Influenza

Looking beyond jabs, sprays or tablets, scientists are thinking outside the box for delivering antiviral medication to prevent the spread of highly transmissible bugs. Their secret weapon? Chewing gum – but one made from a rather fascinating bean.

Human protection against bird flu may be easier than previously thought, thanks to new findings about the genetic makeup of the virus and one particular immune cell that all of us have. It also paves the way for fast-tracking the first H5N1 vaccine.

We all know that a balanced diet made up of unprocessed foods is a recipe for gut health, but scientists have now found just how one nutrient – fiber – can trigger a microbiotic chain reaction that shields the body from influenza and other viruses.

When it comes to getting a cold or the flu, there is a commonly held belief that men take it harder than women, exaggerating their symptoms and basically acting like big ol' babies. But is this phenomenon of "man sick" a real thing? We investigate.

Imagine a world in which we never catch the flu, have no need for vaccines and can wipe out the virus if an infection has taken hold. A super-effective molecule that stops influenza from even entering our bodies stands to revolutionize how we treat flu.

Researchers suggest the 1918 influenza pandemic caused a wave of heart disease in the 20th century. With new evidence showing the impact of COVID on our hearts, could this recent pandemic be setting us up for another century of cardiac problems?

A new drug for severe influenza successfully keeps patients at the perfect level of lung inflammation to protect against lung damage while still allowing the immune system to fight off the infection. It's effective in mice even days after infection.

It was only a matter of time, but highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) has officially found its way to Antarctica, after dead migratory brown skuas on Bird Island returned positive test results. This leaves just Oceania free of the deadly virus.

There are signs the next pandemic is already cooking up – bird flu. Scientists have now demonstrated that genetically engineering chickens can reduce their chances of catching and spreading the disease, but it’s not foolproof.

Sure, parts of the world are understandably feeling a bit of vaccine fatigue. But we're not too far off the first combination mRNA jab, which aims to offer seasonal protection against COVID-19 and influenza. Moderna hopes to be first out of the blocks.

Almost 200 years on from when Charles Darwin observed his Galapagos Islands finches, which became the emblems of his theory of evolution, birds in the region are again in the news for what many scientists warn could be the source of the next pandemic.

Adding weight to the large body of scientific evidence that has found phenylephrine is as useless as a placebo for nasal congestion, an advisory panel has declared common oral medications ineffective and urged for them to be removed from sale.