Influenza in Biological News

1 in 6 health workers won't report in flu pandemic -- study by Ben-Gurion U. researchers

... of health responders to report to duty during an influenza pandemic is a major concern given the ... study concludes that in the context of pandemic influenza planning, the EPPM provides a useful framework to ... will make a difference in response to an influenza pandemic. First step is to better educate ...

Tips from the journals of the American Society for Microbiology

... Response May Offer Early Control of H5N1 influenza Virus Researchers from Georgia suggest that ... protein, interferon type 1, reduced H5N1 influenza virus replication in mice and may offer some ... of Virology . Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses increasingly pose a serious public ...

7th annual [BC]2 Basel Computational Biology Conference 'Molecular Evolution' June 18-19, 2009

... UK, will present on "The antigenic evolution of influenza viruses". He will describe the study of influenza virus evolution, required for influenza vaccine strain selection. Derek is one of the ...

Government of Canada announces funding for research on the H1N1 flu virus

... The Government of Canada will fund a national influenza research network focused on pandemic vaccine ... the safety and effectiveness of a pandemic influenza vaccine and vaccination programs. The network ... "The development and delivery of an effective influenza vaccine are critical to addressing the H1N1 flu ...

American Chemical Society's weekly PressPac -- May 27, 2009

... this study were to assess the survival of avian influenza in landfill leachate and the influence of ... up to 600 days. The two factors that most reduced influenza survival times were elevated temperature and ... #1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "Survival of the Avian influenza Virus (H6N2) After Land Disposal" DOWNLOAD ...

Rapid approach to identify influenza A virus mutations and drug resistance developed

... approach to uncover the complete sequence of any influenza A virus, including H1NI, with just a quick nasal ... enables scientists to amplify full genomes of influenza A viruses and sequence them within a day, was ... and is able to recognize any novel strain of influenza A in the first pass. This enables a faster ...

Swine flu experts gather at New York Academy of Sciences May 28

... The very latest information on the 2009 swine influenza (H1N1) outbreak is the subject of a landmark ... contributions to the study and prevention of influenza and other viral diseases. Doris Bucher, Ph.D., ... worldwide that reproduces "seed" viruses for the influenza vaccine, which begins the process of producing ...

The challenges of avian influenza virus: Mechanism, epidemiology and control

... infection cases of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, with 5 death cases, were reported ... worldwide, probably caused by avian-origin influenza virus. Again H5N1 is in the spotlight of the ... list more questions than we know the answers. influenza virus, as a pathogenic entity for chickens, has ...

HudsonAlpha investigator develops rapid response swine flu test

... flu, the current strain of the H1N1 family of the influenza virus. The test, which can confirm swine flu in ... the current strain of swine flu, as well as influenza A, influenza B and other viruses. Because of the ...

Scientists learn why the flu may turn deadly

... have discovered important clues about why influenza is more severe in some people than it is in ... ), the scientists show that the influenza virus can actually paralyze the immune systems of ... limited understanding of why some people who get influenza simply have a bad cold and other people become ...

Social separation stops flu spread, but must be started soon

... are capable of preventing less-infectious influenza epidemics and of significantly reducing the rate ... in delaying the development of a 'worst case' influenza epidemic. They may be critical in holding back an ... This study found that, for an outbreak of influenza approximately as infectious as the 1918 Spanish ...

K-State researcher finds 1918 flu resulted in current lineage of H1N1 swine influenza viruses

... In 1918 a human influenza virus known as the Spanish flu spread through the ... supports the hypothesis that the 1918 pandemic influenza virus and the virus causing the swine flu were ... resulted in the current lineage of the H1N1 swine influenza viruses. The researchers' study is published in ...

Avian flu research sheds light on swine flu outbreak

... suggests that the potential for an avian influenza virus to cause a human flu pandemic is greater ... showed that after reassortment with a human influenza virus, a process that usually takes place in ... similar to the method by which the current swine influenza strain likely formed," said Perez, program ...

