Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow does avian influenza spread between populations?
New insights from a study of the last major avian influenza outbreak in the UK have shed light on the process by which highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtypes can be transmitted from wild migrating bird populations to domestic flocks and back again. The research, led by a team including scientists at the Roslin Institute and published in PNAS, underlines the need for effective biosecurity to prevent indirect contact between wild and domestic birds as winter approaches. Working as part of the Global Consortium for H5N8 and Related Influenza Viruses, researchers found HPAI viruses can easily exchange genetic material with other, less harmful, viruses at times and locations corresponding to wild birds’ migratory cycles in Europe.
19th Sep 2020 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe covid-19 pandemic was predicted – here's how to stop the next one
In July, George Gao, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, published an alarming paper. He and his colleagues had discovered that a new kind of swine flu was sweeping to dominance in China’s pigs and spreading to people. “[It] has all the hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus,” they said. That same month, European virologists also warned of a similarly worrying swine flu in European pigs. We know flu pandemics happen regularly. What if one struck while we are still reeling from covid-19? Can we stop that happening?
17th Sep 2020 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullPotential New Swine Flu Pandemic Stirring in China
Pig farmers in China are being infected by a new, virulent strain of influenza A that they contracted from their swine, said a speaker at an Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) news conference. About 15% of Chinese pig farmers have tested positive for antibodies to the new disease, said Leonard Mermel, DO, professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and medical director of the Department of Epidemiology and Infection Control at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. "Unfortunately, this influenza strain has all the attributes to cause a pandemic," he said. "It's easily taken up by human cells. It can be spread in an animal model — ferret to ferret through respiratory secretions. The ferrets that get infected have worse outcomes than seasonal influenza."
16th Sep 2020 - Medscape
Pig farms are reservoir for novel influenza viruses
Pig holdings are important reservoirs for an increasing number of diverse influenza viruses, some of which can be transmitted to humans and may have pre-pandemic potential. One focus of the study was the investigation of possible zoonotic properties of these viruses, i.e. their potential for transmission to humans. Detailed analysis of their similarities to human viruses and their transmission properties in ferrets, an animal model for human influenza, showed that some variants do have zoonotic potential.
16th Sep 2020 - The Pig Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullFarm animals and pandemics: nine diseases that changed the world
This summer, several months after Covid-19 exploded into the world, the UN published a report looking more closely at our relation to zoonotic disease. Wildlife, and our increasing proximity to wildlife, is the most common source, but farmed animals are not only original sources, they can be transmission sources or bridging hosts, carrying the infection from the wild to humans. Avian influenza or “bird flu” occurs naturally throughout the wild bird population, but until the 1990s few had suspected that it might transfer to humans. So when a three year-old boy died of respiratory failure in Hong Kong in 1997, it was initially thought to be viral pneumonia. But within months, in a move that sent shockwaves across the medical world, it was identified as a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu: H5N1. Six people are known to have died in that outbreak, which came one year after an outbreak of H5N1 in farmed geese in China had led to more than 300 million geese being slaughtered in an attempt to control the disease.
15th Sep 2020 - The Guardian
FAO, OIE, WHO emphasize pandemic risk of Chinese swine H1N1 flu
A recent report on the circulation of A(H1N1) subtype influenza viruses in the swine population in China with evidence of zoonotic potential has alerted the world to the pandemic risk associated with swine influenza viruses.To date there is no evidence that these viruses are present in pigs or humans outside of China but vigilance is strongly advised. Two variant H1N1 cases involving the subtype have recently been detected in humans, and a small seroprevalence study in Chinese swine workers suggested that 10% had been exposed to the virus. The WHO Collaborating Center in China has developed a candidate vaccine virus targeting the strain.
15th Sep 2020 - The Pig Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Sep 09, 2020 - Pandemic risk of swine H1N1 flu
Three global health groups issued a joint statement that strongly urged countries to be aware of the pandemic potential for an H1N1 swine influenza subtype circulating in Chinese pigs. The statement is from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Keith Sumption, DVM, PhD, the FAO's chief veterinary office, said though there are limited data on human infections and circulation of the virus in pigs, heightened awareness is needed for a number of reasons, including a recent study from China showing that the virus has characteristics linked to increased ability for zoonotic transmission.
9th Sep 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: New Zealand's experience with measles, flu helped country tackle Covid-19 effectively, WHO boss says
Lessons learned from past outbreaks and epidemics helped New Zealand’s preparedness during the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) boss says. Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus listed New Zealand among the countries that have done well throughout the pandemic. “Many of these countries have done well because they learned lessons from previous outbreaks of SARS, MERS, measles, polio, Ebola, flu and other diseases. “That’s why it’s vital that we all learn the lessons this pandemic is teaching us.” New Zealand’s Covid-19 response relied heavily on the existing Influenza Pandemic Plan released in 2017.
7th Sep 2020 - Stuff.co.nz
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullDynamic PB2-E627K substitution of influenza H7N9 virus indicates the in vivo genetic tuning and rapid host adaptation
Deep-sequencing of viral genomes based on original specimens from H7N9-infected patients and the surrounding poultry/environment has provided the first in-depth data on virus adaptation at the interface between poultry and humans. In contrast to the consistent dominance of 627E in poultry-derived H7N9, diverse but longitudinally changing ratios of the mammalian signature substitution PB2-E627K from patient specimens indicate a dynamic viral adaptation during infection, termed “genetic tuning” of avian influenza viruses in new hosts. Furthermore, the correlation between rapid host adaptation of H7N9 PB2-627 and the disease severity in patients is brought to light. Of note, under a one-health vision, our study provides direct big data evidence that “genetic tuning” of PB2-E627K is associated with H7N9 pathogenicity during human infection.
2nd Sep 2020 - pnas.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Sep 2020
View this newsletter in full‘The 1918 flu is still with us’: The deadliest pandemic ever is still causing problems today
In 2009, David Morens and Jeffery Taubenberger — two influenza experts at the National Institutes of Health — co-authored an article with Anthony S. Fauci explaining how the descendants of the 1918 influenza virus have contributed to a “pandemic era” that has lasted the past hundred years. At the time the article was published, the H1N1 influenza virus in public circulation was a fourth-generation descendant of the novel virus from 1918. “All those pandemics that have happened since — 1957, 1968, 2009 — all those pandemics are derivatives of the 1918 flu,” Taubenberger told The Post. “The flu viruses that people get this year, or last year, are all still directly related to the 1918 ancestor.”
1st Sep 2020 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Sep 2020
View this newsletter in fullVietnam farmers’ poultry sales during outbreaks may increase virus transmission
Small-scale poultry farmers in Vietnam tend to respond to viral outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by rapidly selling their birds as a way to avoid financial loss, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. As these birds are commingled with other birds in markets and trading networks, this practice may increase the likelihood of widespread disease transmission. The findings could have implications for government policymaking in the many regions of the world where small-scale poultry farming and avian influenza risk co-occur.
31st Aug 2020 - ScienceBlog
Backyard producers selling affects bird flu transmission
31st Aug 2020 - Poultry World
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullFarmers' quick sale of poultry during outbreaks may increase deadly virus transmission
Small-scale poultry farmers in Vietnam tend to respond to viral outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) by rapidly selling their birds as a way to avoid financial loss, according to a new study by an international team of researchers. As these birds are commingled with other birds in markets and trading networks, this practice may increase the likelihood of widespread disease transmission. The findings could have implications for government policymaking in the many regions of the world where small-scale poultry farming and avian influenza risk co-occur.
30th Aug 2020 - Phys.org
Poultry farmers play active role in the dissemination of avian influenza
30th Aug 2020 - News-Medical.Net
Farmers' quick sale of poultry during outbreaks may increase deadly virus transmission
30th Aug 2020 - EurekAlert!
Coronavirus: Threat is rising of diseases passed from animals, warns Oxford vaccine professor
The professor behind the Oxford coronavirus vaccine has warned of the rising risk of outbreaks of diseases that pass from animals to humans. Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the bid to find a jab that gives immunity to coronavirus, believes that the spread of zoonotic diseases has become more likely due to our lifestyles. In particular, growing population density, increased international travel and deforestation are blamed. Professor Gilbert, who was involved in the development and testing of a universal flu vaccine, also believes there will be a future outbreak of another potent influenza strain, similar to that seen during the 2017-18 season.
29th Aug 2020 - The Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullInquiry told GPs should be 'essential' part of pandemic preparedness
The RACGP highlighted shortfalls in the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 health response at a parliamentary hearing. The submission called for ‘further action’ and highlighted the following issues: The pandemic’s impact on patients; Access to and use of personal protective equipment (PPE); Influenza vaccinations; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds; Preventing the spread of misinformation; Telehealth and secure messaging; Communication and collaboration with GPs
19th Aug 2020 - RACGP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19: Epidemiologists call for new pandemic plan
Epidemiologists say New Zealand needs a new, more generic pandemic plan which caters to worst-case scenarios. The Ministry of Health's national pandemic plan did not properly account for a non-influenza outbreak, and was not fit for purpose, according to experts. The ministry first drafted a pandemic plan in 2004, called the National Health Emergency Plan: Infectious Diseases. An advisory group that helped form the pandemic plan did not feature any epidemiologists. The plan was tailored to an influenza pandemic, because officials said that was the most likely pandemic to hit.
18th Aug 2020 - Newshub
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullCharacteristics that Give Viruses Pandemic Potential
As the world continues to grapple with SARS-CoV-2, The Scientist asked virologists to rank viruses with the greatest potential to cause a future pandemic. Three answers routinely popped up: influenza, coronaviruses, and paramyxoviruses. Prior to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, most virologists rated influenza as the most likely agent to trigger a deadly pandemic. The WHO has a constellation of national labs to watch for emerging strains of flu, and now collaborates closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health.
17th Aug 2020 - The Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullA Deadly Coronavirus Was Inevitable. Why Was No One Ready?
When Disease X actually arrived, as Covid-19, governments, businesses, public-health officials and citizens soon found themselves in a state of chaos, battling an invisible enemy with few resources and little understanding—despite years of work that outlined almost exactly what the virus would look like and how to mitigate its impact. Governments had ignored clear warnings and underfunded pandemic preparedness. They mostly reacted to outbreaks, instead of viewing new infectious diseases as major threats to national security. And they never developed a strong international system for managing epidemics, even though researchers said the nature of travel and trade would spread infection across borders.
16th Aug 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
Whitehall's systemic failure exposed: why this was a disaster ten years in the making
There can be little doubt Britain’s poor response to the pandemic will ultimately be explained by group think: a fatalistic and inflexible approach to pandemic planning that seduced not just Whitehall but much of Britain’s scientific establishment. Today it is best seen in the excuse proffered by almost any minister, civil servant or government scientist you challenge about Britain’s response to the pandemic: that all would be have been well had we been hit by pandemic flu rather than a coronavirus. Britain had a first-class influenza pandemic strategy – second in the world after the US for its preparedness – and would have performed well had it been another Spanish flu, so the argument goes.
16th Aug 2020 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullInfluenza virus in China's pigs may have pandemic potential
An influenza virus circulating among Chinese pigs has the genetic potential of a pandemic virus in humans, according to a scientific report. The virus appears to have already spread from pigs to people who work with or live near them. The authors wrote that further mutations could increase the risk to humans. The article, published in late June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes an H1N1 influenza virus different enough from today’s seasonal influenza viruses that people would be unprotected by vaccines or prior illnesses. The H1N1 influenza virus emerged during 2013 in southern China and became the predominant cause of influenza in the country’s swine in 2016. Known as Genotype 4 or just G4, it carries genetic features from human-, swine-, and avian-type influenza viruses.
12th Aug 2020 - JAVMA News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullIndustrial Hog Farms Are Breeding the Next Pandemic
The likely source of the next pandemic is all around us: It’s the same one that triggered the 2009 scare. Industrial-scale hog and chicken farming provides an ideal environment for the evolution and transmission of novel pathogens, especially influenza, that can infect people. Another influenza pandemic occurring at some stage of the future is exceedingly high,” said Richard Webby, professor of infectious diseases at Memphis-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals. “The chances that it’ll come from some sort of farmed animal—my personal opinion is, that’s high as well.” Gregory Gray, a professor of medicine, global health, and environmental health at Duke University and an expert on animal-to-human disease transmission, is even more direct. His biggest worry for the next viral pandemic? “Influenza A viruses that originate in pigs,” he said. “Hands down.”
11th Aug 2020 - Mother Jones
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpecialized clinics could 'flatten curve' of pandemics, influenza outbreaks, NCSU study finds
A new study concludes that opening clinics dedicated specifically to treating influenza can limit the number of people infected and help to “flatten the curve,” or reduce the peak prevalence rate. While the work focused on influenza, the findings are relevant for policymakers seeking ways to reduce impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Dedicated clinics would have less of an impact than interventions such as vaccination, but at the statewide level, we’re talking about cutting the overall number of infections by six figures,” says Julie Swann, corresponding author of a paper on the work.
10th Aug 2020 - WRAL Tech Wire
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullClinics Dedicated to Influenza can Limit Impact of Flu Pandemic: Study
A new study concludes that opening clinics dedicated specifically to treating influenza can limit the number of people infected and help to "flatten the curve," or reduce the peak prevalence rate. While the work focused on influenza, the findings are relevant for policymakers seeking ways to reduce impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Dedicated clinics would have less of an impact than interventions such as vaccination, but at the statewide level, we're talking about cutting the overall number of infections by six figures," says Julie Swann, corresponding author of a paper on the work.
8th Aug 2020 - NewsGram
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullStudy finds dedicated clinics can reduce impact of flu pandemic
A new study concludes that opening clinics dedicated specifically to treating influenza can limit the number of people infected and help to "flatten the curve," or reduce the peak prevalence rate. While the work focused on influenza, the findings are relevant for policymakers seeking ways to reduce impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "Dedicated clinics would have less of an impact than interventions such as vaccination, but at the statewide level, we're talking about cutting the overall number of infections by six figures," says Julie Swann, corresponding author of a paper on the work.
6th Aug 2020 - Medical Xpress
Study finds dedicated clinics can reduce impact of flu pandemic
6th Aug 2020 - Science Daily
Study finds dedicated clinics can reduce impact of flu pandemic
6th Aug 2020 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullTwo decades of pandemic war games failed to account for Donald Trump
Looking forward, many hope that the mistakes in handling the coronavirus will spur a fundamental reset in how US policymakers think about pandemic preparedness. This means restructuring health systems, empowering public-health leaders and ensuring that all components function in unison in the event of a crisis. Towards the end of the Event 201 exercise in New York City last year, participants watched a mock news report forecasting that financial turmoil would last for years, or even a decade. But societal impacts — including loss of faith in government and the media — could last even longer. The TV reporter signed off with a question: “Are we as a global community now finally ready to do the hard work needed to prepare for the next pandemic?” The pandemic in that simulation failed to convince policymakers to act. It remains to be seen whether this one will.
