Strong national and regional leadership in all countries is urgently needed to coordinate a response to the looming avian influenza pandemic, states an editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.
A draft of the US preparedness report was leaked to The New York Times last week. One of its major shortcomings is that it does not say who is in charge of coordinating a response to an avian influenza pandemic.
The Lancet comments: "The pandemic of 1918-19 affected 20% of the world's population and killed 20-50 million worldwide… Last month, the UN appointed David Nabarro, a senior public-health expert at WHO, to lead the coordination of the UN response to avian influenza. What is also urgently needed is strong national and regional leadership; unrestricted transparency in surveillance and preparedness plans from all countries, including China; and renewed research efforts to find the best methods of prevention and treatment. Without these measures, what is already looking like an inevitable influenza pandemic may be as deadly as that which struck in 1918."
Joe Santangelo
j.santangeloelsevier
1-212-633-3810
Lancet
thelancet
вторник, 31 мая 2011 г.
понедельник, 30 мая 2011 г.
Bird Flu Claims Critically Endangered Mammal
A far wider range of wildlife species could be at risk from bird flu, warns a biologist from the University of East Anglia.
Dr Diana Bell, of UEA's School of Biological Sciences, says the discovery that avian flu was responsible for the death of three rare civet cats in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, raises important questions about the range of wildlife species which could now be at risk from this virus.
"Vietnam and the other Asian countries chronically infected with avian flu are biodiversity hotspots rich in species, many only occuring in this region," says Dr Bell, whose team has been working with the Vietnamese government, the World Health Organisation and the University of Hong Kong to confirm the cause of death in the endangered Owston's palm civets.
"The focus so far has been on poultry and human health, and there has been no screening of mammals in that region. The discovery of avian flu in a new family of mammals highlights the possibility that the virus may be capable of infecting other mammal species."
The flu virus is already known to be capable of infecting a number of bird species but this raises important questions about the susceptibility of mammals.
Scott Roberton is technical advisor to the Owston Civet Programme in Cuc Phuong National Park and a member of the UEA research team working in collaboration with UHK, WHO and the Vietnamese government. He says the source of the infection has not been identified.
A total of 57 deaths and 112 confirmed cases in humans have been reported to the WHO, leading to fears of an influenza pandemic. Some 80 per cent of these cases have been reported in Vietnam.
UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA,
Norwich,
Norfolk ,
NR4 7TJ,
UK
uea.ac.uk
SOURCE: alphagalileo
Dr Diana Bell, of UEA's School of Biological Sciences, says the discovery that avian flu was responsible for the death of three rare civet cats in Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam, raises important questions about the range of wildlife species which could now be at risk from this virus.
"Vietnam and the other Asian countries chronically infected with avian flu are biodiversity hotspots rich in species, many only occuring in this region," says Dr Bell, whose team has been working with the Vietnamese government, the World Health Organisation and the University of Hong Kong to confirm the cause of death in the endangered Owston's palm civets.
"The focus so far has been on poultry and human health, and there has been no screening of mammals in that region. The discovery of avian flu in a new family of mammals highlights the possibility that the virus may be capable of infecting other mammal species."
The flu virus is already known to be capable of infecting a number of bird species but this raises important questions about the susceptibility of mammals.
Scott Roberton is technical advisor to the Owston Civet Programme in Cuc Phuong National Park and a member of the UEA research team working in collaboration with UHK, WHO and the Vietnamese government. He says the source of the infection has not been identified.
A total of 57 deaths and 112 confirmed cases in humans have been reported to the WHO, leading to fears of an influenza pandemic. Some 80 per cent of these cases have been reported in Vietnam.
UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA,
Norwich,
Norfolk ,
NR4 7TJ,
UK
uea.ac.uk
SOURCE: alphagalileo
воскресенье, 29 мая 2011 г.
2,000 Influenza Virus Genomes Now Completed And Publicly Accessible
The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced that it has achieved a major milestone. The entire genetic blueprints of more than 2,000 human and avian influenza viruses taken from samples around the world have been completed and the sequence data made available in a public database.
"This information will help scientists understand how influenza viruses evolve and spread," says NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., "and it will aid in the development of new flu vaccines, therapies and diagnostics."
"Scientists around the world can use the sequence data to compare different strains of the virus, identify the genetic factors that determine their virulence, and look for new therapeutic, vaccine and diagnostic targets," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, initiated in 2004, has been carried out at the NIAID-funded Microbial Sequencing Center managed by The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) of Rockville, Maryland. The project is currently directed by David Spiro, Ph.D., and Claire Fraser, Ph.D., at TIGR and Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D., at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Recently, growing sequencing capacity has enabled the production rate to increase to more than 200 viral genomes per month. Eclipsing today's milestone of 2,000 genomes, the microbial sequencing center will continue to rapidly sequence more influenza strains and isolates and will make all the sequence data freely available to the scientific community and the public through GenBank, an Internet-accessible database of genetic sequences maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at NIH's National Library of Medicine, another major contributor to the project.
Seasonal influenza is a major public health concern in the United States, accounting for approximately 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations each year. Globally, influenza results in an estimated 250,000 to half a million deaths annually. Seasonal flu shots are updated every year to target the latest strains in circulation. Developing such vaccines is challenging, however, because the influenza virus is prone to high mutation rates when it replicates, and these mutations can alter the virus enough that vaccines against one strain may not protect against another strain.
An even greater concern is the potential for an influenza pandemic caused by the emergence of a new, highly lethal virus strain that is easily transmitted from person to person. Influenza pandemics have occurred three times in the last century, the most lethal of which was the pandemic of 1918, which caused an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths worldwide.
"A few years ago, only limited genetic information on influenza viruses existed in the public domain, and much of the sequence data was incomplete," says Maria Y. Giovanni, Ph.D., who oversees the NIAID Microbial Sequencing Centers. "The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project has filled that gap by vastly increasing the amount of influenza sequence data and rapidly making it available to the entire scientific community. Subsequently, there has been a marked increase in the number of scientists worldwide depositing influenza genome sequence data into the public domain including scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Along with NIAID, TIGR and NCBI, other collaborators on the project include the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health in Albany, NY; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN; the World Organization for Animal Health / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (OIE/FAO) Reference Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza in Padova, Italy; The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH; Children's Hospital Boston; Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; and Canterbury Health Laboratories in Christchurch, New Zealand.
More information about the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project and access to the influenza virus sequence data is available at
* NIAID's Influenza Genome Sequencing Project
* TIGR's Influenza Virus Genome Project
* GenBank
To help analyze and interpret the large quantity of sequence data generated by the Project, NIAID has funded the BioHealthBase Bioinformatics Resource Center, which is being developed by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and developers at Northrop Grumman Information Technology's Life Sciences division in Rockville, Maryland. This Center provides the scientific community with bioinformatics and software tools and a robust point-of-entry for accessing influenza genomic and related data in a user-friendly format. BioHealthBase has recently established a collaboration with the Influenza Sequence Database at Los Alamos National Laboratory to provide influenza researchers with computational data management and analysis resources to assist in interpreting the genetic data. Data from the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, as well as all other publicly available influenza sequence data, are also available through NCBI's Influenza Virus Resource, which includes a host of analysis tools, such as sequence alignment and building "trees" that show evolutionary relationships.
More information on these databases and other influenza data analysis tools can be accessed at
* BioHealthBase Bioinformatics Resource Center
* NCBI's Influenza Virus Resource
* Los Alamos National Laboratory Influenza Sequence Database
Visit PandemicFlu for one-stop access to U.S. Government information on avian and pandemic flu.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih/.
Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
"This information will help scientists understand how influenza viruses evolve and spread," says NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., "and it will aid in the development of new flu vaccines, therapies and diagnostics."
"Scientists around the world can use the sequence data to compare different strains of the virus, identify the genetic factors that determine their virulence, and look for new therapeutic, vaccine and diagnostic targets," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, initiated in 2004, has been carried out at the NIAID-funded Microbial Sequencing Center managed by The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) of Rockville, Maryland. The project is currently directed by David Spiro, Ph.D., and Claire Fraser, Ph.D., at TIGR and Elodie Ghedin, Ph.D., at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Recently, growing sequencing capacity has enabled the production rate to increase to more than 200 viral genomes per month. Eclipsing today's milestone of 2,000 genomes, the microbial sequencing center will continue to rapidly sequence more influenza strains and isolates and will make all the sequence data freely available to the scientific community and the public through GenBank, an Internet-accessible database of genetic sequences maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at NIH's National Library of Medicine, another major contributor to the project.
Seasonal influenza is a major public health concern in the United States, accounting for approximately 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations each year. Globally, influenza results in an estimated 250,000 to half a million deaths annually. Seasonal flu shots are updated every year to target the latest strains in circulation. Developing such vaccines is challenging, however, because the influenza virus is prone to high mutation rates when it replicates, and these mutations can alter the virus enough that vaccines against one strain may not protect against another strain.
An even greater concern is the potential for an influenza pandemic caused by the emergence of a new, highly lethal virus strain that is easily transmitted from person to person. Influenza pandemics have occurred three times in the last century, the most lethal of which was the pandemic of 1918, which caused an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths worldwide.
"A few years ago, only limited genetic information on influenza viruses existed in the public domain, and much of the sequence data was incomplete," says Maria Y. Giovanni, Ph.D., who oversees the NIAID Microbial Sequencing Centers. "The Influenza Genome Sequencing Project has filled that gap by vastly increasing the amount of influenza sequence data and rapidly making it available to the entire scientific community. Subsequently, there has been a marked increase in the number of scientists worldwide depositing influenza genome sequence data into the public domain including scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Along with NIAID, TIGR and NCBI, other collaborators on the project include the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health in Albany, NY; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN; the World Organization for Animal Health / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (OIE/FAO) Reference Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian Influenza in Padova, Italy; The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH; Children's Hospital Boston; Baylor College of Medicine in Houston; and Canterbury Health Laboratories in Christchurch, New Zealand.
More information about the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project and access to the influenza virus sequence data is available at
* NIAID's Influenza Genome Sequencing Project
* TIGR's Influenza Virus Genome Project
* GenBank
To help analyze and interpret the large quantity of sequence data generated by the Project, NIAID has funded the BioHealthBase Bioinformatics Resource Center, which is being developed by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and developers at Northrop Grumman Information Technology's Life Sciences division in Rockville, Maryland. This Center provides the scientific community with bioinformatics and software tools and a robust point-of-entry for accessing influenza genomic and related data in a user-friendly format. BioHealthBase has recently established a collaboration with the Influenza Sequence Database at Los Alamos National Laboratory to provide influenza researchers with computational data management and analysis resources to assist in interpreting the genetic data. Data from the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project, as well as all other publicly available influenza sequence data, are also available through NCBI's Influenza Virus Resource, which includes a host of analysis tools, such as sequence alignment and building "trees" that show evolutionary relationships.
More information on these databases and other influenza data analysis tools can be accessed at
* BioHealthBase Bioinformatics Resource Center
* NCBI's Influenza Virus Resource
* Los Alamos National Laboratory Influenza Sequence Database
Visit PandemicFlu for one-stop access to U.S. Government information on avian and pandemic flu.
NIAID is a component of the National Institutes of Health. NIAID supports basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria and illness from potential agents of bioterrorism. NIAID also supports research on basic immunology, transplantation and immune-related disorders, including autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergies.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) - The Nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih/.
Contact: Jason Socrates Bardi
NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
суббота, 28 мая 2011 г.
News From The Journals Of The American Society For Microbiology
New Vaccines Protect Against Asian H5N1 Influenza A Viruses in Domestic Ducks
Scientists are looking at a novel strategy to prevent the spread of pandemic avian influenza. They have developed a vaccine that protects ducks, a known natural reservoir for the virus. They report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of Virology
Waterfowl are considered to be the natural reservoir of influenza A viruses due to the isolation of all subtypes from these hosts. Current research indicates that influenza A viruses are continuously evolving within their natural environment and can be transmitted to a variety of animals, including humans. H5N1 avian influenza A viruses are now endemic in domestic poultry in many Asian countries and ducks are believed to be the primary source of infection. Reducing the spread of H5N1 in ducks could play a key role in minimizing the risk of a pandemic outbreak.
In the study researchers first identified dominant pathogenic strains of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in Asian poultry and found that four caused symptomatic illness in domestic ducks, but not all were lethal. In addition the researchers reversed the genetics of the viruses in domestic ducks to develop three different inactivated oil emulsion whole-virus H5 influenza vaccines. Following one round of inoculation with the vaccines ducks were completely protected when challenged with a lethal dose of the H5N1 virus.
"The vaccines provided complete protection against the lethal challenge of the homologous and heterologous H5N1 avian influenza A virus with no evidence of morbidity, mortality, or shedding of the challenge virus," say the researchers. "The complete protection offered by these vaccines will be useful for reducing the shedding of H5N1 avian influenza A viruses among vaccinated agricultural avian populations."
(J.K. Kim, P. Seiler, H.L. Forrest, A.M. Khalenkov, J. Franks, M. Kumar, W.B. Karesh, M. Gilbert, R. Sodnomdarjaa, B. Douangngeun, E.A. Govorkova, R.G. Webster. 2008. Pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of different clades of Asian H5N1 avian influenza A viruses in domestic ducks. Journal of Virology, 82. 22: 11374-11382.)
Beetles May Be Source of Food-Borne Pathogens in Broiler Flocks
A new study suggests that darkling beetles and their larvae can transmit harmful food-borne pathogens to chicks in broiler houses in successive rearing cycles. The researchers from Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands and Research Centre, Lelystad, The Netherlands report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Salmonella and Campylobacter are two main sources of human food-borne disease and many of the reported cases can be directly linked to the handling or consumption of contaminated chicken meat. Although exact contamination routes of broiler flocks are not fully understood, certain insects that are persistent in these environments are common reservoirs of zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The darkling beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) and its larvae are known to inhabit broiler houses and are believed to survive between rearing cycles by eating their way into insulation materials and hiding under floors. In the study researchers artificially contaminated several groups of beetles and their larvae with a mixture of Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B Variant Java and three Campylobacter jejuni strains and fed them to housed chicks either the day of inoculation or one week following to mimic an empty week between rearing cycles. All the broiler chicks that were fed insects contaminated on the same day showed Campylobacter and Salmonella colonization levels of 50 to 100%. Insects that were fed a week after infection resulted in transfer of both pathogens as well, but at lower levels. Naturally infected insects collected at a commercial broiler farm and fed to chicks also resulted in colonization but at lower levels.
"In conclusion, the fact that Salmonella and Campylobacter can be transmitted via beetles and their larvae to flocks in successive rearing cycles indicates that there should be intensive control programs for exclusion of these insects from broiler homes," say the researchers.
(W.C. Hazeleger, N.M. Bolder, R.R. Beumer, W.F. Jacobs-Reitsma. 2008. Darkling beetles (Alphitobius diapernus) and their larvae as potential vectors for the transfer of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B Variant Java between successive broiler flocks. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 22: 6887-6891.)
Resistance to TB Vaccine May Be Uncommon, Protects Against Nine Strains in Mice
A new study shows that the current tuberculosis vaccine induces protective immunity against nine strains of the bacteria in mice indicating that strain-specific resistance may be uncommon. The researchers report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world's most challenging infectious diseases to date and is responsible for approximately 2 million deaths per year. An attenuated vaccine incorporating Mycobacterium bovis BCG has been used for over 50 years, however, high mortality rates have persisted and researchers attribute multiple factors to its varying effectiveness including that the anti-TB protective immunity induced by the vaccine may be strain-specific.
W-Beijing lineage strains are among the most prominent associated with worldwide outbreaks of TB. In the study researchers investigated the strain specificity of Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine-induced antituberculosis protective immunity responses by inoculating mice with the vaccine and challenging them 2 months later with one of nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, four from the W-Beijing lineage, four non-Beijing isolates, and one control. Organ bacterial burdens and lung pathology were examined in vaccinated and naГЇve mice the day of infection as well as at 4, 12, and 20 weeks postchallenge. Four weeks following an aerosol challenge with each of the strains, results showed the bacterial growth in the lungs and spleens were much lower and lung pathology significantly improved in all vaccinated animals when compared to controls. Animals infected with six of the nine strains exhibited reduced organ bacterial burdens after 12 weeks and lung inflammation in all immunized animals was measurably lower at 20 weeks postchallenge.
