The flu may be prominent for months an end, but there are many steps to avoid the virus.

The first prevention method is the flu shot, designed with that flu season in mind. Other methods include washing your hands often and avoiding close contact with those infected. Covering coughs and sneezes also helps control spreading and contracting the flu.

Another tool that many people use is wearing face masks that cover their noses and mouths. More importantly, those infected with the flu can use face masks to help prevent the spread of the virus to those who are healthy.

[Read more…]

An Ebola epidemic may still be active in the DRC, but we’re making progress with the virus. A vaccine used in the outbreak has shown some ability to prevent the deadly virus.

But, while some scientists are working to prevent Ebola, others are repurposing the virus.

A recently-published study showed that Yale University scientists have found a new and unlikely ally in the Ebola virus. The study found that Ebola may help us fight brain tumors.

[Read more…]

If you assume that mosquitoes die off in the winter, you’re not alone.

As the temperature drops and reaches the air gets cold, the winged insects lose their ability to fly. So, it makes sense to guess that they can’t make it through the season.

Although, many female mosquitoes and eggs have a technique that allows them to get through the season. Much like you see in bears and similar animals, mosquitoes have their very own unique form of hibernation.

[Read more…]

The world has already seen the results of a vaccination effort. Throughout the 1990s, vaccination rates for measles increased around the world.

Most importantly, coverage increased dramatically in developing countries. After that focus on global vaccine coverage, reported measles cases fell from 850,000 in 2000 to 132,000 in 2016.

Unfortunately, after recent trends, the world may be in need of another measles vaccine drive.

[Read more…]

The CDC said on average a person gets two to three colds per year. Most of these colds are also caught in the winter and spring. With cold and flu season around its peak, it can be hard to avoid catching a virus that’s going around.

Germs are everywhere this time of year, from doorknobs to desks. If a person chooses not to wash their hands after sneezing, coughing or blowing their nose, those germs and bacteria are even more common.

It’s hard to avoid touching things like doorknobs, but how long do viruses survive outside of the body?

[Read more…]