4th Aug 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullSafety and immunogenicity of an alum-adjuvanted whole-virion H7N9 influenza vaccine: a randomized, blinded, clinical trial.
A case of H7N9 influenza virus infection was first identified in China in 2013. This virus is considered to have high pandemic potential. Here, we developed a H7N9 influenza vaccine containing an aluminium adjuvant and evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine. From October 2017 through August 2018, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, single-centre phase I clinical trial in China among 360 participants aged 12 years or older. The alum-adjuvanted H7N9 whole-virion inactivated vaccine was safe and strongly immunogenic in a population aged 12 years and older.
3rd Aug 2020 - Physicians Weekly
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Aug 2020
View this newsletter in fullH3N2v novel influenza case reported in Hawaii, Source of infection investigated
The CDC reports a human infection with an influenza A(H3N2) variant (A(H3N2)v) virus in Hawaii this week. The patient is a child < 18 years of age, was not hospitalized, and has recovered from their illness. While no exposure to swine has been reported to date, an investigation is ongoing into the source of the patient’s infection. According to officials, this is the first influenza A(H3N2)v virus infection detected in the United States since 2018.
1st Aug 2020 - Outbreak News Today
News Scan for Jul 31, 2020 ; H3N2v case in Hawaii
31st Jul 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 and the next influenza season
Even in nonpandemic years, influenza and other etiologies of pneumonia represent the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, and respiratory viruses are the most commonly identified pathogens among hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Epidemics of seasonal influenza occur on an annual basis. In the United States, the 2019–2020 seasonal influenza epidemic resulted in tens of millions of cases—the majority of which occurred before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic surged. Now, COVID-19, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is an ongoing pandemic that has strained and, in some locales, overwhelmed health care systems. What can we expect as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves and seasonal influenza comes again? How can the epidemiology and biology of these infections inform our preparation strategies?
30th Jul 2020 - Science Advances
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpotlight on Avian Pathology: Can We Reduce the Pandemic Threat of H9N2 Avian Influenza to Human and Animal Health?
COVID-19 should be a “call to arms” for the poultry industry to reassess containment of the H9N2 subtype of low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses. Strains of this virus are a human pandemic threat and a severe economic burden on poultry production. Over the past 20 years they have spread throughout Asia, Africa, Middle East and parts of Europe. As a global industry, a critical need is to re-imagine production and marketing chains, especially in low and middle income countries, where the structure of much of the industry facilitates virus transmission, especially, but not only, in improperly managed live poultry markets and related value chains. Better, appropriately matched vaccines are needed to support this process but such vaccines cannot, alone, overcome the existing defects in biosecurity, including high farm densities. None of this will occur unless the threat posed by this virus to global health security is recognised.
29th Jul 2020 - DocWire News
Characterization of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses in the ferret model
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 viruses, of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/1996 lineage, have exhibited substantial geographic spread worldwide since the first detection of H5N1 virus in 1996. Accumulation of mutations in the HA gene has resulted in several phylogenetic clades, while reassortment with other avian influenza viruses has led to the emergence of new virus subtypes (H5Nx), notably H5N2, H5N6, and H5N8. H5Nx viruses represent a threat to both the poultry industry and human health and can cause lethal human disease following virus exposure. Here, HPAI H5N6 and H5N2 viruses (isolated between 2014 and 2017) of the 2.3.4.4 clade were assessed for their capacity to replicate in human respiratory tract cells, and to cause disease and transmit in the ferret model.
29th Jul 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullInfluenza A Virus With 'Pre-Pandemic Potential' Pinpointed in European Pig Surveillance Study
Europe's domestic pigs harbor a reassorted form of influenza A virus — including parts of a prior pandemic strain passed back to pigs from humans — that may not be covered by current vaccine strains or be responsive to human immune proteins, new research suggests. "[O]ur study demonstrates that European swine populations represent important reservoirs for an increasing number of [IAV] variants with zoonotic and, possibly, pre-pandemic potential," co-senior and co-corresponding author Timm Clemens Harder, a diagnostic virology researcher with the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute, and his colleagues wrote for a study published in Cell Host & Microbe on Monday.
28th Jul 2020 - GenomeWeb
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAvian flu mutations could increase threat to poultry
Mutations in the H7N9 bird flu virus increased its replication rate and stability in avian cells but reduced its preference for infecting human cells, according to a new study from The Pirbright Institute in the U.K. The results show that outbreaks in birds caused by strains with these mutations could pose a lower risk to human health while remaining a significant threat to the poultry industry, Pirbright said.
23rd Jul 2020 - Feedstuffs
Bird flu study from Pirbright Institute sheds light on mutations and health impacts
23rd Jul 2020 - The Poultry Site
UK failed to plan for economic impact of flu-like pandemic, says watchdog
There was an “astonishing” failure by the UK government to plan for the economic impact of a possible flu-like pandemic, parliament’s financial watchdog has said. MPs questioned why there was no economic equivalent to Exercise Cygnus, the 2016 simulation of an international flu outbreak that involved 950 emergency planning officials. Key government ministries such as the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy were not made aware that Cygnus had taken place and so had little idea of the possible impact of a major outbreak, the report said
23rd Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullGenetic characteristics and pathogenesis of H5 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses from wild birds and domestic ducks in South Korea
H5 and H7 subtypes of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) can mutate to highly pathogenic forms and are therefore subject to stringent controls. Researchers characterized H5 LPAIVs isolated from wild-bird habitats and duck farms in South Korea from 2010 to 2017. Through nationwide active surveillance for AIVs, 59 H5 LPAIVs were isolated from wild-bird habitats (a mean annual rate of 5.3% of AIV isolations). The frequency of recent H5 LPAIV isolates with high genetic diversity indicates the importance of continued surveillance in both wild birds and poultry to monitor genetic and pathobiological changes.
22nd Jul 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullGermany reports 'swine flu' case in child
The World Health Organization (WHO) was told of one human case of infection with a swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus from Germany on 3 July. Details include the infection was detected in a 2-year old male who developed an influenza-like illness on 9 June 2020. The patient received healthcare on 9 June 2020. A sample was collected as part of routine ILI surveillance and an unsubtypeable influenza A virus was detected on 15 June.Whole genome sequencing characterized this virus as a Eurasian avian-like swine A(H1N1) virus (1C.2.2) on 1 July. The case recovered and no further cases were detected among contacts.
21st Jul 2020 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Jul 20, 2020 - Variant H1N1 flu in Germany
In a monthly update on zoonotic influenza infections, the WHO said Germany on July 3 notified it of a swine influenza variant H1N1 (H1N1v) infection, which involved a young child. The 2-year-old boy started having symptoms on June 9, and a sample was collected as part of routine flu surveillance. An unsubtypable virus was detected on Jun 15, and whole-genome sequencing on Jul 1 identified a Eurasian avian-like swine virus. The patient recovered, and no similar infections were found among his contacts. Investigators found that the boy had visited a pig farm and had close contact with pigs 2 days before his symptoms began
20th Jul 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullNovel susceptibility loci for A(H7N9) infection identified by next generation sequencing and functional analysis
The A(H7N9) virus strain that emerged in 2013 was associated with a high fatality rate and may become a long-term threat to public health. A(H7N9) disease incidence is disproportionate to viral exposure, suggesting that host genetic factors may significantly influence susceptibility to A(H7N9) infection. Human genome variation in conferring risk for A(H7N9) infection in Chinese populations was identified by a two-stage investigation involving 121 A(H7N9) patients and 187 healthy controls using next generation sequencing followed by functional analysis. The study findings of genetic predisposition to A(H7N9) in the Chinese population may be valuable in systematic investigations of A(H7N9) disease etiology.
16th Jul 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAmerica Should Prepare for a Double Pandemic
Viruses aren’t sporting. They will not refrain from kicking you just because another virus has already knocked you to the floor. And pandemics are capricious. Despite a lot of research, “we haven’t found a way to predict when a new one will arrive,” says Nídia Trovão, a virologist at the National Institutes of Health. As new diseases emerge at a quickening pace, the only certainty is that pandemics are inevitable. So it is only a matter of time before two emerge at once.
15th Jul 2020 - The Atlantic
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullEvolution and Antigenic Drift of Influenza A (H7N9) Viruses, China, 2017–2019
After a sharp decrease of influenza A(H7N9) virus in China in 2018, highly pathogenic H7N9 viruses re-emerged in 2019. These H7N9 variants exhibited a new predominant subclade and had been cocirculating at a low level in eastern and northeastern China. Several immune escape mutations and antigenic drift were observed in H7N9 variants. Study findings highlight that the HPAI H7N9 viruses that reemerged during 2019 had been cocirculating at a low level in eastern and northeastern China after the vaccination strategy was implemented. These HPAI H7N9 viruses continued to evolve and showed antigenic drift, posing a public health concern.
14th Jul 2020 - CDC
Animals farmed: China swine flu fears, Nigeria pig cull and permits for mega-dairy
There are renewed fears about the threat of future disease outbreaks after a strain of swine flu prevalent in China was found to have the potential to spread to humans. A study found that 10% of pig farm workers tested had developed antibodies against a new type of swine flu named G4, suggesting it could jump from pigs to humans. China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said in a statement that the study’s sampling was too small to be representative, and that it lacked adequate evidence to show the G4 virus has become the dominant strain among pigs. There is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission.
14th Jul 2020 - The Guardian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCDC wants closer look at swine flu strain in China, studying possible vaccine
The CDC is preparing for the potential spread of H1N1 swine flu viruses in China that have "pandemic potential," according to the American Hospital Association. The "G4" Eurasian avianlike H1N1 viruses have "the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans," researchers wrote in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. China has reported three cases of humans contracting the virus from pigs since 2016, although there is no evidence of human transmission. Nevertheless, the CDC said it is taking action to prepare for a possible H1N1 pandemic. The agency has requested a virus sample from China to study and is evaluating whether an existing flu vaccine candidate could protect against this type of swine flu.
13th Jul 2020 - Beckers Hospital Review
Planning for the next pandemic: facts and figures
Mere months before COVID-19 hit, an international group of scientists warned that the world faced the “very real threat” of a pandemic from a respiratory pathogen causing 50 to 80 million deaths. “A global pandemic on that scale would be catastrophic… The world is not prepared,” said the report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. Though deaths from COVID-19 are currently a long way off those numbers — just more than 550,000, as of July — it provides a stark warning for the future in our increasingly connected societies. Factors including increased travel and rapid population growth in places with weak health systems are contributing to the rising risk. On the other hand, the WHO has just reported a significant step forward: a huge surge in the number of countries now monitoring and reporting on AMR. Its surveillance system aggregates data from 64,000 sites worldwide, up from 729 in two years.
13th Jul 2020 - SciDev
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullBrazil: H1N2v influenza case reported in Paraná State
According to a World Health Organization report, a human infection with Influenza A(H1N2) variant virus (A(H1N2)v) has been reported in an individual in Brazil. The patient is a 22-year-old female, with no comorbidities, worked in a swine slaughterhouse in Ibiporã Municipality, Paraná State, and developed an influenza-like illness on 12 April 2020. The patient initially sought medical care on 14 April and a respiratory specimen was obtained on 16 April as part of routine surveillance activities. The patient was treated with oseltamivir, was not hospitalized and has recovered. The virus was confirmed using a real-time RT-PCR test. Further genetic and phenotypic characterization of the virus from the patient is ongoing.
11th Jul 2020 - Outbreak News Today
News Scan for Jul 10, 2020
11th Jul 2020 - CIDRAP
CDC begins preparations for new swine flu viruses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month said it is taking steps to prepare for the possible spread of H1N1 swine influenza viruses. The group of viruses, labeled “G4” Eurasian avian-like H1N1 viruses, are believed to be highly adaptable for human infection. CDC said it is taking a number of actions to monitor and prepare against this emerging public health threat
10th Jul 2020 - AHA.org
CDC Takes Action After Study Shows Swine Flu Viruses Have Pandemic Potential
A group of H1N1 swine influenza viruses have essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans and are of potential pandemic concern, health officials say.
These viruses — referred to as G4 Eurasian (EA) avian-like H1N1 viruses — have been spreading in pigs in China since 2016 and are now the predominant set of genes that can be passed down from parents to offspring, according to the CDC.
The CDC cited a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that shows the viruses have the right characteristics for causing infections in people, including the ability to grow well in human lung cells and to spread by respiratory droplets and direct contact in an animal model.
11th Jul 2020 - Georgia Public Broadcasting
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullGlobal wildlife surveillance could provide early warning for next pandemic
Many of the most devastating epidemics of recent decades - including Ebola, avian influenza and HIV/AIDS - were triggered by animal viruses that spilled over into people. Despite the ever-present danger of a new virus emerging and sparking a worldwide pandemic, there is no global system to screen for viruses in wild animals that eventually may jump to humans. In a perspective article published July 9 in Science, a diverse group of infectious disease experts, ecologists, wildlife biologists and other experts argue that a decentralized global system of wildlife surveillance could - and must - be established to identify viruses in wild animals that have the potential to infect and sicken people before another pandemic begins.
9th Jul 2020 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullCDC: New swine flu strain in China a ‘potential pandemic concern’
U.S. health officials are tracking a newly discovered strain of swine flu in China they say has the characteristics of viruses with potential to cause a human pandemic. However, the virus has not been detected in the U.S. Researchers conducting surveillance on pigs in China found genotype 4 (G4) Eurasian avian-like H1N1 viruses have been detected since 2016, as they reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The new strain appears to grow well in human airway epithelial cells and possesses “all the essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans,” according to the study.
8th Jul 2020 - AAP News & Journals
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullPH braces for new strain of swine flu virus
In the Philippines, while still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, the government is already bracing for the new strain of G4-H1N1 or the swine flu virus and will implement a “whole-of-nation” approach to prevent its spread. The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has approved the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) “proactive recommendations” to stop the new strain of the virus.
7th Jul 2020 - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippines sets measures vs. new swine flu strain
7th Jul 2020 - MSN.com
Opinion: Is swine flu going to be the next pandemic?
The world has been worried about pandemic diseases for many years. Before COVID-19, attention was focused on influenza viruses as the most likely cause. A recent paper reminds us that the threat from flu remains very real. It reports that a swine flu virus is circulating in China that has the potential for pandemic spread in humans. This paper is a timely reminder that perhaps even before COVID-19 has been conquered, the need for more robust planning for the next pandemic should begin.