FluChip technology licensed to combat deadly flu virus

... tool for surveillance since all of the current influenza diagnostics on the market are unable to subtype ... The most popular diagnostic tests for influenza include rapid immunoassays, which are only able to identify the type (A or B) of influenza virus, and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain ...

The host makes all the difference

... mouse strains with the same quantity of type influenza A flu viruses. All of the animals within one ... strong differences in the progression of the influenza between the seven strains. In five of the strains ... from influenza, the majority via pathogens of the influenza A type. There are various sub-types of the main ...

Scientists identify human monoclonal antibodies effective against bird and seasonal flu viruses

... (mAb) that neutralize an unprecedented range of influenza A viruses, including avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, previous pandemic influenza viruses, and some ...

Scientists identify human monoclonal antibodies effective against bird, seasonal flu viruses

... (mAb) that neutralize an unprecedented range of influenza A viruses, including avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, previous pandemic influenza viruses, and some ...

Study: Fluid buildup in lungs is part of the damage done by the flu

... cough. But new research suggests that the influenza virus can tip the balance toward too much fluid ... colleagues infected mice with high doses of an influenza A virus to compare oxygen levels and fluid ... disease. Now that his newer work has shown that influenza A has the same effect on the lungs, Davis is ...

Shades of 1918? New study compares avian flu with a notorious killer from the past

... of the 1918 virussource of the most severe influenza pandemic in recorded history. The results, which ... for those stricken with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 is 63 percent. Should a series of ... examine the host-pathogen responses to a common influenza virus and two ressortant strains of the 1918 H1N1 ...

Avian flu becoming more resistant to antiviral drugs, says University of Colorado study

... of the samples tested. The avian flu, an influenza A subtype dubbed H5N1, is evolving a resistance ... the researchers analyzed 676 whole genomes of influenza A/H5N1 from National Institutes of Health ... between subtypes, could make an avian influenza strain more contagious with the potential to ...

Study: Excessive use of antiviral drugs could aid deadly flu

... analyzed almost 700 genome sequences of avian influenza strains to document where and when the virus ... to adamantanes among strains of seasonal influenza spiked in Asia in 2002, and by 2006 the agents ... of drugs. Different classes of antivirals target influenza in different ways in the hosts' cells. Janies ...

Protein 'tubules' free avian flu virus from immune recognition

... A protein found in the virulent avian influenza virus strain called H5N1 forms tiny tubules in ... there are others that also come into play during influenza virus infection." The two researchers had ... importance of the protein NS1 in the virulence of influenza viruses and particularly, H5N1, a form of avian ...

Masks, hand washing, prevent spread of flu-like symptoms by up to 50 percent

... Researchers followed students for incidence of influenza like illness symptoms, defined as cough with at ... quantity for preventing and controlling pandemic influenza outbreaks. In February 2007, the Centers for ... Interventions (NPIs) to mitigate an influenza pandemic. The measures include voluntary home ...

Genetic evidence for avian influenza movement from Asia to North America via wild birds

... birds may be more important carriers of avian influenza viruses from continent to continent than ... implications for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus surveillance in North America. As part ... role of migratory birds in the transfer of avian influenza viruses between Asia and North America, ...

Bird flu vaccine protects people and pets

... used to protect several species against different influenza viruses. "The world is experiencing a pandemic of influenza in birds caused by an H5N1 virus. Although it has ... strains of influenza. We chose genes from H9N2 influenza for the vaccine because the virus can infect many ...

Survivors of 1918 flu pandemic protected with a lifetime immunity to virus

... that infection and natural exposure to the 1918 influenza virus made survivors immune to the disease for ... antibodies derived from the B cells of 1918 influenza pandemic survivors," was released for advanced ... after survivors encountered the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, we collected antibody-producing B cells ...

Mobilizing white blood cells to the lung: New discovery could lead to an improved influenza vaccine

... during an infection. Infections from the influenza virus are responsible for hundreds of thousands ... that lungs which have been infected with the influenza virus produce a series of chemicals, or ... working towards developing better a better influenza vaccine. ...