"These data demonstrate that BCG vaccination protects against infection with diverse M. tuberculosis strains in the mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis and suggest that strain-specific resistance to BCG-induced protective immunity may be uncommon," say the researchers.
(B.Y. Joen, S.C. Derrick, J. Lim, K. Kolibab, V. Dheenadhayalan, A.L. Yang, B. Kreiswirth, S.L. Morris. 2008. Mycobacterium bovis BCG immunization induces protective immunity against nine different Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in mice. Infection and Immunity, 76. 11: 5173-5180.)
Source: Carrie Slijepcevic
American Society for Microbiology
Scientists are looking at a novel strategy to prevent the spread of pandemic avian influenza. They have developed a vaccine that protects ducks, a known natural reservoir for the virus. They report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the Journal of Virology
Waterfowl are considered to be the natural reservoir of influenza A viruses due to the isolation of all subtypes from these hosts. Current research indicates that influenza A viruses are continuously evolving within their natural environment and can be transmitted to a variety of animals, including humans. H5N1 avian influenza A viruses are now endemic in domestic poultry in many Asian countries and ducks are believed to be the primary source of infection. Reducing the spread of H5N1 in ducks could play a key role in minimizing the risk of a pandemic outbreak.
In the study researchers first identified dominant pathogenic strains of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in Asian poultry and found that four caused symptomatic illness in domestic ducks, but not all were lethal. In addition the researchers reversed the genetics of the viruses in domestic ducks to develop three different inactivated oil emulsion whole-virus H5 influenza vaccines. Following one round of inoculation with the vaccines ducks were completely protected when challenged with a lethal dose of the H5N1 virus.
"The vaccines provided complete protection against the lethal challenge of the homologous and heterologous H5N1 avian influenza A virus with no evidence of morbidity, mortality, or shedding of the challenge virus," say the researchers. "The complete protection offered by these vaccines will be useful for reducing the shedding of H5N1 avian influenza A viruses among vaccinated agricultural avian populations."
(J.K. Kim, P. Seiler, H.L. Forrest, A.M. Khalenkov, J. Franks, M. Kumar, W.B. Karesh, M. Gilbert, R. Sodnomdarjaa, B. Douangngeun, E.A. Govorkova, R.G. Webster. 2008. Pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of different clades of Asian H5N1 avian influenza A viruses in domestic ducks. Journal of Virology, 82. 22: 11374-11382.)
Beetles May Be Source of Food-Borne Pathogens in Broiler Flocks
A new study suggests that darkling beetles and their larvae can transmit harmful food-borne pathogens to chicks in broiler houses in successive rearing cycles. The researchers from Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands and Research Centre, Lelystad, The Netherlands report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Salmonella and Campylobacter are two main sources of human food-borne disease and many of the reported cases can be directly linked to the handling or consumption of contaminated chicken meat. Although exact contamination routes of broiler flocks are not fully understood, certain insects that are persistent in these environments are common reservoirs of zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter.
The darkling beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) and its larvae are known to inhabit broiler houses and are believed to survive between rearing cycles by eating their way into insulation materials and hiding under floors. In the study researchers artificially contaminated several groups of beetles and their larvae with a mixture of Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B Variant Java and three Campylobacter jejuni strains and fed them to housed chicks either the day of inoculation or one week following to mimic an empty week between rearing cycles. All the broiler chicks that were fed insects contaminated on the same day showed Campylobacter and Salmonella colonization levels of 50 to 100%. Insects that were fed a week after infection resulted in transfer of both pathogens as well, but at lower levels. Naturally infected insects collected at a commercial broiler farm and fed to chicks also resulted in colonization but at lower levels.
"In conclusion, the fact that Salmonella and Campylobacter can be transmitted via beetles and their larvae to flocks in successive rearing cycles indicates that there should be intensive control programs for exclusion of these insects from broiler homes," say the researchers.
(W.C. Hazeleger, N.M. Bolder, R.R. Beumer, W.F. Jacobs-Reitsma. 2008. Darkling beetles (Alphitobius diapernus) and their larvae as potential vectors for the transfer of Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B Variant Java between successive broiler flocks. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 74. 22: 6887-6891.)
Resistance to TB Vaccine May Be Uncommon, Protects Against Nine Strains in Mice
A new study shows that the current tuberculosis vaccine induces protective immunity against nine strains of the bacteria in mice indicating that strain-specific resistance may be uncommon. The researchers report their findings in the November 2008 issue of the journal Infection and Immunity.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world's most challenging infectious diseases to date and is responsible for approximately 2 million deaths per year. An attenuated vaccine incorporating Mycobacterium bovis BCG has been used for over 50 years, however, high mortality rates have persisted and researchers attribute multiple factors to its varying effectiveness including that the anti-TB protective immunity induced by the vaccine may be strain-specific.
W-Beijing lineage strains are among the most prominent associated with worldwide outbreaks of TB. In the study researchers investigated the strain specificity of Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine-induced antituberculosis protective immunity responses by inoculating mice with the vaccine and challenging them 2 months later with one of nine Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, four from the W-Beijing lineage, four non-Beijing isolates, and one control. Organ bacterial burdens and lung pathology were examined in vaccinated and naГЇve mice the day of infection as well as at 4, 12, and 20 weeks postchallenge. Four weeks following an aerosol challenge with each of the strains, results showed the bacterial growth in the lungs and spleens were much lower and lung pathology significantly improved in all vaccinated animals when compared to controls. Animals infected with six of the nine strains exhibited reduced organ bacterial burdens after 12 weeks and lung inflammation in all immunized animals was measurably lower at 20 weeks postchallenge.
"These data demonstrate that BCG vaccination protects against infection with diverse M. tuberculosis strains in the mouse model of pulmonary tuberculosis and suggest that strain-specific resistance to BCG-induced protective immunity may be uncommon," say the researchers.
(B.Y. Joen, S.C. Derrick, J. Lim, K. Kolibab, V. Dheenadhayalan, A.L. Yang, B. Kreiswirth, S.L. Morris. 2008. Mycobacterium bovis BCG immunization induces protective immunity against nine different Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains in mice. Infection and Immunity, 76. 11: 5173-5180.)
Source: Carrie Slijepcevic
American Society for Microbiology
пятница, 27 мая 2011 г.
Bird Flu - Product Held At Holton, UK, Does Not Contain Meat From Restricted Zone In Hungary
The Food Standards Agency (UK) investigation has gathered sufficient information to conclude that product held temporarily in the Bernard Matthews cold stores at Holton and Chesterfield, does not contain meat from a restricted zone in Hungary, which would have made it illegal to enter the food chain.
As a result, the Agency has tonight informed Bernard Matthews that the meat products held voluntarily in its cold stores for the past 48 hours can now be released into the food chain.
This information forms part of the joint report by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency and Health Protection Agency, which is in the process of being finalised and will be published at the end of the week.
Full details of the investigation and its conclusions will also be made available at a media briefing later this week.
The slaughterhouse at the Bernard Matthews plant in Holton reopened for business after cleaning and disinfection to the satisfaction of the Meat Hygiene Service.
The decision to allow the slaughterhouse to reopen was taken by the State Veterinary Service (SVS), an executive agency of Defra.
The SVS took the decision once it was satisfied that the additional conditions imposed by the Avian Influenza regulations had been met.
The Avian Influenza regulations control the movement of live birds into and out of restricted zones.
The FSA has reiterated that this is not a food safety issue and there are therefore no consumer safety grounds, on the evidence currently available to us, to justify a product recall. FSA Chair Deirdre Hutton said: 'The investigation so far has not found anything that raises the risk to public health.
'It is still a possibility that infected poultry has entered the food chain but the risk to public health remains low.'
One possible cause of the outbreak in Suffolk is poultry meat imported from Hungary. Officials from the Food Standards Agency and the Meat Hygiene Service are working at the Bernard Matthews factory at Upper Holton Farm, Suffolk, investigating meat imported there. Documentation is being studied for information about the dates and amounts of poultry imported, the route it followed, and whether it complied with EU health requirements.
Officials from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs are also looking at the possible ways that the virus could have transferred from poultry meat from Hungary into live birds at the Bernard Matthews plant. Although the possibility of a product withdrawal for strictly animal health reasons has been discussed, Defra veterinary advice is that such action would be disproportionate and no product recall will therefore be required on those grounds.
The Government investigation
The investigation was triggered when preliminary scientific tests showed the viruses in Suffolk and recent outbreaks in Hungary may well be identical. Along with a number of other hypotheses, Defra, the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency are investigating the possibility of a link between the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary and the introduction of disease in the farm in Suffolk. Tests have shown that the avian flu that killed 2600 turkeys at the Suffolk farm is the H5N1 virus.
The investigation will include arrangements at the farm's adjacent plant for food processing and whether infected meat has got into the food chain. Scientific advice remains that the risk to human health is negligible, and Food Standards Agency advice stays the same: that properly cooked poultry is safe to eat.
Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said: 'Our investigations have shown that one possible route of infection is poultry product imported from Hungary. It is important that this is investigated thoroughly, along with all the other possible routes. We are working in partnership with the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency to carry out a thorough investigation. We are also working in close contact with the Hungarian authorities and the European Commission.
'The company involved has voluntarily agreed to temporarily suspend the movement of poultry products between their outlets in the UK and Hungary until the investigation is complete.'
Professor Pat Troop, Chief Executive of the Health Protection Agency said: 'We are continuing to work closely with Defra and the FSA. Should any public health issues arise as part of these investigations we will of course follow these up and carry out a full risk assessment to ensure the public are advised and protected.'
Dr Judith Hilton, Head of Microbiological Safety at the FSA, added: 'Food Standards Agency advice has been and remains that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.'
Agency advice
The Food Standards Agency considers that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that in areas free from the disease, poultry and poultry products can be prepared and eaten as usual (following good hygiene practice and proper cooking), with no fear of acquiring infection.
Like the WHO, the FSA advises proper handling during food preparation. When handling raw poultry, the person involved in the food preparation should wash their hands thoroughly and clean surfaces and utensils in contact with the poultry products. Soap and hot water are sufficient for this purpose.
In countries where avian flu is present in poultry, the virus may be present in meat and eggs from affected birds. Controls in place are intended to stop the spread of the disease. Even if virus is present in meat or eggs, several factors will contribute to preventing or limiting its effects on people. First, the virus is easily killed by cooking. Second, even if it is still present after cooking, the virus is destroyed by saliva and by gastric acid, as well as the fact that there are very few receptors the virus needs to enter the body in the gut.
On 26 October 2005 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued advice on the importance of thoroughly cooking poultry and eggs.
This reiterates long-standing advice about cooking poultry and eggs thoroughly to kill bugs. EFSA, like the Agency, is not aware of any reports of people getting avian flu from eating poultry or eggs and recognises that the current risk is from people having contact with live birds that have the disease.
For people, the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease, and not through eating poultry or eggs. Poultry can include chicken, duck, goose, turkey and guinea fowl and so on.
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food
The FSA asked the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), which provides independent expert advice to Government on questions relating to microbiology and food, to consider recent developments since it last discussed avian, or bird, flu in 2003.
The ACMSF met in December 2005 to consider current information on avian flu and the conclusions from a recent meeting of influenza virologists and epidemiologists, which was chaired by Dr David Brown of the ACMSF. The review group examined current information on avian flu and its implications for foodborne transmission in the UK.
The committee concluded that the recent information on avian flu had not changed its current risk assessment and, following the meeting, the ACMSF's advice therefore remains as follows:
'The risk of acquiring avian influenza through the food chain is low, and there is no direct evidence to support this route of infection. Evidence from human infection indicates that direct contact with infected birds is the main risk factor, and that consumption of infected chickens has not been identified as a risk factor.
'Several factors will contribute to preventing or limiting infection following ingestion of viruses, including lack of appropriate receptors, and non-specific defences such as saliva or gastric acid. Proper cooking will destroy any virus present in meat or eggs.'
The Committee also proposed that a working group be established to keep a watching brief on developments.
Questions and answers
Is it safe to eat poultry meat and eggs?
On the basis of current scientific evidence, our advice is that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. For people, the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease, and not through eating cooked poultry or eggs.
What evidence is this based on?
Our current advice is based upon the opinions of scientific experts around the world including advisers to the WHO, EFSA and the ACMSF. The FSA has monitored developments since avian flu was first reported in the Far East eight years ago. During that time, most human cases have had close contact with infected birds. We continue to monitor the most up-to-date information and evidence, as it becomes available. The FSA will keep an open mind as to any information that may lead to our advice being updated. However, current scientific opinion agrees that avian flu is not a food safety risk.
Are there measures in place to prevent infected poultry and eggs entering the food chain?
When an outbreak of avian flu occurs in wild birds or a poultry flock, the authorities are required to put in place controls that aim to prevent the spread of the disease. These controls will also mean it is unlikely that infected poultry or eggs will enter the food chain. The Agency has taken account of the low risk of infected products entering the food chain as it developed its advice for consumers and, even if avian flu were present in the UK, current FSA advice that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk to the UK consumer would still apply.
Are controls in place to stop poultry and eggs being imported from affected countries?
Controls are in place to prevent imports of live birds, poultry meat and eggs from several non-EU countries that are affected by avian flu. When an outbreak of avian flu occurs in wild birds or a poultry flock in an EU Member State, trade within the European Community may continue, but trade of poultry and poultry products from the affected parts of any Member State will be restricted to protect animal health. These controls will also mean it is very unlikely that infected poultry or eggs will enter the food chain in any affected non-EU country or EU Member State. The Agency has taken account of the low risk of infected products entering the food chain as it developed its advice for consumers, and current FSA advice that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk to the UK consumer would still apply.
How about touching uncooked poultry meat?
Our long standing advice is that you should always wash your hands after handling raw poultry meat and eggs to avoid contamination from any bugs. In countries where avian flu is present in poultry, this will also help prevent contamination with the virus.
Would cooking poultry and eggs properly kill the virus?
Cooking food thoroughly will kill bacteria and viruses. Our advice is that poultry and eggs should always be cooked properly to avoid food poisoning. Even if avian flu were present in the UK, current FSA advice on preparing, cooking and eating poultry meat and eggs would still apply.
People should follow the handling and cooking instructions for cooking poultry. If you're cooking a whole chicken or other bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg (between drumstick and thigh) with a clean knife or skewer until the juices run clear. The juices shouldn't have any pink or red in them and there should be no pink meat.
People should not eat raw eggs or use raw eggs in dishes that will not be cooked. Eggs should be cooked until the whites are solid.
Why does this advice differ from that of WHO?
The World Health Organisation advises the cooking of eggs until both yolks and whites are solid. The FSA have discussed this with WHO and they confirm that this advice is precautionary. Their advice on cooking eggs is relevant for all bacteria and viruses that may be present - for all parts of the world.
In the UK, independent expert advice has confirmed that it is not necessary to cook eggs until the yolks are hard to protect against exposure to the avian flu virus.
Is it safe to eat meat and eggs from vaccinated birds?
The vaccines used to vaccinate birds against avian flu do not pose any health concerns. This is provided a licensed vaccine with marketing authorisation is used, and the correct interval between vaccination and slaughter or date eggs are laid is observed.
There is no requirement for meat or eggs from vaccinated animals or birds to be labelled to indicate that they have been vaccinated.
The science behind the story
Check out FSA Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Wadge's blog posting on bird flu at:
food.uk/scienceblog
Food Standards Agency (UK)
As a result, the Agency has tonight informed Bernard Matthews that the meat products held voluntarily in its cold stores for the past 48 hours can now be released into the food chain.
This information forms part of the joint report by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency and Health Protection Agency, which is in the process of being finalised and will be published at the end of the week.
Full details of the investigation and its conclusions will also be made available at a media briefing later this week.
