Pandemic 2009 (H1N1 Influenza) News

UT Medical Center to hold clinical trials for H1N1 vaccine

2009-07-26T19:07:00.001-07:00

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The University of Tennessee Medical Center is part of a big government effort to have a H1N1 vaccine ready for the world by the end of the year. We have details about a clinical trial the hospital is doing that you can participate in.

With more than 400 H1N1 deaths worldwide, companies are working around the clock to create a vaccine. UT Medical Center is one of a dozen sites which are part of the phase two study of the vaccine. The hospital is working with Sanofi Pasteur to test three different doses.

"It's a step in the development of the vaccine," says Dr. Bill Smith the Director of the Volunteer Research Group at UT Medical Center.

A high dose, intermediate dose, a low dose and a placebo will be given to volunteers. There is no difference in the amount of the injection, just a difference in concentration.

"The reason this important is if the low dose works and we get the antibody response we're looking for than they can use a much lower dose in the subsequent studies which will allow the amount of vaccine they can make to cover a lot more individuals than if we have to use a higher dose," says Dr. Smith.

In early August, 200 volunteers like Barbara Munsey will receive one of the doses. "I feel like if I'm going to have my son get it, or if it might become required, I'd like to say that I did it first."

Barbara works in the clinical trials cancer division at UT and says she knows how important it is to get information for studies. "We know that we can never get these studies done then we can't get our medications to the public if we don't have people participating in clinical trials."

Dr. Smith says side effects of the vaccine should be the same as the seasonal flu. "This is a way that someone could receive potentially the vaccine earlier, before it's commercially available."

If you want to participate in the clinical trial of the H1N1 vaccination, call UT Medical Center at 305-9356. You will be paid $100 to volunteer. Researchers are asking older people especially to participate because they are in a high risk group.

Canada reports first case of Tamiflu-resistant A/H1N1 flu

2009-07-26T19:06:00.001-07:00

OTTAWA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Canada on Wednesday reported its first case of Tamiflu-resistant A/H1N1 flu virus, in a man who had been given the drug to prevent infection.

A 60-year-old man from Quebec province was given the flu antiviral after his son fell ill with the pandemic virus. But he came down with the flu anyway. It was believed the resistance arose in his body.

But he recovered quickly and did not require hospital treatment. There is no evidence he transmitted the resistant virus to anyone else.

This is the world's fourth such case since the new A/H1N1 virus was discovered in April. Japan has since reported its second case, the world's fifth such case.

Jirina Vlk, spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada, said on Wednesday the Quebec man's case appears to be an isolated one of Tamiflu resistance, adding her agency continues to be vigilant for similar cases.

Tamiflu is sometimes given to prevent infection but has been seen, on occasion, giving rise to resistant viruses, said Dr. Allison McGeer, an influenza expert at Toronto's Mount Sinai University.

She said given the amount of Tamiflu being used in the world right now, such cases are bound to arise. She said either the cases would continue to arise sporadically or there will be widespread Tamiflu resistance, and there is not much middle ground.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

H1N1 (Swine) Flu confirmed in four students

2009-07-26T19:01:00.001-07:00

SARASOTA, FL. - The Sarasota County Health Department has received notification of H1N1 (Swine) Flu in four students who attended a summer camp program at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota.

A fifth student was also tested for the virus, and as of now, test results are pending. All of these individuals reside outside of Sarasota County. Health Department officials have worked closely with the staff at the College to contain the outbreak. Since influenza illness in Sarasota County is now approaching the same level as seen during the peak of regular flu season, we urge everyone to take precautions to avoid the flu," said William Heymann, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., medical executive director for the Sarasota County Health Department.

7 students were found to have the Influenza-A virus, although not all samples were sent out for testing by the health department according to Ringling officials. All of them however, were treated as if they had the H1N1 virus. Four of the five samples sent out by the health department did come back as positive for H1n1 virus.

As a reminder, people experiencing cough, fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and sore throat, possibly along with diarrhea and vomiting, should contact their healthcare provider to discuss whether they need to be seen in their office, emergency department or stay home.

Those with respiratory illness should stay home, and away from work, day care or summer programs to avoid spreading infections, including influenza. Postpone travel plans if you or family members become ill. Health officials advise that you stay home for a week after symptoms begin or 24 hours after you are symptom-free whichever is longer. Everyone is reminded to take these additional actions daily:

Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.
Wash hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand cleaners to reduce the spread of respiratory illness.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it, and then wash hands.
For more information, visit www.sarasotahealth.org . For flu information in Sarasota County, call the Flu Information Line at 941-861-2800 or visit a health kiosk at all libraries and Senior Friendship Centers throughout Sarasota County.

Officials at the Ringling College of Art and Design confirm that Sudents who attended a summer program that came down with Influenza A did in fact have the H1N1 Flu.

They say six of the seven cases of the students' results tested positive. They are awaiting the results of one last test.

As ABC 7 reported last week, none of the students were from the Suncoast. They were all a part of a pre-college perspectives summer program, which was cut short due to the illnesses.

Ringling officials say the campus has since been cleaned and no students are there now.

Classes start August 25th.

Source : www.mysuncoast.com

Russian A/H1N1 flu cases rise to 12

2009-07-26T18:58:00.001-07:00

MOSCOW, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of Russian A/H1N1 flu cases has risen to 12, said Russia's chief sanitary official on Wednesday.

Gennady Onishchenko was quoted by the RIA Novosti as saying that a pregnant woman returning from holiday in Bulgaria, as well as her young daughter and another Moscow citizen have contracted the virus.

There were four more suspected cases that have yet to be officially confirmed, he added.

The top health official said all cases registered in Russia were found in those who returned to Russia from holiday or business trips abroad.

He also said those diagnosed with the virus had been hospitalized, but none of them were in a serious condition.

The A/H1N1 flu death toll has exceeded 700 worldwide since the outbreak of the disease in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Hungary reports first death from H1N1 flu

2009-07-26T18:57:00.001-07:00

BUDAPEST, July 22 (Reuters) - A Hungarian man has died from H1N1 flu, the government said on Wednesday, the first death in the country from the new virus which has killed more than 700 people worldwide since it emerged in April.

The 41-year-old man had heart and lung disease which combined with the virus infection led to his death, surgeon general Ferenc Falus told a news conference.

"From the sample taken during the autopsy for the first time we could identify the new type AH1N1V virus," he said.

So far Hungary has had 37 cases of the new flu. Two patients are currently in hospital with mild symptoms.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), which declared an H1N1 influenza pandemic on June 11, said last week the new flu was the fastest-moving pandemic ever.

Some 125,000 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported worldwide as of Tuesday, it said. (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs, Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)

Source : www.reuters.com

China begins clinical tests for A/H1N1 flu vaccines

2009-07-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Two Chinese pharmaceutical firms kicked off two-month clinical tests on the country's A/H1N1 influenza vaccines Wednesday.
More than 2,000 volunteers recruited in Taizhou in eastern Jiangsu Province took part in the trials carried out by Hualan Biological Engineering Inc., said Fan Bei, deputy general manager of the company.
The tests came exactly one month after the vaccines were produced by the Henan-based company, and submitted for laboratory test in June.
Hualan was among the first in China to receive the seed virus of the A/H1N1 flu on June 3, and produced the country's first batch of A/H1N1 vaccines, 90,000 doses in all, on June 22.
The clinical trials, supervised by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, were aimed at specifying the dosage and the immunity procedures of the vaccines, said Fan.

