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
