Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

CDC: 9 more H3N2v cases reported in Maryland, Michigan

In its latest weekly FluView report today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it has received reports of nine more variant H3N2 (H3N2v) influenza cases, eight from Maryland and one from Michigan, its first of the year.

New MERS case found in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a new case of MERS-CoV today.

The patient is a 72-year-old man from Tabuk, a city in northwestern Saudi Arabia near the Jordanian border. He presented with symptoms of MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) infection and is in stable condition. The man had direct contact with camels, a known risk factor for contracting MERS.

H5N6 strikes again in Vietnam; H7N7 found South Korea

Animal health officials in Vietnam have detected a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu outbreak in poultry, and South Korean authorities have found the H7N7 strain in wild bird droppings at a location in the south, according to media reports flagged by Avian Flu Diary, an infectious disease news blog.

New avian flu outbreaks reported in France, Switzerland

In the latest avian flu developments, France reported a low-pathogenic H5N3 outbreak at a turkey farm and Switzerland detected highly pathogenic H5N8 in a pair of wild swans, according to new notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Swine influenza found in more Maryland fair pigs; more human cases noted

State and county health officials in Maryland are investigating influenza in 11 pigs that were recently shown at a fair in Frederick County, the second time flu has been detected at the state's county fairs in as many weeks.

New case of MERS-CoV found in United Arab Emirates 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported a new case of MERS-CoV to the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a WHO update yesterday.

A 78-year-old man from Al Ain was hospitalized on Aug 11 with symptoms of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection. The man was not a healthcare worker, but no other details of his exposure or risk factors were available at this time.

NIH awards $5.8 million for development of next-generation H7N9 vaccine

EpiVax, Inc., a vaccine development and immune engineering company based in Providence, R.I., yesterday announced it is part of collaboration supported by a $5.8 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a new type of vaccine against H7N9 avian influenza.

Italy's chikungunya outbreak spreads to Rome; more cases noted in Americas

Italy has now confirmed 14 cases of locally acquired chikungunya, 6 of them in Rome, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Sep 15 statement.

New H7N9 avian flu case reported in northeastern China

Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today reported a new case of H7N9 avian flu in Liaoning province, further evidence that the virus has not disappeared during the summer.

Study says type of flu shot women received in 2009-10 didn't affect birth outcomes

Pregnant women who received the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine in 2009 or 2010 were no more likely to have adverse birth outcomes than women who received the seasonal flu shot at the time, according to a study published yesterday in Vaccine.