The volunteers, divided into five age groups, would receive the vaccines in turns on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. A second round of inoculation is due 21 days after the initial vaccination.
During the two-month clinical test, the volunteers would have antibody tests for four times, Fan said. Follow-up tests would continue till six months after their initial vaccination.
Previous reports said the vaccines were expected to hit the market in September should they pass both laboratory and clinical tests, and the Hualan Biological Engineering Inc. would be able to make 600,000 doses a day.
In the meantime, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and its Beijing bureau also on Wednesday began clinical tests on the vaccines produced by the Sinovac Biotech Ltd., or the Beijing Kexing Bioproducts, in Beijing.
A total of 1,600 participants took part in the test, and would all receive the vaccines this week, according to Yin Weidong, general manager of Kexing.

Participants aged between 3 and 60 would receive another round of vaccination 21 days after their initial vaccination, same as the participants in the Hualan test. But participants aged over 60would only receive first one round of inoculation, Yin said.
The clinical test would be completed by mid September, he said.
As of 6 p.m. of July 22, China had reported 1,772 cases of the A/H1N1 influenza on the mainland, of whom 1,454 had recovered and been discharged from hospital, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
No deaths or critical cases of the virus have been reported on the Chinese mainland, but a patient in Hangzhou of eastern Zhejiang Province was reportedly electrocuted in a hospital bathroom on July 1.
Across the world, more than 700 people have died from the influenza since April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Countries are racing for a A/H1N1 vaccine, as Marie-Paule Kieny, director of WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research, said at a WHO expert group last week that the influenza was "unstoppable," and that "all countries need to have access to vaccines."
Australian pharmaceutical company CSL also began a clinical test on its A/H1N1 flu vaccine on Wednesday, saying that it could have an H1N1 vaccine ready by September if its clinical trials go well.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Thailand's death toll from A/H1N1 flu rises to 44

2009-07-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

BANGKOK, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Public Health Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary said Wednesday that the country has 20 more influenza A/H1N1 death related cases, bringing the country's death toll to 44.
Dr. Paijit Warachit said that 44 died from the epidemic and 6776 infected, among whom 6697 have recovered and 35 remained in hospital, seven are in serious condition.
Paijit said that the ministry is planning to take three tough measures to curb the outbreak of the influenza A/H1N1, providing the patients with oseltamivir immediately and calling on the infectious cases to stop working and studying.
He believed that the ministry will see better situation within some one month after taking those measures.
Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai called on the public not to be panic over the epidemic
He denied the reports that Thailand has become the fourth largest number of death toll from the virus, saying that many countries have halted their reports of death toll.
However, he admitted that he worried about football fans who will go to watch the game between Thai national team and Liverpoolin Bangkok on Wednesday evening.
He suggests the flu patients not to join the event.
Thailand had its first two confirmed patients on May 12.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Brazil confirms 5 more A/H1N1 flu deaths

2009-07-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Five more A/H1N1 flu deaths were confirmed in Brazil on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 20, the country's health authorities said.
All five deaths, including four women and one man, occurred in the state of Sao Paulo in southeastern Brazil. One of the victims was a pregnant woman, and her baby was saved.
All A/H1N1 flu deaths in Brazil took place in three states. Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil has the highest death toll of 11 victims. Sao Paulo state has eight registered deaths, and Rio de Janeiro state in the southeast has one death.
The three states altogether accounted for about two thirds of the 1,175 confirmed cases in Brazil. There are also 3,926 suspected cases, and 1,837 patients have recovered from the disease.
The number of A/H1N1 flu cases in Brazil have increased tenfold in the past month, pressing the authorities to take a series of measures to contain the pandemic.
Four towns in Rio Grande do Sul state have declared state of emergency.
According to the World Health Organization, over 700 people have already died from the flu.
Source : news.xinhuanet.com

A/H1N1 flu cases rise to 443 in Vietnam

2009-07-22T00:50:00.000-07:00

HANOI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Health confirmed 35 more cases of A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the total number of flu patients to 443 in the country, local newspaper the People reported Wednesday.
Among the new infection cases, 34 patients are in the southern provinces and one in a central province, said the ministry.
So far, 328 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The rest are being quarantined and treated, all in stable conditions, said the newspaper.
The ministry also expressed its concern over the quick spread of A/H1N1 virus at the community-level of the country.
There have been 61 students and teachers found infected with the A/H1N1 virus at Ho Chi Minh City's Ngo Thoi Nhiem high school and 23 people tested positive to the virus in a commune in the southern province of Dong Nai, according to the newspaper.
No death in connection with the disease has been reported in Vietnam up till now.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Death toll of A/H1N1 flu in Canada rises to 50

2009-07-22T00:48:00.000-07:00

OTTAWA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the A/H1N1 flu in Canada rose to 50 Tuesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said in its latest release.
The French-speaking Quebec province has the most death cases at 19, followed by Ontario at 16. Other deaths happened in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Last week Canada announced it would give up counting individual H1N1 flu cases and focus on research of community spread patterns and unusual situations, after the WHO made similar suggestions.
As of July 15, Canada had a total of 10,156 confirmed cases. The PHAC now issue deaths numbers twice a week.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Taiwanese Researchers Make New Compound To Fight H1N1 Virus

2009-07-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Taipei, Taiwan (AHN) - Taiwanese researchers have developed a chemical compound that can destroy the surface of some flu viruses, including influenza A (H1N1).

The NTU-VirusBom compound named after the National Taiwan University, where the researchers come from, has the potential to control the swine flu pandemic, which has killed 700 people worldwide.

The compound was also found to be effective in containing Enetrovirus 71 and Staphylococcus aureus, which cause nosocomial infection.

The NTU-VirusBorn can be mixed with disinfectants and the researchers are working to mass produce the compound by September.

Source : www.allheadlinenews.com

Iran's influenza A/H1N1 patients amount to 16

2009-07-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

TEHRAN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of influenza A/H1N1 patients in Iran has risen to 16 cases, a Health Ministry official announced on Tuesday.
Mahmoud Soroush, manager of Flu Program and Border Health Care of the Health Ministry, said that seven new cases brought the total number of A/H1N1 patients in the Islamic republic to 16, out of which 12 had been to Saudi Arabia for Hajj pilgrimage, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, IRNA quoted Iran's Minister of Health Kamran Bagheri Lankarani as saying that Iran has detected nine cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the country.
"All the infected patients feel well and we do not have any patients in bad condition," Lankarani said, adding that "through the coordination with the Hajj Pilgrimage Organization, some age restrictions have been put on the pilgrims' visit (to Saudi Arabia) for the time being."
In June, Iran's Ministry of Health announced the first case of influenza A/H1N1 in the country when a 16-year-old teenager who returned from the United States was tested positive.
Last week, Iranian health officials said 200 Iranians are suspected of having been infected with the influenza A/H1N1 virus, local satellite Press TV reported.
Iranian "health authorities have decided to enforce restrictions on Hajj pilgrimage as the latest figures showed 150 individuals have tested positive for A/H1N1 flu in Saudi Arabia," health official Mohammad-Mehdi Gouya was quoted by Press TV as saying.
The health ministry has advised Iranians to avoid unnecessary trips to countries such as Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Britain and Germany that witness a higher rate of the novel flu.
As a means to confront the flu epidemic disease in the country, Iran has established a committee which consists of four ministers and two vice presidents.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

