Silent Human Spread of Swine H1N1 in Southern California Options

[ABLAT Staff]

ah1n11New reports from Iowa and North Carolina are raising concerns that the deadly H1N1 swine flu mutations that have been confirmed by the WHO in Ukraine, Norway and elsewhere have already reached the United States. In Iowa, a report that doctors are seeing “very heavy, wet hemorrhagic lungs, lungs with a lot of blood in them” in H1N1 patients is creating concerns among health experts that the deadly Ukraine H1N1 has already spread there. In addition, a report of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 swine flu in North Carolina is raising questions about the ability of medical authorities to combat H1N1 if thousands of people do start dying. If deadly H1N1 swine flu mutations have already reached the United States, what does that mean? Doctors in Ukraine have been reporting that victims of H1N1 there are experiencing violent hemorrhaging in their lungs. As the patients near death, their lungs reportedly become as “black as charcoal” and literally begin to disintegrate. Will this start happening soon inside the U.S.?

Last week, the WHO confirmed that an H1N1 mutation had been discovered in Ukraine. This H1N1 mutation involved a receptor binding domain change, and it is apparently causing the H1N1 virus to become much more virulent.

Just like the new report in Iowa, many victims of H1N1 in Ukraine have been experiencing violent hemorrhaging in the lungs. Temperatures inside the lungs of patients in Ukraine have been reported to be as high as 135 degrees Fahrenheit. As the patient near death, the lungs turn to mush and literally become as black as charcoal.

In fact, one doctor in Western Ukraine was quoted as saying the following about what is happening to the lungs of these patients…..

“We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal. They look like they have been burned. It’s terrifying.”

If that wasn’t bad enough, the WHO has now confirmed that the same H1N1 mutation has shown up in Norway.

Norway’s Institute of Public Health has released a statement in which they announced that this mutation “could possibly…cause more severe disease” because it apparently infects tissue deeper in the airway than usual.

Not only that, but today Hong Kong’s Department of Health has confirmed that it has found the same mutation in a H1N1 flu virus sample as the one detected in Norway recently.

Hong Kong is on the other side of the world from Ukraine and Norway.

What in the world is going on?

Nobody knows for sure, but the truth is that the increasing similarities between the current H1N1 outbreak and the 1918 “Spanish flu” outbreak are becoming too striking to ignore.

Firstly, both the current outbreak and the 1918 Spanish flu are from the H1N1 family.

Secondly, both the current outbreak and the 1918 Spanish flu have the same mutation that is currently being reported in Ukraine, Norway and Hong Kong.

Thirdly, the hemorrhagic deaths that victims are experiencing in Ukraine closely mirror the kind of deaths experienced by victims of the 1918 Spanish flu. Just consider the following description of 1918 Spanish flu deaths from Wikipedia…..

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

“One of the most striking of the complications was hemorrhage from mucous membranes, especially from the nose, stomach, and intestine. Bleeding from the ears and petechial hemorrhages in the skin also occurred.” The majority of deaths were from bacterial pneumonia, a secondary infection caused by influenza, but the virus also killed people directly, causing massive hemorrhages and edema in the lung.”

You would think this stunning information would be so important that the mainstream media would be all over it, but sadly that is not the case. Instead they seem intent on covering the opening of the “New Moon” movie and whatever Barack Obama had for breakfast this morning.

But not only is the mutation discussed above a tremendous concern, but now there are confirmed reports that Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 is spreading.

Recently a Tamiflu-resistant strain of the H1N1 swine flu was reported to have been discovered in Wales, and now a Tamiflu-resistant cluster of the H1N1 swine flu has been reported in North Carolina.

However, medical authorities don’t seem overly concerned. Dr. Alicia Frye, epidemiologist in the CDC’s flu division, said in a prepared statement that “at this time we don’t have any information that should raise concerns for the general population.”

If the best drugs medical authorities have will soon not work against H1N1, perhaps the public should be concerned.

Meanwhile the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that swine flu deaths in Europe are doubling every two weeks.

Swine flu deaths in Europe are doubling every two weeks?

Perhaps the mainstream media should start paying attention to this.

http://blogs.healthfreedomalliance.org/blo...-united-states/

[ABLAT Staff]

Two deaths in France from mutated H1N1
06:27 AEST Sat Nov 28 2009

Two patients who were infected by a swine flu mutation that was also recently detected in Norway have died in France, health officials say.

"This mutation could increase the ability of the virus to affect the respiratory tracts and, in particular, the lung tissue," a statement from the French government's Health Surveillance Institute (InVS) said on Friday.

"For one of these patients, this mutation was accompanied by another mutation known to confer resistance to oseltamivir," it added, referring to the main drug being used to treat swine flu, under the brand name Tamiflu.

The case was the first drug-resistant strain found in France among the 1,200 strains experts have analysed here, the InVS said, adding that "the effectiveness of vaccines currently available is not being questioned".

The two patients were not related and had been hospitalised in two different cities in France, it said.

The death toll in mainland France now stood at 76, the InVS statement said.

The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was investigating reports of mutations in the swine flu virus, after half a dozen countries recorded cases in which the virus was transforming.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/977096/t...om-mutated-h1n1


H1N1 RBD Changes at 225 Create Vaccine Mismatch Concerns
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11290901/RBD_225_Mis.html


H1N1 Evolution Outpacing Vaccine and Host Defenses
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11300901..._Evolution.html


Transmission of Novel D225G in Norway and Sweden
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12020901...way_Sweden.html



Are you ready for the dog and cat flu?
Rapidly mutating influenza viruses threaten family pets

By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...L#ixzz0YpQ4kBNQ

Just in case you weren't panicking enough over the swine flu, it turns out that the virus that causes it, H1N1, can make dogs, cats and ferrets sick, too.

H1N1 got its nickname, the swine flu, due to its origin in pigs, but it's really a genetic mashup of human, swine and bird viruses. Because it can cause serious illness and even death in susceptible humans, particularly infants and pregnant women, veterinarians greeted the recent news that it could affect family pets with alarm.

The first cases in pets were reported in ferrets, which are notoriously prone to influenza viruses. But when the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported last month that a sick cat in Iowa had the disease, epidemiologists and virologists took notice. It was the first time a cat had become ill from an influenza virus.

