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.

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family

Influenza (or as it is commonly known, the flu) is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family (The orthomyxoviridae is a family of RNA viruses which infect vertebrate).

6 Oct 2004

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has today confirmed a further case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza

The case, which was fatal, was a 9-year-old girl from the northern province of Phetchabun. She developed symptoms on 23 September, was hospitalized on 27 September, and died of severe respiratory disease on 3 October.

5 Oct 2004

ID Biomedical awarded US$9.5 million to develop its cell culture-based influenza vaccine

ID Biomedical announced today that it has been awarded a US$9.5 million grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop its cell culture-based influenza vaccine.

29 Sep 2004

Last year over 36,000 Americans died from exposure to the flu

Another 200,000 people were hospitalized with symptoms of the illness. The flu and pneumonia (the most common complication of the flu) combined are the fifth leading cause of death among Americans age 65 and older.

29 Sep 2004

Chiron CEO to appear before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

Chiron Corporation announced that president and chief executive officer Howard Pien will appear before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging in Washington, D.C., today in a hearing titled, "Combating the Flu: Keeping Seniors Alive."

28 Sep 2004

China falls victim to deadly alliance of Formula One and British American Tobacco

The staging of the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai this weekend confirms Formula One motor racing as a leading vector of the global tobacco pandemic

23 Sep 2004

Aventis Pasteur to manufacture and store 2 million doses of avian influenza H5N1 vaccine

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced the awarding of a contract to Aventis Pasteur Inc. to manufacture and store 2 million doses of avian influenza H5N1 vaccine

22 Sep 2004

Genome researchers to look at 1918 Spanish flu

University of Washington researchers will be taking part in a multi-site project examining a portion of the genome of the strain of influenza responsible for the "Spanish Flu" outbreak in 1918.

20 Sep 2004

WHO calls for effective partnerships to tackle zoonoses

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to improve their capacity to respond to emergencies posed by natural, accidental and intentional contamination of food.

16 Sep 2004

New diagnostic tests for bird flu

On the final day of the recent HPA conference, delegates heard about work that the Agency is carrying out to prepare for an avian flu pandemic.

16 Sep 2004

WHO calls enhanced preparedness for SARS and avian influenza

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to put in place preventive measures and enhance preparedness ready for the possible re-emergence of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans.

14 Sep 2004

Growing global threat from avian influenza

"Unless intensive efforts are made, a pandemic is very likely to occur," Dr Shigeru Omi, WHO's Regional Director for the Western Pacific, told a news conference in Shanghai.

13 Sep 2004

Bird flu has jumped species barrier to cats

Now the United Nations health agency is investigating reports that bird flu, which experts say could mutate into a potentially deadly human pandemic under certain conditions, has now jumped the species barrier to infect cats.

4 Sep 2004

Major trends in AIDS research that the different research teams throughout the world are pursuing

The science will be presented during the conference which is taking place in Lausanne until September 1, 2004. The advances in fundamental research, notably through a better understanding of the complex processes of immune defence, HIV and the functioning of vaccines, promote the genesis and development of new vaccine candidates.

30 Aug 2004

Call for increased political and financial commitment to the development of preventive and therapeutic AIDS vaccines

At the opening ceremony of the Lausanne, Switzerland, AIDS VACCINE '04 conference, leaders in the field of AIDS vaccine research called for increased political and financial commitment to facilitate the development of preventive and therapeutic AIDS vaccines as a public health imperative in fighting HIV/AIDS.

30 Aug 2004

African-Americans and Asians more pessimistic about the health systems ability to cope with a bioterrorist event

While nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that the public health system would respond fairly in a bioterrorist event, African-Americans and Asians adhere to this view in smaller proportions, perhaps because of past discriminatory policies put in place by health officials, according to a new UCLA study.

30 Aug 2004

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

Influenza is a contagious disease caused by an RNA virus of the orthomyxoviridae family

Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has today confirmed a further case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza

ID Biomedical awarded US$9.5 million to develop its cell culture-based influenza vaccine

Last year over 36,000 Americans died from exposure to the flu

Chiron CEO to appear before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

China falls victim to deadly alliance of Formula One and British American Tobacco

Aventis Pasteur to manufacture and store 2 million doses of avian influenza H5N1 vaccine

Genome researchers to look at 1918 Spanish flu

WHO calls for effective partnerships to tackle zoonoses

New diagnostic tests for bird flu

WHO calls enhanced preparedness for SARS and avian influenza

Growing global threat from avian influenza

Bird flu has jumped species barrier to cats

Major trends in AIDS research that the different research teams throughout the world are pursuing

Call for increased political and financial commitment to the development of preventive and therapeutic AIDS vaccines

African-Americans and Asians more pessimistic about the health systems ability to cope with a bioterrorist event

Emergence of drug resistant influenza viruses more common than previously thought

U.S. plan for influenza pandemic response

Inevitable that H5N1 avian influenza viruses will be detected in pigs

Hong Kong suspends bird and poultry imports from Malaysia, after deadly H5 avian influenza was found

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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