Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, reveals a study published in PLOS Biology.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from volunteers in Southern China and found that while children get flu on average every other year, flu infections become less frequent as people progress through childhood and early adulthood; and from the age of 30 onwards, flu infections tend to occur at a steady rate of about two per decade. Possibly this increased frequency of infections in childhood and adolescence could be because youngsters tend to mix more with other people. However, the researchers noted that the exact frequency of infection will vary depending on background levels of flu and vaccination.
Flu Virus Can Spread Up to 6 Feet Above the Patient
The influenza virus can spread to 6 feet from a patient through submicron particles breaking the old thought that it spreads only through coughing and sneezing.
Advertisement
Adam Kucharski said, "There's a lot of debate in the field as to how often people get flu, as opposed to flu-like illness caused by something else. These symptoms could sometimes be caused by common cold viruses, such as rhinovirus or coronavirus. Also, some people might not realize they had flu, but the infection will show up when a blood sample is subsequently tested."
The findings will help understand how the immunity in the population affects the evolution of flu viruses, and potentially make predictions about how the virus will change in the future. It could also help scientists consider how immunity to historical strains will influence the way vaccines work and how effective they will be.
Source: Medindia
Source: Medindia
Seasonal Flu Vaccine Gives Protection Against Bird Flu
Researchers have found antibodies - the immune system's protective proteins - for H7N9 in people who had had the injection for seasonal flu.
Advertisement
 Swine Flu Death Toll Climbs Close to 300 in GujaratThe total death toll due to swine flu in Gujarat is steadily climbing towards the 300 mark, with nine more deaths reported in the state due to the H1N1 virus. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Research News
Brain plasticity following blindness leads to superior ability in sensing signals from the heart, which has implications for bodily awareness and emotional processing.
A group of scientists were awarded £1.3 million to create a new “point of care testing” kit that detects Alzheimer's disease biomarkers.
Is there a connection between Osteoporosis and dementia? Yes, loss in bone density may be linked to an increased risk of dementia in older age.
Link between chromosome length and biological aging marker discovered. The finding helps explain why people with longer telomeres have a lower dementia risk.
Integrated structural biology helps discover how the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) works.