Dead aristocrat may hold key to bird flu

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Bird flu still a mystery...

After 10 years, bird flu still baffles scientists
Thurs., Dec. 27, 2007 - H5N1 virus part of daily life in many countries, but much remains unknown

Baffled scientists first watched a mysterious virus called H5N1 jump from birds to humans a decade ago in Hong Kong, killing six people and forcing the territory to slaughter its entire poultry population. It quieted for a while, but resurfaced in 2003 with even more questions. Bird flu has since spread to more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East, killing at least 211 people along with hundreds of millions of birds. Pakistan and Myanmar reported their first human infections earlier this month. Indonesia, the world's hardest-hit country, reported its 94th death Wednesday while Vietnam and Egypt also logged a death each the same day.

In stricken places like Vietnam, people have learned to live with the disease. Children are taught about bird flu in elementary school, and the nation's poultry is vaccinated twice a year. But much about the H5N1 virus remains unknown. Experts are still puzzled by its ability to spread and kill. They also do not understand why it infects only a few people, and fear it could morph into a new form that spreads easily among humans, potentially sparking a pandemic that kills millions and cripples national economies.

"It doesn't cease to amaze me that every week or every day we learn something new about this virus," said Juan Lubroth, an animal health expert at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. "From the very beginning we've been saying that no poultry producing country is safe from this disease."

Migration mystery

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Tamiflu-Resistant Flu Spreads in US...

WHO Reports Tamiflu-Resistant Flu in U.S. and Canada
Feb 1, 2008 - Mutant Strain Threatens to Breach First Line of Pandemic Defense

The main flu virus circulating in the United States and Canada has shown "elevated resistance" to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, in line with findings in parts of Europe, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. The United Nations agency said it was too early to know what potential there may be for increased Tamiflu resistance in H5N1 avian influenza. It did not change its recommendation that Tamiflu be used to treat human cases of bird flu. A number of governments have been stockpiling Tamiflu, made by Switzerland's Roche Holding Ag and Gilead Sciences Inc of the United States, for use as a first line of defense in case bird flu sparks a human influenza pandemic.

The WHO said it was investigating the extent of resistance worldwide to Tamiflu, known generically as oseltamivir, in some seasonal H1N1 flu viruses that have a mutation making them "highly resistant." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a five percent prevalence of resistance to Tamiflu in samples of H1N1 virus tested to date. In Canada, 8 out of 81 samples showed resistance -- more than a 10 percent resistance rate, WHO spokeswoman Sari Setiogi said. "These preliminary data indicate that oseltamivir resistance in H1N1 viruses is geographically variable but not limited to Europe," the WHO said in a statement.

A preliminary survey issued by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) this week said that of 148 samples of influenza A virus isolated from 10 European countries during November and December, 19 showed signs of resistance to Tamiflu. Of 16 samples from Norway, 12 tested positive for resistance against Tamiflu, according to the ECDC study. The new "elevated resistance to oseltamivir" appears limited to seasonal H1N1 viruses, and does not involve H3N2 or influenza B viruses which are also circulating, the WHO said.

More ABC News: Tamiflu-Resistant Flu Spreads in U.S.

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Eleven States See Widespread Flu Outbreaks
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2008 - CDC Says One Minor Strain Has Emerged That Is Not Targeted By This Year's Vaccine

Flu season is in full swing, with wide outbreaks in 11 states - and a new strain is starting to emerge that this year's vaccine doesn't specifically target, the government's public health chief said Friday. People still should get their flu shot, and there's plenty available, Dr. Julie Gerberding, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press. So far, the majority of flu cases are being caused by strains that are a good match to the vaccine - and it should provide some cross-protection against the new bug, too, Gerberding stressed.

"We're still very optimistic" about the protection, Gerberding said. "If people haven't gotten their flu shot, it really is still not too late." Every year, the flu infects up to 20 percent of the population, causes the hospitalization of 200,000 people and kills 36,000. Flu is a virus, but it can make its victims vulnerable to bacterial infections, in the lungs or the bloodstream, at the same time. Children are at particular risk, and the CDC this week sent an alert to doctors to watch for young flu victims who might also have such bacterial infections as the notorious drug-resistant staph known as MRSA.

Last year, the CDC learned of 73 children who died from flu, and 44 percent of them had a bacterial co-infection - mostly staph. Compared to earlier years, that's a five-fold increase in staph piggybacking on kids' flu. While the CDC's newest flu report lists one child death so far this year, Gerberding wanted to be sure that doctors test for staph in any child with a suspicious illness "because these bacteria need special treatment, and we want to make sure they get that right therapy."

MORE

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Granny says, "Prayin' for good health helps...

