News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – In the influenza literature, it's a given that ferrets are the best animal model for influenza in humans. They show similar clinical signs of disease, such as fever, coughing, and sneezing, and flu viruses that spread among humans usually spread in ferrets as well.

(CIDRAP News) – The use of statins—widely used lipid-control drugs—was associated with a 41% lower death rate in patients who were hospitalized with influenza, according to a surveillance study from the 2007-08 flu season that spanned 10 states.

(CIDRAP News) – Novartis's new cell-culture based influenza vaccine factory in North Carolina has begun making a prepandemic H5N1 flu vaccine and is ready to start producing vaccines for a real pandemic when needed, the company and federal health officials announced yesterday.

The facility in Holly Springs, N.C., billed as the first of its kind in the United States, was dedicated yesterday after a long testing process.

(CIDRAP News) – A group of health organizations today launched a new international consortium to better prepare the clinical research community to respond to the next pandemic or other emerging health threat.

(CIDRAP News) – The United Kingdom today released an update of its flu pandemic plan, which for the first time addresses three varying levels of impact.

The revision updates the region's 2007 plan, and many of the changes revolve around lessons learned during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the latest scientific evidence, the Department of Health said in a press release.