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Outbreaks of infections are increasingly frequent now and the recent H1N1 swine flu influenza pandemic highlighted the necessity for hand hygiene as a key prevention measure. According to WHO director general Margaret Chan, reports from Europe and the US alone indicate that around 6 million patients are affected by such infections each year. (India Times, India)
Senate plan doesn’t even make sense from selfish perspective Jun 6, 2010
How about influenza and measles. Are these only transmitted from citizen to citizen. (Boston Globe -- Editorial)
Swine Flu: Really a Pandemic? Jun 6, 2010
Scientists who advised the World Health Organization on its influenza policies and recommendationsincluding the decision to proclaim the so-called a had close ties to companies that manufacture vaccines and antiviral medicines like Tamiflu, a fact that WHO did not publicly disclose ... An official Council of Europe inquiry led by Paul Flynn, a British member of parliament, concluded that the "Parliamentary Assembly is alarmed about the way in which the H1N1 influenza pandemic has been... (ABC News)
Evaluating the control of HPAIV H5N1 in Vietnam: virus transmission within infected flocks reported before and after vaccination Jun 5, 2010
Currently, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) of the subtype H5N1 is believed to have reached an endemic cycle in Vietnam. We used routine surveillance data on HPAIV H5N1 poultry outbreaks in Vietnam to estimate and compare the within-flock reproductive number of infection (R0) for periods before (second epidemic wave, 2004-5; depopulation-based disease control) and during (fourth epidemic wave, beginning 2007; vaccination-based disease control) vaccination. (BioMed Central)
Extra Mutations Help Flu Evade Drug Jun 5, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two extra mutations set the stage for the seasonal influenza virus to evolve into a form that now resists three of the four drugs designed to fight it, researchers reported on Thursday ... This is important in planning for both seasonal influenza and pandemics. (MEDLINEplus)
Molecular Explanation for the Evolution of Tamiflu Resistance Jun 5, 2010
"This study shows how combining an understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying evolution with the extensive sequencing data on historical isolates of influenza virus can bring about a deeper understanding of the challenge that this virus presents to the human population," says Baltimore ... So far, the H274Y mutation has not become widespread in either the avian H5N1 influenza or the recent swine-origin influenza pandemic, although it has cropped up in isolated cases ... Permissive... (Science Daily)
2 medical reports accuse WHO of exaggerating H1N1 threat Jun 5, 2010
The reports outlined the drumbeat of criticism that has arisen, primarily in Europe, of how the world s leading health organization responded to the first influenza pandemic in more than four decades ... The parliamentary assembly is alarmed about the way in which the H1N1 influenza pandemic has been handled, not only by the World Health Organization, but also by the competent health authorities at the level of the European Union and at national level, the 18-page draft report states. (Boston Globe)
Council of Europe slams WHO handling of swine flu Jun 5, 2010
Because influenza is so unpredictable, authorities often must prepare for the worst. Some had feared swine flu could be as deadly as the 1918 pandemic, which killed up to 50 million people worldwide. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Flights may be mode of spreading swine flu Jun 5, 2010
SYDNEY: There is a small but measurable risk of contracting the Influenza A H1N1 virus or swine flu during long-haul flights, says a study ... "The pandemic gave us a unique opportunity to investigate the risk of influenza transmission on a flight. Because this was an entirely new virus to New Zealand, we know that the only place it could come from was from other passengers on this flight," says Baker ... There is a small but measurable risk of contracting the Influenza A H1N1 virus or swine flu... (India Times)
Mount Sinai researchers approaching universal treatment for all strains of influenza Jun 4, 2010
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a novel component of the influenza virus that may be the key to disabling the virus's ability to replicate itself and to developing a universal anti-viral treatment ... The influenza A virus is encoded by eight individual single-stranded segments of RNA. Each segment must serve as the material for both making protein and new segments, processes called transcription and replication ... Because segment ends and replication strategies... (EurekAlert!)