Flu vaccine may not provide enough protection
Fri., Feb. 8, 2008 WASHINGTON - Officials question influenza shot as number of U.S. flu cases increase

The influenza vaccine given to Americans may not protect as well as expected, U.S. health officials said on Friday as the number of flu cases increased nationwide. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said slightly more than half of the influenza virus strains reported to its surveillance system are not good matches against the strains included in this flu season’s vaccine.

The number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped to 31 this week compared with 11 a week ago, the CDC said. But Dr. Joe Bresee of the CDC’s influenza division said there are no indications this flu season is worse than usual. “Seasonal flu activity was slow to start this year but has increased sharply in recent weeks,” Bresee told reporters.

One measure officials use to gauge the severity of the season is the number of flu-related child deaths. Bresee said the CDC has heard of six U.S. children who have died from the flu, a relatively low number compared with recent years. Flu viruses mutate and change all the time, so every year a different vaccine is created as officials predict which particular strains will circulate.

More Flu vaccine may not provide enough protection - Cold and flu - MSNBC.com

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No more colds, no more flu?...

Virus immunity 'created in lab'
Thursday, 14 February 2008, Scientists find a way to make cells effectively immune to flu and other viruses.

The process cannot be carried out in human cells - but it could potentially aid the development of effective new anti-viral therapies. It works by stimulating production of the protein interferon, the cell's first line of defence against viruses.

The study, led by Canada's McGill University, appears in Nature. "If we might now have the means to develop a new therapy to fight flu, the potential is huge" - Dr Nahum Sonenberg, McGill University

The varying forms of the flu virus have killed millions of people down the years, and scientists are concerned that the H5N1 strain of the virus, which currently is overwhelmingly a disease of birds, could mutate to pose a grave threat to human populations across the globe.

Other viruses, such as Sars, have also sparked global health alerts in recent years. The researchers knocked out two key genes in mice that repress production of interferon.

Brakes off

[waltky]

Tamiflu side-effect...

Tamiflu causes abnormal behaviour
March 05, 2008 - US regulators and Roche Holding AG have warned doctors of psychiatric events, some of which resulted in death, in patients taking flu drug Tamiflu, regulators said overnight.

Drugmaker Roche wrote a letter, dated February 2008, to health professionals advising them of a recent update to the Tamiflu label, according to a notice posted on the US Food and Drug Administration's website. The revised label includes a new description of reports of delirium and other abnormal behaviour, with some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, the letter said.

The previous language did not mention any deaths. The new label says the cases "appear to be uncommon" and "the contribution of Tamiflu to these events has not been established". The company said the revisions reflect recommendations made in November 2007 by an FDA advisory panel that reviewed the cases, which have been seen mostly in Japan.

"The changes to the label reflect observations from a growing body of data, which shows no evidence of a causal relationship between Tamiflu and the reported adverse events," Roche said. The new label also notes influenza itself can be associated with various psychiatric problems.

More Tamiflu causes abnormal behaviour | NEWS.com.au

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China got bird flu vaccine...

Human bird flu vaccine approved
April 03, 2008 - BEIJING has given the go-ahead to a Chinese drugmaker to begin large-scale production of a human bird flu vaccine, after a second clinical trial showed the vaccine was safe and effective, the company said today.

The vaccine uses an inactivated whole H5N1 virus from Vietnam, said an official for Sinovac Biotech, which jointly developed the vaccine with China's Centres for Disease Control. "We finished our second trial in November. We checked our 402 participants for antibodies and they met international standards used in the United States and the European Union both for safety and immune response," Sinovac's publicity supervisor Liu Peicheng said.

China's State Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it had authorised production of the vaccine. The vaccine was used in amounts of 5, 10 and 15 micrograms but the 10 microgram dose was found to be ideal. "The 10 and 15 microgram doses met standards but we decided on 10 as it's good enough. It would use less antigen," Mr Liu said.

Antigens are substances like toxins, viruses and bacteria that stimulate the production of antibodies when introduced into the body. But they can be difficult to culture and scientists have been trying to fix that by using boosters, or adjuvants.

MORE

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New strain of pneumonia/meningitis bug...

Pneumococcal bug poses new threat
Sunday, 13 April 2008 - A strain of bacteria which can cause pneumonia and meningitis in children is on the rise in England and Wales, figures suggest.

The introduction of a vaccine against pneumococcal disease in 2006 has dramatically cut the number of infections in children. But cases caused by a pneumococcal type not covered by the vaccine seem to be increasing, say researchers. Similar patterns have been seen in the US and new vaccines are in development.

The pneumococcal vaccine given to infants at two and four months with a booster dose at 13 months of age protects against seven types of Streptococcus pneumoniae. "Overall there have been very dramatic benefits from vaccination but we're dealing with constantly shifting sands and surveillance will help us plan for the future" - Dr David Spencer

After the introduction of Hib and meningitis C vaccines, pneumococcal infection became the of the most common causes of invasive bacterial infection in children and it can be fatal. Figures from the Health Protection Agency show there has been a huge fall in the number of children suffering serious illness as a result of pneumococcal infection since immunisation began.