Since then, two more sick cats, one of whom died, tested positive for H1N1, and Chinese officials announced Saturday that they had isolated the virus in two sick dogs.

Dr. Tony Johnson, a clinical assistant professor at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, said that it doesn't look like our pets are a risk to us.

In fact, we're a risk to them -- every cat that's been diagnosed with H1N1 lived with a human who had a respiratory illness shortly before the cat became sick.

"So far there is no evidence that this virus can be passed from cats to humans," Johnson said. "Sometimes a virus can make a host sick, but not reproduce and become infectious in that host."

That appears to be the case with the H1N1-positive dogs in China as well. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture reported that the virus found in the dogs, whose breeds and ages were not given, was 99 percent identical to the human swine flu, suggesting that they contracted it from people.

"Only when the virus mutates within dogs will it be a new threat to humans," Feng Zijian of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention told China Daily.

Johnson acknowledged that feline to human transmission of the virus can't be ruled out, but he asked cat owners not to over-react. "The humans who gave the virus to their cats recovered, and so will most cats," he said. "Common sense and a cool head are better than flipping out and putting your cat out with the garbage."

There may be many more undiagnosed cases of H1N1 in pets, because it's rarely tested for and has symptoms similar to other canine and feline diseases, which are usually mild.

The AVMA describes those symptoms as "lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose and/or eyes, sneezing, coughing or changes in breathing (including difficulty breathing)." But as with humans, some dogs and cats with respiratory infections will go on to develop pneumonia, and some of them will die.

With doomsday scenarios about mutant pathogens making headlines around the globe, a certain amount of over-reaction isn't a surprise.

It doesn't help that one of the viruses that can be transmitted between humans and dogs and cats is a pretty terrifying one: rabies. But rabies in domesticated animals is very rare in the United States, and most pets are vaccinated against the disease.

A handful of other diseases and parasites can affect humans, dogs and cats, like fleas, intestinal worms and skin diseases like ringworm.

But until five years ago, no influenza virus had ever been known to cause illness in a dog or cat, which is somewhat surprising given that influenza viruses typically originate in farm animals and wildlife, and dogs and cats have always lived closely with humans and their livestock.

The H1N1 outbreak isn't the first time an influenza virus has adapted to be able to cause illness in a dog, however.

That occurred in 2004, when an equine influenza virus, H3N8, was identified as the cause of a deadly outbreak of respiratory disease in racing greyhounds in Florida.

Canine influenza

Woody, a flat-coated retriever, is a healthy adult dog today, but when he was just a puppy in Texas, he came down with what his breeder thought was "kennel cough," the dog version of a cold.

But what Woody had was something no one thought to look for, a brand new virus that posed a serious risk to very young, very old and immune-compromised dogs.

"He spent the next month at the vet school at Texas A&M, fighting for his life," said his owner, Gina Spadafori, who lives in Sacramento. "He survived, but he was weak and spent many weeks recuperating after that."

The bug that almost killed Woody was a viral changeling dubbed H3N8. Originally thought only to affect horses, it had adapted itself to be able to cause disease in another species, the dog.

Once researchers started looking for H3N8, they found dogs carrying the virus in 30 states (including California) and the District of Columbia, a wide distribution suggesting it had been spreading without detection for quite some time.

The virus, now dubbed "canine influenza virus" or CIV, probably went undiscovered for so long because its symptoms in most dogs mimic the usually-mild kennel cough, officially known as "canine respiratory disease complex."

"Canine influenza virus is generally a mild disease, with typical symptoms of cough, some lethargy, fever and perhaps nasal discharge," said Dr. Melissa Kennedy, a clinical virologist at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Teaching College and an infectious disease and immunology consultant for the Veterinary Information Network.

But for some dogs, like Woody, that risk is much greater. "As with the human influenza, there is a risk for secondary bacterial infections which can be serious," Kennedy said. "This risk is highest among puppies and elderly dogs, where immunity may not be as good as in healthy adult animals."

Researchers at Iowa State University estimate around 80 percent of infected dogs become ill, and even the 20 percent who don't can still infect other dogs. Around 10 percent of sick dogs develop pneumonia, and somewhere between 1 and 5 percent die.

Although a vaccine for CIV came on the market in May, it's far from perfect. It can protect the dog from getting sick, but sometimes it only makes symptoms less severe or shortens the period of time that the dog is sick, as well as the length of time he's infectious.

Unfortunately, it doesn't prevent infection with CIV, which means vaccinated dogs can carry the disease home to other dogs even if they're not showing any symptoms themselves.

Kennedy said she does not consider the new canine influenza vaccine a "core" vaccine that should be given to every dog, but rather a tool that might be helpful in shelters, kennels or other environments where dogs are housed in close quarters and high numbers.

"Dogs that board or frequently co-mingle with other dogs could also be at risk," she added. So owners of dogs who go to dog parks, training classes, doggie daycare centers, dog shows or other places where dogs gather should discuss the vaccine with their veterinarians.

Dog owners concerned about CIV or H1N1 should keep an eye out for their early symptoms, such as a cough or nasal discharge. A dog with a fever of more than 104 degrees, lethargy, a green nasal discharge or difficulty breathing is at high risk of developing dangerous complications and needs immediate veterinary attention.

The AVMA is actively tracking instances of H1N1 in animals and posting updates on its Web site. The organization also provides comprehensive information on canine influenza, as well as the new CIV vaccine.

[ABLAT Staff]

Change in swine flu virus is my biggest fear: Liam Donaldson
The swine flu virus could mutate into a more dangerous strain this winter, Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer said as he revealed his biggest concern over the pandemic.

By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor
Published: 6:17PM GMT 03 Dec 2009

Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer: "My biggest fear is swine flu mutation." Photo: GEOFF PUGH

Cases of the H1N1 pandemic virus are dropping but the risk remains that the strain could change into something more virulent, he said.

Sir Liam revealed so-called 'drift' of the virus, where it changes slightly over time, was his biggest worry.

Experts have warned that although the virus is causing only mild illness in the majority of people currently, it could still change into a more dangerous disease.