BU scientists get closer to cure for deadly Ebola virus Jun 4, 2010
There s really a small global market, for an Ebola drug compared with diseases like influenza or malaria, he said. The disease often breaks out in remote areas of Africa, and few people have been affected by it as of yet. (Boston University Daily Free Press, MA)
Extra mutations help flu evade drug - study Jun 4, 2010
WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - Two extra mutations set the stage for the seasonal influenza virus to evolve into a form that now resists three of the four drugs designed to fight it, researchers reported on Thursday ... This is important in planning for both seasonal influenza and pandemics. (AlertNet)
WHO Says H1N1 Flu Still a Pandemic Jun 4, 2010
But the CDC stopped by late May, stating on its Web site that "only a small number of influenza viruses are being reported, most of which are 2009 H1N1." ... The reports that the Caribbean, Central America and Cuba "continue to experience active circulation of pandemic influenza.". (ABC News)
'Risk to children' - CSL recalls flu vaccine Jun 3, 2010
CSL Biotherapies, a unit of CSL Ltd, had written to doctors and immunisation providers over the recall of its 2010 paediatric influenza vaccine, but was unsure how many doses of Fluvax were still in circulation ... "Influenza itself often causes fever in young children which can lead to convulsions and flu vaccine can also produce these side effects, but there is a clear signal that the rate of fever with convulsions is higher with this year's vaccine across all jurisdictions," Dr Bishop said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Ban extended on flu vaccine for children Jun 2, 2010
Professor Bishop said that where infants were at risk of respiratory diseases such as asthma, and an influenza shot was advisable, parents should discuss with their doctor whether a seasonal flu vaccination would be the best option. He urged caution in the use of Fluvax for the under-fives and said the other two seasonal flu vaccines available, Influvac and Vaxigrip, were not yet completely in the clear because of lower use in Australia. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Only 1 in 4 Americans Got H1N1 Vaccine Jun 2, 2010
"Overall the country did an extraordinary job of responding to this new influenza strain but there is room for improvement going forward," Schuchat said. "If we'd had more vaccine sooner it would have been better.". (MEDLINEplus)
Experts Find Compound to Fight Bird, Seasonal Flu Jun 2, 2010
"We have now brand-new weapons to combat influenza virus resistant to ... (antiviral drugs like) oseltamivir and zanamivir," said microbiologist Richard Yao at the University of Hong Kong, who led the study ... "Nucleozin is highly potent in cell culture and also in mice infected with the highly pathogenic influenza virus H5N1 ... (it can) stop the virus from replicating," Yao said ... "Scientists could now use nucleoprotein as a target to develop antiviral therapeutics for the treatment of... (MEDLINEplus)
Young Children Respond Well to Recommended Swine Flu Vaccine, Study Suggests Jun 2, 2010
These data provide important information to guide immunisation policy in an influenza pandemic, say the researchers. During the 2009-10 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, children experienced pandemic A (H1N1) infections at four times the rate of adults and were more commonly admitted to hospital, making them a priority group for vaccination ... The authors conclude: "In this first direct comparison of an AS03B adjuvanted split virion versus whole virion non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine, the adjuvanted... (Science Daily)
Those With Allergic Asthma Face Double Trouble During Flu Season, Findings Suggest May 31, 2010
ScienceDaily (May 30, 2010) New research from UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests that allergic reactions to pet dander, dust mites and mold may prevent people with allergic asthma from generating a healthy immune response to respiratory viruses such as influenza ... When investigators exposed the dendritic cells from the study participants with allergic asthma to influenza, they found that the cells were unable to produce interferon, an immune system protein that plays a key role in... (Science Daily)