At the end of 2007, government officials predicted 300 children had avoided invasive pneumococcal disease, which includes pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis. But surveillance data presented at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health annual scientific conference also shows serotype 1 pneumococcal may be coming in to "fill the gap".

Serious illness

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Another good argument for reducing pollution levels...

Pneumonia 'linked' to pollution
Monday, 14 April 2008 - High levels of pollution may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of people in England from pneumonia in recent years, a study suggests.

A team at the University of Birmingham examined death rates from the disease and pollution levels in 352 local authorities between 1996 and 2004. Writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, they reported a "strong correlation" between the two.

But the researchers conceded that social factors may also be at play. Calculations were made by looking at how many deaths there were in each locality in excess of the national average. These figures were then cross-checked with a range of pollutant levels, including engine exhaust emissions.

Culprit car

In total, 386,374 people died of pneumonia during the eight years examined, but there were significant regional variations. Lewisham in London had the highest number of deaths per head, Berwick-on-Tweed the least.

"More detailed research needs to be carried out into the impact of air pollution before we can be clear that exhaust fumes are linked to increased deaths from pneumonia" - British Lung Foundation

More BBC NEWS | Health | Pneumonia 'linked' to pollution

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China 'now top carbon polluter'
Monday, 14 April 2008 - China has already overtaken the US as the world's biggest polluter, according to a new report by US scientists.

The research suggests the country's greenhouse gas emissions have been underestimated, and probably passed those of the US in 2006-2007. The University of California team will report their work in the Journal of Environment Economics and Management. They warn that unchecked future growth will dwarf any emissions cuts made by rich nations under the Kyoto Protocol.

The team admit there is some uncertainty over the date when China may have become the biggest emitter of CO2, as their analysis is based on 2004 data. Until now it has been generally believed that the US remains "Polluter Number One".

Provincial data

Next month's University of California report warns that unless China radically changes its energy policies, its increases in greenhouse gases will be several times larger than the cuts in emissions being made by rich nations under the Kyoto Protocol

The researchers say their figures are based on provincial-level data from the Chinese Environmental Protection Agency. "The only solution is for a massive transfer of technology and wealth from the West" - Dr Max Auffhammer, Lead researcher

More BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | China 'now top carbon polluter'

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More vaccine to be available for next flu season...

Manufacturers to Boost Number of Flu Vaccines for Next Season
May 12th 2008 - Despite inefficiency of the flu vaccines this year in the U.S., the five companies manufacturing influenza vaccines plan to make a record number of doses for the next flu season.

Therefore, they announced at least 143 million doses for the 2008-2009 season, meaning 3 million more doses than the season just ended this month. It is rather inexplicable, as the request for flu vaccines is very likely to fall after this year’s vaccines were only 44 percent effective against the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report last month.

It seems that two of the three strains, against which the vaccines should have worked, were not good matches. Therefore, people who were not protected against flu this year are very likely to distrust the vaccine’s efficiency in the upcoming season. That’s why flu vaccine manufacturers’ decision to boost the number of doses for next year flu season is rather inexplicable.

Still, CSL Biotherapies will triple its production to 6 million doses from 2 million; Sanofi Pasteur Inc. is planning to make 50 million; Novartis Vaccines, 40 million; GlaxoSmithKline PLC, 35 million to 38 million; and MedImmune Vaccines Ins , about 12 million doses, the Associated Press reports.

Health experts will discuss the 2008-2009 flu season next week in Atlanta at a national influenza vaccine summit hosted by the CDC and the American Medical Association. Influenza is a serious disease and people of any age can get it. Every year, the flu causes 36,000 deaths (mostly among those aged 65 years or older) and more than 200,000 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Source

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Its here! Bird flu is here!...

Tyson Foods Culls 15,000 Hens With Mild Bird Flu, Tests Poultry Farms In Arkansas
June 3, 2008 - Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat processor, started killing 15,000 hens Tuesday that were exposed to a bird flu virus not harmful to humans.

The company, based in Springdale, will also test chickens at poultry farms within a 10-mile radius of the farm where hens were tested positive for antibodies to the H7N3 strain of the bird flu.

The deadly bird flu strain is the H5N1, which have infected and killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003. Jon Fitch, director of the state's Livestock and Poultry Commission, was quoted by Birdflubreakingnews.com as saying that there was absolutely no human health threat from the birds.

The H7N3 strain in the hens was discovered during a routine pre-slaughter blood test of the chickens on Friday, Tyson officials said in a press statement. However, the chickens were not ill. Tyson said all the destroyed birds came from a contractor. The birds's carcasses were buried.

Tyson Foods Culls 15,000 Hens With Mild Bird Flu, Tests Poultry Farms In Arkansas | AHN | June 3, 2008

(possum hidin' under the couch)