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.

International health experts hold two-day H1N1 meeting

WHO leaders and international health ministers met Thursday for a two-day meeting in Cancun, Mexico, to share the lessons learned from the spread of H1N1 (swine flu) (Xinhua, 7/3) and strategies for "battling the pandemic," the AP/Washington Post reports (Rodriguez, 7/2).

7 Jul 2009

Swine flu different from ordinary flu in a number of ways

Scientists say new research has shown that the new H1N1 influenza strain (swine flu) is somewhat less contagious than seasonal flu, but appears to be more able to cause stomach upsets.

5 Jul 2009

Major new e-science resource for biologists

The University of Manchester and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have launched a major new e-science resource for biologists - which could accelerate research into treatments for H1N1 flu and cancer.

From The University of Manchester 2 Jul 2009

Concern over case of drug resistant swine flu

The influenza A H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak has now spread to almost all corners of the world - the last update, # 56, from the World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are now a grand total of 77,201 confirmed cases including 311 deaths.

2 Jul 2009

Research examines history of H1N1 and provides cautionary tale about the use of extinct viruses

The current H1N1 swine flu strain has genetic roots in an illness that sickened pigs at the 1918 Cedar Rapids Swine Show in Iowa, report infectious disease experts at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Jun 2009

Researchers develop new method for better diagnostic of diarrhea causing bacteria

Researchers from Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany, develop new method for better diagnostic of diarrhea causing bacteria.

30 Jun 2009

Sinovac receives revised Chinese approvals for Panflu

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. has announced that it has received a revised Drug Supplementary Application Approval for Panflu, Sinovac's pandemic influenza vaccine from the China State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), based on the Phase IIb clinical trial, Under the revised approval, the age group eligible for use of the whole viron inactivated pandemic influenza vaccine was expanded to 18 years old and over, whereas it was previously 18 to 60 years of age, enabling Sinovac to reach a much broader percentage of the population.

30 Jun 2009

U.S. Vaccine Advisory Committee considers response to H1N1 spread

The CDC convened a national vaccine advisory committee Friday to discuss the best response to the spread of H1N1 (swine flu) with an estimated 6,000 new cases in the U.S. last week alone, Reuters reports.

30 Jun 2009

Battle is on to keep swine flu out of hospitals and prisons

According to the latest update, #55, from the World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide there have been 70,893 cases including 311 deaths from the influenza A H1N1 (swine flu).

29 Jun 2009

U.S. swine flu cases reach one million

The Associated Press/Washington Post reported that U.S. health officials on Thursday said they believe as many as 1 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 and "6 percent or more of some urban populations are infected." The estimates were based upon survey data collected by health officials and mathematical modeling.

29 Jun 2009

Mexican, Chilean Presidents appeal for developing countries access to H1N1 vaccine

Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Thursday emphasized the importance of developing countries having access to a vaccine that offers protection against the H1N1 (swine flu), "that has killed over 200 people and infected tens of thousands worldwide," AFP/MSN Philippine News reports.

29 Jun 2009

Australian swine flu vaccine ready in months

A vaccine developed 'in record time' by Australian scientists to protect against the influenza A H1N1 virus (swine flu) may not be available just yet because this swine flu vaccine, developed by University of Queensland (UQ) scientists, is not yet registered for use in Australia.

28 Jun 2009

The swine flu death that wasn't

The latest reports say that tests have confirmed that the death of a 26-year-old man from the remote Aboriginal community of Kiwirrkurra was due to other health issues.

28 Jun 2009

HHS awards $35 million contract to company in hopes of faster flu vaccine production

The HHS on Tuesday announced its decision to award a $35 million contract to a U.S. company using "insect cell technology" to develop flu vaccines, AFP/Google.com reports (AFP/Google.com, 6/23).

24 Jun 2009

Americans come up with first swine flu vaccine

The company based in Connecticut, Protein Sciences Corporation, won a $35-million government contract to develop an influenza vaccine using insect cell technology and Protein Sciences's director Dan Adams says the first batch of about 100,000 doses were produced last week and the manufacture of the vaccine continues.

24 Jun 2009

Intervention strategies to curb spread of pandemic flu

Mathematicians, biostaticians and public health officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States will gather at Arizona State University this week to focus on understanding, possibly mitigating the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. They are planning to take up the challenge of proposing science-based strategies that can slow the spread of pandemic flu.

24 Jun 2009