Avian Influenza News and Research

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Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

New study tracks spread of H5N1 variant in Egypt recently identified as major epicenter for virus

Since its first identification in Asia, highly pathogenic avian influenza-H5N1-has caused significant alarm in the scientific community. While the virus' primary target is birds-tens of millions have already died from it-it is capable of infecting mammals, including humans, causing serious illness and a frightening rate of mortality.

10 Feb 2014

Chinese scientists confirm world’s first case of human infection with new avian influenza virus

Scientists from China report in The Lancet on the world’s first confirmed case of human infection with a new avian influenza A H10N8 virus in a 73-year-old woman who died from the infection.

6 Feb 2014

Vivaldi Biosciences inks agreement with NIAID to evaluate LAIV candidates against influenza A

Vivaldi Biosciences Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing live attenuated influenza vaccines against seasonal and pandemic influenza, today announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to generate and evaluate in preclinical studies LAIV candidates against influenza A(H7N9).

21 Jan 2014

Internet surveillance helps detect infectious diseases earlier than traditional surveillance methods

The habit of Googling for an online diagnosis before visiting a GP can provide early warning of an infectious disease epidemic.

18 Jan 2014

Meridian's TRU FLU assay gets FDA clearance for analytical sensitivity claim for avian Influenza H7N9 strain

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. today announced that the company's TRU FLU assay received FDA clearance for an analytical sensitivity claim for the novel avian Influenza H7N9 strain, A/Anhui/1/2013. TRU FLU is a rapid immunoassay that detects influenza A and influenza B viruses in 15 minutes in human respiratory specimens.

10 Jan 2014

New drug-resistant strain of bird flu appears to retain ability to cause serious disease in humans

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reported that a virulent new strain of influenza - the virus that causes the flu - appears to retain its ability to cause serious disease in humans even after it develops resistance to antiviral medications. The finding was included in a study that was published today in the journal Nature Communications.

12 Dec 2013

ATS Labs offers testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against H7N9 virus

ATS Labs announced today that they are pleased to offer testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus, called H7N9 for short, has infected humans in China causing severe respiratory illness.

6 Dec 2013

New research finds that H7N9 still mainly adapted for infecting birds, not humans

Avian influenza virus H7N9, which killed several dozen people in China earlier this year, has not yet acquired the changes needed to infect humans easily, according to a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute. In contrast to some initial studies that had suggested that H7N9 poses an imminent risk of a global pandemic, the new research found, based on analyses of virus samples from the Chinese outbreak, that H7N9 is still mainly adapted for infecting birds, not humans.

6 Dec 2013

1950s H2N2 avian influenza A virus still pose threat to human health

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have evidence that descendants of the H2N2 avian influenza A virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s still pose a threat to human health, particularly to those under 50. The research has been published in an advance online edition of the Journal of Virology.

4 Dec 2013

Taiwan scientists confirm world’s first case of wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in human

Scientists from Taiwan report on the world’s first confirmed case of human infection with a wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

14 Nov 2013

Common food additive can block new strain of avian influenza virus

A common food additive can block a deadly new strain of avian influenza virus from infecting healthy cells, report researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine in the online journal, PLOS ONE.

24 Oct 2013

Vivaldi Buys Flu Vaccine R&D Assets From Baxter

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10 Oct 2013

University of Maryland receives renewed NIH funding for vaccine research

The University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) has successfully competed for and received a renewed contract to conduct basic research and clinical studies of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Support for this work to combat existing and emerging infectious diseases is provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

27 Sep 2013

VVRP receives contract from NIH to continue its work as Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units

The Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program (VVRP) has received a contract from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue its work as one of the nation's Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEU).

27 Sep 2013

Group Health helps protect public from infectious diseases through nationwide network

A nationwide group of institutions that conducts clinical trials of promising candidate vaccines and therapies for infectious diseases, known as the Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs), has been awarded nine contracts to strengthen and broaden the scope of its research. Group Health Research Institute is one of these institutions.

27 Sep 2013

Scientists aim at protecting adults from virulent strain of avian influenza virus

Scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development are part of nationwide vaccine research aimed at protecting adults from a new and virulent strain of avian (bird) influenza (flu) virus.

20 Sep 2013

Scientists are preparing for possible pandemic spread of new bird flu strain

Scientists at Saint Louis University are preparing for the potential pandemic spread of a new bird flu strain that caused severe disease in China last spring, joining researchers from seven other Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test vaccines to protect against the illness in adults.

20 Sep 2013

Researcher characterises influenza A viruses in gulls and ducks

Ducks and gulls are the natural hosts of influenza A virus. Ragnhild Tønnessen's PhD research project has characterised influenza A viruses in gulls and ducks in Norway. Her discoveries may lead to a better understanding of the epidemiology and host adaptation of influenza A virus.

12 Sep 2013

Emerging H7N9 virus has potential to cause a pandemic

A new study has found that a novel avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus, which has recently emerged in humans, attaches moderately or abundantly to the epithelium of both the upper and lower respiratory tracts.

10 Sep 2013

Scientists determine new strategy to estimate total viral diversity in mammals

EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that focuses on local conservation and global health issues, and the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health announced a new strategy to identify the total number of wildlife viruses that could potentially cause emerging disease outbreaks that threaten both public and wildlife health.

3 Sep 2013

Avian Influenza News and Research

New study tracks spread of H5N1 variant in Egypt recently identified as major epicenter for virus

Chinese scientists confirm world’s first case of human infection with new avian influenza virus

Vivaldi Biosciences inks agreement with NIAID to evaluate LAIV candidates against influenza A

Internet surveillance helps detect infectious diseases earlier than traditional surveillance methods

Meridian's TRU FLU assay gets FDA clearance for analytical sensitivity claim for avian Influenza H7N9 strain

New drug-resistant strain of bird flu appears to retain ability to cause serious disease in humans

ATS Labs offers testing of antimicrobial products for efficacy against H7N9 virus

New research finds that H7N9 still mainly adapted for infecting birds, not humans

1950s H2N2 avian influenza A virus still pose threat to human health

Taiwan scientists confirm world’s first case of wild avian influenza A H6N1 virus in human

Common food additive can block new strain of avian influenza virus

Vivaldi Buys Flu Vaccine R&D Assets From Baxter

University of Maryland receives renewed NIH funding for vaccine research

VVRP receives contract from NIH to continue its work as Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units

Group Health helps protect public from infectious diseases through nationwide network

Scientists aim at protecting adults from virulent strain of avian influenza virus

Scientists are preparing for possible pandemic spread of new bird flu strain

Researcher characterises influenza A viruses in gulls and ducks

Emerging H7N9 virus has potential to cause a pandemic

Scientists determine new strategy to estimate total viral diversity in mammals

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