Flu viruses have shown they can mutate easily and they can also mix with other strains raising the concern that swine flu could mix with the more deadly bird flu.

It comes after Tamiflu-resistant swine flu emerged in Wales and spread between very sick patients in a hospital ward. The strain does not appear to have escaped from the hospital and there have been no further cases.

Resistant forms have been found in other countries around the world.

Sir Liam revealed his 'worry list' for the first time, and said: "The biggest worry of all is the fear of mutation. We hear people saying something funny has happened (to the virus) in Norway or France but fortunately we have not seen any change in the virus so far.

"We are not claiming victory, there are still too many things to worry about, particularly at the severe end of the disease spectrum and it is still early days as far as the NHS winter is concerned."

Prof David Salisbury, head of immunisation at the Department of Health, said the vaccines with adjuvants, substances which boost the immune system and allow less active ingredient to be used in each dose, offer good protection even if the virus does change.

The GlaxoSmithKline vaccine, Pandemrix, which forms the bulk of the government programme, contains an adjuvant.

Prof Salisbury said: "One of the advantages with adjuvanted vaccines is their ability to protect against drifted strains. It opens the door for a whole new strategy in dealing with flu."

Sir Liam said his other major concerns were that the NHS could still face severe pressure this winter with ordinary seasonal flu coming after waves of swine flu, other respiratory infections and bad weather combining to stretch the service to it's limits.

And he is worried that there is a 'continuing stream' of children under five in hospital with severe swine flu and complications and that people are still dying from it.

Overall it is estimated there were just 22,000 new cases of swine flu last week, the lowest since the last week of September - near the start of wave two.

There have been 178 deaths in England linked to swine flu and 270 in the UK as a whole, Sir Liam said.

However, despite the drop in new cases, there are still high numbers in hospital, with over 700 patients in wards on Wednesday and 161 of them in critical care, which is only a slight drop on the previous week.

There are now more children under five with swine flu in hospital and in critical care that at any time and they remain the age group hardest hit by the virus.

Sir Liam said the numbers of children in hospital were for suspected swine flu and another virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which affects children at this time of year annually and has very similar symptoms.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said their data was showing that RSV rates were 'in-line with previous years'.

The vaccination programme is due to be rolled out to children between six months and five years-old once the risk groups have been completed.

So far 11.2 million doses of Pandemrix, the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine, have been sent out to health services, along with 500,000 doses of Celvapan, made by Baxter.

It is estimated 1.6 million doses have been administered to people in the risk groups, including people with long-term conditions and pregnant women.

So far 275,000 doses have been administered to front line health workers in England, more than twice the number of doses of ordinary seasonal flu that were given in the whole of last year.

The figures suggest that front line health workers are not shunning the vaccine as some had feared.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-fl...-Donaldson.html

[ABLAT Staff]

Swine flu (H1N1) infects dogs in China

http://www.examiner.com/x-801-Pet-Care-Exa...s-dogs-in-China

Porcine Influenza A Virus subtype H1N1, also known as "swine flu", continues to infect a growing number of animal species. The first canine infections have just been reported in two dogs from Beijing, China. Pigs are the only other animal species in China known to be infected. In the US, birds, cats, ferrets, and pigs have tested positive for H1N1 infection, but no canine infections have yet been reported.

Since early November, felines from Iowa, Oregon, and Utah and ferrets from Nebraska and Oregon have tested positive for H1N1. Oregon bears the burden of having animal deaths secondary to H1N1 infection, as the state’s cat and ferret did not survive.

As with the feline and ferret cases, humans are the suspected source of H1N1 infection for the Chinese dogs. The H1N1 virus found in the Chinese canines is nearly genetically identical to the virus isolated form people. The genetic similarity lends strength to the perspective that the virus transferred from humans to dogs. Chinese officials speculate that H1N1 can be passed among dogs, yet this suspicion is unconfirmed.

In May 2009, I wrote: “Swine Flu- could H1N1 infect your canine?”. At the time, veterinary virologists were not concerned about the possibility that dogs would be infected with the virus. The veterinary community must now show greater concern for the potential spread of the disease between people and pets. Perhaps more companion animal species will be infected as we observe the progression over the coming months.

Influenza virus infection in dogs is well documented. Canine Influenza was first isolated in Florida racing Greyhounds in 2004 and has since been reported in nearly all states.

Canine Influenza is an Influenza Type A virus similar to H1N1 (see Canine Influenza- can dog flu infect your pooch?) and is genetically related to Equine Influenza virus. It is therefore speculated that Canine Influenza jumped species from equine to canine.

Recently, Canine Influenza infection has hit close to home in Los Angeles, CA. The virus reportedly spread through a San Gabriel Valley (Los Angeles County) veterinary hospital in 2009 where 20 dogs showed mild signs of upper respiratory tract infection.

A Canine Influenza vaccine is available, although it has not yet been widely incorporated into veterinary vaccination protocols.

As Canine Influenza was able to spread among members of the species housed in close quarters, I suspect H1N1 will spread among members of the canine species when given the appropriate opportunity. Dog kennels, shelters, and shows are likely to give the virus the environment necessary for inter-canine transference.

Pet owners play an important role in reducing the zoonotic spread of H1N1 and other organisms between people and pets. Your vigilance in reducing the spread of H1N1 between people may prevent your cat or dog from being infected.

Practice good sanitary habits by washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. If you are sick, avoid close contact with others, including your animal companions. Closely monitor your pet for signs of illness, especially upper respiratory tract signs. Sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, increased respiratory effort, lethargy, and decreased appetite can indicate upper respiratory tract infection. Should your pet show clinical signs of illness, please schedule an examination with your veterinarian.

[ABLAT Staff]

NIH Bulletin says New York swine flu victim autopsies show lung damage similar to 1918 Spanish flu
December 7, 6:02 PMLA Health Technology ExaminerVictoria Nicks


Results from 34 swine flu victims in New York were released by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a December 7 bulletin. The swine flu symptoms and effects on the lungs of the victims were similar to the effects of the 1918 Spanish flu, which had an extremely high mortality rate around the world. Other reports of H1N1 infections deep in the lungs have been reported around the world, including Ukraine, China, Brazil, Norway, and the United States, in Iowa and Utah. These infections have been linked to a change in the receptor binding domain of the virus.