7th Jul 2020 - Newshub
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullNew swine flu discovered in China is not an immediate threat: Experts
While countries around the world are trying their best to bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic, Chinese researchers have found a new flu strain in pigs that they say has the potential to trigger a pandemic. Called the G4 virus, it is believed to be a version of the swine flu (H1N1 virus) that caused a pandemic in 2009. The G4 virus isn’t a big threat yet, but close monitoring of swine industry workers should is needed to prevent and prepare for a potential pandemic, the researchers noted
6th Jul 2020 - TheHealthSite
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina says G4 swine flu virus not new; does not infect humans easily
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Saturday that the so-called “G4” strain of swine flu virus is not new and does not infect or sicken humans and animals easily, rebuffing a study published earlier this week. That study, by a team of Chinese scientists and published by the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), warned that a new swine flu virus, named G4, has become more infectious to humans and could become a potential “pandemic virus”. However, China’s agriculture ministry said that the study has been interpreted by the media “in an exaggerated and nonfactual way.”
5th Jul 2020 - Reuters UK
China downplays potential new swine flu pandemic
4th Jul 2020 - CTV News
No immediate threat of new swine flu pandemic, Chinese CDC says
4th Jul 2020 - YAHOO!
Influenza virus in pigs not an immediate pandemic threat: CDC
4th Jul 2020 - Global Times
Coronavirus: Strain of flu discovered in China that could infect millions of people
Researchers are closely watching a strain of flu virus with “pandemic potential” in China amid fears it could cause another outbreak. This week, a study emerged detailing a flu virus commonly known as G4, that can jump from animals to humans and is believed to have infected 300 people in China. Dr Anthony Fauci said the virus, called “G4 EA H1N1”, also bore similarities to the 2009 swine flu virus. A WHO expert has sought to calm fears over the reports, saying it’s “not a new virus”. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program. said that the virus strain – G4 EA H1N1 – was not a new virus and it has been under close surveillance.
5th Jul 2020 - News.com.au
As COVID-19 spreads, researchers tracking an influenza virus nervously
5th Jul 2020 - Ars Technica
Newly identified swine flu could become a human pandemic
4th Jul 2020 - Medical News Today
Comparing SARS-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV and influenza pandemics
The objective of this Personal View is to compare transmissibility, hospitalisation, and mortality rates for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with those of other epidemic coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and pandemic influenza viruses
4th Jul 2020 - The Lancet
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullAlert but not alarmed: what to make of new H1N1 swine flu with 'pandemic potential' found in China
Ian M. Mackay, Adjunct assistant professor, The University of Queensland, writes: "Researchers have found a new strain of flu virus with “pandemic potential” in China that can jump from pigs to humans, triggering a suite of worrying headlines. It’s excellent this virus has been found early, and raising the alarm quickly allows virologists to swing into action developing new specific tests for this particular flu virus. But it’s important to understand that, as yet, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of this particular virus. And while antibody tests found swine workers in China have had it in the past, there’s no evidence yet that it’s particularly deadly."
2nd Jul 2020 - The Conversation AU
New H1N1 swine flu with ‘pandemic potential’ found in China
2nd Jul 2020 - Australian Times
UC San Diego concerned about potentially dangerous new flu spreading in China
A UC San Diego researcher has expressed concern about a new swine flu virus that has jumped from pigs to humans in China, where it is spreading quickly and might have the potential to produce a pandemic. The new virus is a strain of the H1N1 swine flu that erupted in 2009 and killed 285,000 people around the world. The earlier virus was first reported and described by scientists at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. This latest version, known as G4, “is really something we need to pay attention to,” said Pascal Gagneux, a UCSD evolutionary biologist who specializes in influenza.
2nd Jul 2020 - San Diego Union-Tribune
A new flu strain with 'pandemic potential' has emerged in China - everything we know so far
Researchers have identified a strain of flu in China that has potential to become pandemic. Carried by pigs, the virus has emerged recently and is capable of infecting humans. Though not an immediate risk, researchers have warned that the virus has “all the hallmarks” to mutate and transmit more easily between humans. According to the BBC, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) have advised the immediate introduction of tight monitoring controls for the swine industry and its workers.
2nd Jul 2020 - Halifax Courier
4 reasons not to worry about that ‘new’ swine flu in the news
It may feel odd to be thinking ahead to the next potential pandemic when the world is far from finished with the current one. But reports of a newly identified swine influenza virus that shows hints of being able to spread among humans have raised that specter — although public health officials say it’s not an imminent threat. That virus, identified in pigs in some parts of China, has characteristics similar to a strain that caused the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic (SN: 12/18/09), a new study finds. But just identifying such a flu virus circulating in pigs does not mean it poses an immediate threat to people. Rather it signals to researchers that they should monitor sick people for similar viruses.
2nd Jul 2020 - Science News
Is swine flu going to be the next pandemic?
The world has been worried about pandemic diseases for many years. Before COVID-19, attention was focused on influenza viruses as the most likely cause. A recent paper reminds us that the threat from flu remains very real. It reports that a swine flu virus is circulating in China that has the potential for pandemic spread in humans. This sounds highly alarming, but just how worried should we be?
2nd Jul 2020 - EconoTimes
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullPotentially serious swine flu identified in China not imminent threat: Experts
Through close surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs from 2011 to 2018 in China, experts have discovered a potentially pandemic-causing virus predominant in swine populations since at least 2016. So far, many experts, including America's leading infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, have said that while it's important to keep a close eye on it, the virus is not "an immediate threat." Other scientists have chimed in, urging the public not to panic about a second global outbreak. "There is no reason for panic and no imminent danger," tweeted Florian Krammer, microbiologist at the Icahn School of Medicine. Even as experts agree there isn't an imminent danger, they also agree that careful monitoring of the virus in pigs and human workers in the swine industry should continue, as well as limiting human exposure to animals possibly carrying the virus.
1st Jul 2020 - ABC News
New swine flu: new strain of flu found in pigs in China could affect humans - and become a pandemic
1st Jul 2020 - The Scotsman
China discovers new swine flu with pandemic potential
1st Jul 2020 - CNN
Swine Flu Strain Has Pandemic Potential: Study
The so-called G4 variant of an H1N1 influenza virus, currently circulating among pigs, has genetic traces of several other dangerous pathogens, including the virus that caused the 2009 flu pandemic, according to a study published in PNAS. In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that these G4 viruses were able to infect and replicate in human airway epithelial cells. Moreover, the study found that the viruses could be transmitted between ferrets.
1st Jul 2020 - The Scientist
A New H1N1 Strain From China May Trigger Another Pandemic
1st Jul 2020 - BioSpace
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Jul 2020
View this newsletter in fullEmerging flu virus in Chinese pigs has pandemic potential, researchers say
A multi-year study of flu viruses in pigs across 10 China provinces identified a swine influenza strain with the potential for pandemic spread in humans, researchers from China reported, based on experiments that also found that swine workers had been exposed and that the virus can pass between mammals. Other researchers who have commented on the study say the situation warrants close monitoring. The Chinese researchers reported its findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
30th Jun 2020 - CIDRAP
China study warns of possible new 'pandemic virus' from pigs
A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, a study said, although experts said there is no imminent threat. A team of Chinese researchers looked at influenza viruses found in pigs from 2011 to 2018 and found a “G4” strain of H1N1 that has “all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus”, according to the paper, published by the U.S. journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Pig farm workers also showed elevated levels of the virus in their blood, the authors said, adding that “close monitoring in human populations, especially the workers in the swine industry, should be urgently implemented”.
30th Jun 2020 - Reuters
WHO says 'we cannot let our guard down' after China pigs study
The World Health Organization will “read carefully” a Chinese study on a new flu virus found in pigs, a spokesman said, saying the findings underscored the importance of influenza surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, the study said. “We will read carefully the paper to understand what is new,” the WHO’s Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva briefing. “It also highlights we cannot let our guard down on influenza and need to be vigilant and continue surveillance even in the coronavirus pandemic,” he added.
30th Jun 2020 - Reuters
Scientists Say New Strain of Swine Flu Virus Is Spreading to Humans in China
A new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus is spreading silently in workers on pig farms in China and should be “urgently” controlled to avoid another pandemic, a team of scientists says in a new study. H1N1 is highly transmissible and spread around the world in 2009, killing about 285,000 people and morphing into seasonal flu. The newer strain, known as G4 EA H1N1, has been common on China’s pig farms since 2016 and replicates efficiently in human airways, according to the study published on Monday. So far, it has infected some people without causing disease, but health experts fear that could change without warning.
30th Jun 2020 - New York Times
Prevalent Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with 2009 pandemic viral genes facilitating human infection
Pigs are considered as important hosts or “mixing vessels” for the generation of pandemic influenza viruses. Systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs is essential for early warning and preparedness for the next potential pandemic. Here, we report on an influenza virus surveillance of pigs from 2011 to 2018 in China, and identify a recently emerged genotype 4 (G4) reassortant Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 virus, which bears 2009 pandemic (pdm/09) and triple-reassortant (TR)-derived internal genes and has been predominant in swine populations since 2016.
30th Jun 2020 - pnas.org
Pig influenza virus shows pandemic potential : Research Highlights
A swine flu virus prevalent in China has the potential to spread in people, according to a survey of the country’s pig population. From 2011 to 2018, George Gao at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, Jinhua Liu at China Agricultural University, also in Beijing, and their colleagues tested thousands of pigs across ten Chinese provinces. They isolated 179 types of swine influenza virus, which is the porcine version of human influenza virus. Tests showed that one type of virus, which the researchers call G4, can proliferate in human airway cells.
30th Jun 2020 - Nature
WHO warns ‘we cannot let our guard down’ after new flu virus discovered in China
WHO said it will “read carefully” a Chinese study on a new swine flu, which researchers noted has the potential to cause another pandemic. A study published in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlighted a strain of swine flu with a type of gene, G4, that has “all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus”. “We will read carefully the paper to understand what is new,” the WHO’s Christian Lindmeier told a Geneva briefing on Tuesday, adding it was important to collaborate on findings and keep tabs on animal populations. “It also highlights we cannot let our guard down on influenza and need to be vigilant and continue surveillance even in the coronavirus pandemic,” he added.
30th Jun 2020 - The Independent
Dr Fauci compares new G4 virus to 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and says it could infect humans
White House immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci said that the United States was keeping an eye on the new strain, named G4, but said there was no evidence it had jumped from pigs to humans yet. Dr Fauci told a hearing at the US Senate: ‘The Chinese over the last week or two have identified a virus in the environment, it is not yet shown to be infecting humans. ‘But it is exhibiting reassortment capabilities. In other words when you get a brand new virus that turns out to be a pandemic virus its either due to mutations and or the reassortment or exchanges of genes.' ‘It’s not a so-called “immediate threat,” but its something we need to keep our eye on, just like we did in 2009 with the emergence of the swine flu.’
30th Jun 2020 - Metro
Dr. Anthony Fauci says new virus in China has traits of 2009 swine flu and 1918 pandemic flu
30th Jun 2020 - CNBC
Swine flu: why reports of a new strain of the flu virus in China with ‘human pandemic potential’ shouldn’t worry you
Reports of a new flu virus with “human pandemic potential” have emerged this week, with countless media outlets spreading the claim that the disease could pose a major threat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The issue with this claim is that it isn’t strictly true. Scaremongering headlines have misrepresented a scientific study looking into G4, a type of virus that is common in pigs, by suggesting it is a new phenomenon that has the potential to reach Covid-19 levels of severity. The study stated that the new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus”, although experts have said there is no imminent threat to people. Carl Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington, has been critical of how the study has been reported.
30th Jun 2020 - iNews.co.uk
'We need to be alert' - Virologist says new flu virus in China needs to be monitored closely
A virus expert is urging people to remain alert, but not alarmed after it was revealed a new flu virus in China posed a risk of another pandemic. The new virus is similar to the H1N1 swine flu which swept the world in 2009, according to the paper published yesterday in the journal PNAS. However unlike the swine flu, the current influenza vaccine doesn't appear to cover the newly identified virus G4 EA H1N1 and people don't have immunity for it - although the flu vaccine could be adapted if necessary. Otago University evolutionary biologist and virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan said the illness in pigs needed to be monitored closely though.
30th Jun 2020 - TVNZ 1
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China
Scientists have identified a new strain of flu in China that has the potential to become a pandemic. Researchers have found the flu in pigs but have warned that it can also infect humans. They are concerned that the strand could mutate further so that it can spread from human to human easier, and trigger another global outbreak. The scientists write in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that measures to control the virus in pigs, and the close monitoring of swine industry workers, should be swiftly implemented. Current flu vaccines do not appear to protect against it, although they could be adapted to do so if needed
30th Jun 2020 - HeraldScotland
New swine flu with pandemic potential identified by China researchers
30th Jun 2020 - The Guardian
New swine flu strain discovered that threatens humans
30th Jun 2020 - The Times
A new flu strain with 'pandemic potential' has emerged in China - everything we know so far
30th Jun 2020 - Edinburgh News
New flu virus with 'pandemic potential' identified in China
30th Jun 2020 - Manchester Evening News
New influenza strain identified in pigs has 'essential hallmarks' of a pandemic virus
30th Jun 2020 - CTV News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullSwine flu strain with human pandemic potential increasingly found in Chinese pigs
What the world doesn’t need now is a pandemic on top of a pandemic. So a new finding that Chinese pigs are more and more frequently becoming infected with a strain of influenza that has the potential to jump to humans has infectious disease researchers worldwide taking serious notice. Robert Webster, an influenza investigator who recently retired from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, says it’s a “guessing game” as to whether this strain will mutate to readily transmit between humans, which it has not done yet. The new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, focuses on an influenza virus dubbed G4. The virus is a unique blend of three lineages: one similar to strains found in European and Asian birds, the H1N1 strain that caused the 2009 pandemic, and a North American H1N1 that has genes from avian, human, and pig influenza viruses.
29th Jun 2020 - Science
New flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in pigs
29th Jun 2020 - New Zealand Herald
Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China
29th Jun 2020 - BBC
New flu virus emerges in China with 'pandemic potential'
29th Jun 2020 - London Evening Standard
Flu 'which could become a pandemic' found by scientists in China
29th Jun 2020 - Evening Chronicle
Could pigs be the source of the next pandemic? Strain of swine flu virus prevalent in China has the potential to spread to humans, scientists warn
29th Jun 2020 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Builds on Pandemic Flu Plan
Developing a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and getting it to everyone in the United States who needs it will be difficult, but lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic can help, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said at a June 24 meeting.