Factors associated with death in hospitalized pneumonia patients with 2009 H1N1 influenza in Shenyang, China May 31, 2010 Mosquitoes already? That’s the buzz May 29, 2010 Flu Doesn't Die Out, It Hides out May 29, 2010 Those with allergic asthma face double trouble during flu season, UT Southwestern findings suggest May 29, 2010 Lifestyle disease rate explodes among Pacific Islanders May 28, 2010 Could Humans Be Infected by 'Computer Viruses?' May 27, 2010 H1N1 Associated With Serious Health Risks for Pregnant Women, Study Finds May 26, 2010 To Attack H1N1, Other Flu Viruses, Gold Nanorods Deliver Potent Payload May 26, 2010 Shiitake Mushrooms Prove Good for H... May 26, 2010 H1N1 Pandemic Flu Hits Pregnant Women Hard May 26, 2010 EPA ruling could jeopardize transportation funds May 26, 2010 Mount Sinai discovers bone marrow plays critical role in enhancing immune response to viruses May 25, 2010 Prior immunity helps to explain wave-like behaviour of pandemic influenza in 1918-9 May 25, 2010 Immune evasion common in many viruses, bacteria and parasites is uncommon in M. tuberculosis May 24, 2010 Vitamin D Helps Fend Off Flu, Asthma Attacks May 23, 2010 BISD shows some increase in flu reports (2) May 23, 2010 The week H1N1 stole the farm (2) May 23, 2010 World Health Organisation May 22, 2010 Pandemic panic? May 22, 2010 Swine flu vaccine is widely unused May 22, 2010 * Science must drive health policy May 22, 2010 Pandemic Flu Containment Measures Bought Valuable Time, Vietnam Study Suggests May 22, 2010 ASM launches new open access journal May 22, 2010 New Breakthrough in Fight Against Lethal CCHF Virus May 22, 2010 Good Hygiene Does Slow Spread of Pandemic Flu May 22, 2010 EU gives green light for while-you-wait hepatitis B test May 22, 2010 * Information comes from WHO, not China: Yaung May 22, 2010 Should pets, owners share bed? If you want my advice ... May 22, 2010 Men, Women May Respond Differently to Vaccines May 22, 2010 GenVec receives Nasdaq warning again May 14, 2010 Letters to the editor May 14, 2010 Texas Children's Hospital vaccine experts present 4 studies May 13, 2010 Response to vaccines could depend on your sex May 13, 2010 myRegence.com Videos Recognized for Excellence With EMMY Awards Nominations May 13, 2010 Richardson and Chihuahua gov. decry AZ law May 12, 2010 AVI BioPharma loses $584K in Q1 May 12, 2010 Kindergarten kids among 36 down with flu-like illness May 12, 2010 * Dozens of soldiers recovering after contracting H1N1 May 11, 2010 Directing immune traffic -- signposts to the lung May 11, 2010 Standing water increases chances of mosquitoes May 11, 2010 A(HINI): 34 new cases in the last 24 hours May 10, 2010 How Viruses Manipulate Host Cells by Means of Molecular Mimics May 10, 2010 Difference between auto liability insurance, Obamacare (4) May 9, 2010 Mild-mannered metabolic helper rushes to fight invading viruses, researchers report May 8, 2010 Prescription Drug Could Boost Effects of Vaccines for HIV and Other Diseases May 8, 2010 H1N1 Often Hit the Young and Healthy May 7, 2010 Nausea and speeding heart can be signs of flu in pregnant women May 6, 2010 Motion to debate Brunei oil blocks issue rejected May 6, 2010 New Seasonal Flu Vaccine to Contain H1N1 Strain May 5, 2010 New Microscope Able to 'See' Atoms for First Time: Atomic Structure of Tiny Virus Imaged May 5, 2010 Refusing Kids' Vaccines Becoming More Common May 5, 2010 U.S. Has 71 Million Unused Flu Vaccine Doses May 5, 2010 Manufacturing Antibodies May 5, 2010 Ban on caged livestock advances (1) May 4, 2010 Taking Flu Drugs While Pregnant Appears To Be Safe May 4, 2010 H1N1 influenza hits older children May 4, 2010 Fear of pandemic influenza clogs EDs even when disease is not present May 4, 2010 Efforts have kept H1N1 at bay in McLean County May 3, 2010 Pandemic History in Light of the 20... May 2, 2010 * The forgotten ill: a call to fight the neglected tropical diseases May 2, 2010 Hand-Washing, Mask-Wearing May Limit Transmission of Pandemic Flu May 1, 2010 Flu vaccine shortages as demand increases May 1, 2010 A Clamp for Emerging Flu Viruses: Researchers Unravel Secret of Innate Immune Response Apr 30, 2010 Woman is latest H1N1 victim Apr 30, 2010 Facing Disaster: Protecting workers health Apr 30, 2010
During the spring of 2009, a pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged and spread globally. We describe the clinical characteristics and factors associated with the death of patients who were hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza pneumonia in Shenyang, China, from November to December 2009 ... During the evaluation period in Shenyang, China, 2009 H1N1 influenza caused severe illness requiring hospitalization in 68 patients, 10 (14. (BioMed Central)
Who to blame for flu spread? Maybe America May 30, 2010
