H5N1 News and Research

Latest H5N1 News and Research

Vaxfectin-formulated H5N1 pandemic influenza achieves T-cell responses and cross-clade reactivity in humans

Vical Incorporated has announced that the company's Vaxfectin-formulated H5N1 pandemic influenza DNA vaccines induced T-cell responses against a matching strain of influenza virus and demonstrated cross-clade antibody responses against a different strain in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

11 Dec 2008

Hong Kong on high alert over bird flu outbreak

Concerns that an outbreak of what is suspected to be the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in a wholesale market in Hong Kong, has prompted the culling of tens of thousands of chickens.

10 Dec 2008

Another outbreak of bird flu in Thailand has authorities on high alert

A dead chicken on a backyard farm in northern Thailand has signalled another outbreak of bird flu and comes six months after the country declared itself free of the disease.

11 Nov 2008

H5N1 protein hides in tiny tubules

A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in which it "hides" the pieces of double-stranded RNA formed during viral infection, which otherwise would prompt an antiviral immune response from infected cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in an online report in the journal Nature.

6 Nov 2008

Ministers urged to rethink rather than repackage $2 billion global response to infectious diseases

As the first globally co-ordinated plan for the planet's gravest health threats is hatched by government ministers from around the world this weekend, a new report sets out a 10-point plan for this new, globalised approach to infectious diseases such as avian flu.

23 Oct 2008

Bird flu appears again in Hong Kong

Bird flu is in the news again following the revelation that a dead crow found recently at a local community in Hong Kong was confirmed to be H5N1 positive.

21 Oct 2008

Universal vaccine could protect people and pets from deadly flu pandemics

A single vaccine could be used to protect chickens, cats and humans against deadly flu pandemics, according to an article published in the November issue of the Journal of General Virology. The vaccine protects birds and mammals against different flu strains and can even be given to birds while they are still in their eggs, allowing the mass vaccination of wild birds.

20 Oct 2008

New test for rapid detection of influenza

The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the development of a new test for influenza, which received 510(k) clearance today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

30 Sep 2008

A DNA-based vaccine shows promise against avian flu

Though it has fallen from the headlines, a global pandemic caused by bird flu still has the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on high alert. Yet, to date, the only vaccines that have proven even semi-effective are produced in chicken eggs, take five to six months to prepare and act against a single variant of the H5N1 virus, which mutates incredibly quickly.

30 Sep 2008

Combo of flu shot and COLD-FX cuts cold and flu by a third

A new study has shown the benefit of annual flu vaccinations for seniors along with Canada's top cold and flu-fighting product COLD-FX.

17 Sep 2008

Portable test for bird flu promises to save many lives

An easily portable device which tests for bird flu in humans promises to save lives by cutting the time it takes to spot potentially lethal cases down to a few hours.

14 Aug 2008

Thirteen Indonesian villagers clear of bird flu

Health officials in Indonesia say 13 people from a village on Sumatra who were hospitalised with suspected bird flu, have all tested negative for the H5N1 virus.

11 Aug 2008

Lung inflammation from influenza and other infections could be turned off following new discovery

A new discovery could lead to treatments which turn off the inflammation in the lungs caused by influenza and other infections, according to a study published in the journal Nature Immunology.

27 Jul 2008

UK report casts doubt on pandemic response effectiveness

A new report from the UK says far more needs to be done to protect against outbreaks of infectious diseases.

21 Jul 2008

Cure for bird flu a step closer

Scientists and researchers have taken a big step closer to a cure for the most common strain of avian influenza, or "bird flu," the potential pandemic that has claimed more than 200 lives and infected nearly 400 people in 14 countries since it was identified in 2003.

15 Jul 2008