FDA Lays Framework for Expedited H1N1 Vaccine Approvals

2009-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, July 21 -- The FDA will be extraordinarily flexible in evaluating vaccines for pandemic H1N1 influenza, suggested an agency briefing document issued for an upcoming advisory committee meeting.
On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will hear about the status of H1N1 vaccine production, as well as the FDA's plans for evaluating vaccines in time for the fall flu season, when public health officials expect to see resurgent H1N1 infections.
It's expected that at least one vaccine will be available for clinical test by late summer. The National Institutes of Health has said it would like to begin vaccinating certain high-risk groups, such as healthcare workers, by mid-October, which doesn't leave much time for the FDA to approve a vaccine. (See H1N1 Summit: October Target Date for H1N1 Vaccine Distribution and WHO Says Healthcare Workers Are H1N1 Vaccine Priority)
Normally, clinical trials are completed before the FDA would even accept an application for a drug or vaccine. But given the perceived urgency of the H1N1 situation, the agency might approve a vaccine based on incomplete or very small studies, according to a briefing document from the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Office of Vaccines Research and Review.
In fact, the document suggested, the agency might even waive its customary demands for compelling safety and immunogenicity data.
The government expects Novartis, Sanofi Pasteur, CSL, and GlaxoSmithKline to supply inactivated H1N1 vaccines to the U.S. market, while MedImmune will produce a live attenuated H1N1 vaccine, according to the document.
The FDA said it would like the sponsors of the study to perform double-blind or observer-blinded studies in which patients are administered two doses of the vaccine, 21 days apart.
Manufacturers should stratify their patients into four age groups: infants and toddlers, ages 3 to 9, 18- to 64-year-olds, and older than 65.
The FDA did not request an adolescent group because those data can be interpolated from the other age groups, the document said.
It also didn't specify a study protocol for babies less than six months, because such studies will have to be designed to evaluate the entire series of infant vaccinations.
The FDA said that 100 patients in each arm of the trials "is sufficient to provide a description assessment of immunogenicity with a reasonable degree of confidence in that estimate." If a control arm is used, it should contain at least 25 patients.
The FDA recommended that patients should be followed for six months after the second vaccination to monitor for serious adverse events, and for one year if the second vaccine contains an adjuvant, the FDA said.
The vaccine will be considered as having an immunogenic response if:
The lower bound of the two-sided 95% confidence interval for the percentage of subjects achieving seroconversion for H1 antibody should meet or exceed 40%, or 30% for those over 65. The lower bound of the two-sided 95% CI for the percentage of subjects achieving an H1 antibody titer more than or equal to 1:40 should meet or exceed 70%, or 60% for those over 65. The FDA will be working with manufacturers and government agencies to coordinate surveillance plans, according to the briefing document.
It is expected that the National Institutes of Health will also sponsor some H1N1 vaccine studies, and the agency will present its plan to the advisory panel on Thursday.
According to the briefing document, the FDA is considering vaccines from Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline that use dose-sparing, oil-in-water adjuvants to stretch the quantity of the antigen farther.
There are currently no licensed influenza vaccines that contain an adjuvant, and if the FDA decides to approve a vaccine with an adjuvant, it would have to issue "emergency use authorization," which would allows emergency use of products that "may be effective" in preventing serious or life threatening disease.
Normally, emergency use authorization is issued when the FDA commissioner determines there are no available alternatives, but in this case, the commissioner could issue the emergency use authorization if there are insufficient supplies to meet the emergency need, according to the briefing document.
The advisory panel is not being asked to vote formally on specific questions. It will hear an update from the FDA, an update from the five vaccine manufacturers, and it will discuss the FDA's trial protocol recommendations.

H1N1 flu symptoms

2009-07-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

1. High temperature, tiredness and lowered immunity
2. Headache, runny nose and sneezing
3. Sore throat
4. Shortness of breath
5. Loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea
6. Aching muscles, limb and joint pain

Source: NHS

Global swine flu deaths top 700

2009-07-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

H1N1 swine flu has killed more than 700 people around the world since the outbreak began four months ago, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

This represents a jump of at least two-thirds from the last official death toll figure of 429, published by the WHO on July 6.
Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, has warned that swine flu will become the biggest flu pandemic ever seen.

However, most cases continue to produce only mild symptoms.

The overwhelming majority of patients usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week of falling ill.

The WHO has said the pandemic is developing at such a high speed that it is now pointless to try to document every case.

In past pandemics, flu viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

But officials have stressed that there is an ongoing need for all countries to monitor unusual events, such as clusters of severe or fatal cases, or unusual clinical patterns, closely.
Some 125,000 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported worldwide - but the number of actual cases far exceeds that.

WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said a group of experts, including mathematicians, epidemiologists and a virologists, were examining various measures countries could take to slow the spread of the disease.

Ms Bhatiasevi said school closures could be among the recommendations, but that it was up to each country to consider appropriate steps for their situations.

Experts predict that there will be a significant surge of new cases of swine flu in the northern hemisphere when the weather begins to cool in the autumn.

Source : news.bbc.co.uk

Iran detects nine cases of influenza A/H1N1

2009-07-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

TEHRAN, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran has detected nine more cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the country, the official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.
Iran's Minister of Health Kamran Bagheri Lankarani announced onTuesday that nine people have been diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1out of which eight had visited Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage.
"All the infected patients feel well and we do not have any patients in bad condition," Bagheri Lankarani said, but adding that "through the coordination with the Hajj Pilgrimage Organization, some age restrictions have been put on the pilgrims'visit (to Saudi Arabia) for the time being."
In June, Iran's Ministry of Health announced the first case of influenza A/H1N1 in the country when a 16-year-old teenager returning from the United States was tested positive.
Earlier last week, Iranian health officials said that 200 Iranians are suspected of having been infected with the influenza A/H1N1 virus, local satellite Press TV reported.
Iranian "health authorities have decided to enforce restrictionson Hajj pilgrimage as the latest figures showed 150 individuals have tested positive for A/H1N1 flu in Saudi Arabia."
The ministry had advised Iranians to avoid unnecessary trips to countries such as Mexico, Canada, Thailand, Britain and Germany which witness a high rate of the novel flu.
As a means to confront the flu epidemic disease in the country,Iran has established a committee consists of four ministers and two vice presidents.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Can closing schools stop the flu?

2009-07-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

As they prepare for a fall flu season that could bring two nasty strains, Boston health officials are studying whether school closings helped to stop the spread of swine flu during the spring.
Dr. Anita Barry, director of the infectious disease bureau at the Boston Public Health Commission, said the agency is still analyzing case reports from private and public schools that closed after abseentism rates soared. They expect to have answers in a month that will tell them if closing schools broke the chain of transmission of swine flu, known by its scientific name H1N1.
The Boston review continues even as an article appearing today in a special issue of the British medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases concludes that closing schools early in a pandemic can reduce the number of cases at its peak, but cases might rise later when they reopened, leading to the same totals had schools not been shuttered. This flattening in the number of cases was observed in epidemics dating from 1918 through 2008.
The social and economic costs of prolonged closing may be high, measured in lost income for parents who must miss work as well as in disruptions in the healthcare system when its workers also have to stay home, Simon Cauchemez of Imperial College London and co-authors wrote.
"The H1N1 pandemic could become more severe, and so the current cautious approach of not necessarily recommending school closure in Europe and North America might need reappraisal in the autumn," the authors said. But "there are still many uncertainties about the health, economic, and social implications of closing schools to mitigate an influenza pandemic."
The novel flu strain has disproportionately sickened young people since it emerged in April. In Massachusetts, almost two-thirds of confirmed cases were found in people under age 18, reflecting similar figures worldwide. Barry said the commission estimates there were 23,000 cases in the city, or about 4 percent of the population, based on mathematical models derived from tracking visits to hospital emergency rooms.
When it comes to transmitting infectious diseases, children make ideal agents. They are both more likely to catch viruses and to spread them, having less immunity than adults and being more likely to gather in close quarters at school. They're contagious longer and carry higher amounts of virus, too.
In Boston, the H1N1 outbreak taxed hospitals in May and doctors' offices in June, Dr. Marvin Harper, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Boston, said. But a surge in cases occurring in the winter months could overwhelm the healthcare system. In his view, the value of school closings depends on whether the disease is already spreading across the population. An H1N1 vaccine is not expected to be ready before the end of the year and it will likely be set aside for the most vulnerable people first.
"If more of the cases are being spread by kids outside of school than in school, then closing schools really isn't going to have that much effect," he said. "The point of [the Lancet] article is if you are going to close a school, you need to do it early and not late."
Barry of the Boston Public Health Commission said one thing is certain.
"This is the year for people to get their seasonal flu vaccine and get it early," she said. "You don't want to get [infected] twice, because you can get seasonal flu and H1N1 if you're really unlucky."