28th Jun 2020 - Medscape
What the History of Pandemics Tells Us About Coronavirus
Covid-19 has established itself as the deadliest, fastest-moving pandemic since 1918, and is nearing a half-million fatalities. During the century that separates the two outbreaks, the world battled a string of other devastating diseases including Ebola, SARS and several other flu pandemics. Though past outbreaks can’t answer questions about Covid-19 such as when a licensed vaccine might become available, they can offer important insight into how diseases spread and sometimes resurge in second waves.
28th Jun 2020 - Bloomberg
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Times view on David Cameron's proposal for a pandemic warning organisation: Scanning for Viruses
"There is no shortage of organisations, yet global governance needs another. That is the view of David Cameron. Writing for The Times yesterday, the former prime minister argued for a new Global Virus Surveillance Organisation. Its task would be to anticipate future pandemics and advise governments on preparations to combat these novel strains of disease. The plan deserves support, and Boris Johnson’s government would do well to promote it. The lack of preparedness for the current coronavirus crisis should impress on policymakers the need to make preparations for the next one"
25th Jun 2020 - The Times
Geographical variation in the risk of H7N9 human infections in China: implications for risk-based surveillance
The influenza A (H7N9) subtype remains a public health problem in China affecting individuals in contact with live poultry, particularly at live bird markets. Despite enhanced surveillance and biosecurity at LBMs H7N9 viruses are now more widespread in China. This study aims to quantify the temporal relationship between poultry surveillance results and the onset of human H7N9 infections during 2013–2017 and to estimate risk factors associated with geographical risk of H7N9 human infections in counties in Southeast China. Our results suggest that poultry surveillance data can potentially be used as early warning indicators for human H7N9 notifications.
25th Jun 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow Viral Pandemics Emerge—And Why Covid-19 Won’t Be The Last
Dr. Matt Binnicker is the Director of Clinical Virology and Vice Chair of Practice in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic. He writes: "Viral pandemics, such as those occurring in 1918, 2009 and today, are a reminder of the natural consequence resulting from viral evolution, human population growth, global commerce, increased travel, deforestation and climate change. When these factors collide, it no longer becomes a question of “if” another viral pandemic will occur – it becomes a question of “when?” The result of future pandemics will largely depend on our response to Covid-19 and our willingness to prepare for the inevitable."
23rd Jun 2020 - Forbes
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullHuman TRA2A determines influenza A virus host adaptation by regulating viral mRNA splicing
Several avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) have adapted to mammalian species, including humans. To date, the mechanisms enabling these host shifts remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that a host factor, human TRA2A (huTRA2A), inhibits avian IAV replication, but benefits human IAV replication by altered regulation of viral messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing. huTRA2A depresses mRNA splicing by binding to the intronic splicing silencer motif in the M mRNA of representative avian YS/H5N1 or in the NS mRNA of representative human PR8/H1N1 virus, leading to completely opposite effects on replication of the human and avian viruses in vitro and in vivo. We also confirm that the M-334 site and NS-234/236 sites are critical for TRA2A binding, mRNA splicing, viral replication, and pathogenicity. Our results reveal the underlying mechanisms of adaptation of avian influenza virus to human hosts, and suggest rational strategies to protect public health.
20th Jun 2020 - ScienceAdvances
5 ways the world is better off dealing with a pandemic now than in 1918
A team of social scientists that span the fields of epidemiology, geography, history, urban planning and Asian studies studied how the 1918 influenza pandemic played out in Asia, an understudied region where the largest number of people died. There have been vast advancements in communications, science and medicine over the past 100 years, which may create a better outcome in today's pandemic. Recent data shows that globally, rates of infection are on the rise. But the fact that there is hope in the form of a possible vaccine is an indication of the vast progress humanity has made in the century since the outbreak of the influenza pandemic.
20th Jun 2020 - Medical Xpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO warns that averting flu pandemic may be harder as surveillance switches to covid-19
The demands of responding to covid-19 are damaging the prospects of developing effective influenza vaccines and reducing the chances of preventing a flu pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, said, “Despite the ongoing global response to the covid-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other significant public health problems, including influenza." Speaking during a press conference at WHO’s headquarters in Geneva on 15 June, he warned, “Influenza surveillance has either been suspended or is declining in many countries, and there has been a sharp decline in sharing of influenza information and viruses because of the covid-19 pandemic.”
17th Jun 2020 - BMJ
The Lancet’s Richard Horton calls for international pandemic inquiry
Richard Horton is editor-in-chief of The Lancet, one of the world’s most influential medical journals. In his new book, The Covid-19 Catastrophe: What’s gone wrong and how to stop it happening again, Horton condemns most countries’ responses to coronavirus. He spoke to New Scientist about how the crisis has been mishandled around the world. "Nobody can say we didn’t know this was coming. Pandemics are number one on our national risk register. Don’t you think there is an obligation to be prepared for that? We know that the conditions for pandemics have been increasing – to such an extent that there was Exercise Cygnus in October 2016, when we [simulated] an influenza pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands. The message from that was that the country wasn’t prepared."
17th Jun 2020 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullEnduring research: The constant threat of influenza virus outbreaks
Experts Stephan Pleschka, Oliver Planz and Stephan Ludwig walk us through the constant threat of influenza virus outbreaks and the benefit of enduring research in antiviral drug development. The influenza A viruses (IAVs) stand out among these potential enemies. Their natural reservoir are aquatic birds and IAVs possess a great zoonotic potential as they can infect different avian and mammalian animal hosts, from which they can be transmitted to humans. This is based on their ability to gradually change their genome by mutation or even reassemble their genome segments during co-infection of the host cell with different IAV strains, resulting in a high genetic diversity
16th Jun 2020 - Open Access Government
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullJust 3% of Brits thought that scientists should prioritise preventing a global flu pandemic in February last year
Antivaxxers, global warming, and concerns about antibiotic resistance were Britons’ main health concerns last year, with just 3% believing that preventing a pandemic was a priority. A survey carried out in February 2019 found that antibiotic resistance was seen as the most urgent issue for global health. The YouGov poll in association with Yahoo revealed that, pre-coronavirus, just 3% thought that preventing a flu pandemic should be the top priority for scientists. Less than a third (30%) saw it as a priority at all. The report stated that: “Health experts do not know when another flu pandemic will hit but are monitoring circulation of viruses constantly to detect pandemic strains.”
1st Jun 2020 - MSN.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Jun 2020
View this newsletter in fullBird-Flu Outbreak Confirmed in China
Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center recently raised its travel advisory for the Chinese provinces of Shandong and Fujian to a Level 2 Alert status, following reports of multiple children infected with avian influenza A (H9N2). During the May 25, 2020 update on Taiwan's coronavirus cases, Spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang said the CECC Level 2 Alert requires arriving travelers to observe 14 days of self-health management and minimize the potential risks of H9N2 infections. In addition, a Level 1 Watch has also been issued for all remaining areas of China.
30th May 2020 - Vax-Before-Travel
Virologist Maurice Hilleman saved millions of children—and stopped a 1957 pandemic
In April 1957, a mysterious illness was making its way through Hong Kong. Medical workers encountered throngs of children with “glassy-eyed stares,” and more than 10 percent of the city’s population was infected with influenza. The scientific community stayed quiet, but American virologist Maurice Hilleman recognized the threat: a pandemic was brewing. Hilleman thought the disease was a new strain of influenza capable of spreading around the world. By the time the virus arrived in the U.S. in fall 1957, he was ready with a vaccine. His work prevented millions from contracting the deadly virus. At the time of Hilleman’s death, scientists in the field credited him with likely saving more people than any other scientist in the 20th century.
30th May 2020 - National Geographic
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullUK plans for 820,000 deaths in flu pandemic worst-case scenario
In the UK, a flu pandemic would result in 820,000 deaths under a reasonable worst-case scenario, a government document says. The toll appears in a national security risk assessment comparing a potential influenza pandemic with coronavirus data that was available in February, the time the report was prepared. The document was discussed by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) that month. In it, a table compares the government’s reasonable worst-case scenario for a flu pandemic next to the information it had on COVID-19.
27th May 2020 - Yahoo News UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullChina reports two additional H9N2 avian flu cases
Two additional H9N2 influenza cases have been reported in China, according to a Taiwan CDC release. One case was a 6-year-old boy in Weihai City, Shandong Province who had an onset on April 28 and the second case is a 10-month-old baby boy in Xiamen, Fujian Province with onset on May 4. Both cases had mild symptoms, were treated and recovered. Both cases had a history of poultry or live poultry market exposure before the onset.
26th May 2020 - Outbreak News Today
News Scan for May 26, 2020
26th May 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhy the 1957 and 1968 flu pandemics weren’t as deadly as they could have been
They don’t receive as much attention as the killer 1918 influenza pandemic, but the world faced deadly flu outbreaks in 1957 and 1968 as well. But thanks to some foresight and some luck, those pandemics were not as deadly in the United States as they could have been. And there are lessons we can take away from those outbreaks as we look toward a possible second wave of COVID-19 this fall
25th May 2020 - SILive.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow to avoid a second wave of infections
All 50 states have now started to come out of lockdown, in many cases without meeting White House guidelines and without adequate testing and contact tracing capacity. So how can we minimize deaths in this new reality — and prevent a potentially explosive new wave? Lessons of the past — and what we have learned from our present condition — provide some guidance. Influenza and covid-19 transmit the same way, and a careful study of seasonal influenza transmission found that a combination of masks and hand-washing reduced illness dramatically after six weeks, while an analysis of multiple studies of mask use and hand-washing during the 2009 swine flu pandemic concluded the same thing: the combination of the two provided significant protection.
22nd May 2020 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: did the UK government prepare for the wrong kind of pandemic?
How did the UK, which supposedly had one of the best pandemic plans in the world, end up suffering one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19? A review of official documents and interviews with politicians, national security advisers and experts in risk management suggests one answer may be that ministers stuck closely to the recommendations of a well-honed plan for a different disease: the flu. The value of the UK’s pandemic influenza stockpile, estimated at £831m in 2013, declined by 40% over six years. While the government had a faultless record anticipating pandemic influenza as a risk, “somewhere along the line that didn’t get translated into decisions on funding, preparedness stocks, the in-case stocks of vital equipment to make it real”. But a second consensus has also emerged: that one of the UK’s big mistakes, rather than failing to plan, was planning for the wrong illness.
21st May 2020 - The Guardian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st May 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO's Influenza Strategy: Prevention, control, and preparedness
A group of experts from the World Health Organization explain the Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 that charts the path towards greater global influenza prevention, control, and preparedness through 2030. They advise for the global community to focus on the following: "Prioritise influenza as a model for respiratory disease preparedness"; "Strengthen national influenza programmes"; "Invest in research and development: Our current prevention and control tools, including vaccines and antivirals, have their limitations"
20th May 2020 - Open Access Government
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe proven solution to pandemics that President Trump continues to reject
The global history of the Hong Kong Flu shares many parallels with the covid-19 pandemic today. More importantly, it highlights the many elements of a successful response to a global pandemic. Expertise from scientists like Chang and Hilleman was undoubtedly critical to identifying the novel virus, understanding its epidemiology and developing a vaccine. But so too was the timely circulation of information that facilitated international cooperation and coordination. These lessons remain relevant for dealing with any pandemics, future or current.
19th May 2020 - The Washington Post
Kent's leaders took part in secret flu pandemic training 3 years ago
A Kent emergency planning team was involved in a secret pandemic flu simulation carried out by the UK Government three years ago. A Public Health England report from July 2017 that was published publicly during the coronavirus crisis – marked “Official-Sensitive” – has revealed a national emergency exercise, Cygnus, was carried out over three days in October 2016. More than 950 people took part, ranging from Department of Health ministers to teams of eight resilience forums, including Kent. "They tested the UK’s capability to respond to a global pandemic, believed to be influenza in the exercise, which the report said should be “critically reviewed”.
19th May 2020 - Kent Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for May 18, 2020 - CDC novel flu virus risk
For the first time in 2 years, the US CDC has added novel flu viruses to its Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT). The addition of 3 new viruses raises the total to 19. The overall risks for all 3 were moderate, to varying degrees. Two of the additions are North American lineage swine influenza variants, one an H3N2 strain detected in US residents in 2016 and 2017 and the other an H1N2 variant linked to 13 infections in the United States in summer 2018. The third is an H9N2 avian influenza strain from China linked to seven illnesses in 2018, mainly in people exposed to poultry.
18th May 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: fixated on the flu and shrouded in secrecy, Britain's scientists picked the wrong remedy
UK thinking on pandemics was shaped by the Asian and Hong Kong flu pandemics of 1957 and 1968. Sars and Mers — both coronaviruses — barely registered. Exercise Cygnus, a simulation carried out in 2016, was based on flu. In early 2020 the UK was still preparing for pandemic flu, stockpiling Tamiflu and Relenza. Even as community transmission of Covid-19 was detected, the recommended protective equipment was in line with flu. When an updated document on school closures was submitted in February 2020, it said: “For the purpose of this paper, we assumed that children have a role in transmission similar to that of influenza.” Looking back on the seminal press conferences of early March, you can see flu hovering like an apparition.
17th May 2020 - The Times
The UK hibernated pandemic influenza research portfolio: triggered for COVID-19
In response to delays in research for 2009 influenza A/H1N1, in 2012 the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), a UK funder, funded a portfolio of nine projects.1 These projects were put on standby in a maintenance-only state awaiting activation in the event of new influenza pandemic. The portfolio covered key pathways of health care, including surveillance, primary prevention, triage, and clinical management. In 2018, a request was made by NIHR to adapt these projects to include new and emerging infectious diseases. All projects were able to be repurposed and eight have now been activated in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
17th May 2020 - The Lancet
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th May 2020
View this newsletter in full'Mass amnesia' of Spanish flu left world unprepared for COVID-19, scholars say
There has been a "near total disappearance" of the 1918 flu pandemic in "society's collective memory," according to NYT. Some scholars argue this "mass amnesia" can, in part, explain why the world was so unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. It also helps explain why few memorials for the Spanish flu pandemic exist. "When I looked for memorials to the flu, I found nothing," Brian Zecchinelli, whose grandfather died in the pandemic, told NYT. "There was a plaque in Colorado and maybe something small in Australia, and that was it. I thought, 'This is crazy. This flu changed America forever. It changed the world forever."
14th May 2020 - Becker's Hospital Review
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullWill flu be the next global pandemic?
As the world battles the coronavirus outbreak, warnings of another looming pandemic are going largely unheard. Experts say that the world is “overdue” an influenza pandemic - and that it could “strike without warning”, reports Live Science. World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned last year that the “threat of pandemic influenza is ever present”. “The on-going risk of a new influenza virus transmitting from animals to humans and potentially causing a pandemic is real,” he said as the UN health agency launched a new influenza strategy aimed at protecting people worldwide from the virus. “The question is not if we will have another pandemic, but when.”