The slaughterhouse at the Bernard Matthews plant in Holton reopened for business after cleaning and disinfection to the satisfaction of the Meat Hygiene Service.
The decision to allow the slaughterhouse to reopen was taken by the State Veterinary Service (SVS), an executive agency of Defra.
The SVS took the decision once it was satisfied that the additional conditions imposed by the Avian Influenza regulations had been met.
The Avian Influenza regulations control the movement of live birds into and out of restricted zones.
The FSA has reiterated that this is not a food safety issue and there are therefore no consumer safety grounds, on the evidence currently available to us, to justify a product recall. FSA Chair Deirdre Hutton said: 'The investigation so far has not found anything that raises the risk to public health.
'It is still a possibility that infected poultry has entered the food chain but the risk to public health remains low.'
One possible cause of the outbreak in Suffolk is poultry meat imported from Hungary. Officials from the Food Standards Agency and the Meat Hygiene Service are working at the Bernard Matthews factory at Upper Holton Farm, Suffolk, investigating meat imported there. Documentation is being studied for information about the dates and amounts of poultry imported, the route it followed, and whether it complied with EU health requirements.
Officials from the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs are also looking at the possible ways that the virus could have transferred from poultry meat from Hungary into live birds at the Bernard Matthews plant. Although the possibility of a product withdrawal for strictly animal health reasons has been discussed, Defra veterinary advice is that such action would be disproportionate and no product recall will therefore be required on those grounds.
The Government investigation
The investigation was triggered when preliminary scientific tests showed the viruses in Suffolk and recent outbreaks in Hungary may well be identical. Along with a number of other hypotheses, Defra, the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency are investigating the possibility of a link between the Hungarian outbreaks, poultry meat from Hungary and the introduction of disease in the farm in Suffolk. Tests have shown that the avian flu that killed 2600 turkeys at the Suffolk farm is the H5N1 virus.
The investigation will include arrangements at the farm's adjacent plant for food processing and whether infected meat has got into the food chain. Scientific advice remains that the risk to human health is negligible, and Food Standards Agency advice stays the same: that properly cooked poultry is safe to eat.
Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said: 'Our investigations have shown that one possible route of infection is poultry product imported from Hungary. It is important that this is investigated thoroughly, along with all the other possible routes. We are working in partnership with the Food Standards Agency and the Health Protection Agency to carry out a thorough investigation. We are also working in close contact with the Hungarian authorities and the European Commission.
'The company involved has voluntarily agreed to temporarily suspend the movement of poultry products between their outlets in the UK and Hungary until the investigation is complete.'
Professor Pat Troop, Chief Executive of the Health Protection Agency said: 'We are continuing to work closely with Defra and the FSA. Should any public health issues arise as part of these investigations we will of course follow these up and carry out a full risk assessment to ensure the public are advised and protected.'
Dr Judith Hilton, Head of Microbiological Safety at the FSA, added: 'Food Standards Agency advice has been and remains that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.'
Agency advice
The Food Standards Agency considers that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that in areas free from the disease, poultry and poultry products can be prepared and eaten as usual (following good hygiene practice and proper cooking), with no fear of acquiring infection.
Like the WHO, the FSA advises proper handling during food preparation. When handling raw poultry, the person involved in the food preparation should wash their hands thoroughly and clean surfaces and utensils in contact with the poultry products. Soap and hot water are sufficient for this purpose.
In countries where avian flu is present in poultry, the virus may be present in meat and eggs from affected birds. Controls in place are intended to stop the spread of the disease. Even if virus is present in meat or eggs, several factors will contribute to preventing or limiting its effects on people. First, the virus is easily killed by cooking. Second, even if it is still present after cooking, the virus is destroyed by saliva and by gastric acid, as well as the fact that there are very few receptors the virus needs to enter the body in the gut.
On 26 October 2005 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued advice on the importance of thoroughly cooking poultry and eggs.
This reiterates long-standing advice about cooking poultry and eggs thoroughly to kill bugs. EFSA, like the Agency, is not aware of any reports of people getting avian flu from eating poultry or eggs and recognises that the current risk is from people having contact with live birds that have the disease.
For people, the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease, and not through eating poultry or eggs. Poultry can include chicken, duck, goose, turkey and guinea fowl and so on.
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food
The FSA asked the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), which provides independent expert advice to Government on questions relating to microbiology and food, to consider recent developments since it last discussed avian, or bird, flu in 2003.
The ACMSF met in December 2005 to consider current information on avian flu and the conclusions from a recent meeting of influenza virologists and epidemiologists, which was chaired by Dr David Brown of the ACMSF. The review group examined current information on avian flu and its implications for foodborne transmission in the UK.
The committee concluded that the recent information on avian flu had not changed its current risk assessment and, following the meeting, the ACMSF's advice therefore remains as follows:
'The risk of acquiring avian influenza through the food chain is low, and there is no direct evidence to support this route of infection. Evidence from human infection indicates that direct contact with infected birds is the main risk factor, and that consumption of infected chickens has not been identified as a risk factor.
'Several factors will contribute to preventing or limiting infection following ingestion of viruses, including lack of appropriate receptors, and non-specific defences such as saliva or gastric acid. Proper cooking will destroy any virus present in meat or eggs.'
The Committee also proposed that a working group be established to keep a watching brief on developments.
Questions and answers
Is it safe to eat poultry meat and eggs?
On the basis of current scientific evidence, our advice is that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. For people, the risk of catching the disease comes from being in close contact with live poultry that have the disease, and not through eating cooked poultry or eggs.
What evidence is this based on?
Our current advice is based upon the opinions of scientific experts around the world including advisers to the WHO, EFSA and the ACMSF. The FSA has monitored developments since avian flu was first reported in the Far East eight years ago. During that time, most human cases have had close contact with infected birds. We continue to monitor the most up-to-date information and evidence, as it becomes available. The FSA will keep an open mind as to any information that may lead to our advice being updated. However, current scientific opinion agrees that avian flu is not a food safety risk.
Are there measures in place to prevent infected poultry and eggs entering the food chain?
When an outbreak of avian flu occurs in wild birds or a poultry flock, the authorities are required to put in place controls that aim to prevent the spread of the disease. These controls will also mean it is unlikely that infected poultry or eggs will enter the food chain. The Agency has taken account of the low risk of infected products entering the food chain as it developed its advice for consumers and, even if avian flu were present in the UK, current FSA advice that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk to the UK consumer would still apply.
Are controls in place to stop poultry and eggs being imported from affected countries?
Controls are in place to prevent imports of live birds, poultry meat and eggs from several non-EU countries that are affected by avian flu. When an outbreak of avian flu occurs in wild birds or a poultry flock in an EU Member State, trade within the European Community may continue, but trade of poultry and poultry products from the affected parts of any Member State will be restricted to protect animal health. These controls will also mean it is very unlikely that infected poultry or eggs will enter the food chain in any affected non-EU country or EU Member State. The Agency has taken account of the low risk of infected products entering the food chain as it developed its advice for consumers, and current FSA advice that avian flu does not pose a food safety risk to the UK consumer would still apply.
How about touching uncooked poultry meat?
Our long standing advice is that you should always wash your hands after handling raw poultry meat and eggs to avoid contamination from any bugs. In countries where avian flu is present in poultry, this will also help prevent contamination with the virus.
Would cooking poultry and eggs properly kill the virus?
Cooking food thoroughly will kill bacteria and viruses. Our advice is that poultry and eggs should always be cooked properly to avoid food poisoning. Even if avian flu were present in the UK, current FSA advice on preparing, cooking and eating poultry meat and eggs would still apply.
People should follow the handling and cooking instructions for cooking poultry. If you're cooking a whole chicken or other bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg (between drumstick and thigh) with a clean knife or skewer until the juices run clear. The juices shouldn't have any pink or red in them and there should be no pink meat.
People should not eat raw eggs or use raw eggs in dishes that will not be cooked. Eggs should be cooked until the whites are solid.
Why does this advice differ from that of WHO?
The World Health Organisation advises the cooking of eggs until both yolks and whites are solid. The FSA have discussed this with WHO and they confirm that this advice is precautionary. Their advice on cooking eggs is relevant for all bacteria and viruses that may be present - for all parts of the world.
In the UK, independent expert advice has confirmed that it is not necessary to cook eggs until the yolks are hard to protect against exposure to the avian flu virus.
Is it safe to eat meat and eggs from vaccinated birds?
The vaccines used to vaccinate birds against avian flu do not pose any health concerns. This is provided a licensed vaccine with marketing authorisation is used, and the correct interval between vaccination and slaughter or date eggs are laid is observed.
There is no requirement for meat or eggs from vaccinated animals or birds to be labelled to indicate that they have been vaccinated.
The science behind the story
Check out FSA Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Wadge's blog posting on bird flu at:
food.uk/scienceblog
Food Standards Agency (UK)
четверг, 26 мая 2011 г.
McMaster virologist develops Avian flu test
A diagnostic test that detects all the major human respiratory viruses, including H5N1 (Avian Flu) and SARS Corona, has been developed by a virologist at McMaster University, and is about to undergo clinical evaluation. It is expected that the test will be available for evaluation by hospital-based laboratories by early December.
Jim Mahony and his lab at McMaster University collaborated with Tm Bioscience Corporation, a Toronto-based company that conducts genetic testing, says the test reduces the laborious and long process involved in acquiring definitive results.
"This test could play a major role during an outbreak or epidemic by clearly identifying infected individuals early in the outbreak and limiting the spread of virus in the community," said Mahony, director of the McMaster University Regional Virology and Chlamydiology Laboratory at St. Joseph's healthcare, and president of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology. "It will assist public health authorities in determining which specific virus, if any, is present in a patient who is presenting flu symptoms."
Mahony's lab provided the genetic sequences for the probes and primers to build the test and assisted in establishing key test parameters for the detection of the individual viruses. His lab continues to work with Tm Bioscience to assess performance characteristics of the test using clinical specimens.
Tm Bioscience plans to launch successive versions of its Upper Respiratory Infectious Disease Panel over time. The first version of the panel, which detects and differentiates among various strains of Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), SARS Corona Virus, Parainfluenza and Influenza Virus A/B including H5N1 (Avian Flu), is currently being tested. It will be available for evaluation by hospital- based laboratories and reference laboratories by early December.
Subsequent versions of the test will be expanded to include additional viruses and may identify specific mutant variants of the H5N1 virus that are capable of human-to-human transmission or that develop Tamiflu® resistance.
Veronica McGuire
vmcguirmcmaster.ca
McMaster University
mcmaster.ca
Jim Mahony and his lab at McMaster University collaborated with Tm Bioscience Corporation, a Toronto-based company that conducts genetic testing, says the test reduces the laborious and long process involved in acquiring definitive results.
"This test could play a major role during an outbreak or epidemic by clearly identifying infected individuals early in the outbreak and limiting the spread of virus in the community," said Mahony, director of the McMaster University Regional Virology and Chlamydiology Laboratory at St. Joseph's healthcare, and president of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology. "It will assist public health authorities in determining which specific virus, if any, is present in a patient who is presenting flu symptoms."
Mahony's lab provided the genetic sequences for the probes and primers to build the test and assisted in establishing key test parameters for the detection of the individual viruses. His lab continues to work with Tm Bioscience to assess performance characteristics of the test using clinical specimens.
Tm Bioscience plans to launch successive versions of its Upper Respiratory Infectious Disease Panel over time. The first version of the panel, which detects and differentiates among various strains of Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), SARS Corona Virus, Parainfluenza and Influenza Virus A/B including H5N1 (Avian Flu), is currently being tested. It will be available for evaluation by hospital- based laboratories and reference laboratories by early December.
Subsequent versions of the test will be expanded to include additional viruses and may identify specific mutant variants of the H5N1 virus that are capable of human-to-human transmission or that develop Tamiflu® resistance.
Veronica McGuire
vmcguirmcmaster.ca
McMaster University
mcmaster.ca
среда, 25 мая 2011 г.
Bird Flu Human Death Toll Rises To 23 In Indonesia
Health Authorities in Indonesia have confirmed that a one-year-old girl died as a result of H5N1 infection, bringing the total number of human deaths in the country to 23.
Hong Kong authorities have lifted a three-week ban on live poultry from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The ban was imposed after a man died as a result of bird flu infection in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, on March 2. Chicken from Guangdong is a major source of food in Hong Kong. 20,000 live chickens have been brought in from the province by truck. The last time a human was infected with bird flu in Hong Kong was in 2003.
Authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed that a falcon has died of H5N1 infection.
As bird flu accelerates its spread around the world, now spanning from south east Asia to Western Europe and West Africa, scientists say the risk of a mutation is greater. For the H5N1 virus to mutate, it would ideally need to infect a human who has the normal flu virus. The two viruses could then exchange genetic information (mutation). If the mutated H5N1 virus could pick up, from the normal human flu virus, the ability to spread from human-to-human, we could then be facing a serious flu pandemic.
However, a recent study has shown that the H5N1 virus has to reach deep down in the human lung to infect a person. When a person is infected and sneezes, hardly any viruses are expelled into the air (because they are so deep down). This is why it is virtually impossible for a human to infect another human and very hard for humans to catch bird flu from birds. Since 2003 hundreds of millions of birds have died as a result of bird flu infection, but only 105 humans.
Written by:
Hong Kong authorities have lifted a three-week ban on live poultry from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. The ban was imposed after a man died as a result of bird flu infection in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, on March 2. Chicken from Guangdong is a major source of food in Hong Kong. 20,000 live chickens have been brought in from the province by truck. The last time a human was infected with bird flu in Hong Kong was in 2003.
Authorities in Hong Kong have confirmed that a falcon has died of H5N1 infection.
As bird flu accelerates its spread around the world, now spanning from south east Asia to Western Europe and West Africa, scientists say the risk of a mutation is greater. For the H5N1 virus to mutate, it would ideally need to infect a human who has the normal flu virus. The two viruses could then exchange genetic information (mutation). If the mutated H5N1 virus could pick up, from the normal human flu virus, the ability to spread from human-to-human, we could then be facing a serious flu pandemic.
However, a recent study has shown that the H5N1 virus has to reach deep down in the human lung to infect a person. When a person is infected and sneezes, hardly any viruses are expelled into the air (because they are so deep down). This is why it is virtually impossible for a human to infect another human and very hard for humans to catch bird flu from birds. Since 2003 hundreds of millions of birds have died as a result of bird flu infection, but only 105 humans.
Written by:
вторник, 24 мая 2011 г.
10,000 More Birds To Be Culled In Guangzhou, China
Chinese authorities plan to cull another 10,000 domestic birds in the city of Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong Province, in a further attempt to
contain the latest bird flu outbreak.
According to China's central media agency, Xinhua, at least 36,130 ducks have been culled since a strain of H5N1 bird flu killed 9,830 ducks in the Sixian
Village of Panyu District in Guangzhou City. The outbreak was first suspected when the deaths, on five farms, started on 5th September.
Tests on tissue samples at the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory have since revealed the birds died of the highly pathogenic form of H5N1 bird flu,
confirmed officials from China's Ministry of Agriculture.
The planned cull of 10,000 birds was announced on Monday, by the Panyu district government. This is in addition to the 36,130 ducks that have already been
culled in the area.
Compulsory vaccination and disinfection will also be carried out, up to a radius of 5 square kilometres, and all poultry markets inside a 13 kilometre
surveillance zone will also be closed.
Six teams of officials have been sent to different parts of Guangzhou to enforce vaccination of all domestic fowl.
Farmers in local villages are also having blood tests and undergoing medical examination.
Local government will be compensating farmers for their losses, said the report in Xinhua.
Ranking first in farm output, where over 300 million farm workers work on mostly small plots of land, China is the world's largest producer of poultry
and other livestock.
The last H5N1 bird flu outbreak in China was in Hunan province, in the central part of the country, in May this year. That outbreak killed more than 11,000 domestic birds and
nearly 53,000 had to be culled.
York Chow, Hong Kong's Health Secretary, said that Hong Kong will be suspending imports of chilled and frozen duck from southern Guangdong province, according to a report by the Press Association. The suspension is planned to last one week.
