Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Flu / Cold / SARS News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/flu-sars/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115866.php If influenza pandemic hits the United States, acute care hospitals are likely to be overwhelmed. Nursing homes may then be expected to assist with the patient overflow, but a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that many are not prepared for such a task. Of the more than 400 nursing homes in the study, just 23 percent had a specific pandemic influenza plan. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115832.php Hemagglutinin is an important influenza virus antigen whose fast rate of evolution allows the virus to evade the human antibody response. This phenomenon is called antigenic drift. Several key amino acid positions in hemagglutinin have been previously identified as evolving especially rapidly, presumably under pressure from the human immune system, but the identities of the selectively favored amino acids at those positions remained unknown. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115769.php The greatest danger in a pandemic flu outbreak is that it could spread quickly and devastate a broad swath of people across the United States before there is much of a chance to react. The result could be a nation brought to its knees by a disease run rampant. Among those most vulnerable to a pandemic flu outbreak are the 2.5 million residents of the nation's 18,000 residential care (nursing home) facilities. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/115054.php Detecting flu viruses in remote areas of the world Researchers in Ohio and New Mexico are reporting an advance in the quest for a fast, sensitive test to detect flu viruses - one that requires no refrigeration and can be used in remote areas of the world where new flu viruses often emerge. Their new method, the first to use sugar molecules rather than antibodies, is in the July 2 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114716.php Findings just published in the scientific journal Immunity by researchers at the Trudeau Institute shed new light on how a previously-unknown messaging mechanism within the human immune system prompts specific influenza-fighting cells to the lung airways during an infection. Infections from the influenza virus are responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and as many as 40,000 deaths in the United States each year. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114609.php BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCRX) announced the initiation of a Phase II study of intramuscular (i.m.) peramivir for the treatment of seasonal influenza. The double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group Phase II trial will compare the efficacy of a single 600 mg injection of i.m. peramivir to placebo in the treatment of seasonal influenza. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114568.php As they design new drugs to fight off influenza, scientists may not need to attack the virus directly. Instead, they may be able to stave off infection by targeting one of more than 100 proteins inside host cells on which the virus depends. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114322.php Home Health Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Issues and Resources, a report identifying home health care as a critical component in providing care during a pandemic influenza event and offering resources to home health care providers and community planners to prepare for such an event, was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114308.php Avir Green Hills Biotechnology starts a clinical phase I study with its intranasal vaccine deltaFLU against pandemic influenza. This novel generation of a live-attenuated vaccine based on the deletion of the NS1 gene has shown superior preclinical data. In taking this step, the Viennese biotech company sets yet another milestone in the development of effective and safe vaccines. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114296.php Home Health Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Issues and Resources, a report identifying home health care as a critical component in providing care during a pandemic influenza event and offering resources to home health care providers and community planners to prepare for such an event, was released today by the U.S. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114213.php Panic, staffing issues and geographic boundaries are some of the challenges that public health experts need to address as they plan for a possible influenza pandemic, according to a new report from Purdue University. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114145.php Vaccinating infants and toddlers is an almost universal practice in the United States. Vaccines to prevent flu are a regular part of medical care for senior citizens and at-risk patients. But, according to a study published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the US healthcare system is not very effective in getting vaccines to the adolescent population. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114033.php Medicago Inc. (TSX VENTURE:MDG) announced it has been awarded a non-refundable contribution of up to $279,700 from Canada's National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program ("NRC-IRAP") to support the development of the Company's seasonal influenza Virus-Like Particles (VLP) vaccine program. Medicago is developing a seasonal vaccine based on its proprietary VLP manufacturing technology, which has the potential to offer speed and cost advantages over competitive technologies. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113847.php As the specter of a worldwide outbreak of avian or "bird flu" lingers, health officials recognize that new drugs are desperately needed since some strains of the virus already have developed resistance to the current roster of anti-flu remedies. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113769.php Public health professionals from across the USA will convene July 14-15 in Indianapolis for a national summit on ethical and policy issues faced by public health officials and the medical community while preparing for a large-scale epidemic. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/113325.php Roche announced the introduction of a flexible purchase program that will allow U.S. businesses to maintain access to their own stockpile of Tamiflu® for use in a pandemic situation, with limited upfront investment and more adaptability to deal with unknown factors inherent in pandemic planning. Under the new plan, businesses pay a nominal annual fee to "reserve" their own stockpile of Tamiflu, which Roche will store and rotate to keep "in date. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 02:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112969.php Health care professionals should increase influenza immunization rates by implementing key, practice-proven interventions and offering vaccine at every opportunity throughout the entire influenza season, conclude leading influenza experts in a July 2008 supplement to The American Journal of Medicine. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112585.php Want to avoid a cold over winter? Your best chance to do so is to practice good hygiene techniques rather than take preventive medicines, according to the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) Common colds need common sense, not antibiotics campaign. The Executive Manager of Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) Programs for NPS, Karen Kaye, said many people took vitamins, mineral supplements and other herbal remedies at this time of year to avoid a cold. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112466.php A nasal spray that mimics our own natural defense system may be the answer to beating the common cold, according to a report in the latest issue of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) magazine, Chemistry & Industry. The spray, being produced by the Califormia based company Novabay, contains an analogue of N-Chlorotaurine (NCT), a compound produced by white blood cells when they are attacked. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112166.php Scientists in Victoria, Australia have developed a flu vaccine that has the potential to increase people's level of protection against common flu and the more deadly bird-flu. Victoria Minister of Innovation Gavin Jennings said the work of the Victorian researchers is featured in the Innovation corridor at this week's BIO International Conference. Mr. Jennings is at the conference as part of a Victorian contingent being led by Premier John Brumby. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111741.php The Schulich School of Business released the first study to assess the impact of an influenza pandemic on individual companies. Presented today at the World Conference on Disaster Management, the study - Making a case for investing in pandemic preparedness - focuses on how companies can justify investing in pandemic planning using standard business performance metrics. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111449.php The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has been formally notified by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics S.r.l. of its decision to withdraw the application for a centralised marketing authorisation for the pre-pandemic vaccine Aflunov (A/VietNam/1194/2004 (H5N1) virus surface inactivated antigen). Aflunov was expected to be used for active pre-pandemic immunization against H5N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111431.php The American Health Lawyers Association is pleased to announce the release of Community Pan-Flu Preparedness: A Checklist of Key Legal Issues for Healthcare Providers. This guidebook examines the critical legal and ethical issues involved in pandemic preparedness planning and will serve as an invaluable resource for healthcare providers, public health agencies and government officials. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111173.php HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $12.9 million for the development of low-cost influenza tests that can detect and differentiate seasonal human influenza viruses from avian influenza within three hours. "The early detection of emerging pandemic influenza is critical to the nation's pandemic response," Secretary Leavitt said. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111063.php A type of avian flu that is common in birds and rarely caught by humans, the North American Avian H7 influenza virus, is acquiring transmission properties similar to human influenza, according to a new study by US researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based in Atlanta.