Source : www.boston.com

New Zealand reports 11th death of Influenza A/H1N1

2009-07-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

WLLINGTON, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of deaths from Influenza A/H1N1 in New Zealand rose to 11 on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said.
The latest death was a child who had underlying medical conditions and died within the past week.
There were a total of 2,443 confirmed cases of Influenza A/H1N1in New Zealand on Tuesday, up from 2,368 on Monday.
But the actual number of confirmed cases will be significantly higher, as only a small proportion of people with symptoms are being tested.
There are 74 people in hospital with influenza A/H1N1, 26 of whom are in intensive care. Half of those in intensive care are in hospitals in Auckland.
The New Zealand government said Influenza A/H1N1 has not yet peaked and health services remain under pressure.
The health authorities said they were prepared for a possible increase in flu cases which the Health Ministry said could happen as a result of children returning to school from holidays this week

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Panama reports first death of A/H1N1 flu

2009-07-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

PANAMA CITY, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Panama has confirmed one death of A/H1N1 flu, the first in the country, the Health Ministry said on Monday.
The victim, a nine-month-old baby from the country's western Cocle Province, had a congenital malformation and had been hospitalized, Health Minister Franklin Vergara said.
The baby did not had flu-like symptoms when he was admitted to the hospital but was tested positive for the flu virus later, the minister added.
Panama reported 17 new flu cases this week, bringing the total confirmed cases to 541. But about 88 percent of the patients have recovered.
The country reported its first A/H1N1 flu infection on May 8.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Russia officially confirms nine A/H1N1 flu cases

2009-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

MOSCOW, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia has officially confirmed nine A/H1N1 flu cases, chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko said Monday.
There are also some suspected flu cases, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted him as saying. "The final diagnosis will come within the next two days," he said.
Onishchenko said all cases registered in Russia were found in those who returned to Russia from holiday or business trips abroad.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

FDA Approves Next Seasonal Flu Vaccines

2009-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it approved vaccines for the upcoming 2009-2010 seasonal influenza season in the U.S.

The vaccines won’t protect against the new H1N1 influenza strain, which was declared a pandemic last month by the World Health Organization. The manufacturing process for a vaccine that would protect against that strain is just beginning, and it won’t be available until October at the earliest.

Still, federal health officials said most Americans should receive a seasonal flu vaccine because it is expected that the viruses that cause seasonal flu will begin circulating later this year alongside the H1N1 virus.

The FDA said it approved six vaccines, with two being made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC units. The other vaccines are made by U.S. units of Sanofi Aventis SA and AstraZeneca PLC, which makes a flu mist rather than a shot. The remaining approved vaccines are made by Novartis AG and CSL Ltd.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 20% of the U.S. population develops influenza each year. More than 200,000 are hospitalized from its complications and about 36,000 people die.

Health officials have said there is a “striking difference” between the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu, with the new virus disproportionately affecting children and young adults rather than adults age 65 and older. Officials are planning for an H1N1 vaccination campaign aimed at school-age children.

Manufacturing for the 2009-2010 seasonal influenza vaccines had already started before the H1N1 virus was discovered in April.

Source : online.wsj.com

Influenza A/H1N1 continues to threaten Asia-Pacific region

2009-07-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hong Kong, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Influenza A/H1N1 has continued to threaten the people in Asia and Pacific region as more than 200new flu cases were confirmed on Sunday in the region.

Singapore's Health Minister said on Monday that 53 percent of the new flu cases are A/H1N1 positive.

The number spiked from 13 percent in a span of just four weeks, according to Singapore's Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who was quoted by local TV broadcaster Channel News Asia in his update in Parliament.

He also warned that A/H1N1 flu prevalence in Singapore should peak within a week or two, adding that more Singaporeans will get infected, reaching a peak before the numbers start to decline.

He explained Singapore remains in yellow alert because unlike seasonal flu, the at-risk groups involve younger adults with underlying medical problems.

According to Philippine's TV network GMA News reported on Monday, more than 100 inmates in two Philippine jails were quarantined for suspected A/H1N1 influenza, raising fears that an outbreak might occur among the confined population.

Over 60 inmates have developed flu-like symptoms in the central Philippines' Mandaue city jail, where 100 inmates were placed under observation.

In northern Bulacan provincial jail, ten inmates were quarantined after showing sings of A/H1N1 influenza, the report said.

The suspected outbreak has prompted jail officials to shorten families' visit hours and to conduct thermal scanning on visitors before they enter the jail.

The Philippines is among the worst-hit by the A/H1N1 influenza in Southeast Asia as the authorities confirmed 2,688 cases by July9, with four deaths.

On the same day, Vietnamese Ministry of Health confirmed 45 more influenza A/H1N1 cases, bringing the country's tally to 383.

All the newly confirmed cases are in the southern provinces, said the ministry.

So far, 299 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The rest are being quarantined and treated in stable conditions.

China's Hong Kong confirmed 76 new cases of A/H1N1 flu infection in the 24 hours up to 2.30 p.m. on Monday, medical authorities said.

According to a spokesman of the Center for Health Protection, the new cases involve 36 males and 40 females, aged between one and 81.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 1,886 in Hong Kong, the spokesman said.

The city's Hospital Authority said in a release later in the day that currently a total of 41 confirmed patients are staying in public hospitals for treatment and five of them are in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the neighboring Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) said that six newly cases of Influenza A/H1N1 were confirmed, bringing the total number of such cases to 127 so far.

The newly confirmed cases included three men and three women whose ages ranged from eight to 42, according to SAR's Health Bureau.

The Indonesian Health Ministry announced 15 new positive A/H1N1cases on Monday. Of the 15 patients, five were male and ten were female.

"Five of them have a history to go overseas, one to Malaysia, two to the United States, and another two to Singapore," said Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, a disease control official of the ministry.

By now, the cumulative cases of positive influenza A/H1N1 in Indonesia amounted to 172, involving 86 men and 86 women.

Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said that 862 out of the total patients of the disease had recovered, seven were still under treatment in hospitals, while five of them were receiving out-patient treatment.

Liow said the total cases of the flu comprising 567 imports and307 local transmissions.

He said his ministry would continue in monitoring cases of the disease being brought to the hospitals, including cases of cluster "influenza-likeness illness".

Owing to a sharp rise in the number of influenza A/H1N1 cases in the world and the region recently, Cambodia government on Monday called on its citizens to avoid traveling to its neighboring country of Thailand.

The Cambodian Health Ministry made the call in order to prevent the large scale outbreak of A/H1N1 flu in the country.

"Without the need for the time being, Cambodian citizens should avoid traveling to Thailand in order to prevent the wide-spreading of the epidemic in Cambodia," the Health Ministry's statement said.

According to local media reported that as of July 19, Thailand had found at least 4,000 cases of confirmed influenza A/H1N1, while 24 people died of the flu.

Cambodia now has a total of 14 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu, but most of them were imported and no one died of the virus so far in the country.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Britain sets to increase support to cope with A/H1N1

2009-07-20T18:27:00.001-07:00

LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The British government will increase the support available for responding to cases of A/H1N1 in the country from the end of this week, local media reported on Monday.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the National Health Service (NHS) is continuing to cope well, but as A/H1N1 cases rise, antivirals will need to be distributed to greater numbers of people quickly.

The flu service will be able to quickly diagnose people with signs of the disease, Burnham said, adding that cases of A/H1N1 in Britain have so far proved to be generally mild in most people, but have been severe in a small minority cases.

"I want the public to be reassured that we have been preparing for the possibility for a pandemic for a number of years," he added.