Up to 10th September, the World Health Organization has received 328 laboratory confirmed reports of human cases of H5N1 worldwide since 2003, including 200 deaths.
Of these China has reported 25 human cases, of which 16 have resulted in death.
The highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 can only pass to humans from infected sick or dead birds. Experts believe it is only a matter of time
before a human to human strain emerges and when that does it will lead to a world pandemic with millions of deaths.
There is currently no vaccine for H5N1, although many scientists are working towards developing one. There have been some promising breakthroughs but even
if one was discovered today it would be some years before it passed clinical trials and got into mass production.
Click here for China View, Xinhua news website.
Click here for WHO Avian Flu website.
Written by: Catharine Paddock
contain the latest bird flu outbreak.
According to China's central media agency, Xinhua, at least 36,130 ducks have been culled since a strain of H5N1 bird flu killed 9,830 ducks in the Sixian
Village of Panyu District in Guangzhou City. The outbreak was first suspected when the deaths, on five farms, started on 5th September.
Tests on tissue samples at the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory have since revealed the birds died of the highly pathogenic form of H5N1 bird flu,
confirmed officials from China's Ministry of Agriculture.
The planned cull of 10,000 birds was announced on Monday, by the Panyu district government. This is in addition to the 36,130 ducks that have already been
culled in the area.
Compulsory vaccination and disinfection will also be carried out, up to a radius of 5 square kilometres, and all poultry markets inside a 13 kilometre
surveillance zone will also be closed.
Six teams of officials have been sent to different parts of Guangzhou to enforce vaccination of all domestic fowl.
Farmers in local villages are also having blood tests and undergoing medical examination.
Local government will be compensating farmers for their losses, said the report in Xinhua.
Ranking first in farm output, where over 300 million farm workers work on mostly small plots of land, China is the world's largest producer of poultry
and other livestock.
The last H5N1 bird flu outbreak in China was in Hunan province, in the central part of the country, in May this year. That outbreak killed more than 11,000 domestic birds and
nearly 53,000 had to be culled.
York Chow, Hong Kong's Health Secretary, said that Hong Kong will be suspending imports of chilled and frozen duck from southern Guangdong province, according to a report by the Press Association. The suspension is planned to last one week.
Up to 10th September, the World Health Organization has received 328 laboratory confirmed reports of human cases of H5N1 worldwide since 2003, including 200 deaths.
Of these China has reported 25 human cases, of which 16 have resulted in death.
The highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 can only pass to humans from infected sick or dead birds. Experts believe it is only a matter of time
before a human to human strain emerges and when that does it will lead to a world pandemic with millions of deaths.
There is currently no vaccine for H5N1, although many scientists are working towards developing one. There have been some promising breakthroughs but even
if one was discovered today it would be some years before it passed clinical trials and got into mass production.
Click here for China View, Xinhua news website.
Click here for WHO Avian Flu website.
Written by: Catharine Paddock
понедельник, 23 мая 2011 г.
Spanish Authorities Say Bird Flu Case Is Isolated One
Agricultural authorities in Avala, Spain, say the H5N1 infected Great Crested Grebe is an isolated case and that people should not panic. They stressed it is just a 'veterinary problem' and not one people should be unduly concerned about.
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture has implemented a 3 kilometre no poultry or bird hunting zone around the area where the dead bird was found. Heightened monitoring is also taking place within a ten mile radius of the area.
The bird was found nine days ago and no other infected cases have been identified - this is after extensive monitoring and testing of many samples, say authorities.
About the Great Crested Grebe
Called Podiceps Cristatus in Latin, the Great Crested Grebe is a water bird, a member of the grebe family. It is commonly found in marshes and freshwater lake areas throughout Europe and many parts of Asia. Where winters are more severe it will migrate, otherwise it is a resident bird.
Like all grebes, it has a formidable mating display. The bird nests on the banks of lakes or rivers. This is because it is not a good walker and needs to be near water. It is not uncommon to see the striped young being carried on the mother's or father's back. Two eggs are usually laid each season.
It has a wing span of about 60cm-70cm and is about 50cm long. It hunts for fish and other aquatic creatures and will often pursue its prey underwater.
The Great Crested Grebe is white in the winter and has beautiful head and neck decorations in the summer. It has a pink bill.
In the UK it was hunted for its head plumes in the 19th century and nearly became extinct as a result. The near-extinction of the Great Crested Grebe in the UK brought about the creation of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
It is of great concern to the RSPB and other bird protection organisations throughout the world that measures taken to protect humans from bird flu are thoughtfully balanced so that the well-being of wild and domestic birds are taken into account.
Written by:
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture has implemented a 3 kilometre no poultry or bird hunting zone around the area where the dead bird was found. Heightened monitoring is also taking place within a ten mile radius of the area.
The bird was found nine days ago and no other infected cases have been identified - this is after extensive monitoring and testing of many samples, say authorities.
About the Great Crested Grebe
Called Podiceps Cristatus in Latin, the Great Crested Grebe is a water bird, a member of the grebe family. It is commonly found in marshes and freshwater lake areas throughout Europe and many parts of Asia. Where winters are more severe it will migrate, otherwise it is a resident bird.
Like all grebes, it has a formidable mating display. The bird nests on the banks of lakes or rivers. This is because it is not a good walker and needs to be near water. It is not uncommon to see the striped young being carried on the mother's or father's back. Two eggs are usually laid each season.
It has a wing span of about 60cm-70cm and is about 50cm long. It hunts for fish and other aquatic creatures and will often pursue its prey underwater.
The Great Crested Grebe is white in the winter and has beautiful head and neck decorations in the summer. It has a pink bill.
In the UK it was hunted for its head plumes in the 19th century and nearly became extinct as a result. The near-extinction of the Great Crested Grebe in the UK brought about the creation of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
It is of great concern to the RSPB and other bird protection organisations throughout the world that measures taken to protect humans from bird flu are thoughtfully balanced so that the well-being of wild and domestic birds are taken into account.
Written by:
воскресенье, 22 мая 2011 г.
HHS Convenes America's Leaders To Help Americans Prepare For Pandemic Flu
The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched the Pandemic Flu Leadership
Blog, a five-week-long blog about pandemic preparedness. Participant
bloggers include some of the nation's most influential business, health
care, faith- based and community leaders. This online event is part of a
new campaign to help Americans prepare for a potential influenza pandemic
and engage U.S. leaders in the challenge to help others prepare.
"The conversation about individual preparedness for pandemic flu must
extend nationwide through all possible channels, including social media and
the Internet," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "The blog summit is an
innovative and efficient forum for bringing together leaders for a lively
discussion on the pandemic preparedness movement."
HHS is one of the first government agencies to utilize the
participatory nature of the Internet to create a dialogue around a specific
issue or campaign. This effort to engage individuals in an online
conversation is the one of many steps HHS will be taking to carry out its
campaign to encourage Americans to prepare. By preparing now, individuals
will be better able to withstand the impact of a pandemic, slow the spread
of disease, and lessen the overall impact to themselves, their families and
to society.
Ideas and dialogue generated during the leadership blog will contribute
to HHS' upcoming pandemic influenza leadership forum in June, an event
which will bring together approximately 80 U.S. leaders representing the
business, faith, civic and health care communities. The dynamic leadership
forum will call on participants to help Americans become more prepared for
an influenza pandemic by leveraging their influence and expertise in their
communities to actively promote individual pandemic preparedness.
"It may not be possible to predict with certainty when the next flu
pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, but it is essential to
prepare ahead of time and that time is now," Secretary Leavitt said. "We
are the first generation ever to have an opportunity to prepare in advance
of a pandemic. Government alone can't prepare the nation for a pandemic.
This is a shared responsibility and the challenge requires leadership from
those most trusted and respected in their communities."
The pandemic-focused leadership blog gives national leaders the
opportunity to participate in an ongoing and critical conversation about
the potential impact of a pandemic on individuals, families, communities
and workplaces. Participating bloggers will be asked specific questions
related to the threat of a pandemic in the U.S. and will collaborate on
ideas for what can be done to help their employees, constituents,
customers, congregations and clients prepare now.
Approximately 16 influential leaders, including leading authorities on
pandemic flu, will blog throughout the next five weeks. A few of the
participant bloggers include Pierre Omidyar, Founder and Chairman of Ebay
and Co-founder of Omidyar Network; David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for
National and Community Service; and Greg Dworkin, Founding Editor of Flu
Wiki and Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology and Medical Director of the
Pediatric Inpatient Unit at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn.
The Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog will continue through June 27 and is
open to the public and media. Comments are welcome and encouraged by all
who visit the blog at blog.pandemicflu.
In conjunction with the blog, HHS will hold a Pandemic Influenza
Leadership Forum on June 13 in Washington, DC with representatives of the
business, faith, civic and health care communities. Using materials
prepared by HHS, local leaders will be asked to reach out to the people
they represent with the essential steps necessary for pandemic flu
preparedness. By preparing now, individuals will be better able to
withstand the impact of a pandemic, slow the spread of disease, and lessen
the overall impact to themselves, their families and society.
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza ("flu") virus appears
in humans; the new virus causes serious illness and death, and spreads
easily from person to person worldwide. Past influenza pandemics, like the
one that occurred in 1918, have led to: high levels of illness; death;
disruption in normal, everyday activities like going to school, work, or
other public gatherings, and economic loss. For more information visit:
blog.pandemicflu.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
blog.pandemicflu
Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched the Pandemic Flu Leadership
Blog, a five-week-long blog about pandemic preparedness. Participant
bloggers include some of the nation's most influential business, health
care, faith- based and community leaders. This online event is part of a
new campaign to help Americans prepare for a potential influenza pandemic
and engage U.S. leaders in the challenge to help others prepare.
"The conversation about individual preparedness for pandemic flu must
extend nationwide through all possible channels, including social media and
the Internet," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. "The blog summit is an
innovative and efficient forum for bringing together leaders for a lively
discussion on the pandemic preparedness movement."
HHS is one of the first government agencies to utilize the
participatory nature of the Internet to create a dialogue around a specific
issue or campaign. This effort to engage individuals in an online
conversation is the one of many steps HHS will be taking to carry out its
campaign to encourage Americans to prepare. By preparing now, individuals
will be better able to withstand the impact of a pandemic, slow the spread
of disease, and lessen the overall impact to themselves, their families and
to society.
Ideas and dialogue generated during the leadership blog will contribute
to HHS' upcoming pandemic influenza leadership forum in June, an event
which will bring together approximately 80 U.S. leaders representing the
business, faith, civic and health care communities. The dynamic leadership
forum will call on participants to help Americans become more prepared for
an influenza pandemic by leveraging their influence and expertise in their
communities to actively promote individual pandemic preparedness.
"It may not be possible to predict with certainty when the next flu
pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, but it is essential to
prepare ahead of time and that time is now," Secretary Leavitt said. "We
are the first generation ever to have an opportunity to prepare in advance
of a pandemic. Government alone can't prepare the nation for a pandemic.
This is a shared responsibility and the challenge requires leadership from
those most trusted and respected in their communities."
The pandemic-focused leadership blog gives national leaders the
opportunity to participate in an ongoing and critical conversation about
the potential impact of a pandemic on individuals, families, communities
and workplaces. Participating bloggers will be asked specific questions
related to the threat of a pandemic in the U.S. and will collaborate on
ideas for what can be done to help their employees, constituents,
customers, congregations and clients prepare now.
Approximately 16 influential leaders, including leading authorities on
pandemic flu, will blog throughout the next five weeks. A few of the
participant bloggers include Pierre Omidyar, Founder and Chairman of Ebay
and Co-founder of Omidyar Network; David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for
National and Community Service; and Greg Dworkin, Founding Editor of Flu
Wiki and Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology and Medical Director of the
Pediatric Inpatient Unit at Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Conn.
The Pandemic Flu Leadership Blog will continue through June 27 and is
open to the public and media. Comments are welcome and encouraged by all
who visit the blog at blog.pandemicflu.
In conjunction with the blog, HHS will hold a Pandemic Influenza
Leadership Forum on June 13 in Washington, DC with representatives of the
business, faith, civic and health care communities. Using materials
prepared by HHS, local leaders will be asked to reach out to the people
they represent with the essential steps necessary for pandemic flu
preparedness. By preparing now, individuals will be better able to
withstand the impact of a pandemic, slow the spread of disease, and lessen
the overall impact to themselves, their families and society.
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza ("flu") virus appears
in humans; the new virus causes serious illness and death, and spreads
easily from person to person worldwide. Past influenza pandemics, like the
one that occurred in 1918, have led to: high levels of illness; death;
disruption in normal, everyday activities like going to school, work, or
other public gatherings, and economic loss. For more information visit:
blog.pandemicflu.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
blog.pandemicflu
суббота, 21 мая 2011 г.
China Reports Two Human Bird Flu Deaths
Two people have died as a result of bird flu infection with the H5N1 virus strain, the most virulent one, according the Ministry of Health. Both cases were confirmed by a national laboratory.
One of the victims was a 16-year-old boy from Anhui province. He developed pneumonia and was hospitalized on March 20th - he died seven days later. Authorities do not yet know whether he had been in direct contact with sick birds before becoming ill. His relatives and close contacts all seem to be well. We do not have details on the second victim.
There have been 24 confirmed cases of human infection in China, of which 15 have died.
Scientists fear the H5N1 bird flu virus strain will eventually mutate and become easily transmissible from human-to-human. It is still difficult for a person to catch bird flu from a bird - human-to-human infection is extremely rare.
Written by:
One of the victims was a 16-year-old boy from Anhui province. He developed pneumonia and was hospitalized on March 20th - he died seven days later. Authorities do not yet know whether he had been in direct contact with sick birds before becoming ill. His relatives and close contacts all seem to be well. We do not have details on the second victim.
There have been 24 confirmed cases of human infection in China, of which 15 have died.
Scientists fear the H5N1 bird flu virus strain will eventually mutate and become easily transmissible from human-to-human. It is still difficult for a person to catch bird flu from a bird - human-to-human infection is extremely rare.
Written by:
пятница, 20 мая 2011 г.
Deadly strain of bird flu virus found in pigs, China
Chinese authorities say that a deadly strain of bird flu has been found in pigs. Officials say this could seriously undermine the country's efforts in restricting the spread of bird flu to humans.
Chen Hualan, Director of the China National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory, said "A very important point is that in 2003 and 2004 we started finding this virus in pigs in different areas in China. This is a rather dangerous signal in terms of public health."
The strain found was the H5N1 virus.
It was found in the Fujian province, south-east China. It was first found in 2003 and then this year - both cases were in the same farm, said Chen Hualan.
Chen Hualan added that it was the first time the strain had been found in pigs anywhere in the world.
To date, the only animals with bird flu have been birds. Some experts suspected it could be present in pigs - but no cases were ever reported.
Chen Hualan, Director of the China National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory, said "A very important point is that in 2003 and 2004 we started finding this virus in pigs in different areas in China. This is a rather dangerous signal in terms of public health."
The strain found was the H5N1 virus.
It was found in the Fujian province, south-east China. It was first found in 2003 and then this year - both cases were in the same farm, said Chen Hualan.
Chen Hualan added that it was the first time the strain had been found in pigs anywhere in the world.
To date, the only animals with bird flu have been birds. Some experts suspected it could be present in pigs - but no cases were ever reported.
четверг, 19 мая 2011 г.
FluForecast(R) Replikin Count(TM) Predicts That The H5N1 Cycle Which Began In 1996 Is Now Over
Replikins Ltd. announced that the
quantitative analysis of Replikin Count(TM) in the virus gene structure
predicts that the current H5N1 cycle is over. Sporadic outbreaks may
continue, but the rapid epidemic spread and high mortality characteristics
are expected to subside - until the next rapid replication cycle of this or
another influenza virus strain begins.
140,000 virus protein sequences were analyzed by FluForecast(R)
software in this study. A key gene, the Replikin Peak Gene, was found to
contain the highest concentration of replikins in the virus genome. In H5N1
reservoirs in chickens, the Replikin Count(TM) has now decreased markedly,
successively each year from 2004 to 2007. The Replikin count in human H5N1
also has decreased in the past year. All stated increases and decreases
were statistically significant with a p value of less than 0.001.
