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.

WHO recommends antivirals for patients with symptoms of both H1N1, pneumonia

The WHO concluded a three-day meeting on H1N1 (swine flu) in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where health experts issued recommendations that patients with symptoms of H1N1 and pneumonia be treated quickly with antivirals, even before the results of H1N1 tests are complete, the San Francisco Chronicle blog, "ChronRX" reports (Allday, 10/16).

19 Oct 2009

Experts: Treat swine flu quickly, even without verification

The World Health Organization concluded a three-day meeting on H1N1 (swine flu) in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where health experts issued recommendations that patients with symptoms of H1N1 and pneumonia be treated quickly with antivirals, even before the results of H1N1 tests are complete, the San Francisco Chronicle blog, "ChronRX" reports (Allday, 10/16).

19 Oct 2009

IAVI and Ragon Institute sign MOU to devise new vaccine strategies for AIDS

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announced today that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ragon Institute to accelerate the development of new and promising AIDS vaccine candidates for testing.

19 Oct 2009

Focus Diagnostics' 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test granted FDA emergency use authorization

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a second emergency use authorization (EUA) to Focus Diagnostics, the infectious disease diagnostics business of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, for its 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test. With the EUA, Focus Diagnostics is the only company in the U.S. to offer test kits for detecting the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus that the FDA has authorized for emergency use by CLIA high-complexity labs, which include certain hospital and regional labs.

19 Oct 2009

Inaccurate body temperature readings can harm the entire health care system

As we head into a flu season where the 2009 H1N1 swine flu is expected to cause increased sickness, hospitalization and deaths across the U.S., something as simple as inaccurate body temperature measurements may lead to social and economic turmoil – and may cause many more deaths.

19 Oct 2009

Antibiotic resistance to be undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse is inaccurate, reveals report

The perception that antibiotic resistance is primarily the undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse or misuse is a view that is simplistic and inaccurate, according to a recent report by the American Academy of Microbiology. The reasons behind the spread of resistance are much more complex, including appropriate antibiotic use, lack of proper sanitation and hygiene, and even the environment.

19 Oct 2009

Mothers receiving HAART less likely to transmit HIV virus to their newborns through breastfeeding

Mothers receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat HIV-1 infection are less likely than untreated mothers to transmit the virus to their newborns through breastfeeding, according to a new study.

19 Oct 2009

Asthma is the most common underlying condition associated with H1N1 Swine Flu: CDC Report

Cannabis Science Inc., an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, notes a report by epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) saying that, among people hospitalized with severe cases of the pandemic strain of H1N1 Swine Flu, asthma is by far the most common underlying condition associated with he disease.

19 Oct 2009

Aethlon Medical to present data on HVC patients treated with its Hemopurifier at the 42nd ASN meeting

Aethlon Medical, Inc. disclosed today that clinical data resulting from the treatment of Hepatitis-C (HCV) infected patients with the Aethlon Hemopurifier® will be presented at the 42nd Annual Meeting & Scientific Exposition of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).

15 Oct 2009

Baxter International announces financial results for third quarter 2009; updates full-year financial outlook

Baxter International Inc. today reported solid financial results for the third quarter of 2009, and provided its fourth quarter and updated full-year 2009 financial outlook.

From Baxter International Inc. 15 Oct 2009

UT Southwestern Medical Center awarded $15.7M NIH contract to develop a new virus database

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $15.7 million contract to UT Southwestern Medical Center and Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop an open-access national online database and analysis resource center that will help scientists study and combat viruses such as those that cause hepatitis, encephalitis, smallpox, acute respiratory distress and dengue fever, as well as newly emerging pathogenic viruses.

15 Oct 2009

Human populations may have some level of existing immunity to the pandemic H1N1 influenza, say researchers

University of California, Davis, researchers studying the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, formerly referred to as "swine flu," have identified a group of immunologically important sites on the virus that are also present in seasonal flu viruses that have been circulating for years. These molecular sites appear to result in some level of immunity to the new virus in people who were exposed to the earlier influenza viruses.

15 Oct 2009

Required flu vaccines for New York health workers draws criticism

The New York Civil Liberties Union is criticizing a regulation that requires hundreds of thousands of state health workers to get both seasonal and swine flu vaccinations. Critics say it violates workers' right to decide their own medical treatment.

15 Oct 2009

Government of Canada to support H1N1 flu virus research

The Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) today announced support for five new research projects designed to help further understand and address the H1N1 flu virus.

15 Oct 2009

Interim data from Sanofi Pasteur's Influenza A 2009 Monovalent Vaccine clinical trials in infants and children

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today an interim analysis of data from clinical trials of the U.S. licensed Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine in infants and children 6 months through 9 years of age. The data indicate the vaccine is immunogenic and that one dose may protect many children.

15 Oct 2009

Surveillance of travel-related illness helps to detect and respond to H1N1 influenza

Because pandemics unfold in unpredictable ways, surveillance of travel-related illness is among the most powerful tools health officials and doctors can use to detect and respond to new pathogens like the novel H1N1 influenza, says the physician who heads the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Travelers' Clinic.

15 Oct 2009

UCLA to establish a new Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center

The UCLA School of Public Health has received a major grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a center that will facilitate research to strengthen the ability of federal, state and local public health agencies to prepare for, respond to and recover from natural and human-induced disasters, including terrorism.

15 Oct 2009

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

WHO recommends antivirals for patients with symptoms of both H1N1, pneumonia

Experts: Treat swine flu quickly, even without verification

IAVI and Ragon Institute sign MOU to devise new vaccine strategies for AIDS

Focus Diagnostics' 2009 H1N1 influenza virus test granted FDA emergency use authorization

Inaccurate body temperature readings can harm the entire health care system

Antibiotic resistance to be undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse is inaccurate, reveals report

Mothers receiving HAART less likely to transmit HIV virus to their newborns through breastfeeding

Asthma is the most common underlying condition associated with H1N1 Swine Flu: CDC Report

Aethlon Medical to present data on HVC patients treated with its Hemopurifier at the 42nd ASN meeting

Baxter International announces financial results for third quarter 2009; updates full-year financial outlook

UT Southwestern Medical Center awarded $15.7M NIH contract to develop a new virus database

Human populations may have some level of existing immunity to the pandemic H1N1 influenza, say researchers

Required flu vaccines for New York health workers draws criticism

Government of Canada to support H1N1 flu virus research

Interim data from Sanofi Pasteur's Influenza A 2009 Monovalent Vaccine clinical trials in infants and children

Surveillance of travel-related illness helps to detect and respond to H1N1 influenza

UCLA to establish a new Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center

Atlantic examines flu vaccine, antiviral skepticism

DIATHERIX Laboratories granted EUA for H1N1-09 Influenza Test

VDH completes CDC funded project to improve medical resources during pandemic

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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