May 18, 2010
CDC updates summer camp flu guidance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday updated its flu guidance for the summer camp season. Based on sporadic activity, officials expect to see less flu at summer camps this year, though the CDC says vaccination, especially for high-risk people, is the best way to prevent camp-related outbreaks. Antivirals are recommended only for high-risk patients who have been exposed to flu, and the CDC said camps should maintain hand hygiene and other cleaning measures.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/camp.htm
May 17 CDC recommendations
Australia sees uptick in flu-like illness
Australia's most recent surveillance data show that community levels of influenza-like illness have increased, but that few of the cases are due to influenza. Instead, respiratory syncytial virus was the most common lab confirmation for the week ending May 7. Of the 557 confirmed flu cases this year, 12% have been pandemic H1N1, 75% unspecified type A influenza (most likely pandemic H1N1), 1% A/H3N2, and 10% type B. Sentinel sites reported two recent hospitalizations, both due to type B flu.
http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf/Content/ozflu2010-apr-jun-pdf-cnt.htm/$File/ozflu-no18-2010.pdf
May 17 Australian government update
ACIP vaccine-priority guidelines reinforced
Using a computer simulation model, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, determined that allocating limited pandemic vaccine first to at-risk patients proved effective. The study, which looked at vaccination distribution in the greater Washington, DC, area, compared a policy of vaccinating children (high transmitters) first, versus the at-risk-first policy of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
http://tinyurl.com/vaccine051610h1n1vax
May 16 Vaccine study
Study shows tell-tale heart findings
A review of 28 pandemic H1N1 patients hospitalized for at least 24 hours showed that an elevated heart rate and certain echocardiographic findings may indicate novel H1N1 infection. Compared with controls, the H1N1 patients showed higher left ventricular end-systolic dimension as well as decreased early diastolic velocity and increased late diastolic velocity, which means they also had a significantly decreased early diastolic/late diastolic velocity ratio, among other findings.
http://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453%2810%2900126-X/abstract
May 17 J Infect abstract
Study finds cross-reactivity between H1N1, swine strains
Whether through vaccination or infection, pigs show cross-reactivity between pandemic H1N1 and various strains of swine-specific influenza strains, according to a letter in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Researchers inoculated swine with a pandemic H1N1 vaccine, as well as antigen from four different H1N1 strains of influenza found in swine (from 1976, 1980, 1992, and 2003). They also infected the animals with the 2003 strain. Blood draws showed cross-reactivity to all subtypes.
http://tinyurl.com/eid051710swine
May 17 Emerg Infect Dis report
