“Harmless” Bacterium Found to Cause 10 Percent of COPD Flare-Ups

July 21, 2005 | Source: KurzweilAI

University of Buffalo researchers have found that a ubiquitous bacteria strain previously thought to be harmless causes 10% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) flare-ups or exacerbations.

COPD affects 20 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. Many of these deaths occur during times of COPD flare-ups. The new findings could lead to vaccines or other methods of preventing 2-4 million flare-ups each year in the U.S alone.

University of Buffalo news release