Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

Latest Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome News and Research

SARS vaccine produced from plants

According to new research, a vaccine has been produced in genetically engineered tomato and tobacco plants, which triggers anti-SARS antibodies in mice.

15 Jun 2005

New technology developed at Cornell University could make it just as easy to identify genes

A supermarket checkout computer can identify thousands of different items by scanning the tiny barcode printed on the package. New technology developed at Cornell University could make it just as easy to identify genes, pathogens, illegal drugs and other chemicals of interest by tagging them with color-coded probes made out of synthetic tree-shaped DNA.

14 Jun 2005

China legislates to curb discrimination against HIV/AIDS

China, where discrimination against those suffering from the AIDS virus is rife, now has a new law which aims to protect people infected with the virus.

13 Jun 2005

West Nile virus vaccine may be ready by the end of the year

A Dutch biotechnology manufacturer says it has identified a human antibody which has proven effective against West Nile virus in animal studies.

12 Jun 2005

Prototype drug shows promise in slowing replication of the virus responsible for SARS

A prototype drug created by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago shows promise in slowing replication of the virus responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.

8 Jun 2005

Scientists renew warnings over a bird flu pandemic

Scientists have again renewed their warnings about the potential global effect of a flu pandemic on health and economy.

26 May 2005

China vaccinates 3 million farmyard birds in avian flu fear

In what may appear to many to be a somewhat delayed overreaction to an outbreak of bird flu in migrating geese, the Chinese government have sent some three million doses of vaccine to the vast north-west region.

24 May 2005

New WHO rules mean countries could face quarantine in bid to beat killer epidemics

Under new rules agreed by the World Health Organisation yesterday (WHO), serious outbreaks of deadly diseases such as bird flu and SARS could mean travel and trade restrictions could be placed on many countries.

24 May 2005

New regulations to tackle disease outbreaks given the red light by the WHO

The recent outbreaks of communicable diseases such as SARS and avian flu in particular, have prompted the United Nations health agency’s policy-making body to adopt a new set of regulations concerning responses from Governments and international bodies when new diseases emerge and old ones reappear.

23 May 2005

New set of International Health Regulations to manage public health emergencies of international concern

Today, the World Health Assembly approved a new set of International Health Regulations to manage public health emergencies of international concern. The new rules will "prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the international spread of disease."

23 May 2005

Hong Kong looks at relationship between climatic factors and infectious diseases

The relationship between climatic factors and infectious diseases is being studied by the Hong Kong Government to see whether there is a major or direct link, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow says.

11 May 2005

GenoMed launches free trial against Marburg virus epidemic in Angola

GenoMed announced today that it has launched a free clinical trial to combat the current Marburg virus epidemic in Angola.

26 Apr 2005

UK plan for influenza pandemic

The HPA Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan outlines the Health Protection Agency’s plan for responding to an influenza pandemic. It replaces the Public Health Laboratory Service Pandemic Influenza Plan of July 2001.

23 Apr 2005

Experimental vaccine targeting West Nile virus

A small trial testing the safety of an experimental vaccine targeting West Nile virus (WNV) opened today at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD.

19 Apr 2005

Test kit mistake - labs in race to destroy deadly flu virus

As many as 3,750 medical laboratories, all but 75 of which are in the U.S., have been told by the World Health Organization to destroy a pandemic flu virus sent to them as part of routine testing kits.

13 Apr 2005

US agencies work together to prevent disease spreading through air travel

In an attempt to prevent the spread of infectious diseases or other deadly agents aboard commercial aircraft, U.S. government health agencies, airlines and aviation regulators plan to work together, federal officials said this week.

7 Apr 2005

Tarvacin shows significant anti-viral activity

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals today announced that there will be two presentations, April 4 and 6, at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) annual meeting in San Diego, California, indicating the anti-viral potential of its Tarvacin antibody. Dr. Melina Soares of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas will present pre-clinical data titled "Targeting inside-out phospholipids on viruses in a guinea pig model of Lassa fever."

4 Apr 2005