Influenza News and Research

Latest Influenza News and Research

USAID announces $5 Million award to track bird flu

USAID announces $5 million award to support the development of a global network to track avian influenza, with the aim of monitoring the role of migratory birds.

13 Jun 2006

Nventa granted European patent covering heat shock protein fusion to treat influenza

Nventa Biopharmaceuticals Corporation announced that the European Patent Office has granted Patent Number EP 941,315 to Nventa.

8 Jun 2006

Have we got it right about bird flu?

Health officials in Indonesia must have breathed a sigh of relief at the the World Health Organisation's (WHO) news that bird flu has been ruled out in the cases of four Indonesian nurses who fell sick after caring for people infected with H5N1 virus.

8 Jun 2006

Pneumonia can be treated effectively in nursing homes

There may be no advantage to taking nursing home residents to hospital for treatment of pneumonia.

7 Jun 2006

49th Indonesian case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus confirmed

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country's 49th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.

6 Jun 2006

H5N1 infection ruled out in latest Indonesian cases

For the past four days, Indonesian health authorities and WHO have been monitoring cases of influenza-like illness in four nurses who were involved in the care of confirmed H5N1 patients.

6 Jun 2006

Indonesia struggling to cope - quake survivors at greater risk of bird flu

Indonesia's devastating earthquake on 27 May, has so far taken the lives of over 6,000 people and injured 30,000 more.

6 Jun 2006

Migrating wild birds play a key role in transporting highly pathogenic avian influenza

Migrating wild birds have played and will likely continue to play a role in transporting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, or bird flu, over long distances.

5 Jun 2006

Avian flu facts

Avian influenza (also called "bird flu") refers to the strains of the virus that infect birds. Bird flu can cause widespread illness and death among birds, though there are many different strains, which vary in strength.

1 Jun 2006

Promising new vaccine delivery approach

The field of vaccine development is getting a boost from new research that has identified a promising vaccine delivery approach, which in animal studies produced long-term immune protection after just one immunization.

31 May 2006

WHO bird flu situation update

Indonesian health authorities and WHO have further strengthened their response to the family cluster of cases in Kubu Simbelang village, Karo District, North Sumatra.

31 May 2006

Australia all set to tackle bird flu

Australia is one of only a few countries well prepared for an outbreak of bird flu in it's poultry population.

31 May 2006

What to do about bird flu

The latest deaths last week from bird flu in Indonesia have spread alarm across the globe that the world is on the brink of a pandemic.

30 May 2006

Additional six Indonesian cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has confirmed an additional six cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Three of these cases were fatal.

29 May 2006

Higher dose of flu vaccine improves immune response in the elderly

There may be a simple way to provide elderly Americans with extra protection against the annual flu virus: give them a higher dose of seasonal flu vaccine.

23 May 2006

High-dose influenza vaccines boost immunity in elderly

High-dose influenza vaccines may increase elderly patients' immune response without significant adverse effects, offering this vulnerable population additional protection against the flu, according to an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

23 May 2006

Two more deaths from bird flu as Indonesia tries to track down souce of 'cluster' deaths

While Health officials in Indonesia are still trying to track down the source of infection in a cluster of six deaths in one family from H5N1 bird flu, tests show that two more people have also died of the same disease.

23 May 2006

Bird flu crops up again in Indonesia

According to a senior Indonesian health official an 18-year-old shuttlecock maker from East Java is the latest victim of bird flu.

22 May 2006

Seven new cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Indonesia

The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed an additional seven cases of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Six of the cases were fatal.

18 May 2006

Who should get influenza vaccine?

An American flu pandemic would present difficult and tragic choices: As many as 90 million people might become sick, and widespread shortages of vaccine would likely leave more than 90 percent of the population unprotected in the pandemic's first year.

16 May 2006