount across the country, federal officials announced Tuesday. The funds are targeted for release through the US...

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats
Bird Flu Spreads
to US Cattle, Goats
Mar 26, 2024 11:10 AM CDT

Bird Flu Spreads to US Cattle, Goats

Commercial milk supply is said to be safe, though, per officials

(Newser) - A week after officials in Minnesota said bird flu had been found for the first time in US livestock—specifically, goats living on a farm with infected poultry—the virus has been found to have spread to dairy cows in Texas and Kansas, per the AP . The highly pathogenic avian...

In California's 'Egg Basket,' a Fast-Spreading 'Trauma'

Poultry farmers forced to kill million-plus birds to control outbreak of avian flu in Sonoma County

(Newser) - Last month, Mike Weber got the news every poultry farmer fears: His chickens tested positive for avian flu. Following government rules, Weber's company, Sunrise Farms, had to slaughter its entire flock of egg-laying hens—550,000 birds—to prevent the disease from infecting other farms in Sonoma County, north...

Hundreds of Animal Species Hit by 'Catastrophic' Flu Strain

Elephant seals, seabirds, and now a polar bear—could humans be hit hard next with H5N1?

(Newser) - "It is catastrophic ... the largest die-off for the species, period." That's how Martin Mendez, a marine biologist with the Wildlife Conservation Society, describes to the Washington Post the fate of hundreds of elephant seals last fall in Argentina, found dead along the shore of the Valdes Peninsula....

UK Has an Unwanted First: Human Case of Swine Flu

At least 50 cases have been reported worldwide since 2005, so far with little consequence

(Newser) - The UK has joined a club it would have rather avoided: countries in which a human caught a case of swine flu. The unidentified patient has fully recovered from what was described as a mild illness, reports New Scientist . Health authorities say the person didn't work with pigs—the...

Updated COVID Shots Part of Plan to Avoid 'Tripledemic'

Approval of updated vaccines expected within days, just in time for flu and RSV season

(Newser) - Updated COVID-19 vaccines are coming soon, just in time to pair them with flu shots. Doctors hope enough people get vaccinated to help avert another "tripledemic" like last year, when hospitals were overwhelmed with an early flu season, an onslaught of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and yet another winter...

When It Comes to Bird Flu, 'It's a New War'

Virus emerges in record amounts, and in new places, meaning it may be here to stay

(Newser) - Will bird flu lead to the next pandemic? That's the question making the headline rounds of late, and the short answer is—it's possible, though the threat isn't currently high. What is the concern of the moment is that wild birds have spread avian influenza, which is...

Drug Chains Restrict Purchase of Children's Meds

Demand as respiratory illnesses thrive forces CVS, Walgreens to limit amount customers can buy

(Newser) - Parents on the hunt for medication for their sick kids may not be able to immediately find what they need on drugstore shelves, thanks to a spike in various respiratory illnesses and, therefore, higher demand for those meds. CNN reports that the CVS and Walgreens chains have placed limits on...

44 States Report High Flu Activity
44 States Report
High Flu Activity
Dec 3, 2022 5:30 AM CST

44 States Report High Flu Activity

Winter flu season usually doesn't get going until December or January, but this one started early

(Newser) - The US flu season keeps getting worse. Health officials said Friday that 7.5% of outpatient medical visits last week were due to flu-like illnesses. That's as high as the peak of the 2017-18 flu season and higher than any season since, the AP reports. The annual winter flu...

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