How do fevers help the body fight off the flu? : NPR

NPR•November 27, 2025•health

Key Points:

Historically, fever's role in illness has been debated, with ancient views seeing it as beneficial and 18th-century perspectives treating it as harmful; modern science recognizes fever as part of the immune response but its exact benefits remain unclear.
A recent study published in Science by University of Cambridge researchers found that elevated temperature alone can help fight certain viruses, demonstrated through experiments with mice and influenza strains adapted to different temperatures.
The study used a heat-tolerant bird flu gene inserted into a human flu virus and showed that mice housed at higher temperatures were better able to combat the normal flu strain, suggesting fever's heat may directly inhibit some viruses.
Experts note this research supports the idea that fever itself is an effective defense mechanism, though it does not

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