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.

U.S. Senate forgoes agreement on AIDS, TB, and malaria bill until after G8 summit

World Vision commends the U.S. Senate for approving increases for hunger and developmental assistance for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 in the Supplemental Appropriations Act, including $850 million in the first year to address the global food crisis.

3 Jul 2008

Discovery of new drug candidates to combat bird flu

As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies.

2 Jul 2008

Ethics summit to prioritize concerns for medical triage, treatment and safety during influenza pandemic

Public health professionals from across the country will convene July 14-15 in Indianapolis for a national summit on ethical and policy issues faced by public health officials and the medical community while preparing for a large-scale epidemic.

2 Jul 2008

Potential new way to vaccinate against avian flu

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a potential new way to vaccinate against avian flu. By delivering vaccine via DNA constructed to build antigens against flu, along with a minute electric pulse, researchers have immunized experimental animals against various strains of the virus.

1 Jul 2008

Senate panel approves $153.1 billion for discretionary spending in labor-HHS-education bill for FY 2009

The Senate Appropriations Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Tuesday by voice vote approved a $631 billion fiscal year 2009 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, CQ Today reports.

26 Jun 2008

Sanofi Pasteur inaugurates high-tech vaccine production facility in France

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today the inauguration of a high-tech vaccine production facility in France to respond to soaring demand worldwide.

25 Jun 2008

Mozambique Business Association launches program that aims to address HIV/AIDS in workplaces

The Confederation of Business Associations in Mozambique recently launched a program called ECOSIDA to address issues related to HIV/AIDS in the workplace, SAPA/iAfrica.com reports.

24 Jun 2008

Australian-made vaccine will protect against bird flu

An Australian-made vaccine which now has approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) could be used in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

17 Jun 2008

Hong Kong battling with bird flu outbreak

An outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry in Hong Kong food markets has led to the culling of live poultry across the city.

16 Jun 2008

European businesses not properly advised on how to prepare for flu pandemic

A new report entitled Business Continuity Planning and Pandemic Influenza in Europe, published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), has found huge gaps and differences across Europe in the level of advice given to businesses to prepare for a possible influenza pandemic.

11 Jun 2008

Indonesia criticised over change in bird flu reporting policy

A decision by authorities in Indonesia to restrict the reporting of bird flu cases in humans to every six months, has been condemned as irresponsible.

9 Jun 2008

Bird flu hits the UK and the U.S.

Tests currently being conducted will determine just how virulent the H7 strain is and in the meantime a temporary inner control zone of 3km has been set up around the farm along with a 10km outer zone.

5 Jun 2008

New Imperial College centre to tackle respiratory infections

Think that colds and flu are easy to catch, hard to avoid and impossible to treat? That nobody ever dies of a cold? That's all wrong, say the medics and scientists at a new research centre which launches today (Monday 2 June).

1 Jun 2008

Warning about the danger of yet another bird flu virus

Scientists in the United States have identified a second H strain of bird flu that could cause a pandemic, they say the H5N1 strain of bird flu currently circulating the globe is not the only cause for concern.

27 May 2008

Concern over mystery of Bangladeshi baby with bird flu

A case of bird flu in a young child in Bangladesh has raised concern. According to the Bangladeshi health authorities a 16-month-old boy has been confirmed as the country's first human case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

25 May 2008

Congress should 'resolve' issues preventing consideration of PEPFAR reauthorization legislation, editorial says

Although it is a "bit risky to herald progress during a global pandemic when infections of a disease such as AIDS still seem to multiply by the millions," the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief gives the U.S. a "record that is worth celebrating, if only to show others around the world what's possible," a Wilmington News Journal editorial says.

21 May 2008

World warned about three major threats to human health

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning concerning major threats to human health.

20 May 2008

First pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine available in Europe

The approval for a licence from the European Commission will place Glaxo ahead of rivals in the vaccine fields and the company says it has already received orders from some governments such as the U.S., Switzerland and Finland.

19 May 2008

Bird flu pandemic would require multi-drug approach

Scientists have uncovered a change in the H5N1 bird flu virus which makes it resistant to the anti-viral drug Tamiflu. The mutation in the N1 component was found in human cases of the disease and suggests that a single drug approach is likely to be ineffective in case of a bird flu pandemic in humans. The findings by a team at the Medical Research Council's National Institute for Medical Research are published in Nature.

15 May 2008

Shift in HIV prevention priorities needed - reducing multiple sexual partnerships and providing male circumcision services should be emphasized

According to a new policy analysis led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of California, Berkeley, the most common HIV prevention strategies-condom promotion, HIV testing, treatment of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), vaccine and microbicide research, and abstinence-are having a limited impact on the predominantly heterosexual epidemics found in Africa.

8 May 2008