Scientists in China have developed an H7N9 influenza vaccine that is now ready for pilot testing, according to a story today in the South China Morning Post.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today published a broad look at flu vaccine coverage patterns over five recent seasons—based on an analysis of eight different surveillance tools—that showed significant gains in both kids and adults. Coverage levels for all age and risk groups, however, are well below the Healthy People (HP) 2020 goal of 70% for children and adults and 90% for healthcare providers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed China's latest H7N9 influenza case, in a 67-year-old farmer from Zhejiang province, and said the man is in critical condition.
The WHO said the patient, whose case was reported by the media yesterday, had contact with poultry. He got sick on Oct 16, was admitted to local hospital 2 days later, and was transferred to another hospital on Oct 21 as his condition worsened.
China has reported its second case of H7N9 avian flu in a week, according to a story today from Xinhua, China's state news agency.
The Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the virus in a 67-year-old Zhejiang man. Last week a 35-year-old man from the same province was confirmed to have the disease.
An 8-year-old girl in Cambodia has become the country's 21st H5N1 avian flu case-patient this year, according to a detailed statement today from Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) and the World Health Organization's (WHO's) Western Pacific Region.
A 61-year-old man in Qatar is being treated for a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, according to a Qatar News Agency report today. The report marks the country's sixth case.
Qatar's Supreme Council of Health said the man, who has chronic illnesses, is being treated and is in stable condition, according to the story.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed an H7N9 avian flu case in a 35-year-old man from Zhejian province that was reported yesterday by Chinese health officials and also confirmed a death in a previously reported H7N9 patient.
In addition, the organization said that three patients remain hospitalized with the disease. Its global H7N9 count now stands at 136 cases and 45 deaths.
Vietnam's agriculture ministry yesterday reported an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in ducks in chickens at village in Hoa Binh province, according to a report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The virus killed 370 of 1,175 susceptible birds, and the remaining 805 birds were destroyed to control the spread of the virus.
A man from Zhejiang province is in critical condition with H7N9 flu, the first case in 2 months.
At a malaria conference in South Africa today, researchers reported more promising findings for a vaccine that is furthest along in development, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) officials said they now intend to submit a regulatory application for it to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2014, according to a company press release.
