Wang B, et al. - Researchers evaluated the feasibility of conducting a large clinical trial to assess the efficacy of probiotics to attenuate influenza and other respiratory virus infections in residents of long-term and chronic care facilities (LTCFs). Nursing home residents aged 65 and older from 14 nursing homes in Hamilton and surrounding region, Ontario, Canada were randomized to receive 2 capsules of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (estimated 10 billion colony forming units of L. rhamnosus GG per capsule) or placebo (calcium carbonate) daily for 6 months. Study excluded subjects who were taking immunosuppressives (steroids or other immunosuppressives) or had a hematological malignancy, structural heart disease, or gastroesophageal or intestinal injury and others at high risk of an endovascular infection. The probiotics group included 100 subjects and placebo group comprised 96. The presence of laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infections was reported in 14 (15.0%) residents in the probiotic group and 21 (22.9%) in the placebo group.