The British government also provided pandemic flu hotline services, which people will be able to call to get advice on A/H1N1, and there are information on the NHS website available for pregnant women, children and holidaymakers.

Burnham said: "If you're going abroad, as ever, make sure you know where you can get medical advice."

The British government announced that 29 people have so far died of A/H1N1 flu in Britain.

More than 10,000 confirmed cases of the disease have so far been registered in Britain, according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency.

Irish deaths from H1N1 virus are 'inevitable'

2009-07-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

IRISH DEATHS from the H1N1 virus are “inevitable”, Dr Pat Doorley, head of population health with the Health Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday.

“Sadly I could not say there won’t be deaths here. It is clear we are going to have more cases and the doubling time for those cases will shorten and inevitably there will be some deaths,” Dr Doorley said on RTÉ radio.

On Saturday, the HSE released an analysis of some 156 Irish cases of the virus which have been confirmed. It reveals that young people are most at risk of contracting the virus. Under 35s have accounted for over 70 per cent of the confirmed cases of H1N1 swine flu in Ireland.

Eleven per cent of H1N1 swine flu cases were in children aged four and under, 31 per cent of cases were in teenagers and young adults aged between 15 and 24 and 21 per cent of cases were in adults aged 25 to 34. Just 3 per cent of cases were in people over 64.

This was consistent with a pattern in other countries and may reflect the fact that older people may have been exposed to a similar H1N1 virus in the past and may have some residual immunity, Dr Doorley said yesterday.

However, he “did not see any need” to stop people from shaking hands in mass or to ban large gatherings.

His comments came on foot of a suspension of the practice of giving the ‘‘sign of peace’’ in the Diocese of Cork and Ross as a precaution against H1N1 swine flu.

Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley outlined this advice in a letter to clergy throughout the diocese at the end of last week.

He stressed that the matter was being discussed at the archbishops conference and that the ‘‘sign of peace’’ would be reinstated as soon as major flu concerns had passed.

Dr Doorley described as not proportionate, advice by UK pregnancy charity National Childbirth Trust (NCT) that couples should delay conceiving until the epidemic has ended because a woman’s immune system is suppressed during pregnancy.

“Pregnant women are a higher risk group but I do not think that advice is proportionate,” Dr Doorley said.

Meanwhile, Irish passengers travelling through Heathrow airport in London could be stopped from getting on flights if they have swine flu.

British Airways has instructed its check-in staff to look out for passengers showing symptoms of the H1N1 virus and to alert doctors if they have concerns, the airline said yesterday.

Calling the measures “standard practice” for a medical situation, the spokeswoman said only a handful of people had so far been turned away from boarding British Airways flights.

Virgin Atlantic said people suffering from the condition would not be allowed to fly without a fit to fly certificate from their doctor or a hospital, though there had been no cases yet.

Aer Lingus does not have any specific plans in place to deal with swine flu. An Aer Lingus spokeswoman said normal procedures applied if a passenger presented themselves as sick at check in. “There are no special procedures for swine flu,” she said.

With a warning about the risks of H1N1 swine flu among young people, Trinity College Dublin has put in place a plan and has set up a group to deal with an outbreak.

The most extreme scenario could see the college allowing staff to work from home and limiting access to the college campus as well as providing counselling for staff and students in the case of a death from the virus.

A report to be released today predicts that swine flu could dispel hopes of an economic recovery in the UK next year. The report by Ernst and Young predicts that swine flu could cause the British economy to contract by 7.5 per cent.

Source : www.irishtimes.com

Vietnam's A/H1N1 flu cases rise to 383

2009-07-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

HANOI, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Health confirmed 45 more influenza A/H1N1 cases, bringing the country's tally to 383, local newspaper the People reported Monday.

All the newly confirmed cases are in the southern provinces, said the ministry.

So far, 299 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The rest are being quarantined and treated in stable conditions.

The country has reported no death in connection with the disease since its outbreak, said the newspaper.

H1N1 vaccine on the way for fall distribution

2009-07-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

Physicians and other health care professionals likely will be among the first to receive a new influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, which should be ready by mid-October, said Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

She made the announcement at a summit of local, state and federal health and school officials held July 9 at the National Institutes of Health.

President Obama urged attendees via a live link from Italy to start preparing for what could be a significant outbreak in the fall. "We may end up averting a crisis if we all work together," he said.

A final decision on the scope of the fall H1N1 vaccine campaign will be made by the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Sebelius said. The latter committee will meet on July 29 to discuss which groups are at highest risk and should receive the vaccine first. The vaccine is being tested for safety and efficacy.

In addition to physicians and others in health care, school-age children and pregnant women are likely to be recommended as early recipients, Sebelius said.

Manufacturers are expected to have about 100 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine ready by mid-October, with additional doses later in the fall.

The number of H1N1 doses could reach 600 million -- enough for what's expected to be two doses per person, officials said.

That dwarfs the amount of seasonal flu vaccine generally made available. This year, about 119 million doses are expected for the coming fall and winter season -- about 20 million fewer doses than last year, according to information presented at the joint American Medical Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Influenza Vaccine Summit held in Dallas June 29 through July 1.

Since the annual, or seasonal, flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 virus, physicians should begin immunizing patients for seasonal flu as soon as they receive the vaccine in late summer and early fall, said officials at the AMA/CDC summit.

Physicians and others in the health care field have been notoriously lax in getting the seasonal vaccine themselves and they should take steps to boost that rate, according to presenters at the summit. Results of a survey released at the meeting found that 46% of health care workers get an annual flu shot.

Uncharted territory

Influenza viruses are among the most unpredictable of infectious diseases, and the H1N1 virus is one of the more puzzling, said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, who spoke at the H1N1 summit.

The virus is more likely to affect children ages 5 to 17, rather than people older than 65, the group hit hardest by seasonal flu. Pregnant women also are being affected, as are people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma. The H1N1 virus is still going strong this summer, an unusual time for the flu to circulate.

Although the new flu is, at least so far, no more severe than seasonal flu, that's not too reassuring "since seasonal flu kills 36,000 people a year," Dr. Frieden said. For now, surveillance and planning are top priorities.

Since H1N1 could cause continuing, and possibly more severe, illnesses in the fall, physicians should prepare for a surge of visits from worried patients, Sebelius said. Although antivirals have been effective in treating the disease, signs of resistance are being reported in other countries.

Sebelius said $350 million in federal grants will be sent to states and hospitals by the end of July to aid in planning for possible mass vaccinations and a possible surge in patients seeking treatment. Congress has appropriated money for the vaccine.

During the H1N1 summit, several state health officials spoke about last spring's outbreak. Among them was Marcelle Layton, MD, assistant commissioner of the New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. With 900 hospitalizations and 47 deaths, New York City experienced one of the largest outbreaks.

Despite having a pandemic plan, some aspects of the H1N1 outbreak took the city by surprise, she said. "We thought we would have some warning that a pandemic was occurring and that it would likely be recognized overseas prior to its arrival in New York City."

That wasn't the case. An outbreak in a city school was identified in mid-April shortly after the first cases in Mexico made news.

Among the lessons learned was the importance of surveillance to track the size and severity of the outbreak. Communication was another priority. The public health department held numerous press conferences and developed fact sheets and health alerts. A 24-hour phone line was established for physicians and other health care professionals. It received 5,000 calls, Dr. Layton said.

SOURCE : www.ama-assn.org

36 new A/H1N1 cases confirmed in Europe

2009-07-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

STOCKHOLM, July 19 (Xinhua) -- A European health agency said Sunday that 36 new A/H1N1 flu cases were reported in European countries within the last 24 hours.