The current H5N1 cycle of bird flu began in 1996 with a pre-symptomatic
increase in the Replikin count, followed in 1997 by the Hong Kong outbreak,
then by a decline in Replikin count in 1998-1999 with culling, followed by
increases in the count in 2001 and 2004 providing advance warning of the
further outbreaks which occurred in Asia. An increase in the Replikin count
in human H5N1 in 2006 specifically predicted the increase in H5N1 lethality
in humans, and that the first country to show this increase would be
Indonesia. These predictions were proven correct in 2006-2007.
The last two influenza pandemics of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2), and
the SARS outbreak of 2003, were also each preceded by an increase in the
Replikin count, and in each case, a strain-specific decrease in the count
several years later signaled that the cycle was over. Sporadic outbreaks of
H3N2 for example have occurred thereafter, but the rapid epidemic spread
and high mortality characteristics have not reappeared.
It has not been possible previously to predict in advance from changes
in the structure of the virus the coming of epidemics or their cessation.
This is now possible because of the discovery of the replikins, specific
small peptide constituents of virus proteins whose concentration has been
shown to be related quantitatively to rapid replication and epidemics.
FluForecast(R) is a product and service of Replikins Ltd. and
Replikins, LLC, 38 The Fenway, Boston MA 02215. See also
replikins.
Replikins Ltd.
replikins
quantitative analysis of Replikin Count(TM) in the virus gene structure
predicts that the current H5N1 cycle is over. Sporadic outbreaks may
continue, but the rapid epidemic spread and high mortality characteristics
are expected to subside - until the next rapid replication cycle of this or
another influenza virus strain begins.
140,000 virus protein sequences were analyzed by FluForecast(R)
software in this study. A key gene, the Replikin Peak Gene, was found to
contain the highest concentration of replikins in the virus genome. In H5N1
reservoirs in chickens, the Replikin Count(TM) has now decreased markedly,
successively each year from 2004 to 2007. The Replikin count in human H5N1
also has decreased in the past year. All stated increases and decreases
were statistically significant with a p value of less than 0.001.
The current H5N1 cycle of bird flu began in 1996 with a pre-symptomatic
increase in the Replikin count, followed in 1997 by the Hong Kong outbreak,
then by a decline in Replikin count in 1998-1999 with culling, followed by
increases in the count in 2001 and 2004 providing advance warning of the
further outbreaks which occurred in Asia. An increase in the Replikin count
in human H5N1 in 2006 specifically predicted the increase in H5N1 lethality
in humans, and that the first country to show this increase would be
Indonesia. These predictions were proven correct in 2006-2007.
The last two influenza pandemics of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2), and
the SARS outbreak of 2003, were also each preceded by an increase in the
Replikin count, and in each case, a strain-specific decrease in the count
several years later signaled that the cycle was over. Sporadic outbreaks of
H3N2 for example have occurred thereafter, but the rapid epidemic spread
and high mortality characteristics have not reappeared.
It has not been possible previously to predict in advance from changes
in the structure of the virus the coming of epidemics or their cessation.
This is now possible because of the discovery of the replikins, specific
small peptide constituents of virus proteins whose concentration has been
shown to be related quantitatively to rapid replication and epidemics.
FluForecast(R) is a product and service of Replikins Ltd. and
Replikins, LLC, 38 The Fenway, Boston MA 02215. See also
replikins.
Replikins Ltd.
replikins
среда, 18 мая 2011 г.
More Human Bird Flu Deaths Confirmed In Indonesia By WHO
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) two more humans have died of H5N1 infection, bringing the total number of human deaths to 48. One is a 4-year-old girl from Makassar, South Sulawesi Province. Authorities say the girl developed bird flu like symptoms on June 18th, 2006, was hospitalized on June 23rd and died the following day. The girl had had contact with chickens near her home.
There are two other cases, one fatal and the other not, that date back to June and November, 2005, after a recent revision of case definitions for H5N1 infection. One was an 8-year-old girl from Tangerang, Banten Province, who became ill on June 24th, 2005 and died on July 14th, 2005 - she was part of a family cluster. The other was a 45-year-old man from Magelang, Central Java Province, who became ill on November 25th, 2005, and subsequently recovered.
WHO says after the recent revision of case definitions, its figures for Indonesia now tally with those of the Indonesian Ministry of Health.
63 humans have been infected with H5N1 in Indonesia, of which 48 (76%) have died.
Written by:
There are two other cases, one fatal and the other not, that date back to June and November, 2005, after a recent revision of case definitions for H5N1 infection. One was an 8-year-old girl from Tangerang, Banten Province, who became ill on June 24th, 2005 and died on July 14th, 2005 - she was part of a family cluster. The other was a 45-year-old man from Magelang, Central Java Province, who became ill on November 25th, 2005, and subsequently recovered.
WHO says after the recent revision of case definitions, its figures for Indonesia now tally with those of the Indonesian Ministry of Health.
63 humans have been infected with H5N1 in Indonesia, of which 48 (76%) have died.
Written by:
вторник, 17 мая 2011 г.
NanoViricides, Inc. Says Flu-Cide Drug Designed To Destroy All Influenza A Viruses Including Swine And Bird Flu
NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB) (the "Company"), announced that it is developing FluCide(™), its flagship anti-influenza drug candidate, to work against all influenza types and subtypes. FluCide has been shown to be effective against both common influenza subtype H1N1, as well as two different variants of bird flu subtype H5N1.
The Company has previously announced excellent results in both animal studies and cell culture studies against widely different influenza subtypes and strains. If these results are confirmed in further animal and human studies, then FluCide would likely be considered the best ever drug effective against all influenzas. The Company is communicating its capabilities to various agencies involved in the current epidemic response.
The current swine flu outbreak is significant in that the H1N1 virus causing it is novel. The US Department of Homeland Security has declared a Swine Flu Emergency yesterday. The WHO has said that the outbreak is an emergency of international concern. The pig is known to be a transitional species for influenza viruses. That means re-assortment (i.e. mixing) of genes from bird flu, human flu, and swine flu viruses can take place in pigs. This can lead to more lethal, drug resistant novel strains to emerge from different existing ones.
"Nanoviricides(™) have clear advantages over antibodies and vaccines as antiviral strategies," said Dr. Diwan, President of NanoViricides. Antibodies are relatively specific to a particular virus strain or subtype. It is well known that HIV and influenza viruses among many others, quickly escape antibodies. Vaccines depend upon the development of antibodies by the host, and thus, cannot protect efficiently against those viruses which are continually changing their character, such as the influenza virus. Influenza vaccines in particular have to be developed with the strain that is expected to infect in the next year's cycle. It is well known that this is not a failure-proof strategy for epidemic-causing strains that are novel.
Source
NanoviricidesFurther information on Swine Flu
See a Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog
The Company has previously announced excellent results in both animal studies and cell culture studies against widely different influenza subtypes and strains. If these results are confirmed in further animal and human studies, then FluCide would likely be considered the best ever drug effective against all influenzas. The Company is communicating its capabilities to various agencies involved in the current epidemic response.
The current swine flu outbreak is significant in that the H1N1 virus causing it is novel. The US Department of Homeland Security has declared a Swine Flu Emergency yesterday. The WHO has said that the outbreak is an emergency of international concern. The pig is known to be a transitional species for influenza viruses. That means re-assortment (i.e. mixing) of genes from bird flu, human flu, and swine flu viruses can take place in pigs. This can lead to more lethal, drug resistant novel strains to emerge from different existing ones.
"Nanoviricides(™) have clear advantages over antibodies and vaccines as antiviral strategies," said Dr. Diwan, President of NanoViricides. Antibodies are relatively specific to a particular virus strain or subtype. It is well known that HIV and influenza viruses among many others, quickly escape antibodies. Vaccines depend upon the development of antibodies by the host, and thus, cannot protect efficiently against those viruses which are continually changing their character, such as the influenza virus. Influenza vaccines in particular have to be developed with the strain that is expected to infect in the next year's cycle. It is well known that this is not a failure-proof strategy for epidemic-causing strains that are novel.
Source
NanoviricidesFurther information on Swine Flu
See a Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog
понедельник, 16 мая 2011 г.
Two More Farms Have Bird Flu In England H7N3 Strain
Two more farms, both close to the Norfolk farm that was infected with the H7N3 bird flu strain a few days ago, have also become infected with what looks like the same strain. Defra (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) stated that initial test results indicated the H7N3 bird flu virus strain had infected the chickens. Further lab tests should confirm this within days.
Although H7N3 is dangerous for chickens, it is nowhere near as virulent for humans as H5N1 is. Authorities are assuring the British public that this strain is a very low risk to humans.
Both infected flocks were free-range chickens. This means they roam around in fields, not under cover. Both flocks will be slaughtered. A restricted zone has been put in place extending one kilometre from each of the infected premises.
A Defra spokesman said "The State Veterinary Service is tracing movements and contacts, the necessary surveillance and all appropriate worker protection measures have been put in place."
Authorities are also trying to find out what contact, if any, there has been between the three infected farms.
A worker at the farm that was infected a few days ago was also infected with the H7N3 strain. He had conjunctivitis and did not need hospitalisation.
Free-range chickens are more vulnerable to infection from wild birds than battery chickens. In the United Kingdom free-range poultry and eggs have become more popular. If there are infected wild birds flying around, the risk for free-range poultry is greater as these wild birds can swoop down, feed among the chickens and infect them.
There are no indications that infected wild birds exist in the UK at the moment. An H5N1 infected swan, found in Scotland last month, most probably floated in (dead) from abroad. No other infected wild birds have been found since then. However, the H7N3 infection in these three Norfolk farms must have come from somewhere.
Free range chickens = Chickens that live in fields.
Battery chickens = Chickens that live indoors, usually in huge numbers, in tiny cages.
Virulent = Powerful, potent
Written by:
Although H7N3 is dangerous for chickens, it is nowhere near as virulent for humans as H5N1 is. Authorities are assuring the British public that this strain is a very low risk to humans.
Both infected flocks were free-range chickens. This means they roam around in fields, not under cover. Both flocks will be slaughtered. A restricted zone has been put in place extending one kilometre from each of the infected premises.
A Defra spokesman said "The State Veterinary Service is tracing movements and contacts, the necessary surveillance and all appropriate worker protection measures have been put in place."
Authorities are also trying to find out what contact, if any, there has been between the three infected farms.
A worker at the farm that was infected a few days ago was also infected with the H7N3 strain. He had conjunctivitis and did not need hospitalisation.
Free-range chickens are more vulnerable to infection from wild birds than battery chickens. In the United Kingdom free-range poultry and eggs have become more popular. If there are infected wild birds flying around, the risk for free-range poultry is greater as these wild birds can swoop down, feed among the chickens and infect them.
There are no indications that infected wild birds exist in the UK at the moment. An H5N1 infected swan, found in Scotland last month, most probably floated in (dead) from abroad. No other infected wild birds have been found since then. However, the H7N3 infection in these three Norfolk farms must have come from somewhere.
Free range chickens = Chickens that live in fields.
Battery chickens = Chickens that live indoors, usually in huge numbers, in tiny cages.
Virulent = Powerful, potent
Written by:
воскресенье, 15 мая 2011 г.
Bird Flu Confirmed In Southern Italy And Greece
Italian Health Minister, Francesco Storace, has confirmed that the majority of seventeen dead swans found in Sicily, southern Italy, had died of the H5N1 bird flu virus strain.
The H5N1 strain is the most virulent (potent, deadly) one.
This means that over the last week bird flu has spread in to Africa (Nigeria) and the European Union.
Francesco Storace said "It is certain that the virus has arrived."
Greek authorities say three dead swans, found in Greece, have tested positive for H5N1 infection.
Italian authorities have implemented a complete ban on the transport of animals in the area. Francesco Storace said no infection has been detected in farmed poultry or domestic birds. Italian authorities say they believe the swans had migrated from Russia.
Unlike many other parts of the world, Western Europe has sophisticated veterinary services. Poultry farming is well regulated and organised. Experts say the likelihood of birds infecting humans in Western Europe is tiny, given that 'backyard poultry' hardly exists.
For the moment, the only way a human can become infected with bird flu is by having constant physical contact with sick birds. Even then, it is not an easy virus to catch. Over 150 million birds have died as a result of bird flu infection since 2003. Only 160 people have been infected (of which about half have died).
It is hard to calculate accurately what the death rate for human infection is. If a patient is treated with antiviral drugs (e.g. Tamiflu) within three days of symptoms appearing, he/she has a very good chance of pulling through. Most human deaths have occurred as a result of either late treatment, or lack of it because of poor health services in many parts of south east Asia. The European Union is well prepared to treat people immediately - the EU probably has the best public health service in the world.
Written by:
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
The H5N1 strain is the most virulent (potent, deadly) one.
This means that over the last week bird flu has spread in to Africa (Nigeria) and the European Union.
Francesco Storace said "It is certain that the virus has arrived."
Greek authorities say three dead swans, found in Greece, have tested positive for H5N1 infection.
Italian authorities have implemented a complete ban on the transport of animals in the area. Francesco Storace said no infection has been detected in farmed poultry or domestic birds. Italian authorities say they believe the swans had migrated from Russia.
Unlike many other parts of the world, Western Europe has sophisticated veterinary services. Poultry farming is well regulated and organised. Experts say the likelihood of birds infecting humans in Western Europe is tiny, given that 'backyard poultry' hardly exists.
For the moment, the only way a human can become infected with bird flu is by having constant physical contact with sick birds. Even then, it is not an easy virus to catch. Over 150 million birds have died as a result of bird flu infection since 2003. Only 160 people have been infected (of which about half have died).
It is hard to calculate accurately what the death rate for human infection is. If a patient is treated with antiviral drugs (e.g. Tamiflu) within three days of symptoms appearing, he/she has a very good chance of pulling through. Most human deaths have occurred as a result of either late treatment, or lack of it because of poor health services in many parts of south east Asia. The European Union is well prepared to treat people immediately - the EU probably has the best public health service in the world.
Written by:
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
суббота, 14 мая 2011 г.
Fate And Effects Of The Drug Tamiflu In The Environment
The research council FORMAS in Sweden has granted 574 000 euro to a new research project that will study the environmental fate and effects of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu on the development on influenza resistance.
Tamiflu is being stockpiled all over the world for use in fighting the next influenza pandemic. However, there are growing signs that influenza viruses may develop resistance to this vital pharmaceutical, because it is routinely prescribed for seasonal influenza.
- This research project is interdisciplinary and will combine studies on the environmental fate of the drug with in vivo studies of the development of Tamiflu resistant viruses say the project leader Björn Olsen at the Department of Medical Sciences Uppsala University.
This research project presents an innovative approach to studying the development of Tamiflu resistance in influenza viruses caused by environmental contamination which is a potential threat to one of our few defences against a future influenza pandemic.
Scientists from Uppsala University, UmeГҐ University and Karolinska Institute will investigate the potential problem from an environmental chemical, virological and infectious diseases aspect.
A wide range of topics will be addressed; studies of the degradation of Tamiflu in sewage treatment plants will be combined with screening of the environmental levels in surface water in Japan. Japan is one of the world's top-per-capita consumers of Tamiflu and it has been estimated that approximately 40% of those that are infected by influenza viruses are treated with Tamiflu. This makes Japan one of the "Hot Spots" in the world and the research project has established collaboration with scientists at Kyoto University and several field sampling campaigns in Japan has been scheduled. Detected environmental levels will then be used in an in vivo Mallard infection model for detailed studies on the development of Tamiflu resistance in low pathogenic avian viruses. This will be combined with a screening study of the occurrence of resistant viruses in faecal samples from wild ducks in the vicinity of Japanese sewage treatment plants.
UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
P.O. Box 256
SE-751 05 Uppsala
uu.se
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
Tamiflu is being stockpiled all over the world for use in fighting the next influenza pandemic. However, there are growing signs that influenza viruses may develop resistance to this vital pharmaceutical, because it is routinely prescribed for seasonal influenza.
