H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Pandemic response, antivirals and secondary transmission, activity in New Zealand

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Jul 8, 2010

WHO official rates global pandemic response
Public health officials generally responded well to H1N1 pandemic flu but can improve in several areas, according to the WHO's European regional director, Zsuzsanna Jakab. She said officials "contained" the pandemic through "intensive activity" but need to improve in three areas: flexibility to scale activity to pandemic severity, integrated communication, and better WHO coordination of antiviral and vaccine efforts. She also said the WHO may declare a post-pandemic phase this month.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/who-europe-chief-flu-pandemic-was-handled-well-interview-496104
Jul 8 EurActiv interview

Study finds antivirals help reduce transmission
A recent study found that households using antiviral drugs for pandemic flu lowered overall transmission rates even though levels of adult-to-child transmission remained relatively high. Dutch researchers studied 47 households early in the pandemic whose index case (the first sick member) and all household contacts took oseltamivir within 24 hours after detection of the index case. Though they found a low secondary attack rate (0.075), the attack rate from an adult to a child under 12 was 0.35.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011442
Jul 7 PLoS ONE study

Flu continues to rise in New Zealand
Flu activity in New Zealand continues to increase but is at the level usually seen this time of year and is still below baseline, the country's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported today. Weekly general practice visits for flu-like illness were 27.5 patients per 100,000 population; baseline is 50. Of 17 viruses typed, 13 were pandemic H1N1, 3 influenza A not subtyped (likely pandemic H1N1), and 1 influenza B. The country has had 4 H1N1 patients treated in intensive care this year and 1 death.
http://www.surv.esr.cri.nz/PDF_surveillance/Virology/FluWeekRpt/2010/FluWeekRpt201026.pdf
Jul 8 New Zealand MOH report

This week's top reads

  1. FDA significantly limits COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

    Critics said today’s announcement is more evidence of the current administration’s willingness to undermine public trust in vaccines.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    FDA building

  2. USDA suspends southern border livestock imports over New World screwworm threat

    As cattle detections track northward, Mexico recently reported its first human case.

    Lisa Schnirring
    screwworm larva

  3. Meta-analysis: Zika-infected pregnant moms 4 times more likely to have babies with microcephaly

    Five of 22 studies noted that over 50% of newborns had microcephaly, and the same number of studies observed that over 5% had congenital Zika syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom

  4. Woman dies of Creutzfeldt-Jakob almost 50 years after taking prion-contaminated growth hormone

    The patient, who presented with gait imbalance and tremors, wasn't diagnosed until she was in a coma, shortly before she died.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Woman in hospital bed

  5. HHS expected to discontinue COVID vaccine recommendations for some groups

    When CDC advisers widened their recommendation in 2023, most members were swayed by data, including those for long COVID, showing that no group is at low risk for the virus.

    Lisa Schnirring

  6. Data suggest COVID-19 reinfections less likely to cause long COVID

    The risk of long COVID was two to three times higher after the initial infection (14.8%) than after first (5.8%) or second (5.3%) reinfections.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    LONG COID

  7. WHO advisers say current strains OK for COVID vaccine production

    Current vaccine strains show high neutralization against the latest variants, but the LP.8.1 antigen may provide similar or moderately higher cross-reactive antibody response.

    Lisa Schnirring
    senior vaccination

  8. Texas announces more measles cases, including first in Dallas area

    Two cases near the Dallas area are now included in the large outbreak, which now totals 717 cases.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. US measles outbreak grows to 1,024 cases

    Texas remains the country's hot spot, with 718 cases. 

    Chris Dall
    Doctor treating child with measles

  10. Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster

    Since 2023, the country has ramped up MERS-CoV testing as part of sentinel surveillance.

    Lisa Schnirring
    hospital isolation

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