13th May 2020 - MSN.com
Coronavirus: Applying Influenza Pandemic Lessons to COVID-19
ACSH advisor and infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm co-authored a report published by the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), in an attempts to provide a vision for the future based upon lessons learned from previous influenza pandemics. Though SARS-CoV-2 and pandemic influenza do have important differences (e.g., incubation time, proportion of asymptomatic carriers, and the prevalence of presymptomatic viral shedding), they share quite a lot in common. They are both (1) novel pathogens that attack an entirely susceptible human population; (2) spread by respiratory droplets and aerosols; (3) spread by asymptomatic carriers; and (4) capable of rapidly circling the globe.
13th May 2020 - ACSH
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullBird flu: China reports additional H9N2 avian flu case, This one from Hunan province
A little over a month ago, there was a report of a human case of influenza A(H9N2) virus infection in a 3-year-old girl from Guangdong province. According to a recent World Health Organization avian influenza report, an additional case was reported in the country. The second human case of infection was reported to WHO on 1 May 2020, in a 5-year-old girl from Hunan province, with onset of illness on 20 April 2020. The patient had mild illness but was admitted to hospital on 25 April 2020 for isolation and was discharged on 30 April. The patient had a history of exposure to slaughtered poultry brought home from a live bird market.
12th May 2020 - Outbreak News Today
Auburn disease ecologist discusses emerging novel viruses, how loss of wildlife habitat may play a role
Sarah Zohdy, assistant professor of disease ecology in Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences and the College of Veterinary Medicine, discusses what leads to the emergence and spread of novel viruses; the major threats to human and animal health; and how the spread could be rooted in the loss of natural, wildlife habitats. "Some incredible research has been done on influenza, specifically influenza A, which is the zoonotic (of animal origins) type of virus that causes the flu. While influenza may not sound very unique or exotic, it is one of the best examples of an emerging infectious disease. As an RNA virus, influenza viral variants emerge quite frequently following moving back and forth between species, often between humans and domesticated animals (H1N1, H5N1, H7N9), which is why there are slightly different flu vaccines every year. Influenza viruses are known for their ability to spread rapidly and lead to morbidity and mortality, so a lot of work has gone into protecting humans from the next influenza pandemic."
12th May 2020 - Alabama NewsCenter
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for May 11, 2020 - H9N2 flu case in China; Avian flu in Vietnam poultry
China has reported one more illness from H9N2 avian flu, involving a 5-year-old girl from Hunan province, according to the monthly zoonotic flu report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Her symptoms began on Apr 20, and she had a mild illness but was hospitalized and isolated on Apr 24. She was released from the hospital on Apr 30. An investigation revealed that the girl had been exposed to slaughtered poultry that were brought home from a live-bird market.
11th May 2020 - CIDRAP
Covid-19: Concern about social care’s ability to cope with pandemics was raised two years ago
Mounting criticism of UK ministers’ failure to prevent the spread of covid-19 through care homes has been fanned by the leak of a government report from two years ago warning that the country was ill prepared for the next pandemic. Based on the findings of a government simulation of a flu pandemic, codenamed Exercise Cygnus, the 57 page Public Health England document, passed to the Guardian, concluded that the UK would be unable to cope with the “extreme demands” of a flu-like pandemic.
11th May 2020 - British Medical Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe real scandal isn’t what China did to us. It’s what we did to ourselves
As human civilization expands — building roads, clearing farmland, constructing factories, excavating mines — we are also destroying the natural habitat of wild animals, bringing them closer and closer to us. Some scientists believe this is making the transmission of diseases from animals to humans far more likely. The virus that causes covid-19 appears to have originated in bats, which are particularly good incubators for viruses. Scientists are still studying what happened, but in other cases, we have seen how human encroachment can lead bats to look for food around farmland, where they infect livestock — and through them, humans.
8th May 2020 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullKey failings in government's approach to COVID-19 preparations and emergency response
The UK government made key failings in their strategic preparations and emergency response to coronavirus and this, in turn, undermined the NHS's ability to cope with the crisis. These are the findings recently published in a research paper for the Journal of Risk Research. The researchers suggest this flawed strategy was not simply due to a lack of foresight. Instead they suggest that the UK government failed adequately to take account of known threats and clear signals of systemic weaknesses in the event of a pandemic uncovered by emergency exercises such as Operation Cygnus, the three-day simulation in 2016 which focused on the response and planning to a flu pandemic involving government and public health bodies.
7th May 2020 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza breakthrough could have wider implications
A new approach to controlling avian influenza could not only offer quicker protection than vaccines but offers hope for other poultry and human diseases. Scientists at the U.K.’s Pirbright Institute have engineered synthetic antibody molecules with the potential to act an immunotherapy. The institute’s avian influenza group worked with the H9N2 virus strain, which can readily mutate and poses a threat not only to avian species but also to mammals, and produced synthetic antibodies. The researchers believe that this type of immunotherapy could be used to treat other viral diseases of poultry and humans, by creating appropriate synthetic antibodies for those diseases.
6th May 2020 - WATTAgNet
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe novel coronavirus could last 2 years, 2nd wave could be worse - report
The novel coronavirus could affect the world in a series of waves for the next year or two, and may even come back in the fall in a wave stronger than the current one, according to a new report by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). While some have expressed hope that the novel coronavirus could diminish in the summer, the report stressed that, of eight major pandemics since the early 1700s, no clear seasonal pattern emerged for most. The CIDRAP report posited that a number of key points from the epidemiology of past influenza pandemics could provide insight into the current coronavirus outbreak.
5th May 2020 - Jerusalem Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow COVID-19 Might Spread Through 2021
The world should be prepared for waves and hotspots of COVID-19 to continue for the next 2 years. But similarities between the pandemic and past influenza pandemics can help alter the future of the disease’s progression, according to the latest Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) Viewpoint. The most direct comparison that could be made to the current COVID-19 crisis is pandemic influenza, which happened 4 times since 1900: 1918-19; 1957; 1968; and 2009-10. Learning from those past pandemics can help shape the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, authors wrote.
4th May 2020 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th May 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe last time the government sought a ‘warp speed’ vaccine, it was a fiasco
The U.S. federal government has launched “Operation Warp Speed” to deliver a covid-19 vaccine by January, months ahead of standard vaccine timelines. The last time the government tried that, it was a total fiasco. Gerald Ford was president. It was 1976. Early that year, a mysterious new strain of swine flu turned up at Fort Dix in New Jersey. One Army private died. Many others became severely ill. The nation’s top infectious disease doctors were shaken. By mid-October, vaccinations were underway. There were reports of sporadic deaths possibly connected to the vaccine. Cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome also emerged, and are still cited today by the anti-vaccine movement. Panic emerged, with dozens of states pausing vaccinations. By December, following 94 reports of paralysis, the entire program was shut down.
2nd May 2020 - The Washington Post
Why some labs work on making viruses deadlier — and why they should stop
The increased attention to gain-of-function research is a good thing. This kind of highly controversial research — banned under the Obama administration after safety incidents demonstrated that lab containment is rarely airtight — began again under the Trump administration, and many scientists and public health researchers think it’s a really bad idea. Our brush with the horrors of a pandemic might force us to reconsider the warnings those experts have been sounding for years. In 2019, Science magazine broke the news that the US government resumed funding two controversial experiments to make the bird flu more transmissible.
1st May 2020 - Vox
A disaster plan? Labour leader questions Scottish pandemic response report which did not mention testing in 27 pages
An emergency plan meant to shape Scotland’s response to a pandemic has “glaring omissions”, according to Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard. The Scottish Government has also been accused of failing to learn the lessons of Silver Swan, a major training exercise carried out in 2015 to test the country’s readiness for a major influenza outbreak. Meanwhile, the UK Government has been urged to publish the findings of Exercise Cygnus, a three-day simulation carried out in 2016.
3rd May 2020 - The Sunday Post
Plaid Cymru call on Welsh Government to publish findings from 2016 hypothetical flu pandemic exercise
Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price AM is calling on the Welsh Government to publish the findings from 'Operation Cygnus' - a hypothetical flu pandemic exercise that took place in 2016. The party is calling on the Welsh Government to publish its conclusions from the exercise, which estimated the impact a flu pandemic would have on the UK.
2nd May 2020 - ITV News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st May 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow to control an influenza outbreak without a specific vaccine
A group of pandemic modeling experts from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Engineering have published new research that simulated viral influenza outbreaks to examine the efficacy of pandemic interventions in the absence of a tailored vaccine. The general use of low-efficacy vaccines, coupled with a targeted application of antiviral medications, may be effective at countering the spread of influenza pandemics, the research found.
30th Apr 2020 - Medical Xpress
How to control an influenza outbreak without a specific vaccine
30th Apr 2020 - University of Sydney News
Swine Flu Offered Health System A Pandemic Dry Run, But No One Made Changes To Better Prepare
The swine flu scare didn't materialize into a pandemic for the United States, but it exposed vulnerabilities in the health system. However, an analysis from The Wall Street Journal found that everyone in the chain put their self-interest ahead of learning from those lessons.
30th Apr 2020 - Kaiser Health News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullPandemic preparedness: doctor leads campaign for UK government to release report
Lawyers for an NHS doctor are threatening legal action over the government’s failure to release an unpublished report on Exercise Cygnus, a 2016 exercise to test the UK’s preparedness for a flu pandemic. The Telegraph has reported that the findings, which followed a three day simulation, were deemed “too terrifying” to be released to the public.
29th Apr 2020 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullPandemic planning shambles: Hushed-up government drill on killer flu outbreak
A government pandemic response drill four years ago found that the UK was woefully under-prepared to fight a future outbreak. The shortcomings exposed by Exercise Cygnus in 2016 included a lack of capacity in hospital and social care settings which risked becoming overwhelmed. Checking Britain had a sufficient supply of personal protective equipment and ventilators, as well as assessing testing capacity, were reportedly both glaring omissions from the three-day simulation. Calls for the findings of Exercise Cygnus to be de-classified and made public have been deflected by the government in recent days.
28th Apr 2020 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullIf ministers fail to reveal 2016 flu study they ‘will face court’
The British government faces being taken to court if it refuses to disclose the findings of an exercise confirming the UK could not cope with a flu pandemic. Dr Moosa Qureshi, an NHS doctor, is demanding the government publish its report into Exercise Cygnus, a three-day simulation involving government and public health bodies conducted in 2016. The Telegraph has reported that Cygnus’s findings were deemed “too terrifying” to be made public.
26th Apr 2020 - The Guardian
Trump's firing of a top infectious-disease expert endangers us all
In this piece about the sudden dismissal of Rick Bright, Michael Specter writes: "Late last year, at a panel discussion on the future of influenza pandemics, Bright explained his fundamental concerns: the country was not investing enough in creating vaccines that could potentially limit the impact of the annual flu season as well as potential pandemics. “We can make better vaccines and make them faster,” he said. “But three hundred and fifty-one billion dollars every year is our economic cost for seasonal influenza, and a pandemic goes into the trillions of dollars. We have to take that sense of urgency and economic assets to explain this disruption and the lives lost.” It had been a continual frustration to Bright—as well as to Fauci and many others—that political leaders don’t seem to learn this lesson."
24th Apr 2020 - The New Yorker
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullJeremy Hunt: Whitehall pandemic strategy focused too much on flu threat
Britain should have focused more on the threat of a new respiratory virus rather than an influenza outbreak in its pandemic planning, the former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said today. There have been concerns that the government’s response to coronavirus was flawed because it was geared towards a flu pandemic rather than a previously unknown disease like the 2003 Sars virus. The last major Whitehall pandemic planning exercise was conducted over three days in October 2016. The report of the exercise was never published but people involved have told The Times it envisaged a pandemic flu for which there was a treatment and a vaccine. Nevertheless it saw the NHS overwhelmed by the number of cases and highlighted concerns about ventilator capacity in the service.
23rd Apr 2020 - The Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullI Helped Write the U.S. National Preparedness Influenza Plan. This is Why It Failed.
Susie Boggess writes about her work on the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: "The Plan accurately forecasted how the next global pandemic—unnervingly similar to the one we’re experiencing right now—would require unprecedented federal government intervention to assist citizens on everything from border closures to the delivery of essential services such as shelter, power, water, sanitation, food, security, and the flow of communication. It recommended coordinated efforts across vaccine manufacturers, and for the federal government to prioritize how to distribute countermeasures (vaccines, antivirals, and nonpharmaceutical interventions) certain to be in limited supply during a pandemic."
22nd Apr 2020 - ELLE
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullRevealed: Why Asia was better prepared to fight the coronavirus than Britain
The Telegraph has obtained all of the publicly available national pandemic plans for southeast Asia and compared them to Britain’s own. The analysis reveals not just differences in tone but in detail. While Britain’s plan assumes a new virus will be unstoppable, the Asian plans major on containment in a bid to minimise mortality. Britain did not just write a pandemic strategy document. It tested its pandemic response plan four years ago when it simulated a pandemic almost identical to the Covid-19 outbreak. Code-named Exercise Cygnus, the simulation took place in October 2016 and involved all major government departments. It is known the exercise revealed holes in the UK’s pandemic strategy but it is not known if those fighting the outbreak in the drill ever sought to contain the contagion
19th Apr 2020 - The Telegraph
The Man Who Beat the 1957 Flu Pandemic
Twenty biomedical companies. Seventy nations. An aggressive search for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines is underway worldwide. Yet even 21st-century technology can’t match one man who curbed a major influenza pandemic spreading across the United States in 1957. Pioneering virologist Maurice Hilleman, now oft-forgotten, detected that pandemic from across the globe, convinced reluctant U.S. health officials to take notice, and single-handedly fostered a vaccine that became publicly available. All in just four months.
19th Apr 2020 - Scientific American
Woodrow Wilson’s Case of the Flu, and How Pandemics Change History
How does a pandemic alter history? To capture the scale of lives lost and economies shattered, and the national mobilizations often required, it has become common to compare the catastrophe to a war against an “invisible enemy.” This is the preferred metaphor of Donald Trump, a self-pronounced “wartime President,” and also of many other national leaders who are struggling forward in these days of covid-19. Yet, among other shortcomings, war metaphors fail to capture the natural and intimate character of a severe and contagious illness, and how its effect on individual behavior can often be subtle and difficult to measure.