- This research project is interdisciplinary and will combine studies on the environmental fate of the drug with in vivo studies of the development of Tamiflu resistant viruses say the project leader Björn Olsen at the Department of Medical Sciences Uppsala University.
This research project presents an innovative approach to studying the development of Tamiflu resistance in influenza viruses caused by environmental contamination which is a potential threat to one of our few defences against a future influenza pandemic.
Scientists from Uppsala University, UmeГҐ University and Karolinska Institute will investigate the potential problem from an environmental chemical, virological and infectious diseases aspect.
A wide range of topics will be addressed; studies of the degradation of Tamiflu in sewage treatment plants will be combined with screening of the environmental levels in surface water in Japan. Japan is one of the world's top-per-capita consumers of Tamiflu and it has been estimated that approximately 40% of those that are infected by influenza viruses are treated with Tamiflu. This makes Japan one of the "Hot Spots" in the world and the research project has established collaboration with scientists at Kyoto University and several field sampling campaigns in Japan has been scheduled. Detected environmental levels will then be used in an in vivo Mallard infection model for detailed studies on the development of Tamiflu resistance in low pathogenic avian viruses. This will be combined with a screening study of the occurrence of resistant viruses in faecal samples from wild ducks in the vicinity of Japanese sewage treatment plants.
UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
P.O. Box 256
SE-751 05 Uppsala
uu.se
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
пятница, 13 мая 2011 г.
14th Human Dies Of Bird Flu In Egypt
The Ministry of Health, Egypt, has confirmed that a 15-year-old girl died of bird flu infection on 10th April. The girl had developed bird flu like symptoms on 30th March and was hospitalized on 5th April - she was from Cairo Governate.
So far, 34 humans have become infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus strain in Egypt, of which 14 have died.
Scientists fear that the H5N1 bird flu virus strain, the most virulent one, will one day mutate and become easily human transmissible. This has not happened yet. It is still difficult for a human to catch bird flu from a bird, it is even harder for a person to infect another person.
Bird flu = Avian Flu
Written by:
So far, 34 humans have become infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus strain in Egypt, of which 14 have died.
Scientists fear that the H5N1 bird flu virus strain, the most virulent one, will one day mutate and become easily human transmissible. This has not happened yet. It is still difficult for a human to catch bird flu from a bird, it is even harder for a person to infect another person.
Bird flu = Avian Flu
Written by:
среда, 11 мая 2011 г.
Fort Dodge Animal Health Announces Licensure Of A Reverse Genetics Avian Influenza Vaccine
Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth (NYSE:WYE), today announced the National Agency of Veterinary Medicine (France) has given temporary approval for Poulvac® FluFendTM i H5N3 RG, an inactivated virus reverse genetics avian vaccine to aid in the prevention of avian influenza (AI) caused by the H5N1 virus.
In collaboration with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Wisconsin, Fort Dodge developed the vaccine as part of a control and eradication program in response to the growing concern about global avian influenza and the need to protect poultry from the disease.
Reverse genetics, a cutting-edge technology being utilized in the development of human vaccines, has enabled Fort Dodge to take components from three different influenza viruses and bring them together in a single product. This technology, licensed from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, not only results in a product that offers safe and effective protection against the most prevalent strain of AI currently threatening France, but also allows for differentiation between a field strain and the vaccine, using diagnostic tests that Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Animals-the so-called DIVA system. DIVA is often used as part of a monitoring program to demonstrate the flock is not infected with the field virus.
The reverse genetics technology used for the preparation of the Fort Dodge H5 influenza vaccine was developed by Erich Hoffmann, Ph.D., Division of Virology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This process, known as the eight plasmid reverse genetics system, is a significant advantage for future poultry vaccines because it allows the antigen content to be standardized, according to Robert Webster, Ph.D., holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair, Department of Infectious Diseases, at St. Jude. "The standardization of antigen content is similar to human influenza vaccines, and more recently for equine influenza vaccines," Webster said. "Thus, this new vaccine is a major advance for preventing infection of poultry with H5N1."
The French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has requested an initial supply of
7 million doses of this vaccine for use in ducks as part of an avian influenza control program. Approval was based on the efficacy of the vaccine, which demonstrated the ability to reduce mortality, virus re-isolation and shedding after challenge with highly pathogenic AI viruses. The French Ministry recently started vaccinating outdoor ducks in parts of France, as authorities consider these areas at high risk for the transmission of AI virus by migrating birds.
As part of AI control programs, various Fort Dodge conventional vaccines have been registered or used in other parts of the world to provide safe and efficacious protection against Avian Influenza. In several different countries, Fort Dodge's products have been supplied as vaccine banks for use in the event of an outbreak. In addition to H5N3 RG, Fort Dodge has approvals for vaccines including H5N9, H5N2, H7N1, H7N2 and H7N3 strains.
Fort Dodge Animal Health
Fort Dodge Animal Health is a leading manufacturer and distributor of prescription and over-the-counter animal health care products for the livestock, companion animal, equine, swine and poultry industries in North America and international markets. Key poultry products include Bursine® -2, Bursine® Plus and Poulvac Aero®. The company is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation supports world-class research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by protecting the intellectual property of University faculty, staff and students, and by licensing inventions resulting from their work. Through the licensing efforts, university ideas benefit the public by bringing resources back to the University to continue the cycle of investment, research and invention. Established in 1925, WARF was the first university technology transfer office in the United States.
Wyeth
wyeth
In collaboration with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the University of Wisconsin, Fort Dodge developed the vaccine as part of a control and eradication program in response to the growing concern about global avian influenza and the need to protect poultry from the disease.
Reverse genetics, a cutting-edge technology being utilized in the development of human vaccines, has enabled Fort Dodge to take components from three different influenza viruses and bring them together in a single product. This technology, licensed from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, not only results in a product that offers safe and effective protection against the most prevalent strain of AI currently threatening France, but also allows for differentiation between a field strain and the vaccine, using diagnostic tests that Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Animals-the so-called DIVA system. DIVA is often used as part of a monitoring program to demonstrate the flock is not infected with the field virus.
The reverse genetics technology used for the preparation of the Fort Dodge H5 influenza vaccine was developed by Erich Hoffmann, Ph.D., Division of Virology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This process, known as the eight plasmid reverse genetics system, is a significant advantage for future poultry vaccines because it allows the antigen content to be standardized, according to Robert Webster, Ph.D., holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair, Department of Infectious Diseases, at St. Jude. "The standardization of antigen content is similar to human influenza vaccines, and more recently for equine influenza vaccines," Webster said. "Thus, this new vaccine is a major advance for preventing infection of poultry with H5N1."
The French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has requested an initial supply of
7 million doses of this vaccine for use in ducks as part of an avian influenza control program. Approval was based on the efficacy of the vaccine, which demonstrated the ability to reduce mortality, virus re-isolation and shedding after challenge with highly pathogenic AI viruses. The French Ministry recently started vaccinating outdoor ducks in parts of France, as authorities consider these areas at high risk for the transmission of AI virus by migrating birds.
As part of AI control programs, various Fort Dodge conventional vaccines have been registered or used in other parts of the world to provide safe and efficacious protection against Avian Influenza. In several different countries, Fort Dodge's products have been supplied as vaccine banks for use in the event of an outbreak. In addition to H5N3 RG, Fort Dodge has approvals for vaccines including H5N9, H5N2, H7N1, H7N2 and H7N3 strains.
Fort Dodge Animal Health
Fort Dodge Animal Health is a leading manufacturer and distributor of prescription and over-the-counter animal health care products for the livestock, companion animal, equine, swine and poultry industries in North America and international markets. Key poultry products include Bursine® -2, Bursine® Plus and Poulvac Aero®. The company is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation supports world-class research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison by protecting the intellectual property of University faculty, staff and students, and by licensing inventions resulting from their work. Through the licensing efforts, university ideas benefit the public by bringing resources back to the University to continue the cycle of investment, research and invention. Established in 1925, WARF was the first university technology transfer office in the United States.
Wyeth
wyeth
вторник, 10 мая 2011 г.
Pandemic Flu Vaccine 6-Month Time Lag Warns Scientist
New research published April 27 from the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust warns of a six-month time lag before effective vaccines can be manufactured in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.
By that time, the first wave of pandemic flu may be over before people are vaccinated, says Dr Iain Stephenson, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Leicester.
In his paper published in PNAS- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA - Dr Stephenson makes the first case for a pre-pandemic vaccine to mitigate the worst effects of pandemic flu.
He said: "This study is the first to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach. This means that we could vaccinate people potentially many years before a pandemic, to generate memory cells that are long lasting and can be rapidly boosted by a single dose of vaccine when needed."
Dr Stephenson, of the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Leicester, said: "If an influenza pandemic occurs, vaccination will to be the main way to protect the population. The major current threat seems to be from avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) which has spread rapidly around the world and causes human infections and deaths.
"Unfortunately, if a pandemic occurs, it will take up to six months to manufacture effective vaccine, so the first waves of the pandemic may be over before people are vaccinated. Furthermore, most people need two doses of H5 pandemic vaccine to get protection - so this adds a further delay.
"To reduce any delay, we could consider stockpiling vaccine or immunizing people with vaccine prepared in advance - (a so called 'pre-pandemic vaccine' - to protect them before a future pandemic.
"However, we don't know which strain of influenza will cause the pandemic. There are several strains of H5N1 virus, so we can't be sure of which virus strain to make pre-pandemic vaccine from. Therefore a 'pre-pandemic' vaccine needs to give cross protection to as many H5 strains as possible."
Dr Stephenson and his team conducted a study comparing the effect of a single H5 bird flu vaccine dose to people who had been vaccinated with an H5 vaccine previously with people who had not previously received vaccine. The aim was the test out the idea of a pre-pandemic vaccination approach.
He said: "We found that those people who received H5 vaccine between 1999 and 2001 responded very well to a single dose of a newer H5 vaccine. They had memory cells that gave a rapid protective response within 7 days of the repeat vaccine. Also the response was very broad and able to protect against all known strains of H5N1 virus.
"In contrast, those people who had not been previously vaccinated with H5 vaccine, behaved as we had expected. They required 2 doses of vaccine and got good antibody responses up to 6 weeks after the first dose."
Dr Stephenson added that this was the first study to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach.
The trial subjects were all recruited at the University of Leicester or University Hospitals of Leicester.
The authors:
Grazia Galli; Monia Bardelli; Carmine Malzone; Flora Castellino; Giuseppe Del Giudice; Michaela Praus; Angelika Banzhoff; Volker Brauer
Novartis Vaccines
Kathy Hancock; Joshua DeVos; Jacqueline Katz
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Katja Hoschler; Maria Zambon
Health Protection Agency
Chiara Gentile; Emanuele Montomoli
University of Siena
Teresa McNally; Karl Nicholson; Iain Stephenson
University of Leicester
Source:
Dr. Iain Stephenson
University of Leicester
Further information on Swine Flu
See a Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog
By that time, the first wave of pandemic flu may be over before people are vaccinated, says Dr Iain Stephenson, Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Leicester.
In his paper published in PNAS- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA - Dr Stephenson makes the first case for a pre-pandemic vaccine to mitigate the worst effects of pandemic flu.
He said: "This study is the first to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach. This means that we could vaccinate people potentially many years before a pandemic, to generate memory cells that are long lasting and can be rapidly boosted by a single dose of vaccine when needed."
Dr Stephenson, of the Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation at the University of Leicester, said: "If an influenza pandemic occurs, vaccination will to be the main way to protect the population. The major current threat seems to be from avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) which has spread rapidly around the world and causes human infections and deaths.
"Unfortunately, if a pandemic occurs, it will take up to six months to manufacture effective vaccine, so the first waves of the pandemic may be over before people are vaccinated. Furthermore, most people need two doses of H5 pandemic vaccine to get protection - so this adds a further delay.
"To reduce any delay, we could consider stockpiling vaccine or immunizing people with vaccine prepared in advance - (a so called 'pre-pandemic vaccine' - to protect them before a future pandemic.
"However, we don't know which strain of influenza will cause the pandemic. There are several strains of H5N1 virus, so we can't be sure of which virus strain to make pre-pandemic vaccine from. Therefore a 'pre-pandemic' vaccine needs to give cross protection to as many H5 strains as possible."
Dr Stephenson and his team conducted a study comparing the effect of a single H5 bird flu vaccine dose to people who had been vaccinated with an H5 vaccine previously with people who had not previously received vaccine. The aim was the test out the idea of a pre-pandemic vaccination approach.
He said: "We found that those people who received H5 vaccine between 1999 and 2001 responded very well to a single dose of a newer H5 vaccine. They had memory cells that gave a rapid protective response within 7 days of the repeat vaccine. Also the response was very broad and able to protect against all known strains of H5N1 virus.
"In contrast, those people who had not been previously vaccinated with H5 vaccine, behaved as we had expected. They required 2 doses of vaccine and got good antibody responses up to 6 weeks after the first dose."
Dr Stephenson added that this was the first study to show an effective pre-pandemic vaccine approach.
The trial subjects were all recruited at the University of Leicester or University Hospitals of Leicester.
The authors:
Grazia Galli; Monia Bardelli; Carmine Malzone; Flora Castellino; Giuseppe Del Giudice; Michaela Praus; Angelika Banzhoff; Volker Brauer
Novartis Vaccines
Kathy Hancock; Joshua DeVos; Jacqueline Katz
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Katja Hoschler; Maria Zambon
Health Protection Agency
Chiara Gentile; Emanuele Montomoli
University of Siena
Teresa McNally; Karl Nicholson; Iain Stephenson
University of Leicester
Source:
Dr. Iain Stephenson
University of Leicester
Further information on Swine Flu
See a Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
See our Mexico Swine Flu Blog
понедельник, 9 мая 2011 г.
Avian Influenza Still Expanding In Africa
While avian
influenza has been successfully checked in Western Europe and much of
Southeast Asia apart from Indonesia, it is still expanding in Africa and
will remain a threat for years to come, FAO Deputy Director-General David
Harcharik told a high- level meeting of the United Nations Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva today.
"In the majority of cases, wherever HPAI [highly pathogenic avian
influenza] has made its appearance we, the global community and the
countries concerned have been able to stop it in its tracks," Mr. Harcharik
said, speaking at an ECOSOC special event meeting on bird flu.
But "HPAI poses a continuing threat and we must brace ourselves to go
on fighting it, quite likely for years," he warned. HPAI, he said, was
still a source of concern in Indonesia and continued to spread in Africa,
where it risked becoming endemic in several countries.
Mr. Harcharik cited difficulties in enforcing appropriate control
measures such as culling, farmer compensation and checks on animal
movements in African countries. Another complication was illegal trade in
poultry.
"Until such trade is effectively checked by stronger official
veterinary authorities, and until better surveillance, alert-response,
diagnostics and reporting is achieved, the risk will remain with us," Mr.
Harcharik said.
Continuing threat
Mr. Harcharik stressed it was imperative to act quickly and decisively
to stop HPAI wherever it appeared because so long as the H5N1 virus causing
HPAI stayed in circulation it would remain a threat to the international
community.
H5N1 had not so far mutated into a form transmittable from one human
being to another. But should it do so, the result could be a pandemic of
vast proportions, he said.
In the two and half years of the present avian influenza emergency,
some 200 million poultry have been culled, causing losses of 10 billion
dollars in Southeast Asia alone. At last count in early July there had been
229 human cases of H5N1 infection resulting in the deaths of 131 persons.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
fao/english/newsroom/
influenza has been successfully checked in Western Europe and much of
Southeast Asia apart from Indonesia, it is still expanding in Africa and
will remain a threat for years to come, FAO Deputy Director-General David
Harcharik told a high- level meeting of the United Nations Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) in Geneva today.
"In the majority of cases, wherever HPAI [highly pathogenic avian
influenza] has made its appearance we, the global community and the
countries concerned have been able to stop it in its tracks," Mr. Harcharik
said, speaking at an ECOSOC special event meeting on bird flu.
But "HPAI poses a continuing threat and we must brace ourselves to go
on fighting it, quite likely for years," he warned. HPAI, he said, was
still a source of concern in Indonesia and continued to spread in Africa,
where it risked becoming endemic in several countries.
