Pandemic/Biohazard - page 362

Countries afflicted with H5N1 avian flu sent more than 700 viruses to World Health Organization laboratories from 2003 to 2007 - and nearly a quarter of them came from Indonesia, a report released Monday reveals.

Of 734 viruses currently stored in WHO labs, 171 were provided by Indonesia, the country which for the past year has been at the centre of a standoff over access to viruses.

Post-election violence in Kenya and unrest in Gaza showed how political turmoil can threaten public health, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

Carrington Laboratories, Inc. announced that its wholly owned DelSite Biotechnologies, Inc. subsidiary has successfully completed preclinical toxicology studies of its GelVac nasal powder influenza vaccine under FDA-reviewed protocols. Successful toxicology studies in two animal models using the H5N1 antigen were required in order to proceed with a planned Phase I clinical trial later this year. The bird flu antigen used in these preclinical studies was from a non-egg-based source.

Meanwhile, Juvaris BioTherapeutics Inc. signed an agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test a substance that could boost the potency of pandemic flu vaccine, the company said.

The collaborative study will evaluate whether its Juvaris JVRS-100 can extend the limited supply of H5N1 flu vaccines in the event of a pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday launched a study into Morgellons, the name that’s been given to an unexplained skin disorder that allegedly causes fatigue, disturbing crawling sensations, lesions that won't heal and mysterious red, blue or black fibers just under the skin. The study is the first attempt to determine whether Morgellons is a legitimate illness or is instead caused by the patient's imagination. Some medical authorities believe those claiming to have Morgellons suffers from a psychiatric illness.

Experts warn that plague, a lethal disease of a bygone era, appears to be cropping up again, mostly in parts of Africa. They worry the illness is easily confused with other diseases and failure to recognize and treat the condition leads to rapid death.

A fresh outbreak of bird flu this week in Bangladesh has renewed fears of a possible spread: Seventy-two farms in 23 of Bangladesh's 64 districts have reportedly been infected with the deadly virus so far.

Bird flu has been mistaken by doctors for pneumonia, typhoid and at least four other diseases in Southeast Asia, causing treatment delays that might have worsened their patients' chances of survival, a study found.

The H5N1 bird flu virus may sometimes stick to surfaces or get kicked up in fertilizer dust to infect people, according to a report by an expert panel set up by the World Health Organization (WHO).

It was perhaps to be expected that the legitimate concerns about the potential for a global pandemic would spark lunacy, conspiracy mongering and ill-informed positions.

Though the $7.1 billion in funds in the initiative announced by President Bush on Nov. 1 are earmarked specifically against potential avian flu outbreaks—as opposed to deliberate acts of bioterror — they mark the second major expansion of investment by the federal government in building its national strategic drug stockpile against bio-emergencies.

Planners in Texas are preparing the US/Mexico border for an influenza pandemic by drawing on a unique workforce: bilingual community health Keep Reading

Disease experts and preparedness advocates reacted negatively today to comments by the head of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) suggesting that the risk of an influenza pandemic posed by the H5N1 avian flu virus is minimal.

Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, has launched a program in its Emergency Department to test in practice for the first time the concepts of the federally funded Project ER One initiative in a real-world emergency care setting.

The H5N1 virus that causes deadly avian flu has proven remarkably stable and action to curb outbreaks of the disease are highly effective, the head of the world's paramount agency for animal health said here Thursday.

British doctors are to be told to stop prescribing antibiotics for coughs, colds and sore throats because over-use of the drugs is fuelling the spread of killer hospital superbugs.

The Montgomery County, Maryland Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Services has released a "Stay at Home Toolkit for Influenza" that highlights prevention and caregiving measures people should or should not do when assisting those sick with the flu at home.

India's worst ever outbreak of bird flu could turn into a disaster, an official warned Tuesday, as five people were reportedly quarantined with symptoms of the virus.

Eight districts in the eastern state of West Bengal have been hit by the virus, and dead birds are being sold and locals said to be "feasting" on cheap chicken.

A vaccine that could help to control a flu pandemic has shown encouraging results in its first human trials.