18th Apr 2020 - The New Yorker
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCutting Corners for a Coronavirus Vaccine Could Cost Lives
Tim Lahey is an infectious-disease physician and vaccine researcher who leads the ethics program at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He writes: "As the Covid-19 death toll mounts, it will be tempting to take our chances on another unproven vaccine. Yet there are life-threatening reasons we should not. Unproven vaccines have real risks. The 1976 swine flu vaccine was linked to a rare paralytic neurological illness called Guillain-Barré syndrome, arguably fueling vaccine mistrust that persists to this day."
16th Apr 2020 - New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullWe knew pandemic was coming and it will come again
Thanks to our ever-emerging scientific understanding of biologic threats in the era of globalization, we have known that a pandemic would inevitably strike. Nearly 20 years ago, we had a dress rehearsal when we faced avian H5N1 virus or “bird flu.”
The threat of bird flu was the same as COVID-19 — a virus arising in an animal that is transferred among humans who had no immunity to fight it. Fortunately, the H5N1 virus turned out to be weak in its ability to travel from human to human. But COVID-19 is far more challenging. It is easily transmitted — even by speaking to each other a few feet apart
15th Apr 2020 - Washington Times
COVID-19 could become a pandemic flu that returns every year: Harvard study
COVID-19 could resemble a pandemic flu that comes back every year, scientists found in a Harvard study published Tuesday that concluded a single lockdown will not be enough to halt the novel coronavirus. Instead, we may have to go through multiple rounds of social distancing, well into 2022, in order to ensure there is minimal strain on hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Without a vaccine or any other treatments, life cannot simply return to normal after the first lockdown.
15th Apr 2020 - National Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus 10 times more deadly than swine flu, says WHO
The Covid-19 coronavirus has proven ten times deadlier than the swine flu outbreak that spread across the globe a decade prior, the World Health Organisation has confirmed. The swine flu pandemic, which spanned a stretch of time between January 2009 and August 2010, saw more than 1.6million confirmed cases, resulting in the confirmed deaths of 18,449 people. Now the World Health Organisation’s top official Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned the coronavirus pandemic currently gripping the planet has outstripped the fatalities caused by the H1N1 strain tenfold
14th Apr 2020 - Independent.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCOVID-19 is 10 times more deadly than swine flu: WHO
The novel coronavirus is 10 times more deadly than swine flu, which caused a global pandemic in 2009, the World Health Organization said, stressing a vaccine would be necessary to fully halt transmission. WHO says 18,500 people died of "swine flu", or H1N1, which was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in March 2009, but the Lancet medical estimated the toll to be between 151,700 and 575,400. Vaccines were rushed out, but in hindsight, the West, particularly Europe, and the WHO were criticised for overreacting
13th Apr 2020 - Medical Xpress
WHO says Covid-19 is 10 times more deadly than swine flu
13th Apr 2020 - France24
Covid-19 coronavirus is 10 times more deadly than swine flu: WHO
13th Apr 2020 - The Straits Times
Newly Isolated H16N3 Avian Influenza Viruses Show Future Zoonotic Potential
Avian influenza virus subtype H16N3 was first isolated in 1975, and can now be found around the world. The H16 subtype avian influenza virus was first identified in 2005, and the greatest prevalence is found in the Netherlands and Norway. The exact zoonotic potential of the avian viral strain, however, remains poorly understood. The investigators of a new study published in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases conducted avian influenza surveillance in wild bird gatherings in western China between 2017 through 2019, isolating and exploring the biological characteristics of 2 different H16N3 subtype influenza viruses. Results led the authors to recommend increased surveillance of the emergence and spread of avian influenza virus subtype H16N3 in wild birds.
13th Apr 2020 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullH9N2 avian influenza case reported in Guangdong, China child
Between 27 March and 2 April 2020, one new case of human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2) virus was reported to WHO in the Western Pacific Region. The case is a 3-year-old female from Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, who had a history of environmental exposure to domestic poultry before onset of symptom. She had mild illness and no symptoms have been detected in her contacts. In 2020, there are three cases reported so far, two from China and one from India. A total of 30 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H9N2) in China have been reported since December 2015.
9th Apr 2020 - Outbreak News Today
Scientists Try To Figure Out If Summer Will Slow The Spread Of COVID-19
"With a new virus coming into the population everybody is susceptible," says Anice Lowen, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Emory University. She notes that no one has had a chance to develop immunity: "Everybody is sort of fair game for an infection [from] that virus. So it makes the virus transmit much more readily, such that it may continue to transmit even when the climactic conditions ... or the season ... is not optimal for transmission." She says this new coronavirus may well continue to spread straight through the summer in the U.S.. Lowen points out that when the H1N1 influenza virus emerged in 2009 it didn't start in winter the way the seasonal flu does. "The 2009 pandemic started in April and May," she says, "well outside the normal seasonality." Eventually the H1N1 virus did fall into a more traditional seasonal pattern, but it took several years.
9th Apr 2020 - NPR
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Apr 08, 2020 - H9N2 flu case in China
China recently reported another human infection involving H9N2 avian influenza, which involved a 3-year-old girl form Guangdong province, the World Health Organization Western Pacific regional office said in a recent avian flu update. The patient is a 3-year-old girl from Zhuhai who had a mild illness and who had contact with domestic poultry environments before her symptoms began. So far this year, three H9N2 cases have been reported, two from China and one from India. The WHO said China has reported 30 human H9N2 cases since 2015.
8th Apr 2020 - CIDRAP
We Need a Covid-19 Vaccine—Let’s Get It Right the First Time
The flaws in past flu vaccination campaigns in 1976 and 2009 matter, because they are among the largest, fastest emergency vaccination efforts to occur in the United States in the lifetimes of people making policy and practicing science today. Covid-19 isn’t influenza, but it is a pandemic, and it too is triggering a rapid search for a vaccine that could end in giving millions of shots to those who are vulnerable. So the lessons learned in 1976 and 2009 are important—especially since some of their mistakes are being made again. Flu vaccine manufacturing is scattered around the world; not every country contains a plant. Nations fortunate enough to house one have committed to the WHO to share their products equitably worldwide. But in 2009, Australia and Canada effectively nationalized their production, keeping back doses meant for other countries until they were sure their own citizens were taken care of.
8th Apr 2020 - Wired
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow Australia's 2020 Summit in 2008 focused on mosquito illnesses, bird flu instead of coronavirus
Australia's 2020 Summit 12 years ago was worried about climate change sparking an increase in mosquito-borne illnesses. Health experts also warned about the threat of a bird flu pandemic and the danger of germ-based terrorism, but said little about coronavirus despite a recent outbreak of SARS in China. 'I do not have my notes with me from the 2020 Summit. However, as I recall from that time in general, a pandemic of influenza was more of a concern than a new coronavirus per se,' Professor Good said. 'Set up a health ASEAN – a collaborative regional group to focus on emerging infectious diseases like bird flu, plan for and be ready to respond to bioterrorism and share learning and best practice on chronic and preventable diseases,' an interim report said.
7th Apr 2020 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullFederal-State Pandemic Training Focused on Flu, Not New Virus
In August, months before the first case of the new coronavirus was documented, some of Colorado’s top health officials gathered in a room at the state Department of Public Health and Environment to train for a pandemic. Colorado’s official document for pandemic response is called the CDPHE Pandemic Influenza Plan. The draft executive orders that a special committee had prewritten for the governor to potentially sign during a pandemic all focused on influenza. Even the virus in the Crimson Contagion exercise was a hypothetical new strain of flu. “We sort of tend to plan for what we know,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “And, in terms of pandemics that we’ve seen in the past century, they’ve largely involved influenza.”
6th Apr 2020 - Insurance Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullThese ‘disease hunters’ developed a novel technique for tracking pandemics after 9/11, but lost funding right before COVID-19
After 9/11 spurred governments to invest in combatting bioterrorism, a group of disease experts figured out how to track pandemics with a technique called “syndromic surveillance.” The technique involved tracking aggregated data from emergency rooms, and had its peak around the 2009 swine flu outbreak. Now, these experts and the tech industry are exploring the technique to help fight the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
3rd Apr 2020 - CNBC
Warning ignored: Secret report exposed gaps in flu pandemic plans and demanded urgent action
Scotland’s health boards were warned to take urgent action to prepare for a flu pandemic after a major training exercise exposed gaps in crisis plans five years ago, The Sunday post reveals. A follow-up report by NHS Lanarkshire, one of the health boards taking part in Silver Swan, said: “An influenza pandemic is considered to be one of the highest public health risks for the UK. Its unpredictable nature and potential severity necessitates planning with the development of suitable, flexible plans that require testing on a regular basis.”
5th Apr 2020 - The Sunday Post
The coronavirus pandemic will break globalisation
Following the outbreak of Sars in 2002 and of swine flu seven years later, governments across the world had promised action to prevent the widespread dissemination of zoonotic diseases. As the crises passed, however, governments moved on to other matters. It wasn’t until 2014, when the Obama administration set up a fund to support low-income countries grappling with the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, that an international effort was established. “This crisis will likely lead European nations and others to reconsider the extent of supply chain dependence on either the US or China since Covid-19 is, among other things, a shock that has disrupted supply chains,” says Linda Yueh, the Chair of the LSE Economic Diplomacy Commission. “This crisis will likely accelerate that process – along with additive manufacturing and other technological developments – towards greater localisation.”
3rd Apr 2020 - Wired UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus in NJ: State was warned in 2015 about 'catastrophic' impact a flu-like disease could have
The New Jersey Department of Health updated its emergency influenza plan in 2015, predicting a devastating impact on the state if it were to get hit by a disease similar to the Spanish flu a century ago. It said nearly a third of the population would contract the illness, 277,000 would need to be hospitalized and 5,000 would die. Put into motion by the coronavirus, though, the blueprint has exposed shortfalls in preparation that have forced government and health leaders to improvise, leaving health care workers and patients at risk. "In hindsight, we all should have paid attention" to the plan, said state Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth. "But without any frame of reference, it would have been hard to do."
2nd Apr 2020 - AsburyParkPress
'Pandemic' Netflix predicted coronavirus. Its makers are 'haunted'
Not if but when. It’s the rallying cry uttered over and over again by the doctors, scientists, humanitarian workers and public health officials profiled in “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak.” Structured like a globe-trotting thriller, the Netflix documentary series follows dedicated men and women on the front lines of the battle against the next devastating disease to ravage the human population — an event they are all certain is just around the corner. Documentary subjects include Susan Flis, a retired nurse who volunteers to give out flu shots at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona; Jacob Glanville, an entrepreneur trying to develop a universal flu vaccine; Michel Yao, a doctor with the World Health Organization attempting to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Dr. Syra Madad, the infectious disease specialist preparing New York’s municipal hospitals for the next pandemic.
2nd Apr 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Indonesian COVID-19 deaths surpass, within weeks, 17 years of bird flu fatalities
The 170 deaths from COVID-19 in Indonesia have now surpassed the 168 deaths caused by avian influenza recorded in the country between 2003 and 2020, according to World Health Organization data. The bird flu caused by the H5N1 virus – which was first detected in Indonesia in 2005 – infected a total of 200 people in the country.
2nd Apr 2020 - The Jakarta Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullThis is how life under coronavirus will play out over the next year
In one Harvard study, epidemiologists modelling the shape of a future second coronavirus outbreak found that any one-time social distancing efforts now would push the epidemic peak into the autumn, where intensive care units are potentially even more stretched than now. In the UK, the Imperial College report draws similar conclusions to the Harvard study. Its models suggest that even with a five-month period of social distancing, the UK will experience a second peak in mid-November. Both reports suggest that only intermittent and sustained social distancing will avoid a second peak, but the measures may have to be in place for well over a year for this to be successfully avoided. The Harvard study says the measures may be necessary until 2022, whereas the Imperial paper notes that any vaccine may be at least 18 months away and when it does come, we don't know how effective it will be.
1st Apr 2020 - Wired UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Apr 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Lancet Infectious Diseases: Comprehensive COVID-19 hospitalization and death rate estimates help countries best prepare as global pandemic unfolds
First comprehensive estimates from mainland China of the proportion of people with COVID-19 who required hospitalisation, and latest death rate estimates, both show sharp increases with age. Authors warn that without intervention the number of people needing hospital treatment is likely to overwhelm even the most advanced healthcare systems worldwide, though caution that as the pandemic unfolds, it is possible that outcomes could improve and it will be important to revise estimates in this study. The new analysis also finds that the estimated proportion of deaths from both diagnosed cases and from milder, unconfirmed cases is strongly influenced by age. The estimates are slightly lower than others that have been made for the virus, but are still much higher than for previous pandemics such as 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1, which was estimated to be fatal in around 0.02% of cases
31st Mar 2020 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullWorld academies call for global solidarity on COVID-19 pandemic
The current COVID-19 outbreak was first reported on 31 December 2019. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. Today, under the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), 140 medical, scientific and engineering academies from around the world call on the scientific and policymaking communities to come together to help control the spread of infection. IAP's aim is to encourage better and faster use of research and its outputs for the global public good. "Many in the scientific community are expressing great concern that a willingness to coordinate action and share resources that was found in tackling previous pandemics such as HIV, SARS and avian influenza has not emerged to the same extent yet for COVID-19. It is time to change the tide," says IAP President Volker ter Meulen.
30th Mar 2020 - EurekAlert!
Daily Insight: Losing the will
In England, procurement teams continue to battle with critical personal protective equipment shortages, in spite of a raft of new efforts from the centre. Sources told HSJ that even major trusts like Barts Health in London ran out of gowns last week and, according to the Health Care Supply Association, the products simply weren’t included in national pandemic influenza preparedness preparations. As HCSA chief officer Alan Hoskins put it in a now deleted tweet: “Losing the will to live, god help us all.”
30th Mar 2020 - Health Service Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe U.S. Tried to Build a New Fleet of Ventilators. The Mission Failed.
In 2006, the Department of Health and Human Services established a new division, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, with a mandate to prepare medical responses to chemical, biological and nuclear attacks, as well as infectious diseases. In its first year in operation, the research agency considered how to expand the number of ventilators. It estimated that an additional 70,000 machines would be required in a moderate influenza pandemic. As the extent of the spread of the new coronavirus in the U.S. became clear, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed on March 15 that the stockpile had 12,700 ventilators ready to deploy.
29th Mar 2020 - New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe coronavirus may be deadlier than the 1918 flu: Here's how it stacks up to other pandemics
Many have compared the COVID-19 outbreak to influenza, which has symptoms similar to CV-19. So far, COVID-19 is proving to be more infectious with an R naught of around 2 than the seasonal flu, which has an R naught of 1.3 and infects up to 49 million Americans each year. Based on the WHO’s most recent mortality rate of 3.4%, the COVID-19 outbreak is shaping up to be at least 34 times deadlier than the flu, which has a mortality rate of about 0.1% and kills 290,000 to 650,000 people per year across the globe. If the current mortality for CV-19 rate holds at 4.5%, it would make this coronavirus 45 times deadlier than the flu.