Mr. Harcharik cited difficulties in enforcing appropriate control
measures such as culling, farmer compensation and checks on animal
movements in African countries. Another complication was illegal trade in
poultry.
"Until such trade is effectively checked by stronger official
veterinary authorities, and until better surveillance, alert-response,
diagnostics and reporting is achieved, the risk will remain with us," Mr.
Harcharik said.
Continuing threat
Mr. Harcharik stressed it was imperative to act quickly and decisively
to stop HPAI wherever it appeared because so long as the H5N1 virus causing
HPAI stayed in circulation it would remain a threat to the international
community.
H5N1 had not so far mutated into a form transmittable from one human
being to another. But should it do so, the result could be a pandemic of
vast proportions, he said.
In the two and half years of the present avian influenza emergency,
some 200 million poultry have been culled, causing losses of 10 billion
dollars in Southeast Asia alone. At last count in early July there had been
229 human cases of H5N1 infection resulting in the deaths of 131 persons.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
fao/english/newsroom/
воскресенье, 8 мая 2011 г.
New Quick And Cheap Bird Flu Test
Scientists in Singapore say they have invented a quick and cheap bird flu test in a hand held kit that can detect the deadly H5N1 virus in under 30
minutes.
The innovation is reported in the journal Nature Medicine and is the work of Dr Juergen Pipper and colleagues at Singapore's Institute of
Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
The device relies on two technologies. One is a microfluid platform that manipulates a droplet from a throat swab using magnetic forces that act on
paramagnetic particles in the droplet, and the other is a lab technique called real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCT).
Combined in a easy to use hand held device, the two technologies allow the scientist to take a throat swab, isolate, purify and amplify the viral RNA, and
then scan it to see if it contains H5N1.
Successful containment of a potential global bird flu pandemic will depend, said the researchers, on rapid diagnosis of the first clusters of cases. But
this would be virtually impossible in countries lacking basic public health resources, where samples would have to sent to centralized labs for testing.
A handheld device that is cheap, reliable and easy to use would enable local testing for H5N1.
The researchers concluded in their study that the "minilab" prototype is just as sensitive as the commercially available tests, about 440 per cent faster,
and between 2,000 and 5,000 per cent cheaper.
The device could also be adapted to detect HIV, Hepatitis B and SARS, wrote the scientists.
According to Bloomberg news, Pipper said in a telephone interview that the device weighs about 200 grams and is "about the size of a Rubik's cube" and a test
would cost in the region of 20 to 50 cents.
Real time PCR (RT-PCR) or quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a variation of the standard PCR method used to quantify DNA or RNA. Using a technique called "sequence
specific primers", it determines the relative number of copies of a particular DNA or RNA sequence in a sample.
The amount of amplified RNA is measured at each stage of the PCR cycle which includes melting, annealment, and extension.
The deadly strain of H5N1 bird flu is currently only passed on to humans from infected birds.
So far it has killed 200 people worldwide, and experts suggest it is only a matter of time before the virus mutates into a form that can pass from human to
human and when it does there will be a world pandemic resulting in millions of deaths.
"Catching bird flu in a droplet."
Juergen Pipper, Masafumi Inoue, Lisa F-P Ng, Pavel Neuzil, Yi Zhang, and Lukas Novak.
Nature Medicine Published online: 23 September 2007.
doi:10.1038/nm1634
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for more information about Real Time PCR Research (Ion Channel Media Group
site).
Written by: Catharine Paddock
minutes.
The innovation is reported in the journal Nature Medicine and is the work of Dr Juergen Pipper and colleagues at Singapore's Institute of
Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
The device relies on two technologies. One is a microfluid platform that manipulates a droplet from a throat swab using magnetic forces that act on
paramagnetic particles in the droplet, and the other is a lab technique called real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCT).
Combined in a easy to use hand held device, the two technologies allow the scientist to take a throat swab, isolate, purify and amplify the viral RNA, and
then scan it to see if it contains H5N1.
Successful containment of a potential global bird flu pandemic will depend, said the researchers, on rapid diagnosis of the first clusters of cases. But
this would be virtually impossible in countries lacking basic public health resources, where samples would have to sent to centralized labs for testing.
A handheld device that is cheap, reliable and easy to use would enable local testing for H5N1.
The researchers concluded in their study that the "minilab" prototype is just as sensitive as the commercially available tests, about 440 per cent faster,
and between 2,000 and 5,000 per cent cheaper.
The device could also be adapted to detect HIV, Hepatitis B and SARS, wrote the scientists.
According to Bloomberg news, Pipper said in a telephone interview that the device weighs about 200 grams and is "about the size of a Rubik's cube" and a test
would cost in the region of 20 to 50 cents.
Real time PCR (RT-PCR) or quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a variation of the standard PCR method used to quantify DNA or RNA. Using a technique called "sequence
specific primers", it determines the relative number of copies of a particular DNA or RNA sequence in a sample.
The amount of amplified RNA is measured at each stage of the PCR cycle which includes melting, annealment, and extension.
The deadly strain of H5N1 bird flu is currently only passed on to humans from infected birds.
So far it has killed 200 people worldwide, and experts suggest it is only a matter of time before the virus mutates into a form that can pass from human to
human and when it does there will be a world pandemic resulting in millions of deaths.
"Catching bird flu in a droplet."
Juergen Pipper, Masafumi Inoue, Lisa F-P Ng, Pavel Neuzil, Yi Zhang, and Lukas Novak.
Nature Medicine Published online: 23 September 2007.
doi:10.1038/nm1634
Click here for Abstract.
Click here for more information about Real Time PCR Research (Ion Channel Media Group
site).
Written by: Catharine Paddock
суббота, 7 мая 2011 г.
Indonesia Confirms 69th Human H5N1 Infection
The Ministry of Health in Indonesia has confirmed the country's 69th case of human infection with the H5N1 avian influenza virus.
The case is a 21-year-old female from East Java Province. She developed symptoms on 19 September and was hospitalized on 25 September. She remains hospitalized.
She is the sister of a confirmed H5N1 case, an 11-year-old male who died on 18 September. Following that fatal case, health authorities initiated contact tracing, and on 24 September they received reports of symptoms in the sister. In line with the national protocol, she was immediately given the antiviral drug, oseltamivir, and isolated in hospital.
The source of her infection is presently under investigation. Poultry deaths in the family's household were noted both before and during the illness of the brother. The woman was likely exposed to these poultry as well as to her brother.
Of the 69 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 52 have been fatal.
who.int
The case is a 21-year-old female from East Java Province. She developed symptoms on 19 September and was hospitalized on 25 September. She remains hospitalized.
She is the sister of a confirmed H5N1 case, an 11-year-old male who died on 18 September. Following that fatal case, health authorities initiated contact tracing, and on 24 September they received reports of symptoms in the sister. In line with the national protocol, she was immediately given the antiviral drug, oseltamivir, and isolated in hospital.
The source of her infection is presently under investigation. Poultry deaths in the family's household were noted both before and during the illness of the brother. The woman was likely exposed to these poultry as well as to her brother.
Of the 69 cases confirmed to date in Indonesia, 52 have been fatal.
who.int
пятница, 6 мая 2011 г.
Asian bird flu became highly pathogenic through continued circulation and gene swapping
Avian flu virus that caused poultry outbreaks and human deaths in East Asia since 1997 appears to have arisen in domestic ducks in southern China and continues to evolve by gene reassortment
An avian influenza virus that has caused three major outbreaks among poultry and killed several people in East Asia over the past seven years arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses. This study finding, by scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the People's Republic of China, China's Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, is published in the July 8 online edition of Nature.
Reassortment is the swapping of genes when two or more viruses infect the same animal.
The researchers say that their study of the genetic makeup of H5N1 subtypes collected since 1997 traces the evolution of the virus into a dangerous pathogen through a series of reassortment events. Results of the study indicate that domestic ducks in southern China played a key role in the generation of this virus. The H5N1 virus forced health authorities to slaughter millions of chickens in order to prevent the spread of the disease, which can quickly wipe out poultry in open-air markets and farms and spread to other flocks.
The investigators warn that outbreaks of H5N1 in East Asian poultry populations must be rapidly and effectively controlled to prevent H5N1 from evolving into a virus that causes a human pandemic, or worldwide epidemic. By cleaning up open-air markets and regularly slaughtering infected birds, Hong Kong remained free of H5N1 outbreaks in poultry during the 2004 influenza crisis, according to Robert Webster, Ph.D., member of Infectious Diseases department and holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair at St. Jude, and Richard Webby, Ph.D., also of the department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude.
"In order to reduce the ability of H5N1 to trigger another poultry epidemic, officials in East Asia must follow Hong Kong's lead," Webster said. "Otherwise, H5N1 will likely continue to infect birds and other animals and eventually could evolve into a dangerous human pathogen as well."
Webster and Webby are co-authors of the Nature report, which details genetic studies of the evolving H5N1 virus that caused the initial human outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997. The report traces the origins of the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 disease in Asian poultry that occurred in 2003 and 2004.
The researchers collected samples of the virus from poultry in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and from humans in Thailand and Vietnam. They then compared the eight genes carried by these viruses with the eight genes carried by samples of 253 H5N1 viruses collected from live poultry markets in Hong Kong and the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Hunan and Yunnan between 2000 and 2004.
The study found that H5N1 viruses occurred only in ducks during 2000, but from 2001 on, the viruses spread to chickens, too. Furthermore, the various H5N1 viruses isolated over the years all contained two genes (HA and NA) derived from the same, older virus called Goose/Guangdong/1/96. The other six genes came from various influenza viruses through reassortment. HA and NA are two proteins on the surface of flu viruses that permit the virus to infect cells and to spread from animal to animal or from person to person.
The study also showed that a specific type of H5N1 called the Z genotype, although widely entrenched in poultry in southern China, is still adapting to these birds, suggesting that these viruses will continue to evolve through mutation or reassortment to achieve greater fitness in poultry species.
In addition, the researchers found that genotype Z viruses in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia carried a specific mutation in a protein called M2, known to cause resistance to a family of antiviral drugs used to treat human influenza. The mutation also developed in some genotype B, Y and Z+ viruses.
The fact that the M2 resistance mutation is arising in different viruses suggests that it can be readily acquired, according to the researchers. If this gene were passed on to a human flu virus during reassortment in an animal infected with both avian and human influenza viruses, the resulting virus would be resistant to an important family of drugs.
In fact, the common human influenza H3N2 has been found inside pigs in southern China, according to the St. Jude researchers. If H5N1 infects a pig harboring H3N2, these two viruses might swap genes. The resulting "recombinant" virus might be particularly dangerous to humans, depending on which gene or genes it acquired.
The report in Nature also notes other indications that H5N1 could evolve into a worldwide threat to humans: the outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in Asia in 2003 and 2004 was unprecedented in its geographical range, which showed the wide reach this virus already has.
"The transmission of H5N1 to even just a relatively few people was an ominous sign that it has the potential to adapt to humans," Webster said.
A key question left unanswered by the present study is whether the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus is now being spread by wild migratory birds.
"Although these deadly viruses were isolated from dead migrating birds, we don't know if the birds are actually spreading H5N1," Webby said. "We must do further research to find out, since migratory birds could conceivably spread highly pathogenic H5N1 throughout the rest of Asia and into Europe and the Americas."
The key to preventing a human pandemic of H5N1 is the rapid and effective control of poultry infections, the St. Jude researchers say. And while this is a challenging task, the recent success of Hong Kong in avoiding H5N1 poultry outbreaks due to preventive measures taken demonstrates the wisdom of this approach.
The culling of hundreds of millions of poultry across East Asia reduced the threat of transmission of bird flu to humans, and possibly even prevented the outbreak of a human pandemic, the St. Jude researchers said. But that public health victory came at a significant cost to poultry farms. The question remaining is whether such farmers and their governments should bear this financial burden by themselves.
"If we consider H5N1 to be a global problem that could get much worse, perhaps the costs should be borne instead by the World Health Organization's global influenza program," Webster said. "The results of this study are a wake-up call for the world to provide the resources needed to prevent future outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry or to prepare for a human pandemic of a very dangerous virus."
This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, The Wellcome Trust, the Ellison Foundation, the Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong. Other authors of the report are K. S. Li (Shantou University Medical College; Guangdon, P.R. China); Y. Guan, J. Wang, K. M. Xu, L. Duan, H. Chen, J.S. M. Peiris (Shantou University and The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital; Hong Kong SAR P.R. China); G. J.D. Smith, L.L. M. Poon, K.Y. Yuen (The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital; Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China); A. P. Rahaedjo, A.T. S. Estoepangeste (Universitas Airlangga; Surabaya, Indonesia); P. Puthavathana, P. Auewarakul (Sriraj Hospital; Bangkok, Thailand); C. Buranathai and A. Chaisingh (National Institute of Animal Health; Bangkok, Thailand); H.T. Long and N.T. H. Hanh (National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology; Hanoi, Vietnam); and W. Lim (Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China).
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.
Contact: Bonnie Cameron
bonnie.cameronstjude
901-495-4815
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
An avian influenza virus that has caused three major outbreaks among poultry and killed several people in East Asia over the past seven years arose through a series of genetic reassortment events with other viruses. This study finding, by scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the People's Republic of China, China's Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, is published in the July 8 online edition of Nature.
Reassortment is the swapping of genes when two or more viruses infect the same animal.
The researchers say that their study of the genetic makeup of H5N1 subtypes collected since 1997 traces the evolution of the virus into a dangerous pathogen through a series of reassortment events. Results of the study indicate that domestic ducks in southern China played a key role in the generation of this virus. The H5N1 virus forced health authorities to slaughter millions of chickens in order to prevent the spread of the disease, which can quickly wipe out poultry in open-air markets and farms and spread to other flocks.
The investigators warn that outbreaks of H5N1 in East Asian poultry populations must be rapidly and effectively controlled to prevent H5N1 from evolving into a virus that causes a human pandemic, or worldwide epidemic. By cleaning up open-air markets and regularly slaughtering infected birds, Hong Kong remained free of H5N1 outbreaks in poultry during the 2004 influenza crisis, according to Robert Webster, Ph.D., member of Infectious Diseases department and holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair at St. Jude, and Richard Webby, Ph.D., also of the department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude.
"In order to reduce the ability of H5N1 to trigger another poultry epidemic, officials in East Asia must follow Hong Kong's lead," Webster said. "Otherwise, H5N1 will likely continue to infect birds and other animals and eventually could evolve into a dangerous human pathogen as well."
Webster and Webby are co-authors of the Nature report, which details genetic studies of the evolving H5N1 virus that caused the initial human outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997. The report traces the origins of the outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 disease in Asian poultry that occurred in 2003 and 2004.
The researchers collected samples of the virus from poultry in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and from humans in Thailand and Vietnam. They then compared the eight genes carried by these viruses with the eight genes carried by samples of 253 H5N1 viruses collected from live poultry markets in Hong Kong and the Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Hunan and Yunnan between 2000 and 2004.
The study found that H5N1 viruses occurred only in ducks during 2000, but from 2001 on, the viruses spread to chickens, too. Furthermore, the various H5N1 viruses isolated over the years all contained two genes (HA and NA) derived from the same, older virus called Goose/Guangdong/1/96. The other six genes came from various influenza viruses through reassortment. HA and NA are two proteins on the surface of flu viruses that permit the virus to infect cells and to spread from animal to animal or from person to person.
The study also showed that a specific type of H5N1 called the Z genotype, although widely entrenched in poultry in southern China, is still adapting to these birds, suggesting that these viruses will continue to evolve through mutation or reassortment to achieve greater fitness in poultry species.
In addition, the researchers found that genotype Z viruses in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia carried a specific mutation in a protein called M2, known to cause resistance to a family of antiviral drugs used to treat human influenza. The mutation also developed in some genotype B, Y and Z+ viruses.
The fact that the M2 resistance mutation is arising in different viruses suggests that it can be readily acquired, according to the researchers. If this gene were passed on to a human flu virus during reassortment in an animal infected with both avian and human influenza viruses, the resulting virus would be resistant to an important family of drugs.