Of the new cases, 20 were confirmed in Slovenia, eight in Portugal, four in Austria, three in the Czech Republic and one in Poland, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in its daily situation report.
The total number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries rose to 16,095, with 1,309 cases in Spain and 10,649 in Britain, 514 in France and 834 in Germany, the ECDC said.

The ECDC publishes a daily situation report about the H1N1 flu cases in the EU and EFTA countries based on official information from these countries.

British Airways checking passengers for H1N1 virus

2009-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - British Airways (BAY.L) has told its check-in staff to look out for passengers showing symptoms of the H1N1 virus and to alert doctors who could bar them from boarding a flight, the airline said on Sunday.

The directive was issued in the past "couple of weeks", a spokeswoman for the airline said, explaining that it was part of efforts to limit the spread of swine flu.

"We've given our staff advice in terms of the symptoms to look out for," she said.

"If they have any concerns about a passenger when they present for check-in, they have a 24-hour medical number to call and the passenger can then be checked."

Calling the measures "standard practice" for a medical situation, the spokeswoman said only a handful of people had so far been turned away from boarding British Airways flights as a result of the medical checks.

"Obviously with swine flu spreading, we have to be responsible and make sure we do what we can to prevent the disease spreading," she said.

Virgin Atlantic [VA.UL] has also adopted similar measures, according to the Sunday Times newspaper. Officials from Virgin Atlantic were not immediately available to comment.

A group of 52 British school children and their teachers were quarantined in Beijing on Saturday after four pupils were admitted to hospital infected with the virus. Another four pupils have since had to be admitted for treatment.

The group arrived in China last week for a culture and study tour. But shortly after arrival at Beijing airport, four of the students -- all believed to be teenagers -- were admitted to hospital showing symptoms of swine flu infection.

British authorities confirmed this week that 29 Britons infected with the H1N1 virus had died, with officials making plans for up to a third of the population to fall ill.

In total there are an estimated 55,000 new cases of swine flu in Britain a week, although in the vast majority of cases the symptoms are mild.

The pandemic has killed around 430 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

SOURCE : www.reuters.com

Four more U.S. states report first death of A/H1N1 flu

2009-07-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Four more U.S. states as well as U.S. territory Puerto Rico have reported their first death of the A/H1N1 flu in the past week, according to the latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.
On its website, the CDC reported there have been 40,617 confirmed and probable cases of the H1N1 flu in all the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and U.S. territory Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, with 263 deaths in 28 states.
The latest CDC statistics show that the states of Georgia, Indiana, Nebraska and Tennessee had their first deaths of the H1N1virus in the past week.
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) said earlier in the week that a 43-year-old woman in Cobb County had become the first victim of the H1N1 flu in the state where 174 cases have been confirmed so far.
In Indiana, state health department said in a news release in the week that a resident of Dearborn County in southeastern Indiana had been confirmed as the first death in the state after the citizen died from complications related to the pandemic.
Indiana has so far reported 282 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu and more than 30 patients have been hospitalized since April.
Later in the week, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced that a 50-year-old woman in Custer County had been the victim of the H1N1 virus in the state. There has been 264cases of the H1N1 flu in the state, the department added.
Almost at the same time, Tennessee health officials confirmed its first death from the H1N1 flu as well as 246 confirmed cases in the state.
However, the CDC has not yet confirmed the first two deaths of the H1N1 virus in the U.S. territory Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Health Secretary Concepcion Quinones said that the first two victims involved a 27-year-old man with a history of asthma and a younger man with severe respiratory problems.
Meanwhile, epidemiologist Johnny Rullan says an additional eight deaths suspected of being caused by the H1N1 flu are being investigated in the U.S. Caribbean territory.
With more deaths of the H1N1 virus reported across the nation every day, a new national study among 675 physicians revealed that48 percent of U.S. physicians believe the H1N1 flu would develop into a worldwide catastrophic pandemic.
The study was conducted earlier this week by HCD Research using its MediaCurves.com website, and the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO), to measure physicians' personal and professional views on the issue.
As the upcoming influenza season approaches in the fall and winter months, it is uncertain how the new H1N1 virus may affect U.S. populations.

SOURCE : news.xinhuanet.com

singapore reports its first death related to flu A/H1N1

2009-07-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Singapore reported its first death case related to flu A/H1N1 on Saturday, signaling a still worsening situation of the new flu in the Asia-Pacific region.
Prior to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines and China's Hong Kong had reported deaths in connection with the new flu infection.
According to Singapore's Health Ministry, a 49-year-old man, infected with A/H1N1 flu, died of heart attack on Saturday afternoon.
The ministry said that the patient had multiple co-morbidities, including diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.
He was admitted to Singapore's Changi General Hospital on July 16 after four days of flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with influenza A/H1N1.
"He died of a heart attack, contributed by severe pneumonia with underlying influenza A/H1N1 infection," the ministry said in a statement.
Singapore reported its first confirmed case of influenza A/H1N1on May 27. On June 18, the country confirmed its first locally infected case. According to the latest official data, Singapore has confirmed over 1,200 infection cases.
Hong Kong government's Department of Health confirmed 108 new cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the past 24 hours up to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,748 in the city.
The new cases involved 59 males and 49 females, aged between six months and 62 years, said the department.
Currently, a total of 32 confirmed cases are staying in public hospitals for treatment. Among them, 26 cases are in stable condition, two in serious and four in critical condition.
Macao reported five newly confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 on Saturday, bringing the total number of such cases to 107 to date.
Four of the five newly confirmed cases were imported while the other one was locally infected, according to Macao's Health Bureau.
The locally-infected patient was a 25-year-old local man, who did not travel outside of Macao within seven days before he fell ill.
According to the statistics from the Bureau, some 20 patients that were tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu virus were still receiving medical treatments at local hospitals, while 84 others have recovered and have been discharged from the hospitals.
Indonesia has confirmed 15 people were infected with A/H1N1 flu virus, putting the total cases in the country to 157, Health Ministry said in a statement Saturday.
Of the new cases, two are foreigners and the rest are Indonesian citizens. Four of them have historical journey to Malaysia and Australia, Director General of Disease Control and Environmental Health of the ministry Tjandra Yoga Aditama said in the statement
Four of the 15 are males and 11 are females aged from 4 to 49 years, the director said. They were treated at hospitals in Jakarta, Bandung of West Java, Bali, Medan of North Sumatra and Surabaya of East Java, he said.
The virus has spread among humans in Indonesia, but so far there has been no confirmation of death from the disease in the country.
The Bangladeshi government has confirmed two more A/H1N1 flu cases, bringing the total number of the cases in the South Asian country to 24, according to local newspaper The Independent on Saturday.
The country's health authority was quoted as saying that 18 of the total 24 A/H1N1 flu patients, aged between 2 to 46, have fully recovered while six are still under medical treatment.
Ten of the cases were contracted within the country and all were relatives of those infected people who had returned from abroad.
The Bangladeshi government on June 18 confirmed the country's first A/H1N1 flu case.

SOURCE : news.xinhuanet.com

AlphaVax Announces Results from Initial Testing of Its H1N1 (Swine) Influenza Vaccine

2009-07-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- AlphaVax, Inc. announced today that it has completed process development and preclinical immunogenicity studies of its H1N1 (swine) influenza vaccine and will manufacture clinical trial material by the end of the month. This vaccine has shown good production yields as well as excellent immunogenicity, even after just a single inoculation.

"Our vaccine platform provides several potential advantages over other influenza vaccine approaches in that vaccines can be rapidly constructed and tested, and are produced in cell culture systems rather than eggs. In addition, our vaccines do not require the use of an adjuvant, and they raise not only strong antibody responses but robust cellular responses, both of which could be important in the face of a developing pandemic where there are several variant virus forms circulating," said Jonathan Smith, AlphaVax's Chief Scientific Officer.

