influenza

Australia had a particularly hard flu season this year, which may predict similar challenges for the U.S.

In The U.S., Flu Season Could Be Unusually Harsh This Year

5:34pm December 08, 2017

by Rob Stein

Health officials fear the U.S. may have a nasty flu season because the main flu virus circulating this year tends to hit people hard and the flu vaccine may be weaker than normal.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the flu vaccine an "essential" part of prenatal care, for protection of the newborn as well as the woman. Infants typically don't get their own flu shot until age 6 months or later.

Pregnant Women Should Still Get The Flu Vaccine, Doctors Advise

7:07am September 25, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Researchers and physicians say a study suggesting a link between the flu vaccine and miscarriage in a limited population is cause for more research, not a reason to change vaccination recommendations.

Queue Listen Now

A patient with the H7N9 avian flu is treated in a hospital in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province, in February of this year. The 2017 outbreak was the deadliest in China since H7N9 first appeared in humans in 2013.

Deadly Bird Flu In China Evolves, Spreads To New Regions

4:51pm September 07, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In the 2017 outbreak, the Chinese government reported 759 cases of the H7N9 avian flu, with 281 deaths. By comparison, in 2016 there were 123 cases.

A sometimes lethal strain of H7N9 bird flu that has infected about 1,500 people in China doesn't spread easily among humans — yet. But research published Thursday suggests just a few genetic mutations might be enough to make it quite contagious.

A Few Genetic Tweaks To Chinese Bird Flu Virus Could Fuel A Human Pandemic

10:49pm June 15, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Three genetic changes could be enough to make a bird flu strain that's already killing some people in China highly contagious. Are experiments with a deliberately mutated version too risky?

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Heightened Patient Visitor Screening During Flu Season

4:28pm February 24, 2017

by David Ford

It's peak flu season in the Piedmont, and some local hospitals are will begin limiting patient visits starting Friday in a coordinated effort to prevent the spread of the bug.

Queue Listen Now

Phlegm can give clues to what's going on inside. But as with so many things phlegmy, mysteries remain.

Why Oh Why Is There Phlegm?

5:00am February 18, 2017

by Wendy Mitman Clarke

Having a cold or a flu is unpleasant enough without suffering the indignity of phlegm. But those gobs of goo are there for a reason.

A Rare Bird Flu Infects Cats In New York City Shelter

2:52pm December 20, 2016

by Angus Chen

Health officials are tracking people who interacted with the sick cats, since flu viruses can jump from animals to people. In this case they think there's probably little risk to humans.

Emmie de Wit, who usually works in a Biosafety Level 4 Lab, spent time in less secure labs in Liberia during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Above, she prepares to test Ebola patient blood samples.

What It's Like To Handle The Nastiest Pathogens As Your Day Job

7:00am December 04, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

To research mysterious and deadly diseases, a scientist puts on a plastic bodysuit and steps into a lab sealed off from the outside world.

Flu shots are recommended for all pregnant women.

Flu Vaccine During Pregnancy Not Linked To Autism

7:39pm November 28, 2016

by Nancy Shute

Neither getting the flu nor getting a flu shot appears to increase the risk of autism in children, a study finds. The shots are recommended because the flu poses health risks to mother and fetus.

Eating healthy will do more for your immune system than megadoses of supplements.

Want To Prevent The Flu? Skip The Supplements, Eat Your Veggies

3:46pm November 16, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

It's flu season — time for the marketing of juices and supplements that claim to boost immunity. But they don't help, scientists say. Instead, try eating healthy and getting enough sleep.