Mar 26, 2010
WHO: Flu activity up in Central, South America
Pandemic activity may be increasing across Central America and in some parts of South America, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today. Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, and parts of Brazil have reported increasing pandemic flu detections. Mexico is seeing more respiratory illnesses, though it's not clear if flu is the cause. Flu activity hasn't peaked in West Africa, though it is subsiding in Thailand. European countries are increasingly reporting influenza B.
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2010_03_26/en/index.html
Mar 26 WHO weekly update
Review calls nondrug steps effective against flu
After assessing 11 CDC-funded studies on the effect of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on pandemic flu, a committee has determined that "evidence exists of the effectiveness of NPIs, including face masks, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, reduced crowding, and school closures, in reducing the spread of influenza." The group, however, identified 16 research gaps, including the role of transmission modalities, implication of viral load, clinical definitions, and barriers to implementing NPIs.
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/4/e2.htm?rss
Mar 26 Emerg Infect Dis report
China eases flu ban on US pork
China lifted its flu-related ban on US pork, a move welcomed by American pork producers, the Associated Press (AP) reported today. Several countries restricted US pork imports last spring when the pandemic H1N1 virus emerged in Mexico and the United States, but China was the last country to end its ban. Industry experts said shipments to China could resume within 2 weeks.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/nationworld/sns-ap-us-food-and-farm-pork-exports,0,7831409.story
Mar 26 AP story
Japan cancels part of vaccine order
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced today that it has reached agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to cancel a third of its H1N1 vaccine order, or 24 million surplus doses. It is also working to cancel part of a 25-million-dose vaccine order from Novartis, according to Kyodo News. Of the 99 million doses Japan had ordered from the two companies, about 50 million have been shipped.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-cancels-part-of-flu-vaccine-deal-with-glaxosmithkline
Mar 26 Kyodo News article