VaxInnate to discuss seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines during BIO 2008 this week

... technology for producing seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines during BIO 2008 here this week. ... manufacturing capacity and cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccines. VaxInnate's approach to developing and producing influenza vaccines is based upon a proprietary combination ...

Getting wise to the influenza virus' tricks

... influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and ... are badly needed. Now one of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery of infected ... way for the design of new drugs to combat future influenza pandemics. Upon infection ...

New vaccine may give long-term defense against deadly bird flu and its variant forms

... and have tested it in mice. Unlike traditional influenza vaccines, the new vaccine could be produced ... for a pandemic of dangerous disease-causing avian influenza - H5N1 - and its variants, said Suresh Mittal, a ... outbreaks are solved. Problems with current influenza vaccines include that they are made from eggs, a ...

Arbor Vita rapid H5N1 flu diagnostic presented at ICEID meeting

... useful diagnostic for the detection of the avian influenza virus in humans. Researchers from NHRC reported ... region of the NS1 protein differs for each influenza sub-type, a PDZ protein with high affinity to NS1 ... used to evaluate the performance of the AVC avian influenza diagnostic against clinical samples. Two hundred ...

MIT finds key to avian flu in humans

... Scientists already knew that whether an influenza virus infects humans depends on whether its ... and his team have redefined the host receptor for influenza and the criteria for how H5N1 can jump to humans. ... a leading cause of death. "Subtle changes in influenza viruses over time can dramatically influence the ...

UC Davis bird-flu expert calls for changes in early-warning system

... is not doing enough to track the many avian influenza viruses that might cause the next pandemic, a ... co-director of the $18.5 million Center for Rapid influenza Surveillance and Research (CRISAR). The center, ... scientists must take several steps to catch avian influenza viruses before they catch us: Go where the ...

Tamiflu effective for treatment and prevention of influenza in children 1 year and older

... parents. Children tend to be major vectors of influenza as they have limited pre-existing immunity, often ... oseltamivir can be used for the management of influenza in children as young as one year old, commented ... USA. There was a particularly severe influenza season in Australia this year which resulted in 6 ...

Influenza vaccine causes weaker immune response for children of rural Gabon than in semi-urban areas

... Researchers have found that vaccination against influenza strains seem to be more effective in a semi-urban ... analyzed antibody and cellular responses to influenza A and B strains in 33 children from a semi-urban ... nearby. The group found that H1N1, H3N2 and B influenza virus-specific antibodies were already present in ...

BCM, Rice scientists map flu's chemical key

... Early Edition, was conducted on a strain of the influenza B virus initially isolated from Hong Kong. Unlike strains of influenza A -- which include bird flu, swine flu and others -- influenza B affects only humans. "The big question is, ...

Flu vaccine in painless skin patches under development at Emory, Georgia Tech with NIH grants

... increase the breadth and duration of immunity to influenza perhaps with smaller amounts of vaccine. "We ... extensive experience in microneedle development, influenza vaccines, vaccine delivery systems, product ... University of Georgia, to establish the Emory/UGA influenza Pathogenesis and Immunology Research Center, for ...

New field-deployable biosensor detects avian influenza virus in minutes instead of days

... Quick identification of avian influenza infection in poultry is critical to controlling ... Tech Research Institute (GTRI) can detect avian influenza in just minutes. In addition to being a rapid ... We can do real-time monitoring of avian influenza infections on the farm, in live-bird markets or ...

St. Jude influenza survey uncovers key differences between bird flu and human flu

... Hospital have found key features that distinguish influenza viruses found in birds from those that infect ... are statistically more likely to appear in avian influenza virus proteins and those that are more likely to be in human influenza virus proteins. The differences in these amino ...

New target for anti-flu drug development

... may be effective against potentially pandemic influenza strains like H5N1. Their findings have been ... may constitute a previously unknown mechanism of influenza virus pathogenicity said Dr. Alex Shneider, ... which will complement those currently used for influenza disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Petr ...