Pandemic Influenza

(CIDRAP News) – Though pandemic flu activity stayed stable in most parts of the world, Chile is reporting new detections of the pandemic virus in at least three regions in advance of the start of its flu season, with other hot spots occurring in Bangladesh and parts of Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday reported moderately active pandemic influenza activity in parts of the tropical regions of Asia, the Americas, and Africa, as well as influenza B activity in much of East Asia.

(CIDRAP News) – Public health officials are so concerned by an uptick of serious cases of H1N1 flu in the southeastern United States that they called a short-notice press briefing today to urge Americans to be vaccinated against the pandemic strain.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today said it is in the final stages of putting together an independent committee to review its preparation for and response to the H1N1 pandemic, a group of about 29 experts that will meet for the first time in the middle of April.

(CIDRAP News) – With pandemic flu activity declining over the past few months, businesses have a chance to retool some of their response plans, while many grapple with issues such as protective equipment shelf life and how to protect employees when pandemic or seasonal flu returns, corporate executives said today at a webinar.

(CIDRAP News) – Structural similarities between the pandemic flu viruses of 1918 and 2009 may explain older adults' apparent immunity to the newer virus, two scientific teams report today in two journals. Their results may also explain how pandemic viruses evolve into seasonal viruses, and could point the way toward development of future pandemic vaccines.

(CIDRAP News) – Researchers from India's National Institute of Virology (NIV) yesterday announced that they detected a small mutation in pandemic H1N1 virus in samples from three patients, fueling speculation that it may be the same change that surfaced in two Dutch patients last fall.

(CIDRAP News) – Though pandemic flu is circulating at low levels in many parts of the world, Thailand and some West African nations are reporting increased activity, and the virus is being edged out by influenza B in China and other Asian regions, with signs of westward spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – European countries won't likely experience another wave of pandemic H1N1 influenza cases this spring and summer, though the virus will probably continue to circulate and be the region's dominant strain for the next flu season, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said today.

Mar 4, 2010