Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

Navigating the Labyrinth of Traumatic Brain Injury to Discover a Secondary Neurological Condition

Working with individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) every day, I see the debilitating effects and long-term struggles firsthand.

9 Oct 2012

New data from Genzyme's AUBAGIO and LEMTRADA clinical trials to be presented at ECTRIMS

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, announced today new data from Genzyme's clinical development programs for AUBAGIO (teriflunomide) and LEMTRADATM (alemtuzumab) will be presented at the 28th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Lyon, France, October 10-13.

9 Oct 2012

New model of influenza transmission can provide real-time information about infections

A new model of influenza transmission, published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine, using more detailed information about patterns and severity of infection than previous models, finds that cases and transmission rates of H1N1 during the 2009-2010 flu pandemic have been underestimated. This model can provide a more robust and accurate real-time estimate of infection during a pandemic, which will help health services prepare and respond to future outbreaks.

9 Oct 2012

Myths about the influenza vaccine

With cold and flu season upon us, many companies have geared up for what is predicted to be a busy flu season producing 150 million doses of the influenza vaccine, up 17 million from last year.

9 Oct 2012

Maths-based tool can quantify the spread and infectiousness of viruses

Mathematicians have developed a powerful tool to quantify the spread and infectiousness of viruses like the pandemic H1N1 flu strain, which can be used together with modern laboratory techniques to help the healthcare system plan its response to disease outbreaks.

9 Oct 2012

Trellis, OMT enter collaboration to generate human antibodies

Trellis Bioscience LLC and Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. today announced a new collaboration where the companies will join forces to generate human antibodies against therapeutic targets identified by Trellis and its partners using OMT's OmniRat platform.

8 Oct 2012

Incidence of needlestick injuries appears to be lower among employees at retail pharmacy chain

Vaccinations for flu, tetanus and other common vaccines are increasingly taking place in non-medical settings such as supermarkets and drug stores. This added responsibility for pharmacists increases the risk of needlestick injuries (NSIs), puncture wounds often suffered while preparing or after use of a needle. NSIs can transmit bloodborne pathogens, including hepatitis C and HIV, from an infected patient to the person administering the vaccine.

8 Oct 2012

Significant increase in genomic Replikin Count of human SARS virus

The identification of the virus responsible for a second case of SARS-like respiratory virus, "London1_novel CoV 2012", has raised concerns over the risk of the disease spreading. These concerns may be justified given the observed rise in virus's genomic Replikin Count.

6 Oct 2012

Britons least likely to adopt protective behaviours against flu

A new international survey published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases has revealed that during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, people in Britain lagged far behind other countries in adopting protective behaviours, such as increasing their practice of covering their mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.

5 Oct 2012

Participatory pay-for-performance improves primary care

Both quality of care measures and patient experience may be achieved through the introduction of a participatory pay-for-performance program, study findings indicate.

1 Oct 2012

Inhibiting DUSP6 protein can restore immune cells’ responsiveness to a more youthful state

The older we get, the weaker our immune systems tend to become, leaving us vulnerable to infectious diseases and cancer and eroding our ability to benefit from vaccination. Now Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found that blocking the action of a single protein whose levels in our immune cells creep steadily upward with age can restore those cells' response to a vaccine.

1 Oct 2012

MicroDose completes third and final MDT-637 Phase 1 study on RSV infection

MicroDose Therapeutx, Inc., announced today the completion of its third and final Phase 1 clinical study for MDT-637 with its novel inhaled antiviral fusion inhibitor, MDT-637, for the treatment of RSV infection.

29 Sep 2012

Bas-Congo virus associated with acute hemorrhagic fever in Africa

An isolated outbreak of a deadly disease known as acute hemorrhagic fever, which killed two people and left one gravely ill in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the summer of 2009, was probably caused by a novel virus scientists have never seen before.

28 Sep 2012

Easy steps to protect against spread of influenza

Flu season is here and Concentra is sharing some easy steps to protect against the spread of influenza, including seasonal flu vaccines available at all Concentra locations across the country. Concentra is a subsidiary of Humana Inc., one of the nation's leading health and well-being companies

27 Sep 2012

Positive results from Sobi, Biogen Idec's rFIXFc Phase 3 trial on hemophilia B

Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) today announced positive results from B-LONG, a clinical study that evaluated a new long-lasting clotting factor candidate in people with hemophilia B. Hemophilia B is a rare inherited disorder that impairs blood coagulation.

27 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: The 'real story' of Ryan at AARP; 'Get thee to an emergency room'

The headlines this weekend were all about the boos Paul Ryan elicited on Friday when he addressed the AARP, the self-styled seniors' lobby. The herd of independent media minds missed the real story, which is that the Republican Vice Presidential nominee went into the heart of the entitlement culture, told some hard truths, and even won applause for doing so.

26 Sep 2012

UC Medicine nurses to administer free flu shots to licensed taxicab drivers at O'Hare Midway

As part of an initiative to vaccinate some of Chicago's most vulnerable populations, University of Chicago Medicine nurses will administer free flu shots to licensed taxicab drivers at O'Hare International Airport on Tuesday, Sept. 25, and at Midway International Airport the following Tuesday, Oct. 2. Up to 1,000 cabbies could be vaccinated over the two days.

25 Sep 2012