flu

A new study finds that flu vaccination was associated with a 40% reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease over a four-year period.Over the course of four years, those who received at least one influenza vaccine were 40% less likely than their non-vaccinated peers to acquire <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>Alzheimer’s</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Alzheimer's disease is a disease that attacks the brain, causing a…

Being up to date on COVID-19 vaccines means having had three or four doses of the same shot at this point. Current boosters are the same formulations as the first authorized shots, based on the original strain of the coronavirus that emerged in late 2019. They do still protect against severe COVID-19, hospitalizations and deaths.  But as immunity wanes over time and new, more contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants emerge, the world needs a long-term boosting strategy.I'm an immunologist who studies immunity to viruses. I was a…

The rapidly spreading avian influenza outbreak in the U.S. that has led to the death of nearly 40 million birds is squeezing Hormel Foods turkey flocks, as meat prices hit their highest levels in years.The Austin, Minn.-based maker of Spam said its Jennie-O turkey brand faces an uncertain period as the bird flu outbreak is expected to continue to weigh on industrywide poultry supplies. Jennie-O Turkey Store sales volumes are expected to decline about 30% in the second half of the year due to supply gaps, HormelChief…

A highly infectious and deadly strain of avian influenza virus has infected tens of millions of poultry birds across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. But scientists are particularly concerned about the unprecedented spread in wild birds — outbreaks pose a significant risk to vulnerable species, are hard to contain and increase the opportunity for the virus to spill over into people. Since October, the H5N1 strain has caused nearly 3,000 outbreaks in poultry in dozens of countries. More than 77 million birds have…

Article content ABBOTSFORD, B.C. — Avian flu has been found in a commercial flock in the Fraser Valley, the same area where 80 per cent of British Columbia’s poultry farms are located. Article content B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture says in a statement the infected farm has been placed under quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and producers within a 10-kilometre radius have been sent notices about the discovery. Previous outbreaks in the Fraser Valley have prompted culls of millions of birds, although…

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first nonprescription test that can detect Covid-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. The test, developed by Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, can be sold directly to consumers online or at retail. A person can collect a nasal-swab sample themselves before sending the sample to Labcorpfor analysis. The test, called the Labcorp Seasonal Respiratory Virus RT-PCR DTC Test, searches for and amplifies the genetic materials of multiple viruses to…

In March, Christian Drouin, a French farmer in the Vendée, discovered that his chickens were dying of avian influenza. He had to take drastic action to cull his flock and prevent the infection from spreading. Normally, veterinarians would arrive to gas the birds with carbon dioxide. But the veterinary teams were overwhelmed with calls to cull flocks infected with the virus, now apparently endemic in Europe. So Drouin was advised to switch off the ventilation fans in his poultry…

Avian influenza viruses often emerge on high-density poultry farms. However, they can be deadly in wild bird populations and can even infect humans.With recent outbreaks identified in Canada and the United States, H5N1 – a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) strain – is quickly becoming a global concern. Already, the virus has caused widespread outbreaks throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe, resulting in millions of deaths in poultry and wild birds.In this Perspective in the journal Science, Michelle Wille and…

The final month of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball was livelier than ever this season, and not just because they nearly upset the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round playoff series. During one game in mid-April, a woman glued her hand to the court. A few days later, another woman chained herself to the goal post. The following week, a third woman, dressed as a referee, stormed the court before removing her jacket, exposing a shirt underneath that read “Glen Taylor roasts animals alive.” The protests, coordinated…