Swine flu symptoms and the Spanish flu of 1918


Swine flu symptoms are generally the same as other influenza infections, but a mutation causing the virus to lodge in the lungs instead of the upper respiratory tract causes different symptoms. The 1918 Spanish flu caused bleeding in the lungs, and killed between 20 million and 40 million people worldwide. Bleeding in the lungs has been associated with a change in the receptor binding domain of the virus.

Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) Change in Pandemic A 2009 H1N1 influenza virus


The D225G change in the receptor binding domain for the Novel A H1N1 influenza has been associated with both bleeding in the lungs and a low reaction to the swine flu vaccine.

National Institute of Health Report on swine flu


The NIH reviewed autopsy results from 34 patients that died from the swine flu in New York between May and July. According to Dr. Taubenberger, one of the doctors reviewing the records,

"This pattern of pathology in the airway tissues is similar to that reported in autopsy findings of victims of both the 1918 and 1957 influenza pandemics.”


The pandemic of 1957 was Avian flu, which resulted in approximately 2 million deaths around the world.




http://www.examiner.com/x-29228-LA-Health-...918-Spanish-flu

[ABLAT Staff]

World sees dramatic surge in swine flu deaths
Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:33:31 GMT
Font size : [Increase] [Normal] [Decrease]
The World Health Organization (WHO) announces a dramatic jump in the number of swine flu-related fatalities, adding that the past week has witnessed over 1,000 deaths.

Latest figures released by the WHO on Thursday revealed that the new H1N1 virus has claimed the lives of at least 7,826 individuals worldwide since its first appearance in April.

Officials reported a surge in the number of deaths in different parts of the world particularly the US and the Caribbean region over the past week.

The greatest peak was noted in Europe, where the toll reached 650, showing an 85 percent increase. The highest activity was reported in Sweden, Norway, Moldova and Italy.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported some 554 deaths over the same period, bringing the death toll in the US, the country with the highest number of swine flu deaths, to 5,360.

While mutated strains of A/H1N1 were reported in China, Japan, Norway, Ukraine and the US, the only countries to report death in these cases were Norway and France.

"The question is whether these mutations suggest that there is a fundamental change going on in viruses out there - whether there's a turn for the worse in terms of severity," said the WHO special adviser on pandemic influenza, Keiji Fukuda, stressing that mutations are common in influenza viruses.

Despite the surge in the number of deaths, officials stressed that the disease has been mild in the majority of infected cases. Having an underlying disease was therefore considered as a risk factor leading to death in positive A/H1N1 cases.

PKH/HGH

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=11246...ctionid=3510212

[ABLAT Staff]

Batch of H1N1 Vaccine Pulled Due to Severe Allergic Reactions
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
December 10 2009 | 7,747 views

Health officials across Canada are being asked to hold back a batch of swine flu vaccine that appears to be causing higher rates of severe allergic reactions.
The vaccine's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, is asking governments to stop using vaccine doses from one particular lot shipment issued in late October.
Bloomberg reports that Glaxo advised Canadian doctors to hold off on using a batch of the vaccine while the company probes reports of higher-than-expected occurrences of a side effect known as anaphylaxis.

The batch of 172,000 doses of Arepanrix was linked to more cases of acute allergic reactions, including swollen tongues, throats and respiratory distress, than is expected, spokeswoman Gwenan White said.

According to Manitoba health officials, severe allergic reactions from the batch in question was seen in one of 20,000, which is far higher than the typical rate of one in 100,000.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles...-Reactions.aspx

[ABLAT Staff]

Swine Flu Vaccine Patented Six Months Before First Cases of Swine Flu



There are serious accusations that the swine flu virus which is infecting the world populations now, did not exist in the nature, but was constructed in the lab first. And somehow it fled to the outside world. Was this an accident or a deliberate attempt to cause an epidemic
so that the swine flu vaccine could be sold which will bring its creators an estimated $ 49 billion this year?

The vaccine was patented six months before the first cases of swine flu appeared.

Apparently the related pharmacy industries and the WHO and U.N. which supported them are reported to the FBI.

If the swine flu epidemic is a deliberate attempt to sell swine flu vaccine, its creators must be tried in a world tribunal, just the same as they tried the Jugoslav leaders for mass murder or as they tried the WW2 criminals for genocide.

www.mercola.com recently published an article that the swine flu vaccine causes miscarriages in pregnant women.

Swedish Aftonbladet daily published a list of 52 side effects
of the vaccine, some of them very scary. Three persons died of the vaccine in Sweden. Swedish authorities are very quiet about the side effects, not to scare the people.

A female cheerleader in the U.S.A. was paralyzed because of the vaccine.

Also Turkish Ministry of Health sent a memorandum to all the vaccination centers in Turkey about similar side effects. A Turkish doctor went into coma while being vaccinated.

Similar incidents were recorded in Switzerland.

172.000 doses of vaccines sent to Canada by GlaxoSmithKline were called back, as they can trigger lethal allergic reactions and Canadian authorities were advised not to use them. How much of them are already used is unclear.

The following article will bring to light many aspects of the swine flu and its vaccine.

http://thesop.org/journalism/2009/06/28/jo...or-bioterrorism

[ABLAT Staff]

Obama Administration Releases New Ads Urging Swine Flu Inoculations
Pushing Americans to receive swine flu vaccinations, the Obama administration on Monday released a new slate of television and radio ads to counter an illness that already has infected millions.

The public service announcements target children and their parents, young adults and those in high-risk groups, such as people with asthma. The ads in English and Spanish come as a shortage of the vaccine is easing, with another 10 million doses expected to become available this week. The messages also are a shift from earlier efforts to teach Americans how to avoid spreading the illness, known also as H1N1.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was announcing the new ads Monday.

"Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your family against the H1N1 flu virus," Sebelius said. "Fighting the flu is a shared responsibility and it is up to all of us to help prevent the spread of the flu in your community."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 22 million people have been infected with swine flu and 3,900 have died. Government tallies also include 98,000 swine flu-related hospitalizations.

