Influenza News and Research

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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.

Pairing microscopy with AI to develop a rapid, accurate COVID-19 test

Beckman researchers paired microscopy with artificial intelligence to develop a COVID-19 test that's fast, accurate, and cost-effective. All we need to do is say "ahh."

13 Sep 2021

UAB researchers identify an unnoticed additional site for priming of "killer" T cells

CD8+ T cells -; known as "killer" T cells -; are the assassins of the immune system. Once they are primed, they seek out and destroy other cells that are infected with virus or cells that are cancerous.

13 Sep 2021

Plant bulbs harboring lethal pathogen make the perfect lab for evolving drug-resistant strains

Just when we thought it was safe to go to the local garden center, researchers from Japan have discovered that fungicide-resistant strains of a nasty pathogen have been getting up to no good among the tulip bulbs.

6 Sep 2021

Study details the role of PANoptosome in activating innate immune response

Immunologists discovered how immune sensors in infected cells organize and initiate an immune response to infections with living bacteria and viruses.

3 Sep 2021

Small synthetic molecules could one day cure or prevent COVID-19, herpes

In addition to antibodies and white blood cells, the immune system deploys peptides to fight viruses and other pathogens.

24 Aug 2021

Accurate diagnosis of bacterial superinfection pneumonia could help avoid antibiotic overuse

Only 21 percent of patients with severe pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) have a documented bacterial superinfection at the time of intubation, resulting in potential overuse of antibiotics, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

23 Aug 2021

Rare variants in the MX1 gene increase susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza

According to recent research, rare, single-nucleotide variants in the MX1 gene increase the human susceptibility to zoonotic H7N9 avian influenza infection.

23 Aug 2021

Genomic surveillance is vital to achieve effective mitigation and containment of COVID-19

Although the development and increasingly widespread availability of effective and safe vaccines provides the greatest hope for the future recovery from the increasingly devastating COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance is emerging as a vital necessity to achieve effective mitigation and containment.

19 Aug 2021

New methodology assesses whole-genome sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2 mutations

According to researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MIT, the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) methodology to assess whole-genome sequencing data of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and COVID-19 mortality data can help identify highly pathogenic variants of the virus that should be flagged for containment.

25 Jun 2021

AI model helps predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans

A new model that applies artificial intelligence to carbohydrates improves the understanding of the infection process and could help predict which viruses are likely to spread from animals to humans. This is reported in a recent study led by researchers at the University of Gothenburg.

16 Jun 2021

New AI model predicts targets for previously unmapped T cells against coronavirus

A research team has created an AI technique that can bind immune cells to their targets and uncouple the types of white blood cells that identify SARS-CoV-2.

26 Apr 2021

Study shows how human viruses are better adapted to infect certain tissues

The world’s first systematic study has explained how SARS-CoV-2 and other human viruses are more adapted to infect specific types of tissues..

17 Mar 2021

Study sheds light on how T cells specialize to combat pathogens

Scientists from the University of Basel have gained insights into the specialization of T cells.

11 Mar 2021

Innovative system allows complete study of SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum by ultrasequencing

Researchers have designed a program that allows the complete study of the SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectrum by ultrasequencing.

15 Feb 2021

Study suggests the need to characterize patient-specific responses to respiratory syncytial virus

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that while most individuals responded to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) natural reinfection with a typical sustained antibody response associated with protection, a few individuals surprisingly responded atypically, not being able to sustain the antibody response, which declined to levels that made the individuals susceptible to RSV reinfection.

5 Feb 2021

Scientists identify the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have identified the sensor in human lungs that detects SARS-CoV-2 and signals that it's time to mount an antiviral response.

13 Jan 2021

Researchers determine atomic structure of coronavirus protein linked to disease severity

A team of HIV researchers, cellular biologists, and biophysicists who banded together to support COVID-19 science determined the atomic structure of a coronavirus protein thought to help the pathogen evade and dampen response from human immune cells.

13 Jan 2021

New discovery helps explain how COVID-19 suppresses the body’s immune response

Seeking to understand why COVID-19 is able to suppress the body's immune response, new research from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology suggests that mitochondria are one of the first lines of defense against COVID-19 and identifies key differences in how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, interacts with mitochondrial genes when compared to other viruses.

12 Jan 2021

Study reveals lower transfer of protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies via the placenta

Recent analyses indicate that pregnant women and newborns may face elevated risks of developing more severe cases of COVID-19 following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

24 Dec 2020

TGen identifies genetic target that could help explain the variation in COVID-19 effects

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, has identified a specific genetic target that could help explain the tremendous variation in how sick those infected with COVID-19 become.

17 Dec 2020