Flu News and Research

RSS

Loyola researcher says rapid influenza diagnostic tests can present significant risk to public health

Rapid influenza diagnostic tests used in doctors' offices, hospitals and medical laboratories to detect H1N1 are virtually useless and could pose a significant danger to public health, according to a Loyola University Medical Center researcher.

18 Nov 2009

Accurate diagnostic tests required to fight against major infectious disease

A rapid and accurate diagnosis is the first step towards treatment in the fight against infectious disease. However, a team headed by Dr. Madhukar Pai at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and McGill University in collaboration with researchers at the TDR* and the WHO*, has highlighted the poor quality of published studies that evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic tests for 3 major killer infectious diseases (TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria).

18 Nov 2009

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test receives CE mark

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, today announced that the Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test developed by its Focus Diagnostics business has been CE marked and is now available as a test kit for distribution to approximately 35 countries in Europe.

From Quest Diagnostics 18 Nov 2009

ED clinicians utilize WEBeMARS to report the progress of the H1N1 flu pandemic

EDIMS LLC, a leading provider of interoperable emergency department (ED) information management systems for hospitals, announced today that 22 of its client EDs in New York and New Jersey are reporting daily on the progress of the H1N1 flu pandemic to their state health departments.

18 Nov 2009

Previous flu infections can reduce the severity of H1N1

Researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have found that previous influenza infections may provide at least some level of immunity to the H1N1 "swine" flu. "The question we asked was, "Is the swine flu more like the seasonal flu or like a totally new strain of influenza where there would be no immunity?," said Alessandro Sette, Ph.D., an internationally recognized vaccine expert and director of the La Jolla Institute's Center for Infectious Disease.

18 Nov 2009

Almost half of the women in the UK suffer from lack of vitamin A, find scientists

Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.

18 Nov 2009

Cinergy Health creates a guide for the prevention and treatment of H1N1

Cinergy Health, a nationwide provider of guaranteed issue health insurance benefit programs, has created a guide for consumers concerned about the H1N1 virus, which has already killed more than 4,000 Americans.

18 Nov 2009

Tips on how to prevent household members from getting sick during flu season

someone at home who has H1N1 (swine) flu, it is important for you to prevent other people in the house from getting sick, according to Gary Kalkut, MD, MPH, Senior Vice-President, Chief Medical Officer of Montefiore Medical Center.

18 Nov 2009

China, WHO to collaborate on flu research center

Chinese and WHO officials last week agreed to open a flu research center in Beijing, Bloomberg reports. "The new collaborating center for reference and research on influenza will join a network of WHO-affiliated labs in Atlanta, London, Tokyo and Melbourne that monitor flu strains and make recommendations on vaccines to fight the virus," the news service writes

17 Nov 2009

KHN column: Is fear of flu shifting the goal posts?

"If any public health message has alarmed Americans in recent weeks, it is the repeated claim in the media that healthy young people are dying of 2009 H1N1, or swine flu. ... The response has been predictable: frantic parents clogging waiting rooms in pediatricians' offices, lining up for hours to get their kids vaccinated, and rushing to fill prescriptions for anti-viral drugs before the local pharmacy runs out" (11/17).

17 Nov 2009

Go Travel Insurance urge gap year travellers to take out proper cover for swine flu

As swine flu threatens to make a resurgence, Go Travel Insurance have reinforced the need for gap year students to take out proper cover before they embark on their trip.

17 Nov 2009

Molecular makeup of current H1N1 flu strain strikingly different from previous H1N1 strains

As the number of deaths related to the pandemic H1N1 virus, commonly known as "swine flu," continues to rise, researchers have been scrambling to decipher its inner workings and explain why the incidence is lower than expected in older adults.

17 Nov 2009

Economic crisis impacts health department capacity to address rising STD rates

Amid the mounting toll of budget cuts across the country, a new study from the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) shows just how much an impact the economic crisis is having on sexually transmitted disease (STD) programs and in turn, having more broadly on public health infrastructure.

17 Nov 2009

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions offers coverage for vaccines including H1N1 to its policyholders

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions, a leading provider of payroll-deducted voluntary benefits, is now covering vaccines including H1N1 (swine flu).

17 Nov 2009

New Web-based application for tracking the H1N1 flu virus across the globe

New methods of studying avian influenza strains and visually mapping their movement around the world will help scientists more quickly learn the behavior of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, Ohio State University researchers say.

17 Nov 2009

Healthy adults may have better immunity to 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, says study

A new study shows that molecular similarities exist between the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus and other strains of seasonal H1N1 virus that have been circulating in the population since 1988. These results suggest that healthy adults may have a level of protective immune memory that can blunt the severity of infection caused by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

17 Nov 2009

FDA approves CSL's seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the CSL Limited's seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines to include children ages 6 months and older. These vaccine were previously approved for use in adults, ages 18 years and older

17 Nov 2009

Scientists find major genetic differences between the pandemic H1N1 strain and seasonal strains

17 Nov 2009

Handwashing: A simple, effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

In this day and age, with the latest in medical equipment and scientific advances adding both quantity and quality to our lives, it is easy to forget that the simplest actions can provide some of the most important results. In fact, your mother's instructions to "wash up before dinner" should be considered some of the soundest medical advice ever offered.

17 Nov 2009

Live Facebook chat on H1N1 flu

People who have questions about the H1N1 flu can get answers from infectious disease experts at Rush University Medical Center during a one-hour, live Facebook chat to be held on Friday, November 20 from12 p.m. until 1 p.m.

16 Nov 2009

Flu News and Research

Loyola researcher says rapid influenza diagnostic tests can present significant risk to public health

Accurate diagnostic tests required to fight against major infectious disease

Quest Diagnostics' Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) test receives CE mark

ED clinicians utilize WEBeMARS to report the progress of the H1N1 flu pandemic

Previous flu infections can reduce the severity of H1N1

Almost half of the women in the UK suffer from lack of vitamin A, find scientists

Cinergy Health creates a guide for the prevention and treatment of H1N1

Tips on how to prevent household members from getting sick during flu season

China, WHO to collaborate on flu research center

KHN column: Is fear of flu shifting the goal posts?

Go Travel Insurance urge gap year travellers to take out proper cover for swine flu

Molecular makeup of current H1N1 flu strain strikingly different from previous H1N1 strains

Economic crisis impacts health department capacity to address rising STD rates

Trustmark Voluntary Benefit Solutions offers coverage for vaccines including H1N1 to its policyholders

New Web-based application for tracking the H1N1 flu virus across the globe

Healthy adults may have better immunity to 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, says study

FDA approves CSL's seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines for children

Scientists find major genetic differences between the pandemic H1N1 strain and seasonal strains

Handwashing: A simple, effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases

Live Facebook chat on H1N1 flu

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition) eBook

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

Latest News