The vaccine is becoming plentiful enough that some state and local governments are allowing everyone to get it, not just those in priority groups. There are 73 million doses available, roughly twice as many as there were a month ago, and another 10 million doses are expected this week, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the CDC's director, told reporters Friday.

Initially, limited supplies caused the CDC to advise state and local health officials to reserve doses for those at highest risk for severe complications from swine flu or those who take care of them.

Officials at the CDC said last week that it appears that a fall wave of swine flu infections has peaked. But flu is hard to predict, and health officials say they are worried of the possibility of a third wave this winter.

"Right now, Americans have a window of opportunity to get vaccinated," Sebelius said.

The new ad campaign features five television spots, including two targeting young Americans who are especially susceptible to the flu. Another three radio ads are available.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/58134

[ABLAT Staff]

H5N1 H1N1 Cluster in Dien Bien Vietnam

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12100902..._Dien_Bien.html

[ABLAT Staff]

D225N in Ukraine Raises Pandemic Concerns

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12090901...5N_Ukraine.html

[ABLAT Staff]

D225G and D225N Diversity Confirmed in Fatal Utah Case

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12110903...Fatal_Conf.html

[ABLAT Staff]

History
1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics

http://www.webcitation.org/5kCUlGdKu

[ABLAT Staff]

Receptor Binding Domain Changes in Texas

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12140902/RBD_TX.html

[ABLAT Staff]

Isn't this the third or fourth recall? I'm sure it's nothing.
-------------
800,000 Doses of Kids' H1N1 Vaccine Recalled
Tuesday , December 15, 2009
AP

ATLANTA —
Health officials are recalling hundreds of thousands of doses of swine flu vaccine after tests indicated they may not be potent enough to protect against the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified doctors about the recall Tuesday. The recall involves about 800,000 doses made by Sanofi Pasteur. The doses are pre-filled syringes intended for young children, ages 6 months to almost three years.

Health officials recommend children those ages get two doses, spaced about a month apart.

Health officials say it's not clear how many doses have already been given, but they don't think children need to be re-vaccinated. The lots passed potency tests when they were first shipped, but tests indicate the potency waned after.

Sanofi, who manufactures the vaccine, said there is no safety concerns with the recalled lots.

Reuters contributed to this article.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_st...,580281,00.html

[ABLAT Staff]

As Interest in H1N1 Vaccine Wanes, a Surplus Is Feared
Tuesday , December 15, 2009
By Jessica Ryen Doyle
FC1

Health officials across the U.S. have been worrying for months that there won't be enough H1N1 vaccine to immunize everyone who needs protection against the flu virus.

But this week, some officials in central Ohio said there may be a surplus due to waning public interest.

A spokesman for U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it’s too soon to tell if there will be a surplus.

"Supply and demand varies across the country," said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the CDC. "Some areas have a greater demand than supply, and other areas vice versa. Whether there will be a surplus or not is hard to say right now."

Skinner said the CDC will not be surprised if there is an uptick in flu activity after the New Year, which would definitely drive up the demand.

"We have a window of opportunity to get people vaccinated in that we’re seeing declines in flu activity across the country, but we may see the uptick later," Skinner said. "We definitely want people to get vaccinated – particularly those in high-risk groups."

People in high-risk groups include pregnant women, young adults, children and anyone with a compromised immune system, or pre-existing condition, such as asthma.

Many counties across the country, including those in Texas and Tennessee, are making the vaccine available to everyone – not just those in high-risk groups. In central Ohio, for example, everyone who is at least 6 months old is eligible to get the vaccine.

Fewer states are seeing widespread H1N1 activity, but the seasonal flu virus is starting to make an appearance.

"More than 110 million out of 114 million doses (of the seasonal flu vaccine) have been distributed, so people who want to get vaccinated and have not gotten vaccinated may have to look around for it," Skinner said.

Studies are showing that the H1N1 virus is less serious than initially feared -- at its worst, the virus is only a little more serious than the seasonal flu, according to researchers at Harvard University.

Still, 50 million Americans have been sickened by the virus and 10,000 have died from it in the first seven months of the pandemic.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article.

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_st...,580280,00.html

[ABLAT Staff]

H1N1 virus attacks deep into the lungs
By Stephanie Smith, CNN Medical Producer
December 8, 2009 4:18 p.m. EST

New York (CNN) -- In the rare cases when the H1N1 virus kills, scientists have found, it penetrates deep into the lungs, creating widespread damage -- a pattern similar to what killed millions during previous flu pandemics in 1918 and 1957.

The New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner examined medical records, autopsy reports and microscopic slides of 34 people with H1N1 who died between May 15 and July 9, 2009, during the early days of the pandemic.

The report found that among those deaths, inflammation and damage in the lungs extended all the way to the alveoli, tiny sacs at the farthest end of the lungs' airways.

"Generally, flu stays in the upper airways," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "What this shows is clearly this virus has capability of infecting and causing inflammation and destruction of cells from the trachea, all the way down into smaller cells of the lungs.

"The cells of the lung get directly attacked by the virus," said Fauci.
CDC : Fewer states are reporting widespread flu activity

The damage appears in computerized scans as opaque patches that normally would not appear in the lungs, and which obstruct lung function.

Echoing previous reports, the study, published online in the Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, also revealed that 91 percent of those who died were people with underlying health problems, and most occurred in people between 25 and 49 years old.

More than half of the deaths were caused by bacterial pneumonia.

"The secondary bacterial infection evokes inflammation," said Dr. William Schaffner, professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "It socks it in the lung and all of a sudden the lung as an organ can't do its principal job."

Obesity was a factor in 72 percent of H1N1 deaths, a finding that has caused concern among infectious disease experts.

"That was a striking finding," said Schaffner. "It contributes in a very material way to what we know about risks for a severe outcome with H1N1 infection. We are keeping an eye on obesity as a risk factor for H1N1 death."

The study gives interesting insight into the mechanism behind H1N1 deaths, but will not change the current response to the virus, said Fauci.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/08/swine...ungs/index.html

[ABLAT Staff]

Fighting Swine Flu With Pepperoni

Last Update: 12/17 6:24 pm

Get a Shot, Get a Pizza Party

(WXYZ) - The Detroit Health Department is fighting swine flu with pepperoni. When kids return to school after the holiday break, each class has the opportunity to get a free pizza party – if they sign up for the shots.