The studies performed at AlphaVax utilized the California 04/2009 HA sequence obtained from the WHO GISAID database on April 25th. Mice inoculated with the AlphaVax H1N1 vaccine showed strong dose-dependent hemagglutination inhibition ("HI") antibody responses. After just a single dose of the H1N1 vaccine, all vaccinated animals developed HI antibody levels considered to be protective. These responses were boosted approximately 8-fold by a second dose given three weeks later. Responses measured by ELISA and ELISPOT assays, which assess antibody and T cell responses, respectively, mirrored the HI responses. The design of future clinical trials of this vaccine will be based on two previous successful influenza vaccine trials run by AlphaVax, one carried out in healthy young adults and the other in an elderly population.

According to Andrew Graham, AlphaVax's Vice President for Development and Technical Operations, "AlphaVax will begin GMP-compliant manufacturing of this vaccine for clinical testing next week, which is less than three full months from our initial receipt of the gene sequence from the WHO. We are currently scaling up the process used to manufacture VRP vaccines and anticipate yields up to 1 million doses of pandemic influenza vaccine per lot at the 1,000 L bioreactor scale. Since the process is performed predominantly in disposable equipment, the design, construction and validation of a facility leading to the production of product for the market would be 1-2 years less than for a typical vaccine manufacturing facility."

Abot AlphaVax

AlphaVax, Inc. is a North Carolina-based, clinical-stage company that uses a proprietary alphavirus vector platform technology that has proven to be highly flexible and immunogenic, and allows the same manufacturing, formulation, and delivery strategies to be applied to many different products. The company's business strategy is to maximize the potential of this platform through a mixture of in-house and partnered programs. The AlphaVax technology is currently being used to advance vaccines for cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus, a range of cancers, influenza, HIV and a number of biodefense targets. The AlphaVax headquarters and R&D facilities are located in Research Triangle Park, and its GMP-compliant manufacturing facility is located in Lenoir, NC.

SOURCE : www.alphavax.com

Changes in reporting requirements for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection from WHO

2009-07-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

16 JULY 2009 | GENEVA -- As the 2009 pandemic evolves, the data needed for risk assessment, both within affected countries and at the global level, are also changing.

At this point, further spread of the pandemic, within affected countries and to new countries, is considered inevitable.

This assumption is fully backed by experience. The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

The increasing number of cases in many countries with sustained community transmission is making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for countries to try and confirm them through laboratory testing. Moreover, the counting of individual cases is now no longer essential in such countries for monitoring either the level or nature of the risk posed by the pandemic virus or to guide implementation of the most appropriate response measures.

Monitoring still needed

This pandemic has been characterized, to date, by the mildness of symptoms in the overwhelming majority of patients, who usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week of the onset of symptoms. However, there is still an ongoing need in all countries to closely monitor unusual events, such as clusters of cases of severe or fatal pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection, clusters of respiratory illness requiring hospitalization, or unexplained or unusual clinical patterns associated with serious or fatal cases.

Other potential signals of change in the currently prevailing pattern include unexpected, unusual or notable changes in patterns of transmission. Signals to be vigilant for include spikes in rates of absenteeism from schools or workplaces, or a more severe disease pattern, as suggested by, for example, a surge in emergency department visits.

In general, indications that health services are having difficulty coping with cases mean that such systems are under stress but they may also be a signal of increasing cases or a more severe clinical picture.

A strategy that concentrates on the detection, laboratory confirmation and investigation of all cases, including those with mild illness, is extremely resource-intensive. In some countries, this strategy is absorbing most national laboratory and response capacity, leaving little capacity for the monitoring and investigation of severe cases and other exceptional events.

Regular updates on newly affected countries

For all of these reasons, WHO will no longer issue the global tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries. However, as part of continued efforts to document the global spread of the H1N1 pandemic, regular updates will be provided describing the situation in the newly affected countries. WHO will continue to request that these countries report the first confirmed cases and, as far as feasible, provide weekly aggregated case numbers and descriptive epidemiology of the early cases.

For countries already experiencing community-wide transmission, the focus of surveillance activities will shift to reporting against the established indicators for the monitoring of seasonal influenza activity. Those countries are no longer required to submit regular reports of individual laboratory-confirmed cases to WHO.

Monitoring the virological characteristics of the pandemic virus will be important throughout the pandemic and some countries have well-established laboratory-based surveillance systems in place already for seasonal influenza virus monitoring. Even in countries with limited laboratory capacity, WHO recommends that the initial virological assessment is followed by the testing of at least 10 samples per week in order to confirm that disease activity is due to the pandemic virus and to monitor changes in the virus that may be important for case management and vaccine development.

Updated WHO guidelines for global surveillance reflect in greater detail these recommended changes, in line with reporting requirements set out in the International Health Regulations.

Source : www.who.int

HK reports first suspected fatal case of influenza A/H1N1

2009-07-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

BEIJING, July 17 -- A 42-year-old Philippine seaman, who died last week with a superbug infection, was tested positive for the influenza A/H1N1 overnight, Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection announced Thursday.

If confirmed, it would be Hong Kong's first fatality from influenza A/H1N1.

Earlier tests found community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in the man's blood sample. The center discovered he also tested positive for the human swine flu virus on Wednesday night.

The man flew to Hong Kong from the Philippines on June 28 and left two days later on board a cargo ship. He came down with a fever, cough and chest pain on July 3 and was admitted to the Ruttonjee Hospital with pneumonia on July 8 when he was back to the city. He had respiratory failure and died on July 10.

　　Soundbite: Thomas Tsang, Centre Controller of Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection, said, "The patient tested both methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in his blood sample and positive for the human swine flu virus. More laboratory tests and a post-mortem examination will be conducted to find out the cause of the man's death. So far we did not rule out the possibility of influenza A/H1N1 contributing to the death."

He added the man was likely to have been infected outside the city, and a delay in seeking medical attention might have worsened his illness.

Hong Kong's Department of Health confirmed 85 new cases of influenza A/H1N1 Thursday, bringing the total tally to 1,552, with 23 confirmed cases staying in public hospitals for treatment. Among them, 18 cases are in stable condition, three in serious and two in critical condition.

Tsang said the serious cases represent about 0.3 percent of the total tally, which is consistent with overseas findings. "The rate is within the expectation. The overseas fatal cases cover 1.4 percent of the total tally."

He also urged the high-risk groups, such as patients with chronic lung, heart disease or diabetes, and people who are overweight or pregnant, to avoid crowded places and to consult doctors as early as possible if they fall sick.

He noted Hong Kong is in the summer peak flu season, with the virus of influenza A/H1N1 at an active stage.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hong Kong.

(Source: XHTV)

Hong Kong reports 88 new cases of influenza A/H1N1

2009-07-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

HONG KONG, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong government's Department of Health confirmed 88 new cases of influenza A/H1N1 in the past 24 hours up to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, which brings the total number of confirmed cases to 1,640 in the city.

The new cases involve 43 males and 45 females, aged between 5 and 64 years, said the department. The newly confirmed cases included an outbreak of six people from a residential workshop for the physically and mentally disabled in Eastern District, including four workshop attendees, two residents and a staff member.

Among the confirmed cases, 19 patients are currently staying in public hospitals for treatment, including 13 in stable condition, three in serious and three in critical condition.

According to the Hospital Authority, the eight designated Flu Clinics on Wednesday provide treatment to a total of 578 patients.

Source : news.xinhuanet.com

Third Md. Death From Swine Flu

2009-07-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

Maryland state health officials said yesterday that a third resident has died of a swine flu-related illness.

Health officials said the person lived on the Eastern Shore and had underlying health issues. Further information about the person is not being released because of privacy restrictions. The other Maryland residents whose deaths were attributed to swine flu also had underlying health conditions.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report as of July 10 said that 211 people nationwide have died after contracting novel H1N1 influenza. In the mid-Atlantic region, Virginia has reported two H1N1 flu-related deaths and Pennsylvania six.

