H1N1 News and Research

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Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. The first novel H1N1 patient in the United States was confirmed by laboratory testing at CDC on April 15, 2009. The second patient was confirmed on April 17, 2009. It was quickly determined that the virus was spreading from person-to-person. On April 22, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center to better coordinate the public health response. On April 26, 2009, the United States Government declared a public health emergency.

It’s thought that novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread; mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus.

Non-coding RNAs in maternal food can pass through placenta to regulate fetal gene expression

In a new study published in the Protein & Cell, Chen-Yu Zhang's group at Nanjing University reports that small non-coding RNAs in maternal food can transfer through placenta to regulate fetal gene expression.

14 May 2015

NanoPass signs license agreement for supply of MicronJet600 device to Circassia

NanoPass Technologies Ltd., a pioneer in intradermal delivery solutions for vaccines, announced today that it has entered into a license agreement for the supply of MicronJet600, its microneedle delivery device, to Circassia Pharmaceuticals plc. (Oxford, UK), a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the allergy market.

6 May 2015

NanoViricides' anti-viral drug candidates show promise in lethal animal model of dermal herpes infection

NanoViricides, Inc., a nanomedicine company developing anti-viral drugs, discusses the significance of the strong effectiveness demonstrated by its anti-viral drug candidates in a lethal animal model of dermal herpes infection.

27 Apr 2015

Focus Diagnostics announces FDA clearance for Simplexa Group A Strep Direct Kit

Focus Diagnostics, the clinical-laboratory products business of Quest Diagnostics, today announced the FDA 510(k) clearance and CLIA moderate-complexity categorization for its Simplexa Group A Strep Direct Kit. Simplexa Group A Strep Direct is a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of Group A Streptococcus bacteria directly from throat swabs.

From Quest Diagnostics 15 Apr 2015

Simple, effective portable tool can help predict avian flu outbreaks

A simple and effective portable tool to predict avian flu outbreaks on farms has been created by University of Guelph researchers.

12 Apr 2015

UofL-led study focuses on flu vaccine for children with neurological disorders

Children who have neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy are no more likely to be vaccinated against influenza than youngsters without these conditions, despite the increased risk for complications from flu these children experience.

10 Apr 2015

Narcolepsy bears trademarks of classic autoimmune disorder

Narcoleptics suffer from bouts of sleepiness and sleep attacks, which impair their ability to function in daily life. But the precise cause of narcolepsy has long eluded scientists, and the cure for the devastating neurological disorder afflicting an estimated three million people worldwide -- and one in 3,000 Americans -- remains at bay.

10 Mar 2015

Researchers examine individuals' confidence or reluctance in vaccination decision-making

Researchers explore individuals' confidence or reluctance to vaccinate their families and the associated effects on global health, in a collection published on February 25, 2015 by the open-access journal, PLOS Currents: Outbreaks. The collection is accompanied by the editorial "Hesitancy, trust and individualism in vaccination decision-making" by Jonathan E. Suk et al. from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

26 Feb 2015

Medicago receives task order from HHS BARDA to manufacture anti-Ebola virus monoclonal antibodies

Medicago, a leading company in the development and production of plant-based vaccines and therapeutics, announced today that it has received a task order from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for three anti-Ebola virus monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with expected performance comparable to that of ZMapp, from Mapp Biopharmaceutical.

24 Feb 2015

Study: Airport screening for disease often misses infected travellers, but can be improved

Scientists have shown that airport screening for disease will often miss half or more of infected travellers, but can be improved by customizing to pathogens.

23 Feb 2015

Training modules for emergency department staff to treat infectious disease patients available on CDC's website

Four Web-based training modules developed by Johns Hopkins Medicine for emergency department personnel who treat patients with infectious diseases are now available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

18 Feb 2015

Immune system exploits flu virus' dependence on host's machinery

Viruses are masters of outsourcing, entrusting their fundamental function - reproduction - to the host cells they infect. But it turns out this highly economical approach also creates vulnerability.

13 Feb 2015

SRI Biosciences awarded contract to develop novel polymers to neutralize chemical, biological threats

SRI Biosciences, a division of SRI International, has been awarded a $10 million contract under a DARPA program to reimagine how proteins are constructed and to develop novel medicines and diagnostics as countermeasures to chemical and biological threats.

12 Feb 2015

Preclinical testing of anti-Ebola antibodies can lead to universal flu vaccine

Does the blood of Ebola virus disease survivors contain antibodies and immune cells that could help doctors fight Ebola infections in other people?

9 Feb 2015

Confidence in government may play key role in public's willingness to take swine flu vaccine

A new study suggests that confidence in government may play a key role in the public's willingness to get at least some vaccine

9 Feb 2015

New computer model could predict responses to disease outbreak

Sometimes the response to the outbreak of a disease can make things worse -- such as when people panic and flee, potentially spreading the disease to new areas. The ability to anticipate when such overreactions might occur could help public health officials take steps to limit the dangers.

15 Jan 2015

Current flu vaccine still offers protection, says Loyola infectious disease specialist

In baseball, three strikes and you're out. The most common annual vaccine targets three strains of flu virus. This year, two vaccine strains are spot on and successfully matched. One strain is partially mismatched, but still believed to offer partial coverage for that strain. The current flu vaccine is still in the game and, more importantly, keeping people well and on the playing field, says a Loyola University Medical Center infectious disease specialist.

8 Jan 2015

Outbreaks of infectious diseases offer lessons for critical care providers

Outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as Ebola in West Africa, offer insight for how healthcare professionals can respond more effectively to current and future challenges, according to editors of the American Journal of Critical Care.

5 Jan 2015

FDA provides Emergency Use Authorization for Roche's LightMix Ebola Zaire rRT-PCR Test

Roche today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has provided an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the LightMix Ebola Zaire rRT-PCR Test for use on patients with signs and symptoms of Ebola Zaire virus infection in conjunction with epidemiological risk factors, such as individuals traveling from West Africa.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 30 Dec 2014

High-dose flu vaccine better than regular flu shot for frail, older adults of long-term care facilities

The high-dose flu vaccine is significantly better than the regular flu shot at boosting the immune response to the flu virus in frail, older residents of long-term care facilities, according to the results of a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study.

18 Dec 2014