Articles categorized as Viral Infections

Podcasts

Show 1313: Avoiding Germs in Bathrooms and Bedrooms

Our expert guests explain the basics of avoiding germs, along with some surprising finer points. Which rooms are most likely to be germy?

How Will CDC Combat Spread of Monkeypox Infections?

Monkeypox infections have been spreading in the US as well as elsewhere around the world. What is the CDC doing?

Do COVID Vaccines Cause Postmenopausal Bleeding?

COVID vaccination may lead to postmenopausal bleeding as well as temporary changes in menstruation among younger women..

Podcasts

Show 1234: How Microbes Evolve to Become Enemies or Allies

Dr. Paul Ewald describes how microbes evolve and interact with our immune systems to become more or less virulent.

Podcasts

Show 1233: How Does Your Immune System Overcome Viruses?

Understanding innate immunity can help us appreciate how can the immune system overcome viruses, including SARS-CoV-2.

Can Melatonin Help Overcome COVID-19?

Noting President Trump's list of medications, readers wonder: can melatonin help in treating the coronavirus? It can help with sleep.

Should We Worry About the New Holds on Vaccine Trials?

Holds on vaccine trials are not unexpected, but they could delay development of an effective protection against COVID-19.

Podcasts

Show 1170: What Makes Your Immune System an Elegant Defense? (Archive)

You might imagine your immune system as an army fighting off invaders. What if it behaved more like a peacekeeping force to maintain harmony?

Do You Need a New Insect Repellent?

The EPA has just registered nootkatone, a new insect repellent ingredient that discourages ticks as well as mosquitoes.

New Virus Threatens Health Around the World

Public health experts are paying close attention to the spread of a new virus from Wuhan, China. It has already spread to many countries around the world.

No Link Between Vaccine and Autism in Denmark

A large nationwide study with more than 5 million person-years of follow-up found no connection between measles vaccine and autism in Danish children.

Could Herbal Tea Overcome Your Nasty Cough?

Respiratory syncytial virus can cause a nasty cough. We don't have drugs to treat this problem, but research indicates tea from Japanese honeysuckle helps.

Ticks and Mosquitoes Responsible for More Disease

Diseases spread through the bites of ticks and mosquitoes have become three times as common in the last dozen years, according to the CDC.

Can Kefir Help You Recover from an Infection?

Studies suggest that drinking the fermented milk product kefir can benefit the immune system and help you recover from an infection more rapidly.

Picking the Best Bug Repellent for Disease Prevention

Researchers recommend choosing a repellent that reliably prevents most mosquito bites. Look for one with DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

What Is Causing Polio-Like Illness in Children?

Public health officials are worried about new cases of a polio-like illness causing paralysis and even death in youngsters in Washington state.

Will Inexpensive Heart Drug Overcome Herpes Viruses?

Spironolactone, a diuretic that has been around since 1959, appears to keep Epstein Barr virus from multiplying and may help against other herpes viruses.

Dengue Fever Hits the Big Island of Hawaii Hard

WHO Officials Are Frightened of Zika Virus; Are You?

The World Health Organization has declared that Zika virus poses a global health emergency as it spreads rapidly to countries in the Americas.

More Countries Pose a Risk of Zika Virus Exposure

The CDC has expanded its list of countries pregnant women should avoid due to the possibility of Zika virus exposure.

Enterovirus D68 Is Linked to Mysterious Childhood Paralysis

A virus that usually causes symptoms of a common cold may also bring on sudden limb paralysis in some children.

Bourbon Virus Is Transmitted by Tick Bites

The newly identified Bourbon virus is transmitted by the bites of North American ticks.

Will Experimental Drug Help Fight Ebola?

An experimental antiviral treatment may be able to help some victims of Ebola virus recover.

Enterovirus D68 Is Life Threatening

Enterovirus D68 starts with innocuous-seeming symptoms like a cold, but it can lead to breathing difficulties, paralysis and even death.

Is There a Potential Cure for Ebola on the Horizon?

Brincidofovir may work against Ebola virus as well as other life-threatening viral infections like smallpox, adenovirus and cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Missed Diagnosis of Ebola in Dallas Reveals ER Flaws

Doctors misdiagnosed Ebola virus in Dallas hospital because they didn't read the electronic health record carefully enough.

Kids Paralyzed by Enterovirus-D68

Childhood paralysis resembling polio appears linked to respiratory infection with enterovirus-D68.

Ebola Epidemic Strains Public Health Resources

Children Sickened by Virus from Coast to Coast

Respiratory Infection Hits Kids Hard

A virus is causing serious respiratory infections in children.

Lightning-Quick Spread of Virus

A study found that virus spreads incredibly quickly throughout the workplace to any surface people touch.

Scary Respiratory Virus Has Parents Freaking Out

The nation's parents are understandably scared about a mysteriously spreading virus that is hospitalizing children in worrisome numbers.