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.

Presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae could predict risk of severe disease in H1N1 pandemic influenza

The presence of the Streptococcus pneumoniae in samples that can be easily obtained in clinics and emergency rooms may predict risk of severe disease in H1N1 pandemic influenza.

31 Dec 2009

Young people more likely to catch swine flu from an infected person in their household

Young people aged under 18 years are more likely than adults to catch swine flu from an infected person in their household, according to a new study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Dec 2009

Researchers develop automated system to differentiate strains of influenza

Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Children's Research Institute, and the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin have developed a rapid, automated system to differentiate strains of influenza.

30 Dec 2009

Health gurus say recommit each Monday to resolve the smoking habit

On January 1st millions of Americans will resolve to quit smoking -- again. Yet many will resume their addiction by Groundhog's Day. Now authorities at Johns Hopkins and the American Cancer Society say it doesn't have to be that way. If a quitter falls off the wagon, the pros agree, just quit again the following Monday. And recommit to stay quit each Monday thereafter.

29 Dec 2009

SVA submits the first clinical trial application for HFMD vaccine in China

Sinovac Biotech Ltd., a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today that it has filed the application with China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to commence a human clinical trial for its vaccine against human enterovirus 71 (EV 71), which causes hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). This is the first clinical trial application for HFMD vaccine submitted in China.

28 Dec 2009

Medical treatment and evacuation during international travel

Recent surveys indicate that international travel, which had fallen off substantially over the course of the global recession, has rebounded in recent months – which means more U.S. business and leisure travelers navigating health- and security-related risks out in foreign corners of the world.

28 Dec 2009

EGCg in green tea inhibits flu infection

Joint research conducted by the Central Research Institute of ITO EN, Ltd. and Professor Takashi Suzuki of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, showed that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a kind of catechin contained in green tea, had an inhibitory effect against three types of influenza viruses, including the swine-origin H1N1 virus that caused pandemic flu in 2009, and that its effect did not depend on the type of virus. These findings once again suggest that green tea is effective in preventing flu.

24 Dec 2009

More H1N1 vaccines available in U.S., many Americans don't want it

While an increasing number of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines are available in the U.S., "more than half of American adults say they still don't want it, and one-third of parents say they don't want their children to get it either, according to two surveys," the Washington Post reports. "As of this week, 111 million doses of vaccine against the pandemic strain of H1N1 flu have been released to states and cities.

24 Dec 2009

Elusys Therapeutics receives contract to speed up drug development for Anthrax

The HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) today awarded a contract to Elusys Therapeutics, Inc. of Pine Brook, N.J., for the advanced development of a medication to treat inhalational anthrax, one of the top bioterrorism threats facing the nation.

23 Dec 2009

Guardian Technologies International meets and presents SM TBDx to Indian healthcare officials

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a serious global pandemic health threat with more than 9 million new cases diagnosed annually. TB is a leading cause of mortality in India, killing nearly 1,000 people each day.

23 Dec 2009

Use of digital checklist for patients during pandemic reduces fatigue factor, shows report

The use of a digital checklist for patients being administered emergency drugs during a pandemic or following a biological terrorist attack reduces the fatigue factor, according to a report in the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, and could save lives.

22 Dec 2009

Sinovac Biotech selected as Top 10 most competitive companies for 2009

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (SVA), a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced today that Sinovac was selected by China Business Media as one of China's Top 10 most competitive companies listed overseas for 2009.

22 Dec 2009

Study results of CSL’s pandemic H1N1 2009 vaccine published in JAMA

CSL Limited, Australia’s leading biopharmaceutical company, announced the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has published data from a clinical trial conducted in Australia to study CSL’s pandemic H1N1 2009 ‘swine’ flu vaccine.

22 Dec 2009

One dose of vaccine may be effective to protect infants and children from H1N1 virus, shows study

One dose of vaccine may be effective to protect infants and children and reduce transmission of the H1N1 virus, according to a study in JAMA, published online today because of its public health implications. The study will appear in the January 6 print edition of the journal.

21 Dec 2009

Positive interim results from Medicago's H5N1 vaccine Phase I human clinical trial

Medicago Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and affordable vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today reported positive interim results from a Phase I human clinical trial with its H5N1 Avian Influenza vaccine candidate ("H5N1 vaccine"). The vaccine was found to be safe, well tolerated and also induced a solid immune response.

21 Dec 2009

Second wave of H1N1 virus infection in the U.S. comes to an end

Rates of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus testing in the U.S. have declined more than 75 percent since their peak in late October, suggesting that the "second wave" of virus infection that sickened tens of millions of Americans since it began four months ago may be coming to an end, according to a new report by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services.

19 Dec 2009

SCCA's infection control program leads to suppression of potential H1N1 pandemic

Despite a 100-fold increase in H1N1 influenza cases in the Seattle area during spring 2009, an aggressive infection control program to protect immunocompromised cancer patients and thorough screening measures resulted in no corresponding increase in H1N1 cases among the total patient population at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, according to a new study by researchers and physicians at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the SCCA.

19 Dec 2009

BARDA awards $400M for developing tests and devices to determine radiation absorption after a nuclear/radiological incident

The HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is awarding nine contracts for the advanced research and development of more effective tests and devices to determine the level of radiation a person has absorbed after a nuclear or radiological incident. The contracts total $35 million for the initial phase and up to $400 million over five years.

19 Dec 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A Scientific American article examines recent efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The author writes "NTDs have plagued humankind for thousands of years. … What is new, however, is that donors, drugmakers, health ministries in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), and public-private partnerships are linking their efforts to combat the NTDs in a more coordinated and systematic way."

18 Dec 2009

H1N1 cases still increasing in many countries; WHO to begin shipping donated vaccines within weeks

With many countries continuing to report a growing number of H1N1 (swine flu) cases, Keiji Fukuda, special adviser to the WHO director general on pandemic influenza, said Thursday it was too early to declare the pandemic over, the Washington Post reports.

18 Dec 2009

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Presence of Streptococcus pneumoniae could predict risk of severe disease in H1N1 pandemic influenza

Young people more likely to catch swine flu from an infected person in their household

Researchers develop automated system to differentiate strains of influenza

Health gurus say recommit each Monday to resolve the smoking habit

SVA submits the first clinical trial application for HFMD vaccine in China

Medical treatment and evacuation during international travel

EGCg in green tea inhibits flu infection

More H1N1 vaccines available in U.S., many Americans don't want it

Elusys Therapeutics receives contract to speed up drug development for Anthrax

Guardian Technologies International meets and presents SM TBDx to Indian healthcare officials

Use of digital checklist for patients during pandemic reduces fatigue factor, shows report

Sinovac Biotech selected as Top 10 most competitive companies for 2009

Study results of CSL’s pandemic H1N1 2009 vaccine published in JAMA

One dose of vaccine may be effective to protect infants and children from H1N1 virus, shows study

Positive interim results from Medicago's H5N1 vaccine Phase I human clinical trial

Second wave of H1N1 virus infection in the U.S. comes to an end

SCCA's infection control program leads to suppression of potential H1N1 pandemic

BARDA awards $400M for developing tests and devices to determine radiation absorption after a nuclear/radiological incident

Recent releases in Global Health

H1N1 cases still increasing in many countries; WHO to begin shipping donated vaccines within weeks

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

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