But a team at the University of Michigan, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Florida State University found that not all strains of flu circulating in North America die off at the end of influenza season ... "We found that although China and Southeast Asia play the largest role in the influenza Amigration network, temperate regions particularly the U.S. also make important contributions," said Trevor Bedford of the University of Michigan, whose study appears in the Public Library of... (MSNBC -- Health)
The only thing that s harder to predict than mosquitoes, DeMaria said, is influenza. The rain torrents of early spring provided one of the three necessary ingredients for mosquito propagation. (Boston Globe)
A genetic analysis by University of Michigan postdoctoral fellow Trevor Bedford and colleagues at U-M, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Florida State University reveals that in the United States, not all strains of influenza die off at the end of winter; some move southward to South America, and some migrate even farther ... "The prevailing view that has developed over the past three years or so is the out-of-tropics hypothesis, in which the strains that bring about each temperate flu season... (Science Daily)
DALLAS June 1, 2010 New research from UT Southwestern Medical Center suggests that allergic reactions to pet dander, dust mites and mold may prevent people with allergic asthma from generating a healthy immune response to respiratory viruses such as influenza ... When investigators exposed the dendritic cells from the study participants with allergic asthma to influenza, they found that the cells were unable to produce interferon, an immune system protein that plays a key role in fighting... (EurekAlert!)
The diseases are lumped into the category "noncommunicable" to differentiate them from epidemics such as influenza and tuberculosis, which spread from person to person ... The diseases are lumped into the category "noncommunicable" to differentiate them from epidemics such as influenza and tuberculosis, which spread from person to person. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
(June 13, 2008) A new study suggests that some North American avian influenza A H7 virus strains have properties that might enhance their potential to infect humans as well as their potential to spread from human to ... 20, 2010) The two strains of the H1N1 influenza virus responsible for the 1918 and 2009 global flu pandemics do not cause disease in birds. (Science Daily)
"Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a pandemic respiratory infection commanding much attention by the international medical community," the authors write as background information in the article. "Little data have been reported regarding the impact of H1N1 on pregnant patients or the gestational fetus, and published reports have been conflicting." The study also notes that during prior seasonal influenza epidemics and pandemics, pregnant women have been reported to have increased hospitalization rates,... (Science Daily)
This research constitutes part of his doctoral degree work that focused on host response to influenza infection and novel drug delivery strategies. The paper describes the single strand RNA molecule, which prompts a strong immune response against the influenza virus by ramping up the host's cellular production of interferons, proteins that inhibit viral replication ... "It all boils down to how we can deliver the immune activator," says Suryaprakesh Sambhara, DVM, PhD, in CDC's Influenza... (Science Daily)
Several animal studies have shown that lentinan strengthens the immune system's ability to fight viruses, including influenza. Two studies even showed it improved the immune status of individuals infected with HIV.. (Suite101.com)
"In keeping with prior pandemics, pregnant women don't do well with pandemic flu, because they have a compromised immune response," said influenza expert Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University in New York City. In addition, they don't do as well because they lack immunity to these new flu strains. (MEDLINEplus)
The elderly, children, and people with chronic lung disease, influenza, or asthma, are especially sensitive. Arizona officials had asserted that dust storms were responsible for 10 of the 11 unacceptably high pollution spikes in Phoenix during 2008. (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
Led by Carolina Lopez, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the research team evaluated the immune response to influenza infection in the lung and blood of mice. The team found that in the days following infection the lung became inflamed and produced interferons, or infection-fighting proteins, a message that alerted bone marrow cells of the presence of the virus and signaled them to prepare to fight the infection. (EurekAlert!)
