Author: Claudinne Miller
Norway reports bird flu outbreak in backyard poultry
Reuters Norway has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, among poultry in the northern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday. The bird flu outbreak was found in a backyard with 19 domestic birds, the Paris-based body said, quoting information from […]
Oct 17, 2023
Holy immunity! Bat genes key against COVID, cancer
CSHL Bats have acquired remarkable traits throughout their evolution. They’re the only mammals that can fly, and they live much longer than other animals their size. But perhaps most impressive is their robust immune system. It protects bats from viruses that wreak havoc in humans, like COVID-19 or Ebola. It also keeps bats relatively cancer-free. How? […]
Oct 17, 2023
The Case for a Yearly COVID Booster Shot
MedPageToday New analysis of Moderna’s COVE trial looked at best time for boosters A yearly booster with an mRNA-based COVID vaccine may provide the best protection against catching the pandemic disease, a new analysis of the phase III COVE trial suggested. “Interestingly, we found that the longer duration between boosting actually provides better protection against […]
Oct 17, 2023
Mixed Signals for Paxlovid and Long COVID Risk in CDC Study
MedPageToday Antiviral protected older at-risk patients, but appeared to increase risk in teens Use of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) during the acute phase of COVID-19 appeared to significantly reduce the risk of post-COVID conditions (PCCs) in older adults at high risk for severe disease, but may have increased the risk in adolescents, according to a large case-control […]
Oct 17, 2023
Can You Get the New Covid Vaccine and the Flu Shot at the Same Time?
NYT Most Americans will be eligible for both the new monovalent Covid vaccine and the annual flu shot this fall. You can schedule your vaccines separately or choose to get them at the same time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is safe to get both the Covid vaccine and flu shot together. Combining vaccines, […]
Oct 17, 2023
Lab Leak Fight Casts Chill Over Virology Research
NYT Scientists doing “gain-of-function” research said that heightened fears of lab leaks are stalling studies that could thwart the next pandemic virus. Questions about whether Covid leaked from a Chinese laboratory have cast a chill over American virus research, drying up funding for scientists who collect or alter dangerous pathogens and intensifying a debate over […]
Oct 17, 2023
Scientists Offer a New Explanation for Long Covid
NYT A team of scientists is proposing a new explanation for some cases of long Covid, based on their findings that serotonin levels were lower in people with the complex condition. In their study, published on Monday in the journal Cell, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that serotonin reduction is triggered by remnants of […]
Oct 17, 2023
Intranasal COVID Vaccine Generates Strong Immune Response
MedPageToday Stopping respiratory illnesses before they start through new delivery systems and by such mundane work as analyzing a city’s wastewater were among the early highlights at this year’s IDWeek meeting. Intranasal Vaccine Shows Promise At a press briefing, researchers suggested that those who dislike the idea of having to get poked by needles to prevent […]
Oct 17, 2023
Illinois reports first measles case in 4 years, state health officials confirm
ABC News Illinois health officials reported the state’s first case of measles in four years Friday. The Cook County Health Department reported the suspected case Tuesday to the Illinois Department of Public Health. It was confirmed the next day by state health officials. The person, who was exposed to the virus in another country, was […]
Oct 17, 2023
Skeletons of 1918 Flu Victims Reveal Clues About Who Was Likely to Die
While a narrative emerged that the pandemic indiscriminately struck the young and healthy, new evidence suggests that frail young adults were most vulnerable. The flu typically kills the very young, the old and the sick. That made the virus in 1918 unusual, or so the story goes: It killed healthy young people as readily as […]
Oct 11, 2023
