News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – New seasonal flu viruses can launch from one of many world urban centers, not just from tropical areas in Southeast and East Asia, as previously thought, a research group reported yesterday.

Ju1 1, 2011

(CIDRAP News) – More signals suggest the Southern Hemisphere's flu season is winding down, while activity is low at the start of the Northern Hemisphere's flu season, except in China, which is seeing moderate H3N2 circulation.

(CIDRAP News) – Flu activity is showing a late-season flourish in some parts of the Southern Hemisphere, such as Chile, where levels in some areas exceed last year's pandemic peak, and in parts of Australia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its most rent influenza update.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today said pandemic and seasonal flu activity across the globe is low, but said activity is increasing in some parts of the Southern Hemisphere, with significant action still occurring in certain tropical areas, such as India.

(CIDRAP News) – BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. reported encouraging results this week in two phase 2 trials of its injectable antiviral drug, peramivir, a potential new treatment for influenza.

Peramivir is a neuraminidase inhibitor, like the licensed antivirals oseltamivir (Tamiflu), which is taken orally, and zanamivir (Relenza), inhaled as a powder.