Flu News and Research

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When it comes to the flu, antivirals far more effective than antibiotics

It seems that even though influenza has been shown to be better treated with anti-viral medication doctors and hospitals continue to use antibiotics, often with deadly consequences.

2 Oct 2006

Flu jab not available in the UK for those most vulnerable

There are fears in the UK that people who are vulnerable to flu infections may well have to wait for their annual injection this season.

2 Oct 2006

Sydney bird flu suspect may be just another drug mule

According to reports the man who triggered a bird flu scare in Sydney after becoming ill on a flight from Vietnam may have been a drug courier.

28 Sep 2006

Bird flu back again in Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have confirmed that another case of avian flu in birds has been found in the country.

28 Sep 2006

New clues about virulence of 1918 influenza virus

The first comprehensive analysis of an animal's immune response to the 1918 influenza virus provides new insights into the killer flu, report federally supported scientists in an article appearing online in the journal Nature.

28 Sep 2006

Bird flu strikes again in Thailand

The death of a 59-year-old farmer in northeastern Thailand last month has taken the countries death toll from bird-flu to 17 since late 2003 and is the third death this year.

27 Sep 2006

Bill to allow U.S. residents to bring prescription drugs across the Canadian border

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, discusses an appropriations bill that would allow U.S. residents to bring prescription drugs across the Canadian border, legislation to reauthorize NIH and the pending approval of Andrew von Eschenbach to head FDA in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

26 Sep 2006

Indonesia's death toll from bird flu now at 51

Indonesia's death toll from bird flu has now reached 51 with the death last week of a young child from South Jakarta.

25 Sep 2006

USAID Administrator Randall Tobias on bird flu spread

In the past year, the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus moved rapidly outside of Southeast Asia and spread into Europe, Eurasia, and Africa.

21 Sep 2006

Iraq confirms third bird flu case

The Ministry of Health in Iraq has retrospectively confirmed the country’s third case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

19 Sep 2006

Extremely virulent, drug resistant strain of TB running wild in South Africa

It was 18 months ago when doctors in South Africa who were treating HIV/AIDS patients first raised the alarm that an untreatable form of tuberculosis (TB) was circulating.

18 Sep 2006

Live H5N1 avian flu vaccines show promise

When tested in mice and ferrets, experimental vaccines based on live, weakened versions of different strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were well-tolerated and protected the animals from a deadly infection with naturally occurring H5N1 flu viruses.

13 Sep 2006

Restricting air travel could slow down the spread of bird flu pandemic

According to researchers, a noticeable drop in the number of people travelling by air following the September 11 attacks, had an effect on the start and spread of the 2001-2002 U.S. flu season.

13 Sep 2006

Live H5N1 avian flu virus vaccines show protection in animal studies

12 Sep 2006

Bird flu tests on Maryland wild Mallard ducks confirm low-pathogenic H5N1

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior today announced final test results, which confirm that an H5N1 avian influenza virus detected in fecal samples collected last month from resident wild mallard ducks in Maryland is a low pathogenic subtype.

12 Sep 2006

Bird flu death toll in Indonesia now up to 48

According to the Ministry of Health in Indonesia a new case of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has been confirmed in a young girl.

12 Sep 2006

Post-9/11 travel restrictions delayed 'bird flu'

The onset of the flu season in the USA has been shown to be influenced by air travel. After flights were restricted following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the flu season started about two weeks later than usual.

12 Sep 2006

When inequality pays dividends

When there are limited treatments for serious diseases, such as bird flu and HIV-AIDS, city residents should be first in line for the drugs ahead of those in rural areas to most effectively contain the risk to the community, according to research led by a University of New South Wales (UNSW) academic.

12 Sep 2006

Unprecedented number of CDC staff resigned or retired in last two years

In the last two years, an "unprecedented" number of CDC staff has resigned or retired from the agency, prompting some officials to express concern, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/10).

11 Sep 2006