Flu | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/flu/RSS feed for FluenMon, 02 Feb 2026 15:46:16 +0000Artificial Lungs Kept a Dying Man Alive For 48 Hours—Until He Was Well Enough to Receive an Organ Transplanthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artificial-lungs-kept-a-dying-man-alive-for-48-hours-until-he-was-well-enough-to-receive-an-organ-transplant-180988109/The patient is faring well nearly three years later, thanks to the life-saving deviceMon, 02 Feb 2026 15:46:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/artificial-lungs-kept-a-dying-man-alive-for-48-hours-until-he-was-well-enough-to-receive-an-organ-transplant-180988109/Four Important Questions About Bird Flu, Answeredhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-important-questions-about-bird-flu-answered-180984378/The virus has killed tens of millions of birds and infected hundreds of species of animals, including dairy cattle in the United States. Here’s what you should know about itMon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-important-questions-about-bird-flu-answered-180984378/One in Five Milk Samples Has Bird Flu Virus Fragments, Suggesting Cow Infections Are More Widespread Than Thoughthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-in-five-milk-samples-has-bird-flu-virus-fragments-suggesting-cow-infections-are-more-widespread-than-thought-180984238/The research has not yet found evidence that milk contains infectious virus, and the FDA says the commercial milk supply is safeFri, 26 Apr 2024 21:12:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/one-in-five-milk-samples-has-bird-flu-virus-fragments-suggesting-cow-infections-are-more-widespread-than-thought-180984238/Bird Flu Virus Detected in Pasteurized Milk, as U.S. Moves to Test More Dairy Cowshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-virus-detected-in-pasteurized-milk-as-us-moves-to-test-more-dairy-cows-180984222/The FDA maintains that the commercial milk supply is safe, and it plans to report results of further tests in the coming days and weeksWed, 24 Apr 2024 21:25:08 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-virus-detected-in-pasteurized-milk-as-us-moves-to-test-more-dairy-cows-180984222/First Human Case of Bird Flu in Texas Confirmed, Following Infections in Cattle—Here's What to Knowhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-human-case-of-bird-flu-in-texas-confirmed-following-infections-in-cattle-heres-what-to-know-180984068/This marks only the second time in U.S. history that a human has contracted the H5N1 strain of avian influenzaTue, 02 Apr 2024 21:27:44 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-human-case-of-bird-flu-in-texas-confirmed-following-infections-in-cattle-heres-what-to-know-180984068/Bird Flu Confirmed in U.S. Dairy Cows for the First Time, but Milk Supply Is Unaffected, Officials Sayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-confirmed-in-us-dairy-cows-for-the-first-time-but-milk-supply-is-unaffected-officials-say-180984034/Tests detected the virus at two farms in Texas and two farms in Kansas, but officials and scientists stress commercial dairy products remain safe to consumeWed, 27 Mar 2024 18:30:35 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-confirmed-in-us-dairy-cows-for-the-first-time-but-milk-supply-is-unaffected-officials-say-180984034/What's Really the Average Human Body Temperature?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-986-degrees-is-not-the-average-human-body-temperature-180983071/Long thought to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the measurement is highly personal and varies depending on time of day, among other factors, new research findsMon, 16 Oct 2023 17:14:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-986-degrees-is-not-the-average-human-body-temperature-180983071/Editing Chicken Genes Could Slow the Spread of Bird Flu, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/editing-chicken-genes-could-slow-the-spread-of-bird-flu-study-suggests-180983046/Using CRISPR technology, researchers edited a protein gene that increased chickens' resistance to the virus. But the process is far from practical useFri, 13 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/editing-chicken-genes-could-slow-the-spread-of-bird-flu-study-suggests-180983046/The 1918 Flu Hit Frailer People the Hardest, Study Suggestshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-1918-flu-hit-frailer-people-the-hardest-study-suggests-180983037/Skeletons of people who died before and during the 20th-century pandemic counter the narrative that young and healthy people were targeted by the diseaseWed, 11 Oct 2023 16:57:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-1918-flu-hit-frailer-people-the-hardest-study-suggests-180983037/Bird Flu Causes the Death of an 11-Year-Old in Cambodiahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-causes-the-death-of-an-11-year-old-in-cambodia-180981706/A father and daughter both contracted avian influenza, the first cases in the country since 2014Mon, 27 Feb 2023 21:46:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-causes-the-death-of-an-11-year-old-in-cambodia-180981706/