News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – The swine-origin H1N2 virus found in three Minnesotans last week carries the matrix gene from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus, marking the first time such a virus has been found in humans, according to state and federal health officials.

(CIDRAP News) – Phone-based flu lines that operated during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic increased public flu knowledge, may have prevented unnecessary 911 calls and visits to health facilities, and eased access to antivirals when appropriate, a recent report found.

(CIDRAP News) – Flu is circulating at low levels in the United States, with the 2009 H1N1 virus appearing sporadically along with H3N2 and influenza B strains, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its first official surveillance report of the new season.

This is the third in a series of reports marking the first anniversary of novel H1N1 pandemic influenza. The first and second articles appeared on Apr 23 and Apr 26.

(CIDRAP News) – Some of the nation's emergency departments are noting increases in flu-like illness cases that appear to be pandemic H1N1, and colleges are reporting the first increase in flu-like illness since the end of November, but it's not clear if these are early signs of a third pandemic flu wave.

(CIDRAP News) – In the wake of the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) today took the long-discussed step of recommending seasonal flu immunizations for nearly everyone, leaving out only small babies.

(CIDRAP News) – In a worrisome but not unexpected pandemic-related development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today that it is seeing a spike in serious pneumococcal disease, particularly in younger patients.