News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – So far Southern Hemisphere countries have seen low levels of flulike illnesses during their flu season, with the pandemic H1N1 virus predominant in Chile, Australia, and New Zealand; in addition, a few other places in the world, such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore, are reporting active transmission of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – Pandemic flu activity remained low in most parts of the world, though some areas such as Caribbean countries continued to see active transmission, with increased activity reported in a few areas, including Colombia and parts of India, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – In a bird's eye view of pandemic H1N1 seroprevalence studies published so far, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today the reports consistently show older people had partial protection and that infection rates were higher in younger people, but it's too soon to estimate a global attack rate.

(CIDRAP News) – When the H1N1 pandemic influenza began hitting Singapore's military forces last summer, health officials largely arrested its spread by giving oseltamivir to everyone in the affected units, in combination with other preventive steps, according to a report released today.

(CIDRAP News) – Low levels of flu activity across the United States resemble a summer pattern, while globally only sporadic pandemic flu activity is occurring with the most active areas in parts of the Caribbean and Central America, according to updates today.

(CIDRAP News) – About one in every eight residents of Singapore became infected with novel H1N1 influenza during the 2009 pandemic's main wave there, according to blood sampling done as the outbreak proceeded, with higher infection rates among members of the military and much lower ones among healthcare workers.