26th Mar 2020 - CNBC
Covid-19: weathering the storm
In the UK, over the years, opportunities to research influenza-like illness have been missed and money squandered on ineffective antiviral drugs. The NHS has been stripped of resilience by years of attrition compounded by lack of investment in social care. Public health services have been systematically decimated and dismantled. The UK’s idiosyncratic response to the pandemic has been guided by questionable modelling rather than by long established fundamentals of communicable disease control
26th Mar 2020 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullExclusive: U.S. slashed CDC staff inside China prior to coronavirus outbreak
The Trump administration cut staff by more than two-thirds at a key U.S. public health agency operating inside China, as part of a larger rollback of U.S.-funded health and science experts on the ground there leading up to the coronavirus outbreak, Reuters has learned. The CDC told Reuters the three Americans currently on staff in China are a country director, an influenza expert and an information technology expert. A temporary deputy director arrived recently, and that job will be filled permanently, the agency said in a statement.
25th Mar 2020 - Reuters
Fact Check: Trump wildly exaggerates 1918 flu mortality rate
As the tally of coronavirus cases and deaths in the US continues to rise, President Donald Trump and members of his coronavirus task force addressed questions Tuesday during a virtual town hall hosted by Fox News. The President pushed back on comparisons between the coronavirus pandemic and the 1918 pandemic. He said, "You can't compare this to 1918 where close to 100 million people died. That was a flu, a little different. That was a flu where if you got it you had a 50/50 chance, or very close, of dying." Facts First: Trump is exaggerating. Though estimates of the mortality rate for the 1918 flu pandemic vary widely since records from that period are incomplete, there are not any credible estimates as high as 50%. Scholars estimate the mortality rate is between about 2% and 20%.
25th Mar 2020 - CNN
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullExclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak
Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China, Reuters has learned. The decision to eliminate Dr Linda Quick’s job came as the CDC has scaled back the number of U.S. staffers in China over the last two years, the sources said. The U.S. CDC team in Beijing now includes three American citizens in permanent roles, an additional American who is temporary and around 10 Chinese nationals, the agency said. Of the Americans, one is an influenza expert with expertise in respiratory disease. COVID-19 is not influenza, though it can cause severe respiratory illness.
23rd Mar 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus: what the 2009 swine flu pandemic can tell us about the weeks to come
The first documented case of COVID-19 is thought to have appeared on December 1 2019 in Wuhan, China. Four months later, the world is in the middle of a pandemic with little idea of what comes next. Yet this is not the first pandemic to occur in recent years. On March 17 2009, the first case of a novel H1N1 influenza virus infection, also known as swine flu, was documented in Mexico. It rapidly spread throughout Mexico and the US and was declared a full pandemic by the WHO on June 11 2009.
Swine flu circulated around the world in two waves until August 10 2010, when the WHO officially declared the pandemic over. By comparing the coronavirus pandemic with the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic and looking at modern forecast models, we might be able to better assess what to expect over the coming weeks to months.
23rd Mar 2020 - The Conversation
Lessons from Past Outbreaks Could Help Fight the Coronavirus Pandemic
Although every virus and resulting disease is different, a look at epidemic dynamics of both COVID-19 and the 1918 flu points to similar successful containment procedures. In a 2007 study published in JAMA, Howard Markel of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and his co-authors analyzed the excess deaths from pneumonia and influenza (meaning how many more there were than usual during nonpandemic years) in 43 U.S. cities from September 8, 1918 through February 22, 1919. Despite the fact that all of the cities implemented nonpharmaceutical interventions, it was the timing of activation, the duration and the combination of measures that determined their success. The researchers found “a strong association between early, sustained, and layered application of [such] interventions and mitigating the consequences of the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic in the United States.”
23rd Mar 2020 - Scientific American
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: we should have learnt from Sars, not swine flu
Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford. He writes about the expected death toll on the older population from Covid-19: "when this pandemic has run its course — when we have achieved “herd immunity” as a species and when vaccines and therapies have been devised — there will have been a lot more funerals for elderly Italians and, very probably, Americans and Britons than for Taiwanese or South Koreans. And the reason for this discrepancy will not be bad luck. The reason will be that east Asian countries drew the right conclusions from the searing experiences of Sars in 2003, while most western countries drew the wrong conclusions from their relatively mild encounter with H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, in 2009."
22nd Mar 2020 - The Times
Compare: 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Versus the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic
The H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009 was caused by a virus from a different family of viruses than the current coronavirus outbreak. The virus in the 2009 pandemic is considered to be quite different from the typical H1N1 viruses that were circulating at the time. Dubbed (H1N1)pdm09, very few young people had existing immunity to it, but about one-third of people over 60 years of age had antibodies against it, probably from exposure to other, older H1N1 viruses at some time in their lives. This also meant that vaccinations for seasonal influenza offered very little protection against it. A vaccine for the (H1N1)pdm09 vaccine was manufactured, but was not available in significant quantities until late November, well after the peak of the illness in the second wave of the disease and finished in the U.S.
21st Mar 2020 - BioSpace
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullBefore Virus Outbreak, a Cascade of Warnings Went Unheeded
The outbreak of the respiratory virus began in China and was quickly spread around the world by air travelers, who ran high fevers. In the U.S., it was first detected in Chicago, and 47 days later, the WHO declared a pandemic. By then it was too late: 110 million Americans were expected to become ill, leading to 7.7 million hospitalized and 586,000 dead. That scenario, code-named “Crimson Contagion” and imagining an influenza pandemic, was simulated by the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services in a series of exercises that ran from last January to August. The simulation’s sobering results — contained in a draft report dated October 2019 that has not previously been reported — drove home just how underfunded, underprepared and uncoordinated the federal government would be for a life-or-death battle with a virus for which no treatment existed."
19th Mar 2020 - New York Times
Devastating report reveals how federal officials held a pandemic flu wargame in 2019
20th Mar 2020 - Daily Mail
The flu expert who predicted a pandemic: "Millions of people would die"
Otago University researcher Robert G Webster's book on influenza was published in December. It included a terrifyingly prescient chapter about pandemics. "We would definitely handle a pandemic now better than the world could during the Spanish influenza of 1918, but would we do any better than we did in controlling the relatively rather mild H1N1 pandemic of 2009, when close to 300,000 people perished? A reality check suggests that we are marginally better prepared now, but that we could not stop an influenza pandemic. Millions of people would die before we could bring it under control or modify its effect. From where might such a pandemic spring? Since the mid-1990s, influenza has occurred more and more frequently in intermediate hosts, including pigs and poultry. We urgently need a universal vaccine, but this is still a pipe dream"
19th Mar 2020 - Newsroom
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullMexico, former swine flu hub, tests nerves with coronavirus strategy
Mexican officials are dragging their feet on border closures and coronavirus containment measures, in what critics call a high risk strategy driven by bad memories of a shutdown a decade ago that deepened the country’s recession during the swine flu epidemic. In 2009, a new strain of swine flu that emerged in Mexico raised fears of a global pandemic. Authorities acted swiftly, shutting down public life in the densely populated capital, Mexico City, and swathes of the country. The disease was quickly contained and normal life resumed within weeks, but by some estimates the response shaved a percentage point from that year’s economic activity.
18th Mar 2020 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullThe Pentagon held an exercise for a flu pandemic 14 years ago. Here’s what was learned.
More than a decade before the coronavirus swept across the globe filling hospitals and roiling economies, the Pentagon quietly conducted an exercise to see how its secret bunker system built in case of nuclear war would stand up to a flu pandemic. The 2006 exercise revealed just how hard it is to keep infected personnel out of a closed facility. It also underlined the limitations of massive Cold War-era bunker systems, especially for threats like a pandemic. In 2006, as the H5N1 “bird flu” virus was spreading around the world, the Defense Department held an exercise that tested its ability to continue operations from Raven Rock in the event of a pandemic. The 2006 exercise, which has not been previously reported, involved simulating a pandemic that would require moving personnel quickly into Raven Rock
17th Mar 2020 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullBefore Trump’s inauguration, a warning: ‘The worst influenza pandemic since 1918'
Seven days before Donald Trump took office, his aides faced a major test: the rapid, global spread of a dangerous virus in cities like London and Seoul, one serious enough that some countries were imposing travel bans. In a sober briefing, Trump’s incoming team learned that the disease was an emerging pandemic — a strain of novel influenza known as H9N2 — and that health systems were crashing in Asia, overwhelmed by the demand. But unlike the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the globe, this 2017 crisis didn’t really happen — it was among a handful of scenarios presented to Trump’s top aides as part of a legally required transition exercise with members of the outgoing administration of Barack Obama. And in the words of several attendees, the atmosphere was “weird” at best, chilly at worst.
17th Mar 2020 - POLITICO
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullLike the flu? Trump's coronavirus messaging confuses public, pandemic researchers say
History has shown that leaders trying to manage pandemics without full transparency hamper citizens from acting to help, said Steven Taylor, a psychiatry professor at the University of British Columbia and author of the 2019 book “The Psychology of Pandemics.” He maintains that if the public loses the trust of its leaders, people will not listen to them when they offer good advice. “On the one hand it creates increased anxiety among those who doubt the truth is being told,” he said of a leader who has lost the trust of citizens. “And on the other it increases the number of people who think the whole thing is overblown.”
14th Mar 2020 - Reuters
Was the swine flu response in 2009 a 'disaster' as President Trump said?
President Trump blamed the Obama Administration for completely botching its response to the 2009 outbreak of H1N1, known as swine flu. But those remarks, made as the president declared coronavirus a national emergency, seem to go against what the record shows. According to a 2012 report by the Department of Health and Human Services, there were successes in the Obama administration's response - albeit with room for improvement. And, a late 2009 CNN poll showed 57% of respondents approved of how the former president handled the government response to the H1N1 flu despite vaccine shortages at the time.
15th Mar 2020 - USA Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO declares novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. The last pandemic reported in the world was the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009, which killed hundreds of thousands globally. During that H1N1 pandemic, the CDC estimated that somewhere between 151,700 and 575,400 people died worldwide during the first year the virus circulated. Globally, 80% of the deaths were estimated to have occurred in people younger than 65. The World Health Organization declared the global H1N1 pandemic over in August 2010, but the H1N1 virus continues to circulate as a seasonal flu virus every year.
11th Mar 2020 - CNN
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Mar 10, 2020
In its latest monthly zoonotic flu update, the WHO noted two human H9N2 avian flu infections and one variant H1N1 (H1N1v) swine-origin flu illness. One of the H9N2 cases involves a 7-year-old Hong Kong boy whose H9 illness was first reported by Hong Kong health officials on Feb 7. The boy got sick on Feb 4 and was hospitalized the next day. The second H9N2 case involves a child from Senegal, apparently a first for that country. The illness was detected in February 2019 in Ziguinchor region when the patient was seen at an outpatient clinic. He or she was not hospitalized and has since recovered.
10th Mar 2020 - CIDRAP
The disease expert who warned us
Michael Osterholm, the infectious disease expert who has been warning for a decade and a half that the world will face a pandemic, says the US is ill-prepared to combat the coronavirus due to a shortage of equipment and supplies. Osterholm, of the University of Minnesota, wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine in 2005 that, "This is a critical point in our history. Time is running out to prepare for the next pandemic. We must act now with decisiveness and purpose." Osterholm discussed the coronavirus at a recent Washington, DC event at the New America think tank with Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst and New America vice president. He took issue with the idea that the flu is a more serious threat, saying the death toll from coronavirus could be much higher than that of a severe flu season.
10th Mar 2020 - CNN
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullIn 1918, It Wasn’t the Coronavirus. It Was the Flu.
The “Spanish flu” pandemic, the subject of a new, ongoing exhibit at the Mütter Museum, killed tens of millions of people worldwide. Influenza (along with pneumonia) is one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S., killing tens of thousands of people every year and sickening far more. The effectiveness of the flu shot varies year to year, as the virus mutates and makes it harder to predict which strain will be circulating. Many just don’t take the flu seriously. “People just think of the flu as a mild upper respiratory infection, when it’s a killer,” said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert and pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases who sits on the FDA committee that selects the strains for the annual flu shot. Misinformation in newspapers and government censors helped the flu spread in 1918. Today, with additional help from the internet, misinformation drives fear of new illnesses like the coronavirus and fuels the anti-vaccination movement.
9th Mar 2020 - New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullWhat We Can Learn From the 20th Century’s Deadliest Pandemic
In the century since the 1918 outbreak, studies of seasonal flu infections and occasional pandemics have underscored the benefits of hygiene instruction and regular handwashing, which can reduce influenza cases by more than 40%. During the 2009 “swine flu,” school closures in Texas reduced acute respiratory illness by 45% to 72%. Such classic public health measures are sometimes as effective as the seasonal flu vaccine, which reduced infections by less than 40% in four of the last 12 U.S. flu seasons. Only by taking full advantage of scientific and public health advances, investing in strong health systems and developing new technologies to prevent and respond to disease will we be able to meet the challenge of the new coronavirus—and the other outbreaks that will inevitably follow.
6th Mar 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
The World Changed Its Approach to Health After the 1918 Flu. Will It After The COVID-19 Outbreak?
A hundred years on from the 1918 flu, the WHO is offering a global response to a global threat. But the WHO is underfunded by its member nations, many of which have ignored its recommendations – including the one not to close borders. COVID-19 has arrived at a time when European nations are debating whether their healthcare systems, now creaking under the strain of larger, aging populations, are still fit for purpose, and when the US is debating just how universal its system really is. Depending on how bad this new pandemic gets, it may force a rethink in both regions. Whether current outbreak generates real change remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: we being reminded that pandemics are a social problem, not an individual one.
8th Mar 2020 - Time
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus response: a focus on containment is still apt
If past outbreaks are a guide, we are only in the foothills of a new disease that could continue to spread for many more months. All countries must put in place containment measures. But the p-word should remain on the table. If the virus spread accelerates, it may be necessary to use it. The WHO did declare the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza outbreak a pandemic, partly to trigger the release of funding for vaccine production. At present, however, there is no vaccine against the virus that causes COVID-19. The agency has also stopped using the definition of pandemic that it used at that time. On that occasion, some people criticized the agency for over-reacting — initial estimates of deaths were about 18,600. But that number looks to have been an undercount, and revised estimates of fatalities in the first year that the virus circulated range from 150,000 to 575,000. There were 61 million infections in the United States alone
4th Mar 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullSwine flu survivors recount terrifying pandemic as coronavirus concerns grow
New Yorkers recount their experience of catching swine flu during the 2009 pandemic, how it hit them, how ill they were, how they were treated back to health and what precautions they have been taking ever since
3rd Mar 2020 - New York Post
The Coronavirus Is No 1918 Pandemic
We have just commemorated the centenary of the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918, which lasted only a few months but claimed 50 million to 100 million lives worldwide, including 675,000 in the United States. That pandemic remains a benchmark, and many commentators have rushed to compare it to the current coronavirus outbreak. What’s most striking about these comparisons, though, is not the similarities between the two episodes, but the distance that medicine has traveled in the intervening century. Whatever happens next, it won’t be a second 1918. We have an important class of drugs available today: antivirals, which directly target the virus responsible for a disease. There are at least four approved antiviral medications, some given orally and others intravenously. The advent of modern hospitals, intensive-care units, and medical specialists have changed the response to disease over the past century.