Nationwide, as of July 10, there have been 37,246 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 influenza. To date, 732 cases have been confirmed in Maryland. That figure, however, is likely a fraction of the total H1N1 flu cases statewide. Many people who become ill with flulike symptoms are not tested and recover within a week's time, much like seasonal flu.

Source : www.washingtonpost.com

Baxter CEO: Co Has Orders For 80M H1N1 Flu Vaccine Doses

2009-07-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

   By Jon Kamp
 Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

Baxter International Inc. (BAX) has orders for about 80 million doses of vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus and expects a sales boost from the flu this year, but no earnings benefit at this point, the company's chief executive said Thursday.

The company is sticking with a "conservative" financial view for now amid some challenges in producing a lot of vaccine and the need to study dosing and safety, said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., the company's chairman and CEO. The company's outlook for about $30 million to $40 million in added 2009 sales from the flu vaccine is expected to be offset by other factors, such as the cost of scaling up production.

But Baxter does believe this is a "material opportunity" for the company, which will revise projections as needed, Parkinson said during a conference call following Baxter's second-quarter earnings release.

"Clearly we believe this demand has the potential to translate into a significant opportunity," he said.

Baxter's ability to participate in the market for vaccines for the flu strain, also known as swine flu, will be dictated by its production capabilities. The company won't come close to delivering this year on the 80 million doses ordered, noted Parkinson, who described "yield optimization" as a challenge.

The company is working with five countries including the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand on the 80 million doses and isn't in a position to take additional orders, Parkinson said.

"We're confident there will be demand for whatever we are able to produce over the long term," he said.

Shares of Baxter moved higher early Thursday and were recently up 1.7% to $54.01.

When the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic for the H1N1 strain on June 11, it triggered national health authorities that had agreements with Baxter to place vaccine orders.

Baxter announced in mid-June that it had launched full-scale production of a commercial vaccine for H1N1 based on a cell-based method it says may allow for faster production and delivery than traditional production methods that rely on chicken eggs.

The company is filling and finishing its first bulk batches and should be in a position to ship limited quantities of its vaccine by the end of July or early August, Parkinson said.

Several other companies including Novartis AG (NVS), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK), Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY) and Solvay SA (SVYSY) are also involved in the effort to produce swine flu vaccines and supply governments.

-By Jon Kamp, Dow Jones Newswires; 617-654-6728; jon.kamp@dowjones.com

Sudan reports first H1N1 flu case

2009-07-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

KHARTOUM, July 16 (Reuters) - Sudan on Thursday reported its first two cases of the H1N1 flu virus, saying two infected Sudanese people came into the country on a flight from Britain.

"They came in on July 13. They are the first cases that we have detected," Sudan's acting undersecretary for health Ismail Bushara told Reuters.

Officials at the Ministry of Health said the patients were recovering.

The World Health Organisation said on Thursday the H1N1 flu pandemic was the fastest-moving pandemic ever. (Reporting by Andrew Heavens)

Source : www.reuters.com

Baxter can take no more H1N1 flu vaccine orders

2009-07-17T03:02:00.000-07:00

* Baxter has orders from 5 countries for 80 mln doses

* Will allocate portion of production for WHO use

* Other vaccine makers still taking orders (Adds Sanofi, Glaxo, Novartis, MedImmune comment)

By Bill Berkrot

NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - While at least 50 governments have placed orders or are negotiating with drug companies for supplies of flu vaccine against the fast-spreading H1N1 strain, the lone U.S.-based maker has already taken on as much as it can handle.

Baxter International Inc (BAX.N) said on Thursday it has taken orders from five countries, including Britain, Ireland and New Zealand, for a total of 80 million doses of H1N1 vaccine and will not take any more.

"At this time we're not in a position to take additional orders," Baxter spokesman Chris Bona said.

However, Bona said the company has agreed to allocate a portion of its commercial production to the World Health Organization to address global public health issues.

The Illinois-based company said it should be ready to ship H1N1 vaccine by the end of July or early August. Oddly enough, the United States will not be a beneficiary of the Baxter-made vaccine as it has not received Food and Drug Administration approval.

The other four companies producing the vaccine are all European based drugmakers -- GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L), Novartis AG (NOVN.VX), Sanofi-Aventis SA (SASY.PA) and AstraZeneca (AZN.L), through its MedImmune unit.

Sanofi said it would supply vaccine to the United States and had this week taken a $61 million order from the government on top of a previous $190 million U.S. order.

But Sanofi spokesman Len Lavenda said he could not immediately comment on whether the company is taking more orders.

MedImmune said it too would supply H1N1 vaccine to the United States and had so far taken two orders totaling $151 million.

"We anticipate that we may get some additional orders and are able to fill those," said MedImmune spokeswoman Karen Lancaster.

The company expects to be able to produce at least 40 million finished doses of its intranasal vaccine formulation.

Glaxo spokesman Kevin Colgan said the Britain-based drugmaker has taken H1N1 vaccine orders and continues to have discussions with governments on other potential orders.

Glaxo and Sanofi both said they would have a better idea of production needs and manufacturing capacity after they come up with test batches of their vaccines and test it on people.

Swiss-based Novartis said earlier Thursday that it had secured several orders for H1N1 vaccines and is in talks with more than 35 governments.

"The company is doing everything it can to produce as much as possible as fast as possible," said Sarah Coles, a spokeswoman for Novartis. "In fact, all three of our sites in Europe are in full production of H1N1."

The World Health Organization said up to 4.9 billion doses could be produced in 12 months for the pandemic it has called unstoppable. But if more than one shot per person is needed and production yields are lower than for seasonal flu vaccine, far fewer people would have access to protection, WHO said. (Reporting by Bill Berkrot and Ransdell Pierson; editing by Carol Bishopric)

Source : www.reuters.com

Novartis: Too Early To Speculate On H1N1 Vaccine Profits

2009-07-17T02:59:00.000-07:00

ZURICH (Dow Jones)--It's too early for Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NVS) to say how much it will earn from its H1N1/A swine flu virus vaccine, Chief Financial Officer Raymund Breu said Thursday.

Novartis expects to make first deliveries of the vaccine at the end of this year.

Earlier Thursday, Novartis surprised investors with a slight increase for the sales guidance of its pharmaceutical division, sending shares higher despite a 10% fall in second-quarter net profit in the second quarter.

Company Web site: www.novartis.com

Letter from President Obama to Speaker of the House Regarding H1N1 Influenza

2009-07-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C.--(ENEWSPF)--July 16, 2009.

Dear Madam Speaker:

On June 24, I signed into law the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111-32). Within the Act, the Congress appropriated $7.65 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2009-H1N1 influenza outbreak, including a $5.8 billion contingent appropriation for an influenza pandemic. My Administration appreciates the emergency appropriations that the Congress provided and has initiated the development and procurement of 2009-H1N1 vaccines, is expanding the domestic and international surveillance activities, and is preparing for the possibility that a mass immunization campaign may be needed in the fall.

To enhance our Nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of this outbreak, and in accordance with the appropriation, I hereby designate $1.825 billion of the contingent appropriation as emergency funds required to address critical needs related to emerging influenza viruses (specifically, the virus known as 2009-H1N1). These funds will support additional procurement of adjuvant for dose-sparing of vaccine antigen; immunization campaign planning; regulatory activities for H1N1 at the Food and Drug Administration; and funding for the administration of an injury compensation program.

There remains much uncertainty about the outbreak and its potential to return this fall during the northern hemisphere flu season. We continue to watch the evolution of the 2009-H1N1 virus and the worldwide outbreaks and are working diligently to plan and prepare for a national response, should it be necessary.

We will communicate with you further in the future should additional funds be required.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

Source: whitehouse.gov