The ecology of influenza may be more complex than is usually assumed. For example, despite multiple waves in the influenza pandemic of 1918-19, many people in urban locations were apparently unaffected ... Our model for pandemic influenza in 1918-9 suggests that pre-existing immune protection, presumably induced by prior exposure to seasonal influenza, may have limited the pandemic attack-rate in urban populations, while the waning of that protection likely contributed to recurrence of pandemic... (BioMed Central)
"If you get infected with the influenza virus, for example, the body's immune system recognizes it and tends to eliminate it. In tuberculosis, our immune response doesn't get rid of it it tends to hold on to it for a while keeping the bacteria under partial control.". The immune system plays a key role in protecting the human body from invading pathogens. (EurekAlert!)
During the study, conducted between December 2008 and March 2009, 31 of 167 children taking placebo caught influenza A, the most common form of the virus, compared with only 18 of 167 taking vitamin D.. The vitamin D group was 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A, the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ... Dr. Adit Ginde, of University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health: "This is the first time a... (MEDLINEplus)
Some experts think this is the real reason we all get more coughs, colds and influenza in the winter months: because thats when so many of us are vitamin D deficient and so our immunity is markedly lowered. In one study, a vitamin D serum level above 50 ng/ml ELIMINATED colds completely. (Boerne Star, TX)
H1N1 influenza is not a food-borne illness ... Influenza is a respiratory disease and the virus is not found in the blood or meat of healthy pigs or in pigs that have recovered from the illness. (Minnesota Farm Guide, MN)
Health experts on Monday began a WHO probe into the controversial response to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century, nearly a year after global alarm was raised over the new swine flu ... World health experts have begun examining the controversial response to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
For several years before swine flu first surfaced in Mexico in April 2009, WHO officials had been warning that a global influenza pandemic was simply a matter of time ... "We have seen 40 to 50 million people die in a year in previous pandemics," explained Keiji Fukuda, who is the WHO's assistant director general, and its special adviser on pandemic influenza ... " Others also had questions. Tom Jefferson, a researcher for the international Cochrane Centre, the world's leading independent... (BBC News -- Health)
Influenza s just very unpredictable, said Dr. Susan Lett, medical director of the state Department of Public Health s immunization program. Massachusetts alone accounts for 1. (Boston Globe)
Winter has arrived in the southern hemisphere and health ministers all over the world are waiting to see if the pandemic H1N1 virus that spread around the globe last year and this year has receded or whether it will mutate into yet another novel influenza virus ... Second, local infectious disease surveillance is important, but there is also a need for cooperation and integration between local, central and global surveillance systems for influenza, which can then provide instant feedback to... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
ScienceDaily (May 21, 2010) Containment measures introduced in Vietnam to prevent the spread of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza did not succeed in halting the virus, but may have bought health services and clinical researchers valuable time, according to research carried out at the Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ... On 27 April 2009, when the World Health Organization declared Phase 4 in response to the H1N1 influenza virus -- indicating a significant... (Science Daily)
A new influenza vaccine strategy represents a significant step towards a universal influenza vaccine. A perspective article on the move towards universal vaccines for other diseases. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
30, 2008) Researchers have developed a new antiviral using naturally occurring influenza virus "protecting virus" that may defend against any influenza A virus in any animal. . (Science Daily)
On a broader, community-based level, other influenza-containment measures can include school closings, the restriction of public gatherings, and the promotion of home-based work schedules, the researchers noted. "The recent influenza A (H1N1) pandemic may provide us with an opportunity to address many research gaps and ultimately create a broad, comprehensive strategy for pandemic mitigation," lead author Allison E. Aiello, of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a news... (MEDLINEplus)
