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.

New methodology may help control influenza

Scientists have uncovered the flu's secret formula for effectively evolving within and between host species: balance. The key lies with the flu's unique replication process, which has evolved to produce enough mutations for the virus to spread and adapt to its host environment, but not so many that unwanted genomic mutations lead to the flu's demise (catastrophic mutagenesis).

11 Jun 2010

WHO Director-General responds to criticisms over agency's H1N1 response

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Tuesday rejected recent criticisms that her decisions to declare H1N1 (swine flu) a pandemic were impacted by her advisers' link to the pharmaceutical industry, the Associated Press reports.

11 Jun 2010

CPL Biologicals completes construction of vaccine facility in Dholka, India

CPL Biologicals (CPLB), a joint venture of Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and Novavax, Inc., today announced that it has completed construction of its vaccine facility in Dholka, India and will commence equipment and installation validation this month so that the facility conforms to global standards for production of vaccines for human use.

10 Jun 2010

2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Atlanta, Georgia

Journalists are invited to attend and cover the 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID), to be held July 11-14, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting is being organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Society for Microbiology, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the Association of Public Health Laboratories and the World Health Organization.

10 Jun 2010

Experts call on international community to commit attention and resources to cervical cancer prevention

Women's health leaders today called on the international community to commit the resources needed to ensure that women and girls worldwide have equal access to cervical cancer prevention technologies. At the WOMEN DELIVER conference, the Declaration for Universal Access to Cervical Cancer Prevention was issued by leading women's health, cancer and business organizations, including PATH, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the International Union Against Cancer.

9 Jun 2010

New tool to expedite research ethics review during emergency preparedness

A new emergency review tool will help research ethics boards and institutions to expedite research while respecting the procedures of ethics reviews, states an article in CMAJ.

8 Jun 2010

CSTE 2010 Annual Conference to focus on public health challenges

The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 2010 Annual Conference will be held June 6-10 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. An array of experts representing federal, state, and local health departments will discuss issues ranging from last year's flu pandemic, obesity, food safety, health care reform, information technology, and the global response to disasters such as the Haiti earthquake.

5 Jun 2010

BMJ report questions WHO advisors' ties to pharmaceutical industry

"Key scientists behind World Health Organization advice on stockpiling of pandemic flu drugs had financial ties with companies which stood to profit," according to a joint investigation by BMJ in collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, BBC News reports (6/4).

5 Jun 2010

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to join with JFC to celebrate Children's Day

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation will join with Jewelers for Children and other charities on Sunday to celebrate JFC's Children's Day, which commemorates the jewelry industry's charitable efforts on behalf of children throughout the year. This second annual Children's Day concludes with JFC's 12th annual Facets of Hope dinner held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the theme It's All About the Kids.

5 Jun 2010

Caltech biologists pinpoint molecular changes that help allow global spread of resistance to Tamiflu

Biologists at the California Institute of Technology have pinpointed molecular changes that helped allow the global spread of resistance to the antiviral medication Tamiflu (oseltamivir) among strains of the seasonal H1N1 flu virus.

4 Jun 2010

WHO says H1N1 remains pandemic

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan on Thursday announced the WHO still considers H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic, despite the fact "its most intense activity has passed in many parts of the world," Reuters reports (Lynn, 6/3).

4 Jun 2010

Antiviral drug oseltamivir appears safe and effective for infants hospitalized with influenza: Study

Given promptly, the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) appears safe and effective for infants hospitalized with influenza, reports a study in the June issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

4 Jun 2010

Bangalore INDIA BIO 2010 inaugurated

Bangalore INDIA BIO 2010, India's premier Biotechnology event organized by the Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, Vision Group on Biotechnology and MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications Co was inaugurated today by Shri B.S. Yeddyurappa, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, and Shri Katta Subramanya Naidu - Hon'ble Minister for IT & BT, Information, Excise and BWSSB, Government of Karnataka.

2 Jun 2010

Barriers, misinformation still prevent many from seeking flu protection for their families: Canadian Flu Report

According to the Canadian Flu Report released today, 40 per cent of parents are now more interested in vaccinating themselves and their children against seasonal flu following last year's H1N1 outbreak. Yet, significant barriers and misinformation are still preventing many from actually seeking proper flu protection for their families.

2 Jun 2010

Opinions: Stopping active recruitment of developing country health care workers; MDGs at 10 years

In a Seattle Times opinion piece Amy Hagopian of the University of Washington, Eric Williams of Physicians for Human Rights and Emily deRiel of the Health Alliance International reflect on the recent adoption of a resolution "to prevent health-worker brain drain from developing countries" during the World Health Assembly last month.

2 Jun 2010

Research roundup: Reform's impact on health spending; Cultural/Racial differences in medicine; Swine flu lessons

The Impact Of Health Reform On Health Spending - This issue brief "projects the effect of national reform on total national health expenditures and the insurance premiums that American families would likely pay. We estimate that, on net, the combination of provisions in the new law will reduce health care spending by $590 billion over 2010-2019 and lower premiums by nearly $2,000 per family.

29 May 2010

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

Previous recommendations on who should be vaccinated with the H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand according to the World WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the principal advisory group to WHO for development of policy related to vaccines and immunization.

28 May 2010

Researchers study safety and immunogenicity of two H1N1 vaccines in UK children

The first head to head study of the two H1N1 vaccines used in the UK during the recent pandemic finds that the adjuvanted split virus vaccine induced higher immune response rates in young children, but was associated with more reactions than the whole virus vaccine.

28 May 2010

Fear of H1N1 appears to be the driving factor behind adoption of preventive behaviors: Study

Fear of the H1N1 virus appears to be the driving factor behind the adoption of preventive behaviors, according to a study published in the June issue of AJIC: American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

27 May 2010

Influenza A(H1N1) appears milder than seasonal flu in tropical environment: Report

In a tropical environment, influenza A(H1N1) appeared milder than seasonal flu, was less likely to cause fever and upset stomach and more likely to infect younger individuals, according to a report in the May 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 May 2010

Pandemic News and Research

Further Reading

New methodology may help control influenza

WHO Director-General responds to criticisms over agency's H1N1 response

CPL Biologicals completes construction of vaccine facility in Dholka, India

2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases at Atlanta, Georgia

Experts call on international community to commit attention and resources to cervical cancer prevention

New tool to expedite research ethics review during emergency preparedness

CSTE 2010 Annual Conference to focus on public health challenges

BMJ report questions WHO advisors' ties to pharmaceutical industry

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to join with JFC to celebrate Children's Day

Caltech biologists pinpoint molecular changes that help allow global spread of resistance to Tamiflu

WHO says H1N1 remains pandemic

Antiviral drug oseltamivir appears safe and effective for infants hospitalized with influenza: Study

Bangalore INDIA BIO 2010 inaugurated

Barriers, misinformation still prevent many from seeking flu protection for their families: Canadian Flu Report

Opinions: Stopping active recruitment of developing country health care workers; MDGs at 10 years

Research roundup: Reform's impact on health spending; Cultural/Racial differences in medicine; Swine flu lessons

Previous recommendations on H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine still stand: SAGE

Researchers study safety and immunogenicity of two H1N1 vaccines in UK children

Fear of H1N1 appears to be the driving factor behind adoption of preventive behaviors: Study

Influenza A(H1N1) appears milder than seasonal flu in tropical environment: Report

Best practices - optimize qPCR processes for pathogen detection eBook

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