It’s a simple fact--kids don’t like vaccinations – even when they can get them in a spray.
Their parents, like Leslie Ethridge however, are often eager to get their kids protected, “Your children get 20 some odd inoculations, this is just another one, so if it’s available you should get the shot.”

But when Detroit schools – both public and private-- sent home permission slips for students to get H1N1 vaccine at school, the return rate was only about ten percent.

Dr. Walter Davis, Detroit Pandemic Flu Coordinator, told us, “talking to principals and some parents we find that a lot of them are never receiving consent forms.”

The Detroit Health Department has already been working especially hard to get the vaccine into the community.

For instance, today parents attending the Christmas program at the Foreign Language Immersion School on Outer Drive had the chance to get shots for themselves and their children before or after the program.

Mom, Kimberley Wallace said, “This is the easiest for me. This way I don’t have to take them to the doctor’s office, take them out of school or anything so it works out real well.”

But apparently not well enough. So Dr. Davis and his team came up with an innovative idea. They teamed up with Happy’s Pizza. And each class in the city that has a permission slip return rate of 80-percent or more will get a pizza party for the entire class.

According to Neil Master, Director of Advertising for Happy’s Pizza, “Kids love pizza and we love kids in Detroit and we take care of them whenever we can.”

And while the kids may sign up for the pizza, the parents need to know it’s important to sign the forms because flu season isn’t over just because the number of cases have leveled off.

Dr. Davis told us, “With our flu season, the peak is usually in February and it goes into March. I can tell you we will get hit again. We’re in December now. In January and February, the flu will increase tremendously.”

Another mom, L’Tonya Felder got shots for her children, “I think it’s extremely important. It’s important that the Detroit community come together and realize this is important for our health for our protection and we’re combating the h1n1 as well as the regular seasonal flu.”

http://www.wxyz.com/news/local/story/Fight...ug.cspx?rss=785

[ABLAT Staff]

Drugmaker Recalls Nearly 5 Million Doses of H1N1 Flu Vaccine
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

WASHINGTON — Drugmaker MedImmune is recalling nearly 5 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine because the nasal spray appears to lose strength over time, federal health officials announced Tuesday.

The vaccine recall is the second this month caused by declining potency and comes as public health officials urge millions of Americans to get vaccinated against swine flu.

The action affects more than 4.6 million doses, but the vast majority have already been used, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Agency officials said the vaccine was strong enough when it was distributed in October and November.

"The slight decrease in potency is not expected to have any effect on the protective effect of the vaccine," said Norman Baylor, director of the FDA's vaccine research office. "We are not recommending revaccination."

The agency is looking into the problem but said it's not uncommon for vaccines to lose strength over time. MedImmune's vaccine has a recommended shelf life of about four months. The company has about 3,000 doses in its warehouses but does not know how many remain in the field, according to the FDA.

Last week, vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur recalled hundreds of thousands of H1N1 flu shots for children because tests indicated those doses lost some strength. Most of those doses had already been used, too.

Maryland-based MedImmune, a subsidiary of London-based AstraZeneca PLC, voluntarily recalled 13 lots of its vaccine, "due to a slight decrease in potency" discovered through routine quality control testing, said spokesman Tor Constantino.

"It's not a safety concern. People who have received doses from the affected lots do not need to be revaccinated. The doses were well within potency specification," he said.

The H1N1 flu vaccine has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released over 111 million doses for distribution in the U.S. MedImmune makes the only nasal spray version, which can be used by healthy people ages 2 to 49.

Only in recent weeks have state authorities lifted restrictions on who can get vaccinated. Previously the vaccines were reserved for high-risk patients, including pregnant women and schoolchildren.

In a telephone news conference on Tuesday, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 60 million Americans have received H1N1 flu vaccine, and said intense monitoring for side effects has not turned up any safety concerns.

"We are not seeing any worrisome signs," she said.

The vaccine supply has increased so much in recent weeks that she urged parents of children 10 and younger to get them a second dose, because studies show this age group needs two for optimal protection.

Flu activity has slowed, but "it's not gone," Schuchat said. "None of us know what the weeks and months ahead will bring in terms of influenza activity, and it's very important not to become complacent."

The first wave of the H1N1 flu pandemic began in April, when the strain was discovered. A larger wave started in the late summer and is declining. Infections are now widespread in 11 states, down from 48 in late October.

A new Harvard poll released Tuesday finds that concern about H1N1 flu has waned along with the number of new cases being reported.

Only 40 percent of people now say they are concerned that they or a family member will get sick from swine flu during the next year. That's down from an earlier poll in September, when 52 percent said they were worried about swine flu.

The new poll found that most parents who sought vaccine for their children were able to get it. However, more than one-third of respondents said they did not plan to seek it for their kids.

The Harvard School of Public Health polled more than 1,600 adults on Dec. 16 and 17.

Also on Tuesday, a 13-year-old dog in suburban New York was confirmed as the first known case of swine flu in a dog. The pet apparently caught the virus from his owner. The CDC's Schuchat said that animals can carry and spread flu viruses, but such cases are rare and people should not be afraid to enjoy their pets. A few cats and ferrets have also been diagnosed with swine flu.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580932...test=latestnews

[ABLAT Staff]

Lab Confirmed H1N1 in New York Dog
Recombinomics Commentary 03:38
December 22, 2009

The canine sample was submitted to Idexx by the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, N.Y., earlier this month. The sample tested positive for H1N1. The result was later independently verified by Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory.

The above comments describe the first dog in the US to be H1N1 lab confirmed. This result was not a surprise. Earlier China had reported two dogs positive for H1H1.

However, the number of H1N1 cases in the US is the highest in the world, and the number of infected dogs is in the thousands, if not millions, but the first lab confirmed case was in December, 9 months after the first confirmed cases in the US.

In the case above, the dog's owner had tested positive for H1N1 a week earlier and is the likely source of the infection. However, the close contact between infected patients and pets, including dogs and cats suggests such transmissions are quite common, and raise concerns that the number of species transmitting H1N1 is much higher than the small number of lab confirmed cases in domestic and wild cats, dogs, ferrets, pigs, and turkeys. Although the above dog recovered, at least three pet cats have died, as have one or more ferrets.