Other tests in the pipeline include rapid tests for the detection of HIV and influenza. Charles Gore, president of the World Hepatitis Alliance, commented: "I am happy this new test has been approved in the EU. Rapid, cheap and robust diagnostic tests are an important component in the battle to prevent and control hepatitis B. This is a battle that is only now beginning to be given the priority it needs with, for the first time, a comprehensive WHO viral hepatitis resolution on the agenda for... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
During the WHA meeting, the nations delegation of 15 experts made statements on 12 issues including pandemic influenza preparedness, implementation of the IHR, food safety, viral hepatitis, organ transplants and climate change, among others, Yaung said. He said US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had sent a letter to WHO Secretary-General Margaret Chan (I) supporting expanded participation in WHO activities and mechanisms for Taiwan. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Should pets, owners share bed. If you want my advice. (USA Today -- Life)
The finding, reported in the May issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, stems from a review of prior research concerning vaccines that target a range of diseases including yellow fever, influenza, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis and herpes simplex. Hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy were also tracked during the review for their possible effect on vaccines. (MEDLINEplus)
It is working on treatments for HIV, foot and mouth disease, influenza and malaria. GenVec (NASDAQ: GNVC) also has a licensing agreement with Novartis AG for a hearing loss treatment. (Washington Business Journal, DC)
School nurses have been central to New Mexico's public health efforts against H1N1 influenza. In addition, school nurses provide interventions for acute and chronic illnesses, injuries and emergencies, obesity, substance use, teen pregnancy, mental health problems, dental disease, nutrition problems and sexually transmitted infections. (Grants Cibola County Beacon, NM)
She found that childhood influenza immunization rates remained significantly low ... Nearly two-thirds of the respondents said that healthy children don't need to be vaccinated and over half of the mothers agreed that other ways to avoid influenza are just as effective as immunizations. (EurekAlert!)
Researchers conducted a review of existing literature on several vaccines including yellow fever, influenza, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis and herpes simplex to obtain evidence of the difference in responses between women and men. They also examined the effect hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy have on vaccine efficacy. (EurekAlert!)
These included "Becoming Ironman," one woman's quest to complete a triathlon; "The Intimate Truth," a look at what makes couples happy; "Flu: The Next Pandemic," an in-depth report on influenza; "When Nobody's Looking," an examination of domestic abuse; and "Free to Be Happy," an ex-felon's tale of finding free will in his own mind. "The videos on myRegence.com are just one way our site helps members develop their own path to wellness," said Torben Nielsen, Director of Marketing Systems and... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
The health work group of the commission has helped improve the collection and exchange of epidemiological data, including sharing influenza data weekly and improving the surveillance of tuberculosis. It also conducted mass H1N1 vaccinations. (New Mexico Business Weekly, NM)
We are excited by the possibilities represented in our current programs, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, influenza, hemorrhagic fever and antibacterial programs, as well as the broader potential applications of our RNA-based therapeutic platform technologies, stated J. David Boyle II, AVI s interim President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer ... The Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative, or TMTI, a Department of Defense program intended to help protect... (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
PUTRAJAYA: Four influenza-like illness (ILI) cluster cases were reported in Selangor, Pahang and Negri Sembilan on Monday, involving 36 people including kindergarten children. Of the 16 children in Tadika Anak Riang in Puchong Jaya who were down with the illness, six were confirmed to have Influenza A(H1N1). (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Forty-seven soldiers from the 10th Army Corps in Taichung County who were hospitalized following an outbreak of influenza were scheduled to be discharged from hospital yesterday after recovering, a spokesman for the corps said ... All but two tested positive for influenza, corps spokesman Huang Kai-shen (}) said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Saranac Lake, N.Y. Inducing cellular immunity as a means to protect against influenza virus is the focus of several laboratories at the Trudeau Institute ... In laboratories around the world, researchers are working diligently to gain the upper hand in the ongoing struggle against the influenza virus ... "It has become apparent that protective cellular immunity to viruses like influenza requires white blood cells to be pre-positioned in the lungs, the site of initial infection," says David L.... (EurekAlert!)
