Avian Influenza & Pandemic Threat: In the news

Printed stickers could monitor food and vaccines

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:03:04 -0600

Effort aims to merge technology from four companies to create the first sticker with all-printed electronics... A plastic temperature-recording sticker that could provide detailed histories of crates of food or bottles of vaccine would be the first to use all-printed electronics components—including memory, logic, and even the battery. The cost per sticker could be only 30 cents or less. {Technology Review, 30 Jan}

Study suggests older adults may have little defense against swine H3N2 viruses

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:02:22 -0600

Canadian researchers have reported a study in which both young children and middle-aged adults had little evidence of immune protection against swine-origin influenza H3N2 viruses like those that have been reported recently in a dozen US children. {CIDRAP News, 27 Jan}

In ferrets, H5N1 can reach nervous system via olfactory mucosa

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:01:41 -0600

A Dutch research team has found that an H5N1 avian influenza virus can spread to the central nervous system (CNS) of ferrets via the olfactory mucosa, according to a report in the Journal of Virology. {CIDRAP News, 27 Jan}

Study offers new information for the fight against influenza

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:55 -0600

Ralph Tripp is the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Vaccine Development in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. The influenza virus can rapidly evolve from one form to another, complicating the effectiveness of vaccines and antiviral {Infection Control Today, 27 Jan}

Researchers show how new viruses evolve and sometimes become deadly

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:00:25 -0600

Justin Meyer, an MSU graduate student, led a team of researchers, including Devin Dobias, former MSU undergraduate student, that showed how new viruses evolve. Photo by G.L. Kohuth. In the current issue of Science, researchers at Michigan State {Infection Control Today, 26 Jan}

Flu research and public safety: influenza and its complications

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:59:52 -0600

2A danger not to be sneezed at... IN DECEMBER the scientific world was taken aback by an odd request. The American government, in the shape of the country’s National Scientific Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), called on the world’s two leading scientific journals to censor research. Nature and Science were about to publish studies by researchers who had been tinkering with H5N1 influenza, better known as bird flu, to produce a strain that might be able to pass through the air between people. The NSABB fretted that were the precise methods and detailed genetic data to fall into the wrong hands, the consequences would be too awful to contemplate. They suggested that only the broad conclusions be made public; the specifics could be sent to vetted scientists only.H5N1 is undoubtedly dangerous. Some 60% of the 570 recorded human cases have been fatal (though non-fatal ones are less likely to be recorded). On January 20th, therefore, the research teams’ leaders, Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Centre, in Rotterdam, and Yoshihiro... {The Economist, 26 Jan}

Virus in one controversial H5N1 study wasn't lethal

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:59:13 -0600

Breaking a prolonged silence, the author of one of two controversial studies dealing with mutant H5N1 viruses said today that the virus his team created went airborne to spread among ferrets, but it didn't kill them. {CIDRAP News, 25 Jan}

Commentary: H1N1pdm09 recombination in Egypt H5N1 raises concerns

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:58:38 -0600

The commentary discusses H1N1pdm09 sequences and recombination in Egypt H5N1 PB1 and PB2. {Recombinomics, 25 Jan}

Commentary: H5 transmission on H1N1pdm09 genetic background

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:57:58 -0600

The commentary discusses ferret transmission of H5 on a H1N1pdm09 genetic background. {Recombinomics, 25 Jan}

Seasonal flu shot no help with swine flu

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:57:15 -0600

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The seasonal flu vaccine provides little protection against the novel (swine) H3N2 strain of flu, Canadian researchers say. {United Press International, 27 Jan}

Rapid virus evolution witnessed in lab

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:56:43 -0600

EAST LANSING, Mich., Jan. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have observed how a new virus evolves and how diseases can quickly gain dangerous mutations. {United Press International, 27 Jan}

Dead goose in Hong Kong tests positive for H5N1 virus

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:56:07 -0600

The Hong Kong government said on Thursday a dead goose, found in the northwest part of the city, has been confirmed to be H5N1 positive after laboratory testing. {Xinhua News Agency, 26 Jan}

Bird flu fears: Flap over pet market move

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:55:21 -0600

DESPITE lingering fears about the spread of bird flu in the country with the world's highest number of fatalities from the deadly avian influenza virus, Indonesia's largest pet market has survived several attempts to relocate it. {Straits Times, 29 Jan}

Letters: Sunday Dialogue: Bird flu experiments

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:54:36 -0600

Research into the bird flu virus has set off an impassioned scientific debate over its risks and benefits. Here is a sampling. {New York Times, 29 Jan}

Research into mutant flu 'must go on'

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:53:53 -0600

One of the scientists at the centre of the controversy over the creation a highly dangerous form of bird flu which could cause a devastating human pandemic has denounced attempts by the US Government to censor the research over fears that the findings might be misused by bioterrorists. {The Independent, 27 Jan}

Mexico ups swine flu screening

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:53:18 -0600

Mexico's newspapers are warning of an alarming increase in swine flu since pandemic three years ago. {Indian Express, 27 Jan}

Censorship won't stop bird flu contagion

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:52:43 -0600

The ‘security threat' posed by H5NI mutations is already out there. What is needed is collaborative research based on the sharing of scientific literature. {The Hindu, 27 Jan}

Bird flu detected in Victoria

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:52:09 -0600

A commercial duck farm in Victoria has been quarantined after the discovery of bird flu, but the community is not at risk, health officials say. {The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Jan}

Wisconsin scientist says H5N1 flu strain he created is less dangerous

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:51:24 -0600

A Wisconsin researcher said his team’s version of the H5N1 bird flu virus is not as lethal as that developed by Dutch researchers. {New York Times, 26 Jan}

Chemicals undermine childhood vaccines, study finds

frank — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:50:44 -0600

Children with the highest blood levels of PFCs had the weakest response to tetanus and diphtheria immunization shots, researchers say {The Globe and Mail, 26 Jan}