The increasing number of species infected with lab confirmed H1N1 and the lack of testing of many obvious species, including livestock, continues to be cause for concern.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12220901/H1N1_NY_Dog.html

[ABLAT Staff]

D225G / D225N H1N1 Fatal Cluster in San Lois Potosi Mexico
Recombinomics Commentary 23:54
December 24, 2009

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12240902...luster_Mex.html

[ABLAT Staff]

H1N1 Re-Infections Confirmed (01/06/09 13:50)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01061002...1_Reinfect.html

Ukraine Fatalities Jump to 827 - 100K New Cases in One Day (01/06/09 13:20)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01061001/Ukraine_827.html

D225E and D225N RBD H1N1 Changes in Turkey (01/05/09 21:25)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01051001...25N_Turkey.html

Ukraine Fatalities Spike to 805 - One Day Record of 38 (01/04/09 22:10)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01041001/Ukraine_805.html

Fatal H1N1 RBD Change S188N in Hunan China? (01/03/09 15:40)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01031002/S188N_Hunan.html

Spreading H1N1 Sequences in Russia Raise Concerns (01/02/10 22:45)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01021002...sia_Spread.html

H1N1 D225G and D225N in Russian Cases Near Ukraine (01/02/10 02:12)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/01021001...25N_Russia.html

H1N1 D225G in Lungs of Patients Across Russia (12/31/09 21:21)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12310901/D225G_Russia.html

Fatal D225G/D225N H1N1 Co-Infections Raise Concerns (12/30/09 15:28)

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/12300903...G_D225N_Co.html

[ABLAT Staff]

H1N1 protection added to next season's flu shots
A CDC advisory panel recommends nearly everyone in the U.S. receive the new enhanced vaccine.

By Christine S. Moyer, amednews staff. Posted March 8, 2010.

At the peak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus epidemic last year, Atlanta internist Sandra Fryhofer, MD, had to refuse vaccine for some patients because they did not fall into the priority groups set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That shouldn't be a problem during the next flu season, as the Food and Drug Administration has decided to include a pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus in the Northern Hemisphere's 2010-11 seasonal influenza vaccine.

"This will make vaccine strategies much simpler so we can focus on getting people vaccinated and protected rather than trying to figure out which group they're in or should they get [the vaccine] now or later," said Dr. Fryhofer, clinical associate professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and a member of the American Medical Association Council on Science and Public Health.

The FDA announced Feb. 23 that an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus would be included in next season's flu vaccine. This is the same virus used in the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine.

Also included in the upcoming influenza vaccine will be an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.

The FDA's move was followed a day later by a federal panel's recommendation to administer next season's flu vaccine to nearly all Americans, including healthy young people, a group that was disproportionately affected by H1N1.
The U.S. H1N1 epidemic peaked in October 2009, with another surge expected worldwide.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine issues, on Feb. 24 voted to expand seasonal flu immunization to everyone except babies younger than 6 months.

Previous vaccine recommendations applied to about 85% of the population, but did not include healthy people age 19 to 49 unless they had close contact with others considered at high risk for the flu, according to the CDC.

ACIP's proposal will go to the CDC and Dept. of Health and Human Services. If approved, it would become policy and be considered the standard practice of care for vaccines, said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner.

"The 2009 H1N1 pandemic showed us that elderly people aren't necessarily the only ones at high risk for serious consequences of influenza," Skinner said. "The committee thought the time was now to really recommend everyone get a flu vaccine."

But there is concern that the increased demand for seasonal flu vaccine, caused by expanding the recommendations, could leave practices waiting longer than usual for requested doses, said family physician Tamarah Duperval, MD, MPH. Mile Square Health Center in Chicago, where Dr. Duperval is the medical director, typically receives seasonal flu vaccine near the end of November.

Meanwhile, a new seasonal flu immunization, Sanofi Pasteur's Fluzone High-Dose, will be available for adults 65 and older. This vaccine is formulated so that each 0.5 mL dose contains 180 micrograms of influenza virus hemagglutinin, rather than the 45 micrograms contained in other currently licensed seasonal flu vaccines for adults.

The FDA approved the high-dose vaccine in December 2009. ACIP at its February meeting gave the go-ahead for use but stopped short of recommending it until efficacy studies are available, Skinner said.
Flu vaccine demand

Skinner said it's difficult to predict how expanding the seasonal flu vaccine recommendations will affect manufacturers that struggled to meet high demand for H1N1 immunizations last year. Historically, fewer than half the number of people who are advised to get seasonal flu vaccine actually do, according to the CDC.

During the 2009-2010 flu season, about 114 million doses of seasonal vaccine were distributed, and nearly all of them were used, Skinner said. The CDC does not yet know how many of the vaccine recipients were in the recommended priority groups. But manufacturers base the number of seasonal vaccines they produce largely on the prior year's demand.
Fewer than half of people advised to get seasonal flu shots actually do.

Interest in the H1N1 vaccine has dwindled since the U.S. epidemic peaked in late October 2009. But the CDC reported about 70 million doses of H1N1 vaccine had been administered as of Feb. 5.

No states reported widespread activity during the six weeks ending Feb. 20, according to the CDC. This contrasts with the end of October 2009, when H1N1 was widespread in 48 states.

CDC officials, however, emphasize that the virus is still circulating and that continued vaccination of the public is critical to prevent another wave of flu outbreaks.

Internationally, a committee of experts advised the World Health Organization on Feb. 23 that the pandemic has not yet peaked, noting that the Southern Hemisphere is preparing for winter, when influenza activity typically increases.

This content was published online only.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/03/08/prsb0308.htm

[ABLAT Staff]

BREAKING - Rotarix rotavirus vaccine contaminated, officials say- "contaminated with material from a pig virus."
------------
(CNN) -- Federal health authorities recommended Monday that doctors suspend using Rotarix, one of two vaccines licensed in the United States against rotavirus, saying the vaccine is contaminated with material from a pig virus.

"There is no evidence at this time that this material poses a safety risk," Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told reporters in a conference call.

Rotarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, was approved by the FDA in 2008. The contaminant material is DNA from porcine circovirus 1, a virus from pigs that is not known to cause disease in humans or animals, Hamburg said.

About 1 million children in the United States and about 30 million worldwide have gotten Rotarix vaccine, she said.

Rotavirus disease kills more than 500,000 infants around the world each year, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, she said. Before rotavirus vaccine became available, the disease was blamed for more than 50,000 hospitalizations and several dozen deaths per year in the United States, she said.

The FDA learned about the contamination after an academic research team using a novel technique to look for viruses in a range of vaccines found the material in GlaxoSmithKline's product and told the company, Hamburg said. The drug maker confirmed its presence in both the cell bank and the seed from which the vaccine is derived, suggesting its presence from the early stages of vaccine development, she said. The FDA then confirmed the drug maker's findings.

GlaxoSmithKline emphasized Monday that the pig virus is not known to cause illness in humans, saying "it is found in everyday meat products and is frequently eaten with no resulting disease or illness."

"No safety issue has been identified by external agencies or GSK," Thomas Breuer, the drug maker's chief medical officer, said in a written statement. "GSK is committed to patient safety and to the highest manufacturing standards for all our vaccines and medicines. We are already working closely and discussing this finding with regulatory agencies around the world."

Another vaccine, RotaTeq, is made by Merck and was approved in 2006. There is no evidence that the Merck product is affected, Hamburg said. Both vaccines are given by mouth to infants to prevent rotavirus disease, which is marked by severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Asked whether Merck would be able to meet the nation's demand, Merck spokeswoman Pam Eisele said, "Obviously, we will work with the ... FDA to evaluate supply needs."

In the next four to six weeks, the drug agency will convene an advisory committee to make recommendations and seek input on the use of new techniques for identifying viruses in vaccine, Hamburg said.

"We're not pulling it from the market, we're just suspending its use during this period while we're collecting more information," she said. "It should not be in this vaccine product and we want to understand how it got there. It's not an easy call and we spent many long hours debating the pros and cons but, because we have an alternative product and because the background rates of this disease are not so severe in this country, we felt that the judicious thing to do was to take a pause, to really ask the critical questions about what this material was doing in the vaccine, how it got there."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said "a substantial amount" of the DNA was found in the vaccine. But, he stressed, "there is no evidence that it causes any disease. ... There is no evidence that it ever does anything."

The research group that discovered the contamination has asked not to be identified pending its paper's publication in a scientific journal, Hamburg said.

Anyone who has already received a dose of Rotarix should switch to the Merck product for the next two doses, Hamburg said. Preliminary testing of the Merck product has found no evidence of the porcine circovirus 1 DNA, she said. Doctors should be able to tell parents which of the two products their children received, she said.

Hamburg stressed that the suspension applies only to the United States. Public health officials in countries where the incidence of rotavirus is more severe may decide that the benefits of continuing to use the vaccine outweigh any concerns raised by the contamination, she said. "Such a decision would be very understandable," she added.

A similar virus, porcine circovirus 2, also does not cause disease in humans, but it does cause disease in its pig host, Hamburg said.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/22/rotav...vaccine/?hpt=T2

[ABLAT Staff]

French Scientists trying to combine Avian Flu with Swine Flu.

In P4, a maximum security laboratory, an experiment in progress attempts to determine the conditions for hybridization of the two viruses. The first is spreading quickly, but few kills, the second is not contagious but often fatal.

For three weeks, the P4 Lyon interrupted all his other manipulations. This maximum security laboratory - it exists only in France and twenty in the world - is currently focusing on experience high-risk attempts to cross between the new virus and the H1N1 avian influenza, the H5N1. The first spreads a lot and kills little bit the second spreads and kills many. Hybridization of the two is catastrophic.

"We try to understand, by infecting a cell with two viruses, which are the genetic determinants that allow them to exchange genes (especially in pigs Ed)" summarizes the virologist Bruno Lina, who directs the work on influenza A for this laboratory INSERM. Three biologists of his team were assigned to perform these tests determined and endorsed at ministerial level. Equipped of passport, they are assisted by a half-dozen technicians attached to the site. . "All operations are diving and are subject to very restrictive regulations" ensures Bruno Lina.

If experience is closely linked to the National Reference Center for influenza virus, that it runs, its purpose is, according to him, not lead to a vaccine, but just "cognitive": "Why make a vaccine against a virus that does not exist? The first results will fall in two months and decide what action to take this operation to the budget (provisional) 200 000. For the moment, "we did some tests, but obtained only very preliminary results," continues the virologist. If it is too early to deduce anything about the probability of the occurrence of such a viral monster, "Today, the risk seems low," he says. He concluded: "This is good news."

Olivier Season

H1N1: until the second wave

If the media seem to have now finished with the flu, it probably is not true of our bodies. "It's a certainty, iI will be many a new epidemic wave" says Bruno Lina, head of the National Reference Centre for influenza virus. "Either the H1N1 virus becomes a seasonal epidemic that will have a moderate impact, or it triggers a second wave next winter," he continues. Second wave that could have a greater impact, as was the case during the winter influenza epidemics of 1957 (H2N2) and 1968 (H3N2): "It was during the second wave, in winter 58 and winter 69 there had been the most deaths "recalls the virologist. Even "if nothing is logical with the flu, we must still keep that in mind." Without being alarmist, the researcher keeps an eye on the avian virus H5N1 (287 of 486 death cases in the world), he notes, "seems to take a little hair of the beast." Comme en témoignent les cinq nouveaux cas répertoriés en Egypte. As evidenced by the five new cases reported in Egypt.

OS - Les filovirus Ebola et Marburg - Les arénavirus de type 4 : le virus Lassa d'origine africaine et les arénavirus d'origine sud américaine. OS - The filoviruses Ebola and Marburg - The arenavirus Type 4: Lassa virus of African origin and arenaviruses from South America. - Le virus de la fièvre hémorragique de Congo Crimée - Le virus de la variole - Les Henipavirus Nipah et Hendra - Les virus Influenza A H5N1 d'origine - The virus haemorrhagic fever Crimean Congo - The smallpox virus - The Henipavirus Nipah and Hendra - The influenza A H5N1 origin.