Signs and symptoms of mosquito infections are similar to that of influenza; fever, headache and fatigue all of which become more severe should the patient have encephalitis. If prevention does not work and a mosquito bite occurs, Wozniak recommends the use of cool compresses and anti-itch ointments/lotions to the bite site. (Port Lavaca Wave, TX)
PUTRAJAYA: Health authorities recorded 34 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1) over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of people to have been infected with the deadly flu to 14,067 since the pandemic broke last year. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said a total of 671 patients were currently being treated in hospitals for Influenza-like illness (ILI) of which 12 were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
24, 2009) Investigators have identified 295 human cell factors that influenza A strains must harness to infect a cell, including the currently circulating swine-origin. . (Science Daily)
Ndangeredspecies wrote on May 3, 2010 10:47 AM:" Twisted logic? When was the last time we had a TB epidemic? How about the huge scare over influenza? So does your logic tell you that under this mythical magical legislation all humans living in the US will suddenly be covered by health plans offering unlimited coverage for all conditions? Insurance comapnies can not survive when they have to take all risks without making proper adjustments to their rate structures. When they begin failing,... (Boerne Star, TX)
The findings mean scientists must rethink the design of antiviral immunity and how the body fends off viruses of all types, including influenza and HIV.. In the study, Children's Hospital Boston researchers found, mild-mannered organelles inside the cell known as peroxisomes can detect virus invasion signals and launch a limited antiviral offensive. (EurekAlert!)
John Pesce and colleagues at the Naval Medical Research Center and UC-Berkeley note that vaccines prepared from weakened or inactivated viruses or bacteria have had enormous success in preventing polio, influenza, and other diseases. However, vaccines containing living or weakened viruses cannot be used for HIV, hepatitis C, and other devastating diseases due to safety concerns. (Science Daily)
The review offers few new insights, said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, except "that pregnant women were more at risk in the second and third trimesters and the finding that obesity and morbid obesity [were also risk factors]. Obesity is something that has not been associated with influenza deaths before." ... It has since spread around the globe resulting in "the first influenza pandemic since 1968 with circulation outside the usual influenza... (MEDLINEplus)
"People don't necessarily think of influenza when you include the symptoms of nausea or vomiting, but our study showed that they are common with influenza in pregnancy," said Dr. Vanessa Rogers, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and lead author of the study, which appears in the May edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology ... The researchers studied the cases of pregnant women during the 2003-2004 flu season, when the most common strain of influenza caused more severe symptoms than... (EurekAlert!)
On another front, all 70 doses of Influenza A(H1N1) vaccine made available for senators at the Parliament clinic were taken up by 4pm. Earlier in the morning, Abu Zahar announced in the House about the vaccine and it received good response. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
"The inclusion of the H1N1 pandemic virus in the influenza vaccine does not signal that the pandemic is over," Fukuda told reporters ... WHO's emergency committee of influenza experts will meet on February 23 to evaluate whether the world is moving out of the pandemic, but the H1N1 virus is expected to remain the dominant virus circulating worldwide regardless, he said ... The other recommended vaccine strains are H3N2 -- which like H1N1 is a type of influenza A -- and influenza B.. (MEDLINEplus)
Envelope viruses, which include influenza and HIV, are surrounded by an envelope-like membrane which the virus uses to fuse with and infect a host cell. Non-envelope viruses lack this membrane and instead use a protein to fuse with and infect cells. (Science Daily)
Parents in 2008 had more opportunities to delay shots than they had five years earlier, because experts recommended three new vaccines for children those ages between 2003 and 2008 - including vaccines against hepatitis A, rotavirus and influenza. Interviews with parents suggest that many are influenced by medical myths, such as the notions that kids can't be vaccinated when they have a cold or that shots cause autism, Rodewald says. (13WMAZ.com, GA)
States and other providers should hang on to the vaccine and continue to offer them to people until drug companies can start distributing seasonal vaccine for the coming influenza season in the autumn, said Health and Human Services Department spokesman Bill Hall ... Influenza vaccines are made using old and unwieldy methods that require incubating the virus in chicken eggs, and the process always takes months. (Fox News)
