Pandemic News and Research

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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.

Obama fails to announce new approaches for tackling global HIV/AIDS crisis, says Global AIDS Alliance

In tonight's State of the Union Address President Obama failed to announce any new approach to America's role in the world, instead sticking to vague rhetoric about development, the global HIV/AIDS crisis, and other global health priorities.

28 Jan 2010

Baxter International reports net income of $572M for the fourth-quarter of 2009

Baxter International Inc. today reported strong performance for the fourth quarter of 2009, and provided its financial outlook for the first quarter and full-year 2010.

From Baxter International Inc. 28 Jan 2010

BD announces first-quarter fiscal 2010 results

BD today reported quarterly revenues of $1.917 billion for the first fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2009, representing an increase of 12 percent from the prior-year period, or 9 percent on a foreign currency-neutral basis.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 28 Jan 2010

Sinovac prices public offering at $5.75 per common share

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, announced today that it has priced its public offering of 10,000,000 common shares at $5.75 per common share. Sinovac has granted the underwriters a 30-day over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 common shares on the same terms and conditions.

28 Jan 2010

WHO addresses handling of H1N1 at Council of Europe meeting

During a Council of Europe meeting on Tuesday to address the WHO's handling of the H1N1 virus, the WHO said it had not "fallen under the sway of drugs firms and exaggerated the dangers of the H1N1 flu virus, but said it might have handled the crisis better," Reuters reports.

27 Jan 2010

Juvaris BioTherapeutics completes second close on its Series B equity financing

Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing adjuvanted vaccines for infectious diseases, announced that it has completed a second close on its Series B equity financing of up to $25 million. The additional equity investment came from an undisclosed strategic corporate investor who joins SV Life Sciences and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in the round.

27 Jan 2010

MBL generates human monoclonal antibodies against pandemic A type influenza virus

Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd. (MBL), with the collaboration of Osaka University, has successfully generated several fully human monoclonal antibodies against pandemic A (H1N1 and H3N2) type influenza virus by utilizing blood samples from volunteers who were inoculated with influenza vaccine.

27 Jan 2010

Recipients of the 2010 Media Awards for Health Reporting announced

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) today announced the recipients of the 2010 Media Awards for Health Reporting, Canada's premier health journalism awards.

27 Jan 2010

Report highlights challenges facing Obama in Africa

A new report highlights challenges facing the Obama administration in Africa, including HIV/AIDS, poverty and climate change, VOA News reports.

27 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

A group of UK anaesthetists have designed and tested three prototype low-cost ventilators that could provide vital support during major healthcare emergencies involving large numbers of patients or casualties. The devices, detailed in a paper published online by Anaesthesia, could also be used where resources are limited, such as in developing countries, remote locations or by the military.

27 Jan 2010

Health care providers play a critical role in H1N1 vaccinations

Results from the latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health indicate health care providers play a critical role in influencing parents and patients to vaccinate their children and themselves against H1N1 flu.

27 Jan 2010

WHO rejects accusations it mishandled H1N1, updates worldwide stats

WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl on Monday rejected accusations that the organization miscategorized H1N1 (swine flu) as a pandemic, calling such accusations "irresponsible," the Associated Press/Washington Post reports. "WHO also dismissed claims it colluded with drug companies to bring economic benefit to the industry by playing up the danger of the new H1N1 [swine flu] influenza strain," the news service writes.

27 Jan 2010

Low-cost ventilators for healthcare emergencies

25 Jan 2010

Recent releases in global health

"Picture the situation in Haiti: families living on top of sewage-contaminated rubbish dumps, with no reliable sources of food and water and virtually no access to health care. This scenario depicts the situation in Haiti before the earthquake that catapulted this impoverished and conflict-ridden country into the international headlines,"

23 Jan 2010

Opinion: Haiti relief; WHO response to H1N1

An Economist editorial examines the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti and the "vital" importance of planning for rebuilding the country "before the world's generosity turns to cynicism. Fortunately there is a blueprint, drawn up by Haiti's government and presented to donors last year. It calls for investment to be targeted on infrastructure, basic services and combating soil erosion to make farmers more productive and the country less vulnerable to hurricanes. The pressing question is who should do it and how."

23 Jan 2010

New study concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza published in CMAJ

A new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/doi/10.1503/cmaj.091884 concerning the severity of H1N1 influenza has found that admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU) were associated with a longer interval between symptom onset and treatment with antivirals and with presence of an underlying medical condition.

22 Jan 2010

BC Centre for Disease Control launches influenza genome sequencing project

The BC Centre for Disease Control has launched an influenza genome sequencing project to better understand how the pandemic H1N1 flu virus has evolved in British Columbia, and may continue to evolve in the coming months.

22 Jan 2010

Ordinary face masks and hand hygiene can reduce transmission of influenza-like illness

Ordinary face masks and hand hygiene can effectively reduce the transmission of influenza-like illness during flu season. The finding comes from a new study, now available online (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/650396), published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

22 Jan 2010

Meridian Bioscience announces record first-quarter net sales of $42.5M

Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 were $42,457,000 as compared to $34,293,000 for the same period of the prior fiscal year, an increase of 24%. Net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 were $8,921,000 or $0.22 per diluted share, both increases of 10% over the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Diluted common shares outstanding for fiscal 2010 and 2009 were 41,185,000 and 41,125,000, respectively.

21 Jan 2010

Sinovac Biotech announces financial update, new joint ventures and developments

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA) ("Sinovac" or the "Company"), a leading China-based vaccine manufacturer, today announced the following recent developments.

21 Jan 2010