Posted by admin! / Under Flu Test
This has been a flu season like few others. Normally at this time of year, influenza is rampant in the U.S., prompting hundreds of thousands of people to stay home in the dead of winter with fever, aches and pains. Now, after raging through college campuses and communities last summer and fall, cases of the new H1N1 swine flu virus have dwindled to a trickle, and run-of-the-mill seasonal flu has barely made an appearance. Not one state reported widespread flu illness to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the week ended Feb. 20, the latest data available. The...
Published on Monday 8th of March 2010 02:14:25 PM
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Posted by admin! / Under Flu Test
Genetic interactions between avian H5N1 influenza and human seasonal influenza viruses have the potential to create hybrid strains combining the virulence of bird flu with the pandemic ability of H1N1, according to a new study. In laboratory experiments in mice, a single gene segment from a human seasonal flu virus, H3N2, was able to convert the avian H5N1 virus into a highly pathogenic form. The findings are reported the week of Feb. 22 in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Some hybrids between H5N1 virus and seasonal influenza viruses were more pathogenic than...
Published on Monday 8th of March 2010 02:14:25 PM
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Posted by admin! / Under Flu Test
A key U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee recommended today that protection against the 2009 H1N1 virus, which was first identified last April, be included in the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine starting this fall. That means that, barring some unforeseen circumstance, this fall, most Americans will be able to return to the traditional routine of having one flu vaccine to protect them against the major circulating flu viruses. As is always the case with seasonal vaccine, younger children who have never had a seasonal vaccine will still need two doses.
Published on Monday 8th of March 2010 02:14:25 PM
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Posted by admin! / Under Flu Test
All the animal-inspired influenzas that have been cropping up recently bring to mind many important questions. Which flu strain will cause the next pandemic? Should I invest in at least a dozen N95 respirators for each person in my household? Is leaving my dorm room a bad idea? But the most pressing question is clearly the following: if a pig and a bird challenged one another in a cage match, who would emerge victorious? Let’s examine the strengths and weaknesses of each opponent so that we can make an informed decision. Pig’s strengths: Brain larger than bird’s Can bribe...
Published on Monday 8th of March 2010 02:14:25 PM
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