In fact, the common human influenza H3N2 has been found inside pigs in southern China, according to the St. Jude researchers. If H5N1 infects a pig harboring H3N2, these two viruses might swap genes. The resulting "recombinant" virus might be particularly dangerous to humans, depending on which gene or genes it acquired.
The report in Nature also notes other indications that H5N1 could evolve into a worldwide threat to humans: the outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in Asia in 2003 and 2004 was unprecedented in its geographical range, which showed the wide reach this virus already has.
"The transmission of H5N1 to even just a relatively few people was an ominous sign that it has the potential to adapt to humans," Webster said.
A key question left unanswered by the present study is whether the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus is now being spread by wild migratory birds.
"Although these deadly viruses were isolated from dead migrating birds, we don't know if the birds are actually spreading H5N1," Webby said. "We must do further research to find out, since migratory birds could conceivably spread highly pathogenic H5N1 throughout the rest of Asia and into Europe and the Americas."
The key to preventing a human pandemic of H5N1 is the rapid and effective control of poultry infections, the St. Jude researchers say. And while this is a challenging task, the recent success of Hong Kong in avoiding H5N1 poultry outbreaks due to preventive measures taken demonstrates the wisdom of this approach.
The culling of hundreds of millions of poultry across East Asia reduced the threat of transmission of bird flu to humans, and possibly even prevented the outbreak of a human pandemic, the St. Jude researchers said. But that public health victory came at a significant cost to poultry farms. The question remaining is whether such farmers and their governments should bear this financial burden by themselves.
"If we consider H5N1 to be a global problem that could get much worse, perhaps the costs should be borne instead by the World Health Organization's global influenza program," Webster said. "The results of this study are a wake-up call for the world to provide the resources needed to prevent future outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry or to prepare for a human pandemic of a very dangerous virus."
This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, The Wellcome Trust, the Ellison Foundation, the Li Ka Shing Foundation and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong. Other authors of the report are K. S. Li (Shantou University Medical College; Guangdon, P.R. China); Y. Guan, J. Wang, K. M. Xu, L. Duan, H. Chen, J.S. M. Peiris (Shantou University and The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital; Hong Kong SAR P.R. China); G. J.D. Smith, L.L. M. Poon, K.Y. Yuen (The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital; Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China); A. P. Rahaedjo, A.T. S. Estoepangeste (Universitas Airlangga; Surabaya, Indonesia); P. Puthavathana, P. Auewarakul (Sriraj Hospital; Bangkok, Thailand); C. Buranathai and A. Chaisingh (National Institute of Animal Health; Bangkok, Thailand); H.T. Long and N.T. H. Hanh (National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology; Hanoi, Vietnam); and W. Lim (Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China).
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit stjude.
Contact: Bonnie Cameron
bonnie.cameronstjude
901-495-4815
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
четверг, 5 мая 2011 г.
NanoViricides Is On Course To Develop Bird Flu, Influenza, And Other Drugs
NanoViricides, Inc. (OTC BB: NNVC.OB), reported that they are on course with the development of nanoviricides™ drug candidates against highly pathogenic avian influenzas (HPAI) including H5N1 bird flu, and common influenza. "We are now ready to begin animal studies on H5N1 at a renowned federal agency," said Dr. Eugene Seymour, MD, MPH, CEO of the Company. Earlier, the Company had delayed these studies in search of suitable facilities. The work is expected to begin once the contracts are finalized.
Bird Flu H5N1 continues to spread over ever-widening geographic regions and is a major cause of concern for potential pandemic influenza, according to the WHO. This year so far bird flu has spread into six districts in West Bengal, India, causing 120,000 birds to be culled in just 5 days, and 194,000 people to be screened for bird-flu-like symptoms, reports Times of India on January 21, 2008. A boy died of bird flu in Indonesia, and the H5N1 virus was found as far away as a Ukrainian village of Rivne and also northern part of Iran, reports Voice of America. Various research articles have appeared which make researchers fear the virus could mutate and become significantly transmissible between humans.
There are currently no effective treatments against H5N1, or the class of pandemic threatening viruses called HPAI. "The broad-spectrum FluCide™, and the HPAI-specific FluCide-HP™, are designed using the virus's host cell-binding features that do not change even when the virus mutates," says Anil R. Diwan, Ph.D., President of the Company. This feature would potentially make these two drugs the best current treatment options for development, says the Company. Vaccines and Antibodies could lose effectiveness due to mutations. H5N1 resistance to Tamiflu® is well known, and resistance against other existing same-class (neuraminidase inhibitor) drugs such as peramivir and possibly Relenza® could occur due to virus mutations.
About NanoViricides
NanoViricides, Inc. is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide™ class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. The Company is developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including H5N1 bird flu, seasonal influenza, HIV, hepatitis C, rabies, and dengue fever, among others.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially and substantially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors. Certain statements in this release, and other written or oral statements made by NanoViricides, Inc. are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the company to be different from those expressed or implied including the success of the Company's research and development efforts, the availability of adequate financing, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies and the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, described in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis" section of the Company's Form 10-KSB and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NanoViricides
View drug information on Relenza; Tamiflu capsule.
Bird Flu H5N1 continues to spread over ever-widening geographic regions and is a major cause of concern for potential pandemic influenza, according to the WHO. This year so far bird flu has spread into six districts in West Bengal, India, causing 120,000 birds to be culled in just 5 days, and 194,000 people to be screened for bird-flu-like symptoms, reports Times of India on January 21, 2008. A boy died of bird flu in Indonesia, and the H5N1 virus was found as far away as a Ukrainian village of Rivne and also northern part of Iran, reports Voice of America. Various research articles have appeared which make researchers fear the virus could mutate and become significantly transmissible between humans.
There are currently no effective treatments against H5N1, or the class of pandemic threatening viruses called HPAI. "The broad-spectrum FluCide™, and the HPAI-specific FluCide-HP™, are designed using the virus's host cell-binding features that do not change even when the virus mutates," says Anil R. Diwan, Ph.D., President of the Company. This feature would potentially make these two drugs the best current treatment options for development, says the Company. Vaccines and Antibodies could lose effectiveness due to mutations. H5N1 resistance to Tamiflu® is well known, and resistance against other existing same-class (neuraminidase inhibitor) drugs such as peramivir and possibly Relenza® could occur due to virus mutations.
About NanoViricides
NanoViricides, Inc. is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for viral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide™ class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. The Company is developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including H5N1 bird flu, seasonal influenza, HIV, hepatitis C, rabies, and dengue fever, among others.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events could differ materially and substantially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors. Certain statements in this release, and other written or oral statements made by NanoViricides, Inc. are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the company to be different from those expressed or implied including the success of the Company's research and development efforts, the availability of adequate financing, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies and the uncertainties related to the regulatory process, described in the "Management's Discussion and Analysis" section of the Company's Form 10-KSB and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NanoViricides
View drug information on Relenza; Tamiflu capsule.
среда, 4 мая 2011 г.
Third major bird flu outbreak in two weeks in China
Chinese authorities have reported another outbreak of bird flu, the third major one in the last two weeks - this one took place in the Hunan province, central China. 545 poultry died of bird flu. Authorities have also culled another 2,500 as a precautionary measure. This outbreak follows another two, one in Mongolia and another in the Anhui province.
Health secretaries from many countries around the world met in Canada this week. Michael Levitt, the American Secretary of Health and Human Services, said we need to find a balance between informing and alarming the public. All the ministers agreed that much more research is needed to find a vaccine.
The Mexican health secretary put forward a proposal to increase production capacity of vaccines that emerge as well as any anti-viral drugs. He said, countries such as Brazil, Mexico and India can produce in large quantities and at low prices.
The European Union has introduced a ban on the import of live birds into the Union. During the last quarter, over one quarter of a million live pet birds have been imported into the EU. The EU will decide at the end of November whether to extend the ban.
At the moment the only drug that can help an infected person is Tamiflu. This drug is an antiviral, it is not a vaccine. The drug is administered to a sick patient (infected with bird flu). Health professionals are concerned that there are now cases of the virus resisting the drug. If resistance to the drug grows, all doctors can do is to increase the dosage. Tamiflu is only effective if administered to the patient early on.
Written by:
Editor:
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
Health secretaries from many countries around the world met in Canada this week. Michael Levitt, the American Secretary of Health and Human Services, said we need to find a balance between informing and alarming the public. All the ministers agreed that much more research is needed to find a vaccine.
The Mexican health secretary put forward a proposal to increase production capacity of vaccines that emerge as well as any anti-viral drugs. He said, countries such as Brazil, Mexico and India can produce in large quantities and at low prices.
The European Union has introduced a ban on the import of live birds into the Union. During the last quarter, over one quarter of a million live pet birds have been imported into the EU. The EU will decide at the end of November whether to extend the ban.
At the moment the only drug that can help an infected person is Tamiflu. This drug is an antiviral, it is not a vaccine. The drug is administered to a sick patient (infected with bird flu). Health professionals are concerned that there are now cases of the virus resisting the drug. If resistance to the drug grows, all doctors can do is to increase the dosage. Tamiflu is only effective if administered to the patient early on.
Written by:
Editor:
View drug information on Tamiflu capsule.
вторник, 3 мая 2011 г.
Examining The Avian Flu: From Pandemic Planning To Vaccine Development
The journal Respirology has launched a special supplementary issue on the avian influenza. Published by Wiley-Blackwell, the collection of papers present an inclusive insight into the threat of the avian influenza pandemic by addressing a wide range of topics including the basic biology of the virus, updates on laboratory diagnosis and influenza anti-viral, treatment options, and pandemic planning.
Philip Thompson, editor of Respirology said, "The issues of the avian influenza cut across many disciplines and involve a huge amount of understanding and cooperation within and beyond the healthcare setting. We felt that is was necessary to examine this topic in a holistic manner by looking at avian influenza from basic biology right up to the planning of a potential pandemic crisis."
The papers exploring the issue of pandemic planning look at past human infections that had resulted in severe acute pulmonary diseases and fatalities, effective management of the infection, its spectrum of clinical symptoms, the anti-virals available; as well as case studies from China and Thailand on how lessons learnt from past events such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) could be applied.
Author of the paper "Pandemic Planning: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions" Dr. Donald Low, in his examination of employing non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate the pandemic, said "Since global availability of vaccines against pandemic influenza are likely to be insufficient, attention has shifted to the use of non-pharmaceutical public health interventions to contain infection, delay spread and reduce impact of the pandemic disease." He recommends utilizing hygiene etiquette, human surveillance, case reporting, use of protective equipment, and isolation of the sick as possible preventative measures.
Associate Professor Paul Tambyah gives an update on the developments of the influenza vaccination in his paper, "Update on Influenza Vaccines" - giving an overview of the role of vaccination for pandemic influenza and the obstacles faced by the researchers in this field. He concludes that although the current system for influenza vaccine development leaves a lot to be desired, the investment flow into developing novel approaches such as reverse genetics and whole cell vaccines is in itself a good news story - possibly holding the key to successful pandemic control if rolled out in time.
Articles featured in this special supplement issue include:
- Li-Cher Loh, David S.C. Hui & Richard Beasley, "INTRODUCTION: Avian influenza: From basic biology to pandemic planning"
- Tomothy M. Uyeki, "Global epidemiology of human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses"
- David S. C. Hui, "Review of clinical symptoms and spectrum in humans with influenza A/H5N1 infection"
- John M. Nicholls & J.S. Malik Peiris, "Avian influenza: Update on pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis"
- Paul A. Tambyah, "Update on influenza anti-virals"
- David S. C. Hui, "Influenza A/H5N1 infection: Other treatment options and issues"
- Curtis N. Sessler & Niclae D. Gray, "Intensive care management of life-threatening avian influenza A (H5N1)"
- Nan-Shan Zhong & Guang-Qiao Zeng, "Pandemic planning in China: Applying lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome"
- Supamit Chunsuttiwat, "Response to avian influenza and preparedness for pandemic influenza: Thailand's experience"
- Paul A. Tambyah, "Update on influenza vaccines"
- Donald E. Low, "Pandemic planning: Non-pharmaceutical interventions"
About Respirology
Respirology is a journal of international standing, publishing peer-reviewed articles of scientific excellence in clinical and experimental respiratory biology and disease and its related fields of research including thoracic surgery, internal medicine, immunology, intensive and critical care, epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology. blackwell-synergy/toc/res/13/s1
About Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit blackwellpublishing or interscience.wiley.
About Wiley
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Since 1901, Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 350 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology/Medicine, Chemistry and Peace.
Our core businesses include scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional/trade publishes books, subscription products, training materials, and online applications and websites; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at wiley. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.
Wiley
Philip Thompson, editor of Respirology said, "The issues of the avian influenza cut across many disciplines and involve a huge amount of understanding and cooperation within and beyond the healthcare setting. We felt that is was necessary to examine this topic in a holistic manner by looking at avian influenza from basic biology right up to the planning of a potential pandemic crisis."
The papers exploring the issue of pandemic planning look at past human infections that had resulted in severe acute pulmonary diseases and fatalities, effective management of the infection, its spectrum of clinical symptoms, the anti-virals available; as well as case studies from China and Thailand on how lessons learnt from past events such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) could be applied.
Author of the paper "Pandemic Planning: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions" Dr. Donald Low, in his examination of employing non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate the pandemic, said "Since global availability of vaccines against pandemic influenza are likely to be insufficient, attention has shifted to the use of non-pharmaceutical public health interventions to contain infection, delay spread and reduce impact of the pandemic disease." He recommends utilizing hygiene etiquette, human surveillance, case reporting, use of protective equipment, and isolation of the sick as possible preventative measures.
Associate Professor Paul Tambyah gives an update on the developments of the influenza vaccination in his paper, "Update on Influenza Vaccines" - giving an overview of the role of vaccination for pandemic influenza and the obstacles faced by the researchers in this field. He concludes that although the current system for influenza vaccine development leaves a lot to be desired, the investment flow into developing novel approaches such as reverse genetics and whole cell vaccines is in itself a good news story - possibly holding the key to successful pandemic control if rolled out in time.
Articles featured in this special supplement issue include:
- Li-Cher Loh, David S.C. Hui & Richard Beasley, "INTRODUCTION: Avian influenza: From basic biology to pandemic planning"
- Tomothy M. Uyeki, "Global epidemiology of human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses"
- David S. C. Hui, "Review of clinical symptoms and spectrum in humans with influenza A/H5N1 infection"
- John M. Nicholls & J.S. Malik Peiris, "Avian influenza: Update on pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis"
- Paul A. Tambyah, "Update on influenza anti-virals"
- David S. C. Hui, "Influenza A/H5N1 infection: Other treatment options and issues"
- Curtis N. Sessler & Niclae D. Gray, "Intensive care management of life-threatening avian influenza A (H5N1)"
- Nan-Shan Zhong & Guang-Qiao Zeng, "Pandemic planning in China: Applying lessons from severe acute respiratory syndrome"
- Supamit Chunsuttiwat, "Response to avian influenza and preparedness for pandemic influenza: Thailand's experience"
- Paul A. Tambyah, "Update on influenza vaccines"
- Donald E. Low, "Pandemic planning: Non-pharmaceutical interventions"
About Respirology
Respirology is a journal of international standing, publishing peer-reviewed articles of scientific excellence in clinical and experimental respiratory biology and disease and its related fields of research including thoracic surgery, internal medicine, immunology, intensive and critical care, epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology. blackwell-synergy/toc/res/13/s1
About Wiley-Blackwell
Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit blackwellpublishing or interscience.wiley.
About Wiley
Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has been a valued source of information and understanding for 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Since 1901, Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 350 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology/Medicine, Chemistry and Peace.
Our core businesses include scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, encyclopedias, books, and online products and services; professional/trade publishes books, subscription products, training materials, and online applications and websites; and educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's Web site can be accessed at wiley. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols JWa and JWb.
Wiley
Подписаться на:
Комментарии (Atom)