Poultry Pathogens Sweep the Midwest

Medicine & Technology May 05, 2015

If you've ever dreamt of owning your own industrial chicken farm, you may want to hold off just yet. It turns out a deadly avian influenza is sweeping across the Midwest like an infectious prairie fire.

Iowa Declares State of Emergency Over Bird Flu

May 01, 2015

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad declared a state of emergency on Friday to help battle the toll that the recent bird flu epidemic is taking on the state's poultry industry.

Unusually Virulent Bird Flu Dooms Millions of Eggs and Hens in Its Path

Apr 28, 2015

Tests have found probable avian flu outbreaks at five new commercial poultry sites in Iowa, affecting more than 6 million birds and even more eggs, according to the state's agriculture department and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Flu Only Infects Adults Twice a Decade

Mar 04, 2015

While the dangers of the flu may make headlines every flu season, researchers have calculated that adults over the age of 30 only catch the flu about once every five years.

The Universal Flu Vaccine: How Long Until It's Here

Jan 14, 2015

The flu is already upon us this season―and it's a cunning strain. But future outbreaks may be mitigated by a universal vaccine already in the works.

Influenza Could Be Lethal to Children This Year

Jan 06, 2015

This year's strain of the influenza virus may just prove to be lethal to children this year. And while the annual infection has only just begun, three children in Minnesota have already died of complications from a very potent strain of the influenza virus, health officials say.

Is The Flu Shot Worth It?

Jan 05, 2015

This year's flu shot has not been as effective as flu vaccines in the past. But it is still the number one defense against the influenza virus in any form.

Teen’s Death Demonstrates The Dangers of This Year’s Flu

Jan 03, 2015

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the death of an otherwise healthy 17-year-old girl only highlights the severity of this year's influenza outbreak. Shannon Zwanziger seemed like a perfectly health teenager. She was active and rarely got sick; in fact, she had not even seen a doctor in more than three years. Then, she came down with the flu. Within only a week of fighting the virus, she was dead.

First Case of Deadly Bird Flu Confirmed

Dec 30, 2014

The first case of the deadly bird flu has been confirmed in Hong Kong and health officials fear that this season may see many more infections that past cases of H7N9 -- the newest strain of the disease. Patient zero, a woman from Hong Kong, is in critical condition, and has been confirmed as having the lethal strain of the influenza virus, marking the first case of the deadly flu this winter.

Why the CDC Says Bay Area Residents are In For the Flu Season of Their Lives

Dec 23, 2014

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that this year's flu season could be one of the worst to date. The CDC issued a warning on Friday that the flu season has started earlier than expected and is spreading rapidly. Already reaching 29 of the 54 states and territories, this year's flu is spreading faster than previously seen. In comparison, at the same time last year, it had only spread to four states.

Flu Season Off to a Usual Slow Start, But Expected to Jump in Early 2015

Nov 21, 2014

This time of the year is said to be influenza's season in the U.S., due mainly to the cold weather. However, health officials are saying that the flu season is starting rather slowly, as has usually been the case. The illness will most likely see its peak in January or February, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).