Pandemic News and Research

RSS

A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. During a pandemic, transmission can be anticipated in the workplace, not only from patient to workers in health care settings, but also among co-workers in general work settings. A pandemic would cause high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery.

Swine flu risk to pregnant women uncovered in landmark study

A study to be published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today has found 11 percent of pregnant women admitted to intensive care units (ICU) with 2009 A/H1N1 (swine flu) died, with 12 percent of babies born to them dying from complications. None of the mothers had been immunised against seasonal flu.

22 Mar 2010

Influenza pandemic policies: WHO denies being improperly influenced by pharmaceutical industry

Providing independent advice to Member States is a very important function of the World Health Organization (WHO). We take this work seriously and guard against the influence of any improper interests. The WHO influenza pandemic policies and response have not been improperly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry.

20 Mar 2010

ITDS can be effective for screening fever during H1N1 influenza pandemic: UNMC researchers

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center found an Infrared Thermal Detection System to be a fast and effective fever screening tool in clinical settings during the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The ITDS detected fever in patients through split-second, non-contact skin temperature measurements.

20 Mar 2010

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: NIAID Director issues statement

Following is a statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health on National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, March 20, 2010:

19 Mar 2010

H1N1 flu pandemic awareness helps Americans to be better prepared this year: Survey

With almost half of respondents saying they believe a sneeze travels eight feet or more, one might think you would be sick all the time. But a recent national survey of 1,017 U.S. adult men and women (age 18+) conducted by Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., maker of Zicam, found a majority of Americans polled surprisingly saw this cold and flu season as "about the same" (42%) or only "slightly worse" (21%) from last year, despite all the hype this past fall around H1N1.

19 Mar 2010

GSK's 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report published online

In its 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report published online today, GSK reiterated its commitment to running its business responsibly and to making the company more responsive, more flexible and more open to the expectations of society.

19 Mar 2010

Modulating body's inflammatory response may help fight serious infection

Treating virulent influenza, sepsis, and other potentially deadly infections long has focused on looking for ways to kill viruses and bacteria. But new research from the University of Utah and Utah State University shows that modulating the body's own overeager inflammatory response to infection may help save more lives.

18 Mar 2010

PPD, Southern Research Institute collaborate in pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine research

PPD and Southern Research Institute today announced they have formed a collaborative agreement in pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine research and development to provide clients a full spectrum of influenza vaccine development services by collaborating on client bids and projects.

18 Mar 2010

ICID provides online planning tools to help non-profit organizations develop pandemic flu plans

On the heels of the recent H1N1 pandemic, the International Centre for Infectious Diseases is providing online planning tools to help non-profit organizations develop pandemic flu plans. It is urging vigilance against future waves of the virus, and advises organizations to take action now to plan for events that could threaten the delivery of service to their clients.

17 Mar 2010

Meridian Bioscience revises fiscal 2010 guidance, expects net sales between $145M and $153M

Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio today announced that it is revising downward its previous sales and earnings guidance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010. This action is being taken as a result of weaker than expected operating results for the second quarter ending March 31, 2010, based on preliminary results to date. Separately, Meridian announced that it will file a 510(k) for FDA marketing clearance next week in connection with its illumigene™ C. difficile product.

17 Mar 2010

Renhuang Pharmaceuticals' net income for first-quarter of 2010 increases 17.8%

Renhuang Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer, manufacturer and distributor of botanical products, bio-pharmaceuticals and traditional Chinese medicines, today announced its financial results for the first quarter ended January 31, 2010.

17 Mar 2010

Simple common sense behaviors can help limit the spread of H1N1 in household: Study

Simple, common sense behaviors, including having a discussion at home about how to prevent influenza, can help limit the spread of H1N1 in a household, according to a study of the initial outbreak in New York City in 2009.

17 Mar 2010

Can preventative vaccines curb the rising numbers of HIV cases?

According to a recent United Nations study, HIV infection rates among high-risk groups such as gays, drug users and sex workers are on the rise around the world.

17 Mar 2010

OVD issue highlights prevalence of eye problems in general population

In the latest issue of Optometry & Vision Development (OVD), Dr. Dominick Maino, editor of OVD, notes that: "In 2010 there are 9 million people with lazy eye and 18 million individuals with eye-turns

17 Mar 2010

Booster shot appears to improve TB resistance in previously vaccinated adults

A booster shot appears to improve tuberculosis (TB) resistance in previously vaccinated adults, according to new research in South Africa.

17 Mar 2010

Fraunhofer USA CMB receives $4.395M award from DARPA to develop H1N1 influenza vaccine

Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology announced today that it has received a $4.395 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop a vaccine against H1N1 influenza virus using its plant-based production platform.

16 Mar 2010

Obesity limits body's ability to fight infections

Obesity may limit the body's ability to develop immunity to influenza viruses, particularly secondary infections, by inhibiting the immune system's ability to "remember" how it fought off previous similar bouts of illness, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

16 Mar 2010

Opinions: Discrimination against sexual orientation; WFP in Somalia; Haiti's recovery; WHO's policy role

In a Washington Post opinion piece, Desmond Tutu, archbishop emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, speaks out against efforts to deny individuals "their fundamental rights and freedoms" based on their sexual orientation.

16 Mar 2010

Kettering Health Network licenses DIATHERIX Laboratories' TEM-PCR testing process

Kettering Health Network is the nation's first health system to use a new testing process developed by DIATHERIX Laboratories, which dramatically reduces the time it takes to detect H1N1, methicillin resistant staphylococcus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C-diff) and other infectious diseases. Kettering Medical Center will be the first hospital in the network to use the testing system and DIATHERIX will maintain an onsite lab at the facility.

16 Mar 2010

Clinton delivers speech at U.N. women's meeting as conference closes

"Calling the subjugation of women a threat to American security, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary [Rodham] Clinton made a vibrant plea to give equal rights to women around the world," during a speech a the U.N. on Friday, Agence France-Presse reports.

16 Mar 2010

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Swine flu risk to pregnant women uncovered in landmark study

Influenza pandemic policies: WHO denies being improperly influenced by pharmaceutical industry

ITDS can be effective for screening fever during H1N1 influenza pandemic: UNMC researchers

National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: NIAID Director issues statement

H1N1 flu pandemic awareness helps Americans to be better prepared this year: Survey

GSK's 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report published online

Modulating body's inflammatory response may help fight serious infection

PPD, Southern Research Institute collaborate in pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine research

ICID provides online planning tools to help non-profit organizations develop pandemic flu plans

Meridian Bioscience revises fiscal 2010 guidance, expects net sales between $145M and $153M

Renhuang Pharmaceuticals' net income for first-quarter of 2010 increases 17.8%

Simple common sense behaviors can help limit the spread of H1N1 in household: Study

Can preventative vaccines curb the rising numbers of HIV cases?

OVD issue highlights prevalence of eye problems in general population

Booster shot appears to improve TB resistance in previously vaccinated adults

Fraunhofer USA CMB receives $4.395M award from DARPA to develop H1N1 influenza vaccine

Obesity limits body's ability to fight infections

Opinions: Discrimination against sexual orientation; WFP in Somalia; Haiti's recovery; WHO's policy role

Kettering Health Network licenses DIATHERIX Laboratories' TEM-PCR testing process

Clinton delivers speech at U.N. women's meeting as conference closes

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Latest News