Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

One more human bird flu case found in China

According to Chinese health officials, a 10-year-old girl has been infected with the bird flu virus.

7 Dec 2005

Emerging infectious diseases will get worse

Emerging infectious diseases pose a global threat to human and animal health, and the problem is likely to worsen, warns an expert in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

26 Nov 2005

Passenger and crew lists on demand will protect America from disease say US health officials

U.S. health officials, using the excuse that they need to protect Americans from bird flu and other diseases, are proposing regulations that will require airlines and shipping firms to hand over passenger and crew lists on demand and expand how they report serious illnesses.

24 Nov 2005

China to use police in fighting bird flu

China which has had 17 outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu since the middle of last month, is struggling to control the virus which has now been found in seven provinces over a wide ranging area.

22 Nov 2005

Bird flu spreads in China while Bush's $ 7.1 billion pandemic fund stalls

As World health experts predicted there will be more human bird flu infections in China, the U.S. Congress has stalled the funding of President George W. Bush's plan to cope with a pandemic.

20 Nov 2005

New Flu Chip can determine the genetic make-up of types of flu virus in 11 hours

A novel "Flu Chip" developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder that can determine the genetic signatures of specific influenza strains from patient samples within hours may help world health officials combat coming epidemics and pandemics.

7 Nov 2005

Bird flu will cost as much as $800bn

At a global conference at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, the World Bank has warned a bird flu pandemic could cost the global economy up to $800bn, which amounts to 2% of the global economy.

7 Nov 2005

About turn by China over suspected bird flu death

In a complete about turn Chinese authorities have now called in the World Health Organisation (WHO) to examine three suspected human cases of bird flu, including one of a girl who died.

7 Nov 2005

Australia warns Asian countries against bird flu cover-ups

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has issued a warning to Asian countries that Australia will not tolerate any cover-ups of bird flu outbreaks.

31 Oct 2005

WHO wants more info on bird flu from China

Following pressure from world health bodies China on Friday to provide information on the death of a 12-year-old girl, Chinese officials now say the child died of pneumonia.

30 Oct 2005

Australia furthers fight against Avian Influenza in Vietnam

Australia will provide $3 million to Vietnam to help the country combat Avian Influenza and other infectious diseases, the Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Bruce Billson, announced in Hanoi.

26 Oct 2005

Bird Flu now confirmed in Greece

Greece has become the first country in the European Union to confirm its first case of bird flu, although cases are being tackled in Turkey and Romania.

18 Oct 2005

Bats carry SARS like virus

An international consortium headed by CAS researchers has identified that the Chinese horseshoe bat is healthy carriers of a virus that is very closely related to those causing SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

10 Oct 2005

Avian influenza and the U.S

If a virulent strain of avian influenza ever struck the U.S. poultry industry, this country probably would fare better than many other nations due to careful biosecurity procedures in force.

9 Oct 2005

Screening passengers at airports will not prevent SARS or influenza

Screening passengers as they arrive at UK airports is unlikely to prevent the importation of either SARS or influenza, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

26 Sep 2005

SARS can infiltrate brain tissue

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), by its very name, indicates a disease of the respiratory tract. But SARS can also infiltrate brain tissue, causing significant central nervous system problems, according to an article in the Oct. 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online.

20 Sep 2005

Researchers detail molecular images of a piece of the spike-shaped protein that the SARS virus uses initiate the first stages of infection

Researchers have determined the first detailed molecular images of a piece of the spike-shaped protein that the SARS virus uses to grab host cells and initiate the first stages of infection.

19 Sep 2005

Healthcare workers may be unable or unwilling to report to work during certain disasters

In a first study of its kind, researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health assessed the ability and willingness of healthcare workers to report to work in the event of disasters involving weapons of mass destruction or virulent infectious disease outbreaks.

12 Sep 2005

RNAi therapeutic successful for treatment of SARS respiratory virus in Rhesus Macaque

Intradigm Corporation announced today its collaboration with Chinese academic and biotech groups has achieved clear evidence of prophylactic and therapeutic effects of siRNA (small interfering RNA) agents in Rhesus monkey to treat SARS coronavirus (SCV) respiratory infection.

12 Sep 2005

Design of wide-spectrum inhibitors targeting coronavirus main proteases

Coronaviruses - the family of viruses that causes the common cold - gained widespread recognition when the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome, familiarly known as SARS, killed at least 800 people in 2003.

6 Sep 2005