Category: Influenza
Cancer drug protein target may also help fight influenza
Medical Express A protein already targeted by FDA-approved cancer drugs may also help the body fight influenza, according to new research from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). Published in Cell Reports, the study found that Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), a protein best known for helping tumors evade immune attack, instead helped immunocompromised mice clear flu-infected lung cells […]
Mar 18, 2026
8 children have now died from flu in Mass. this season
Boston.com The child died between the week of Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, the state’s Department of Public Health reported. An eighth Massachusetts child has died from the flu this flu season, state data shows. As of Feb. 28, eight Massachusetts children have died from the influenza, as well as 298 adults, the state’s influenza data […]
Mar 11, 2026
CDC Details Seasonal Trends for Respiratory Viruses in the United States
Infectious Disease Advisor In the United States, seasonal respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 continue to substantially impact younger children and older adults, according to study findings published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailed respiratory virus activity between July 2024 and […]
Mar 4, 2026
Flu was again worse than covid this winter. Is that pattern here to stay?
Washington Post Flu has overtaken covid in infections and hospitalizations during the winter respiratory virus season, and their virulence is becoming similar. Heard about a lot of people getting flu this winter but not much about covid? It’s not just you. For the second winter in a row, the United States has faced a punishing […]
Mar 4, 2026
Flu’s Seasonal Fury
Medpage Today Influenza can sicken and kill. Vaccines are our best defense. Why…? Why…? Why…? Jasper whimpered, not just once or twice, but repeatedly. It was January 2026. For one awful week, my friend’s 21-month-old grandson was practically inert, spiked fevers to 103o, and barely ate or drank, all the while voicing his single word of […]
Feb 18, 2026
7 states back in CDC’s worst tier for flu as influenza B spreads
The Hill As one variant of the flu virus starts to decline, another is rising to take its place. At the end of last year, when flu activity spiked amid the holidays, influenza A – specifically the subclade K variant of H3N2 – was dominant. It was making so many people sick, the variant was nicknamed “super flu.” Influenza A […]
Feb 11, 2026
Influenza epidemic declared in Puerto Rico
San Juan Star Island Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero announced on Tuesday the declaration of an influenza epidemic in Puerto Rico, after the established criteria for incidence and growth rate of cases were met during the 2025-2026 season. “An influenza epidemic has been declared,” Ramos Otero said at a press conference. “The region with the […]
Jan 28, 2026
How A Mutation Made This Year’s Flu Season So Bad
Science Friday A rogue strain of flu, subclade K, has sickened more than 19 million people in the US so far this season. And the flu shot hasn’t offered that much protection. What’s going on with this superflustorm? Joining Host Flora Lichtman with some answers is Jennifer Duchon, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Audio File
Jan 28, 2026
New variant of the flu virus is driving surge of cases across the US and Canada
The Conversation After a sharp uptick in flu cases in mid-December 2025, flu activity across the U.S. and Canada remains high. Although cases are trending downward in Canada as of Jan. 9, 2026, the season has yet to peak in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As an emergency room pediatrician in central Massachusetts, […]
Jan 21, 2026
Why a flu transmission experiment didn’t spread the flu
The Conversation A group of volunteers spent days locked in a small hotel room with people actively infected with flu. They played games, shared objects and exercised together in conditions designed to help the virus spread. Yet not a single person caught influenza. The unexpected finding comes from a well-designed study that set out to […]
Jan 21, 2026