Stacey Schultz News Today

TUESDAY, May 28 -- Bird flu virus has been detected in beef tissue from a sick dairy cow, but U.S. health officials stressed the countrys meat supply remains safe.

Muscle from a sick dairy cow tested positive for the virus. The meat did not enter the commercial food supply, which officials said remained safe.

Obese people are more likely to develop severe flu complications, even with vaccines. Researchers found that dieting before getting vaccinated make mice better at fighting off the virus.

Metabolic health (normal blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, among other factors) influences the effectiveness of influenza vaccinations. Vaccination is known to be less effective in people with obesity compared to those with a healthier body mass index (BMI), but St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have found it is not obesity itself, but instead metabolic dysfunction, which makes the difference.

The researchers found that switching obese mice to a healthy diet before flu vaccination completely protected them from a lethal dose of flu, despite their BMI (Body Mass Index). However, changing

Poor metabolic health or dysfunction, not obesity, leads to poor anti-influenza immune responses. Learn about the new St. Jude influenza vaccination research.

Poor metabolic health or dysfunction, not obesity, leads to poor anti-influenza immune responses. Learn about the new St. Jude influenza vaccination research.

Infection with the influenza virus leads to lung injury through inflammation over-activation that causes collateral damage to cells required for breathing.

Findings show a newly created drug can prevent runaway inflammation while still allowing the immune system to handle the virus, even when given late into infect

Findings show a newly created drug can prevent runaway inflammation while still allowing the immune system to handle the virus, even when given late into infect