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.

Positive interim results from H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine Phase II human clinical trial

Medicago, a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles, today reported positive interim results from a Phase II human clinical trial with its H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine candidate.

1 Feb 2011

Positive interim results from Medicago's Phase II clinical trial of H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine

Medicago Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing highly effective and competitive vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), today reported positive interim results from a Phase II human clinical trial with its H5N1 Avian Influenza VLP vaccine candidate ("H5N1 vaccine"). The vaccine was found to be safe, well tolerated and also induced a solid immune response.

1 Feb 2011

HighRes Biosolutions to build High-Throughput Laboratory Network for LANL-UCLA

A compact, self-contained, automated system for surveillance and screening of potential pandemic strains of influenza and other deadly infectious diseases is a step closer to reality, thanks to an agreement between Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of California Los Angeles School of Public Health, and HighRes Biosolutions of Boston, Massachussets.

1 Feb 2011

New study: Swine flu transmission is most intensive between children of same class

Boys predominantly pass on flu to other boys and girls to girls, according to a new study of how swine flu spread in a primary school during the 2009 pandemic, published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results also suggest that flu transmission is most intensive between children of the same class, but that sitting next to an infected person does not significantly increase a child's risk of catching flu.

1 Feb 2011

BMJ News examines ongoing investigation of WHO's handling of H1N1

BMJ News reports on the ongoing external investigation of the WHO's handling of the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, following recent statements to the WHO's executive board meeting by review committee chairman, Harvey Fineberg.

24 Jan 2011

WHO Director-General expresses concern over public mistrust of vaccines

During the WHO's executive board meeting Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan expressed concerns over what she called a "'worrisome' public mistrust of vaccines, following signs of a tail-off in flu vaccination," Agence France-Presse reports (1/18).

20 Jan 2011

Study finds link between public transport and risk of catching ARI

You are six times more likely to end up at the doctors with an acute respiratory infection if you have recently used a bus or tram — but those who use buses or trams daily might well be somewhat protected compared with more occasional users.

19 Jan 2011

Convalescent plasma therapy may reduce mortality rate in patients with H1N1 infection: Study

A study published in the February 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases suggests that convalescent plasma may reduce the death rate in patients severely ill with this type of influenza.

19 Jan 2011

WHO Director-General opens executive board session with calls for reform

Kicking off a nine-day annual WHO executive board meeting Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan called for the board to consider areas where the agency can redirect resources in a more targeted manner so as to achieve greater outcomes, Reuters reports.

19 Jan 2011

Scientists create GM chicken that does not spread bird flu to other chickens

"Scientists have developed genetically modified [GM] chickens that don't transmit bird flu [H5N1] to other chickens," HealthDay News/Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

18 Jan 2011

BioCryst reports positive results from peramivir Phase 3 study in influenza

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced top-line results from one of its two Phase 3 studies of intravenous (i.v.) peramivir for the treatment of patients hospitalized with influenza, and provided an update regarding its peramivir program.

13 Jan 2011

New research paper reveals key lessons about origins of 2009 H1N1 pandemic

How Swine Flu Overturned the Understanding of Pandemic Outbreaks. As H1N1 'Swine Flu' returns to the national headlines a new research paper reveals the key lessons about the origins of the 2009 pandemic. The paper, published today in BioEssays, reveals how the pandemic challenges the traditional understanding of 'antigenic shift', given that the virus emerged from an existing influenza subtype.

13 Jan 2011

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases features Inovio’s Chikungunya DNA vaccine

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of novel therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today the publication of a scientific paper highlighting positive results from Inovio's multi-antigen Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) DNA vaccine in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

12 Jan 2011

Potential single vaccine for permanent immunity to all influenza

The search for a universal flu vaccine has received a boost from a surprising source: the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu strain.

10 Jan 2011

Old flu jabs from pandemic to combat this winter’s peak

With rise of incidence of flu this winter emergency stocks of the vaccine are being released. A review is to be carried out into whether vaccines should be purchased centrally next year in order to avoid shortages. At present the GPs can procure the jabs directly from manufacturers according to their estimates of patient requirement.

9 Jan 2011

DARPA grants million dollar to IDRI to develop single dose influenza vaccine

The Infectious Disease Research Institute today announced it has received a multi-million dollar grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the Army Research Office, both parts of United States Department of Defense.

7 Jan 2011

Extreme obesity a powerful risk factor for death among 2009 H1N1 patients

For those infected with the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus, extreme obesity was a powerful risk factor for death, according to an analysis of a public health surveillance database. In a study to be published in the February 1, 2011, issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, researchers associated extreme obesity with a nearly three-fold increased odds of death from 2009 H1N1 influenza. Half of Californians greater than 20 years of age hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 were obese.

7 Jan 2011

Impact of flu vaccine opt-out is being seen as A(H1N1) returns to Europe

As the UK and a number of European countries are now experiencing epidemics of influenza, including A(H1N1) which was the 2009 pandemic virus, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) warns that the consequences of non-vaccination could emerge as a new flu emergency and are calling for greater efforts to encourage vaccination, not only for at risk groups but also health care workers.

6 Jan 2011

Flu outbreak peak yet to come: Experts

Parents of kids returning to school in the UK after Christmas holidays have been warned of a surge in flu cases. Professor John Oxford, a leading virologist at St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London Hospital explained that children returning to school in the past prompted a rise in the number of flu cases. “You tend to get a surge,” the professor said. “I would anticipate a surge, but how long that will last is difficult to say.” He added, “This virus is not going to go away next week. Even if it’s already peaked, it’s still going to be around for the next couple of weeks and it’s still worthwhile being vaccinated at this stage.”

4 Jan 2011

Six new experts join National Biodefense Science Board

Six experts from outside the federal government will join the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB), a federal advisory committee which provides expert advice and guidance on preventing, preparing for, and responding to adverse health effects of public health emergencies to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The new members replace members whose 3-year terms expire Dec. 31.

4 Jan 2011