17, 2010) Immune molecules known as antibodies that protect against influenza virus infection target the highly variable influenza protein HA. It is thought the antibodies generated by an individual's immune. (May 30, 2007) New research suggests that it may be possible to develop a vaccine that protects against the myriad strains of the HIV virus. (Science Daily)
McCorvey, echoing studies on caged and uncaged chickens here and in Europe, said one problem with poultry is that they are very cannibalistic, and very weather and temperature sensitive and susceptible to diseases such as Newcastle's or Avian Influenza. Keeping chickens confined, he said, is a way to control their exposure to such hazards. (Sebastopol Sonoma West Publishing, CA)
FRIDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- The influenza drugs Tamiflu, Relenza and Flumadine appear to be safe for pregnant women and their babies, U.S. researchers say ... "A woman has to balance the benefits and potential risks of any medication taken during pregnancy. But with influenza, the added risks of complications from the disease in pregnancy need to be considered," he noted. (MEDLINEplus)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA Children hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 influenza in 2009 were older and more likely to have underlying medical conditions than children hospitalized with seasonal influenza during prior flu seasons, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 4 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ... 3 million children for laboratory-confirmed influenza was conducted in 10 states during the 2003-2009 influenza... (EurekAlert!)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA A study of emergency department (ED) activity before and during the H1N1 influenza pandemic highlights the role public fear can play in unnecessarily straining medical facilities and will aid in ongoing preparations for public health emergencies, according to the authors ... To determine how public fear over H1N1 influenza and presence of the disease in the community affected use of a pediatric ED, Dr. McDonnell and his colleagues compared usage rates during three... (EurekAlert!)
BLOOMINGTON A year ago, H1N1 influenza first appeared in Central Illinois ... The first confirmed case of the novel influenza in McLean County was in May 2009 ... Because Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that everyone 6 months and older be vaccinated against influenza, health officials are considering how they can make that happen next fall. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
In 2009 people around the world massed on the vaccination centers to get their influenza shots ... An influenza which started in France, the U.S. and Sierra Leone ... 20th century - Several different influenza outbreaks in Asia spreading to the rest of the world, the last one being the avian flu in 2004. (Suite101.com)
The pandemics of SARS, and avian and swine influenza have cost the global economy an estimated US$200 billion. These threats emerge frequently and unpredictably from human contact with animals. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
"The recent influenza A (H1N1) pandemic may provide us with an opportunity to address many research gaps and ultimately create a broad, comprehensive strategy for pandemic mitigation," according to Allison E. Aiello, PhD, MS. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. "However, the emergence of this pandemic in 2009 demonstrated that there are still more questions than answers. More research is urgently needed, especially in light of the potential... (Science Daily)
Alan Hampson, the chairman of the Influenza Specialist Group in Australia, said there had been delays importing enough flu vaccine in times of peak demand. "It does seem as if there is a higher patient awareness of influenza at the moment, and that is a good thing," he said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
28, 2010) When the human body becomes infected with new influenza viruses, the immune system rapidly activates an inborn protective mechanism to inhibit the intruding pathogen ... New influenza viruses jump from animals to humans with alarming frequency, as evidenced by the H5N1 bird flu virus or, more recently, with the swine flu virus ... It can rapidly mobilize a defense strategy which prevents the influenza viruses from proliferating unchecked in the body. (Science Daily)
PUTRAJAYA: A 61-year-old wo--man in Kuala Terengganu has died from influenza A(H1N1), pushing the country s death toll to 81 ... Dr Ismail said in the past 24 hours, three Influenza-like Illness cluster cases one in Malacca and two in Kuala Lumpur were reported involving 13 people, 12 of whom were tested positive for A(H1N1). (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Influenza, along with norovirus, which cause gastroenteritis, or stomach flu, are two of the most common potential outbreaks that can go through a workplace setting and send a lot of people home sick, Pandis said. Influenza is preventable with vaccines, but norovirus is not, she said. (Tampa Bay Business Journal, FL)
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