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) – 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) – Egypt reported five H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in October, and the latest disease surveillance from Indonesia suggests that the highest incidence is in Bali, where three human fatal infections were recently reported, according to an overview from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

(CIDRAP News) – Influenza activity in the Southern Hemisphere has mostly returned to off-season levels, with only a few countries in tropical regions reporting significant activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – A few of the world's tropical countries are reporting active flu transmission, as the flu season continues in Australia and New Zealand, though activity is declining, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.