Vietnam reported small outbreaks of H5N1 and H5N6 avian flu in backyard poultry flocks, according to reports posted yesterday by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), while Hong Kong officials said they had detected an H5 avian flu virus in a dead Oriental magpie robin.
Global measles deaths have dropped 79% in the past 15 years, and the measles vaccine saved an estimated 17.1 million people in that span, but vaccine uptake has stagnated in recent years, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
Flu vaccination might alleviate symptoms of the H3N2 influenza strain, according to a small study in Vaccine.
US military researchers studied 155 patients with lab-confirmed flu from five military hospitals from 2009 through 2014. Of them, 66 had H3N2 flu, while 69 had 2009 H1N1, 3 had influenza A that wasn't subtyped, and 17 had influenza B. The vaccination rate was 72% (111 patients).
The Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH) yesterday confirmed that the number of locally acquired cases of dengue fever has increased by 4 since Nov 6, to 27, with potential exposure areas all across the big island of Hawaii.
A prescription cream used to treat skin disorders applied before flu vaccine appears to increase immune response in young adults, even against drifted strains not included in the vaccine, a small study yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found.
A survey designed to assess flu and pertussis vaccination patterns and attitudes in women who recently delivered babies found that both moms' vaccination and recommendations from obstetricians were linked to infant vaccine cocooning.
A 7-year study of naturally acquired flu infections revealed that viral shedding mirrors the clinical profile for influenza A infections, but not influenza B. A research group based in Hong Kong—where the study took place—published its findings Oct 30 in an early online issue Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Two studies show that the cholesterol drugs may blunt immune response to flu vaccine in seniors.
Two drug manufacturers—MedImmune and Sanofi Pasteur—have reported delays in shipping quadrivalent (four-strain) flu vaccines, including the nasal spray, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) doesn't anticipate an overall shortage for the season, USA Today reported today.
A study of hospital admission for severe acute respiratory infections (SARIs) in military personnel found that recent flu vaccination lowered the risk of severe disease, while occupational factors and comorbidities may increase SARI risk, according to findings yesterday in Vaccine.
