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By Category: Public Health

Findings offer alternative approach to creating a universal influenza vaccine

(ScienceDaily) A team of scientists, led by researchers at The Wistar Institute, has determined that it might be possible to stimulate the immune system against multiple strains of influenza virus by sequentially vaccinating individuals with distinct influenza strains isolated over the last century. Their results also suggest that world health experts might need to re-evaluate Read More »

July 16, 2013
| Filed under North America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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H7N9 influenza strain resistant to antivirals, but tests fail to identify resistance

(EurekAlert)Some strains of the avian H7N9 influenza that emerged in China this year have developed resistance to the only antiviral drugs available to treat the infection, but testing for antiviral resistance can give misleading results, helping hasten the spread of resistant strains. The authors of a study published in mBio®, the online open-access journal of Read More »

July 16, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, Countermeasures, and Public Health
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Cambodia bird flu outbreak continues with 14th case

(GlobalPost) Cambodia’s outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza continues apace as the summer wears on, with a 3-year-old boy becoming the 14th victim this year and the 35th case confirmed in the Southeast Asian nation since records began to be kept. The Cambodian Ministry of Health has deployed a rapid response team to Prey Veng’s Kampong Read More »

July 16, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, International, and Public Health
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UW-Madison study: New bird flu in China could cause global outbreak

(TheJournalTimes) A new kind of bird flu that has killed 43 people in China shows potential in the lab for sparking a global outbreak, according to a study by UW-Madison researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka. “We don’t know how many more changes are needed for this virus to cause a pandemic,” said Kawaoka, a flu expert whose Read More »

July 11, 2013
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, North America, Public Health, and Research
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Dengue raises alarm in Central America

(MedicalExpress) Authorities have issued dengue alerts in four nations across Central America, where alarm is rising as the mosquito-borne disease has infected 30,000 people and killed 17 this year alone. Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador have issued formal alerts. In Guatemala and Panama, officials say they are monitoring the disease, which normally spreads Read More »