3rd Mar 2020 - The Atlantic
Four lessons the Spanish flu can teach us about coronavirus
Spanish flu is estimated to have killed between 50 million and 100 million people when it swept the globe in 1918-19 – more than double the number killed in the first world war. Two-thirds of its victims died in a three-month period and most were aged 18-49. So what lessons has the world’s deadliest pandemic taught us?
3rd Mar 2020 - The Guardian
Coronavirus spread brings harrowing memories of 1918 Spanish flu scourge
3rd Mar 2020 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Mar 2020
View this newsletter in fullBlue Waters Supercomputer Helps Tackle Pandemic Flu Simulations
While not the novel coronavirus that is now sweeping across the world, the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic (pH1N1) infected up to 21 percent of the global population and killed over 200,000 people. Now, a team of researchers from the University of California San Diego have applied supercomputing power to pH1N1 simulations in order to better understand that pandemic, manage its annual recurrences – and prepare for the next one.
26th Feb 2020 - HPCwire
Antigenic and genetic characteristics of zoonotic influenza viruses and candidate vaccine viruses developed for potential use in human vaccines
This summary provides a review on the zoonotic influenza virus activity and virus characterization, and describes the current status of the development of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness purposes. It is meant to provide guidance for national authorities and vaccine companies on the selection of candidate viruses for use in vaccine development.
28th Feb 2020 - WHO
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullAustralia's coronavirus pandemic plan: mass vaccinations and stadium quarantine
In Australia, state and federal governments have had pandemic plans in place for years, prepared for the possibility of a novel coronavirus or a wide-scale influenza outbreak. The publicly available plans emphasise that predicting the length, severity and impact of a coronavirus – such as SARS-CoV-2 – outbreak is difficult, given a large number of unknown and variable factors. There is currently no vaccine for Sars-CoV-2 – the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 – but work is under way to develop one. When an effective vaccine is developed, the NSW Health pandemic plan outlines two potential scenarios: “vaccination of priority with a candidate or pandemic-specific vaccine, or mass vaccination for the wider local health district population with a pandemic-specific vaccine”.
27th Feb 2020 - The Guardian
What are the UK's plans for dealing with a pandemic virus?
This week the Department of Health highlighted the UK’s “influenza pandemic preparedness strategy”, originally published in 2011. It remains the core public document to guide the likely public response.
27th Feb 2020 - The Guardian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullCovid-19: Why won't the WHO officially declare a coronavirus pandemic?
Epidemic experts say there are no global criteria for pandemics. There used to be for flu pandemics, but the WHO abandoned them when it was criticised after declaring a flu pandemic in 2009 that triggered expensive countermeasures in some countries, which some deemed unnecessary. Flu skips between people so quickly that containment is a non-starter. Pandemic plans are mostly designed for flu, including those of the UK and the US, and they go straight to mitigation. The UK plan suggests containment only if a new pandemic flu hasn’t learned yet to spread as fast as normal flu. In this light, statements from WHO start to make sense. “It’s not either/or,” said WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week. “We must focus on containment while doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic.”
26th Feb 2020 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullYou’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus
When H5N1 appeared in humans in 1997, there was a successful global response, and the virus was not seen again for years. In part, containment was possible because the disease was so severe: Those who got it became manifestly, extremely ill. H5N1 has a fatality rate of around 60 percent—if you get it, you’re likely to die. Yet since 2003, the virus has killed only 455 people. The much “milder” flu viruses, by contrast, kill fewer than 0.1 percent of people they infect, on average, but are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.
26th Feb 2020 - The Atlantic
A Corona Virus Vaccine Won’t Come Quickly
Luciana Borio and Scott Gottlieb’s “Why Does the U.S. Have So Few Confirmed Coronavirus Cases?” (op-ed, Feb. 21) is far too optimistic about the prospect of a vaccine to prevent infections by the Wuhan coronavirus (officially SARS-CoV-2) in the near future. The authors write, “Once a plausible vaccine candidate is identified, the early phases of safety testing could take several weeks. But the vaccine could be ready for broader distribution soon after that as safety and efficacy tests continue.” History argues otherwise. The FDA prematurely approved a vaccine for swine flu virus almost a half-century ago, and regulators have both a long memory and an intense desire to stay out of trouble. Of the 45 million people vaccinated against the swine flu in 1976, 450 developed a serious adverse reaction. What made the situation even more unfortunate (for regulators) is that the predicted epidemic never materialized, so the vaccine wasn’t needed. Since then, the regulatory bar has been very high for approval of vaccines that would be administered to vast numbers of healthy people.
25th Feb 2020 - The Wall Street Journal
When was the last flu pandemic declared?
Influenza pandemics are not hugely common with around three occurring every century for the last 300 years. Viruses that have caused past pandemics typically originated from animal influenza viruses.The most recent flu pandemic the world has seen was the 2009 swine flu pandemic. It lasted from early 2009 to late 2010 and is believed to have infected around 700 million to 1.4 billion people - around 11 to 21 per cent of the world's population. The number of fatalities from the illness, which originated in Mexico, is believed to be between 150,000 and 575,000, meaning the virus had a relatively low mortality rate.
26th Feb 2020 - Manchester Evening News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullSpecific memory B cell response in humans upon infection with highly pathogenic H7N7 avian influenza virus
H7 avian influenza viruses represent a major public health concern, and worldwide outbreaks raise the risk of a potential pandemic. Understanding the memory B cell response to avian (H7) influenza virus infection in humans could provide insights in the potential key to human infection risks. Researchers investigated an epizootic of the highly pathogenic A(H7N7) in the Netherlands, which in 2003 led to infection of 89 persons and one fatal case.
22nd Feb 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus likely to have severe but short-lived economic impact: Kemp
Columnist John Kemp writes: "Epidemics normally have a severe but relatively short-lived impact on economic activity, with the impact on manufacturing and consumption measured in weeks or at worst a few months. Even pandemics such as the Black Death (1348/49), Spanish influenza (1918/19), Asian influenza (1957/58) and Hong Kong influenza (1968/69) that caused large numbers of deaths had a brief impact on the economy. China’s coronavirus outbreak should conform to this pattern of a severe downturn followed by swift recovery, provided it does not initiate a broader cyclical slowdown in the already-fragile global economy."
20th Feb 2020 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullLong-term clinical prognosis of human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses in China after hospitalization
Mainland China has experienced five epidemics of human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection since 2013. Researchers conducted a prospective study to assess long-term clinical, pulmonary function testing, and chest computed tomography imaging findings after patients were discharged from hospital. Patients who survived severe illness from A(H7N9) virus infection had evidence of persistent lung damage and long-term pulmonary dysfunction.
19th Feb 2020 - The Lancet
News Scan for Feb 19, 2020
19th Feb 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullA decade before coronavirus, I covered the swine flu pandemic. Here's how it compares to COVID-19
The 2009 swine flu pandemic affected people who don't often get the flu, afflicting young adults whose previously healthy lungs became white and cloudy with pneumonia. While most recovered, many did not. By the end of 2009, more than 37,000 Australians had been diagnosed with swine flu. More than 190 people were dead. Worldwide, the US Centres for Disease Control estimates swine flu killed as many as 575,000 people. Eighty per cent of them were under 65. When swine flu hit Australia, the public largely had confidence that health authorities were doing all they could to minimise the risk. This time, the measures are more drastic. With things like quarantine and travel bans in place to stem the spread of COVID-19, Australians can feel relatively reassured.
17th Feb 2020 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Predicting Pandemic Potential of Influenza
Chad Petit, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Alabama at Birmingham fight influenza at the molecular level, in part by finding natural mutations in the viral RNA genome that have a functional impact during infection. Discovering how the virus uses these unknown mechanisms to stop your body from mounting an effective defense against infection, Petit said, “will better prepare us to predict the pandemic potential of influenza A virus and aid in the development of vaccines and antivirals.” Petit’s latest research, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, takes a detailed look at a naturally occurring mutation in a flu strain from a 1972 Russian outbreak that the UAB team described in 2015, while comparing that Russian strain to the 1918 strain responsible for Spanish flu.
17th Feb 2020 - Technology Networks
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullThis is how the UK is strengthening its coronavirus defences
While there's plenty we don't know about the novel coronavirus, we've faced similar outbreaks before in the UK. Plans are already in place and have been tested, as the influenza pandemic and ebola were both "dry runs" for this coronavirus. The influenza epidemic in 2009 — better known as "swine flu," caused illness in 800,000 people and 457 deaths in the UK before a vaccine was rolled out.
15th Feb 2020 - Wired
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullFrom best to worst case, here’s how coronavirus could play out
There's no question that the novel coronavirus, which causes a disease now known as Covid-19, is a serious threat. In January, the World Health Organisation declared it a public health emergency of international concern, which has only happened five times in the last decade. Previous diease outbreaks, Sars included, suggest what could be next for Covid-19. There's three main scenarios: the disease could spread into a global pandemic, it could remain largely contained within China and taper off on its own, or it could become another illness that never leaves us, flaring up seasonally as the flu does now.
13th Feb 2020 - Wired
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullUnderstanding pandemics: What they mean, don’t mean, and what comes next with the coronavirus
A disease doesn’t have to infect all of the globe to be a pandemic. Lots of people, over broad swaths of territory, will suffice. The word is most commonly used in the context of influenza. Flu pandemics occur when new flu strains emerge from nature and start infecting people. The WHO was harshly criticized when the 2009 flu pandemic turned out to be much less severe than people had feared. Rather than feeling relieved the pandemic wasn’t causing large numbers of deaths, people felt aggrieved they’d been scared over something they later concluded was far less scary than expected. And governments that had contacts to buy pandemic vaccine — contracts that were triggered by the WHO’s declaration — were left on the hook for vaccine many people didn’t want.
12th Feb 2020 - STAT
Yes, Coronavirus Is More Troubling Than the Flu
Pandemics are unique, and apples-to-oranges comparisons often obscure more than they illuminate. The current coronavirus outbreak is legitimately more alarming than normal seasonal flu, and public-health officials are probably right to be responding with unusually drastic measures. The most obvious difference between novel coronavirus and influenza is that it’s considerably more deadly. The brutal truth of epidemics is that in their initial stages there’s no magic bullet to preventing them. New vaccines can’t be developed overnight. The regulatory burden of getting them approved in multiple countries and the manufacturing challenge of producing them are, if anything, bigger bottlenecks than the laboratory work. After enormous efforts to expand pandemic influenza preparedness, in 2015 the world still only had enough production capacity to immunize about 43% of the global population.
12th Feb 2020 - Bloomberg
Coronavirus: How well prepared are countries for a covid-19 pandemic?
Is the rest of the world ready for the coronavirus? The short answer is no. “I am utterly convinced that no country is fully prepared,” says Jennifer Nuzzo at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland. Serious disease outbreaks pose three threats. There is the direct impact in terms of illness and deaths. Then there are people with other illnesses who are disadvantaged because health services are overwhelmed. For instance, regular vaccinations ceased during recent Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, leading to children dying of other diseases. Finally, there is the economic impact of travel bans and people not working. Paul Hunter at the University of East Anglia, UK, thinks a coronavirus pandemic would be no worse than the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Efforts to contain this outbreak after it began in Mexico failed and it spread globally, infecting up to a quarter of the population and killing up to 500,000 – a death rate of approximately 0.02 per cent.
12th Feb 2020 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullCoronavirus: hospitals must learn from past pandemics
Nahid Bhadelia writes about pandemic preparations in hospitals in the light of past pandemics, as an experienced clinician. She advises using techniques honed during the SARS, H1N1 and Ebola epidemics to separate sick and well, keep workers safe and prepare for the next outbreak.
11th Feb 2020 - Nature
What the British government will do if coronavirus spreads
In the UK, as the risk of coronavirus increases, the government is urging local authorities and others to put in place contingency plans to mitigate its potential impact. The response is being driven by the UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011, and although this document was prepared for an outbreak of a new strain of flu, it's believed to provide a solid template for the management of coronavirus containment and treatment.
11th Feb 2020 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullThis is what would actually happen if Scotland was hit by a mass fatality influenza pandemic
In 2007 the Scottish government prepared a document called 'Pandemic Flu: A Scottish framework for responding to an influenza pandemic", which sets out exactly what would happen if there was a repeat of the events of 1918. All four UK nations went on to co-develop an updated strategy in 2011. The government would launch an Influenza information line to inform the public about the progress of the pandemic and availability of healthcare and other services. Pandemics can also come in waves, with the 2007 strategy stating that "subsequent waves, if they occur, could possibly be more severe than the first." However, it's important to remember that this really is a worst-case scenario model and that the risk of a pandemic of this magnitude is incredibly small: In any given year, the probability of an influenza pandemic causing nearly 6 million influenza deaths (8 deaths per 10,000 persons) or more globally is just 1%.
10th Feb 2020 - Edinburgh Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullBoy, 7, infected with H9 avian flu in Hong Kong after Shenzhen trip
A seven-year-old boy in Hong Kong has been infected with H9 bird flu, adding to the health woes in a city already fearing a wider outbreak of coronavirus. The Centre for Health Protection confirmed that the boy’s nasal swab tested positive for the strain of avian flu, with the subtype still to be determined. The boy had recently returned to the city from mainland China. Although the family kept poultry in their house, the boy had not come into direct contact with the birds. His family members have not reported any symptoms.
8th Feb 2020 - South China Morning Post
Hong Kong: Imported H9 influenza case, Coronavirus update
8th Feb 2020 - Outbreak News Today
Boy, 7, infected with H9 avian flu adding to health woes in Hong Kong already battling coronavirus outbreak
8th Feb 2020 - Yahoo News
Re-creating live-animal markets in the lab lets researchers see how pathogens like coronavirus jump species
Over the past two decades, the world has seen the emergence of multiple pandemic threats, including bird flu (H5N1), SARS, Ebola, and now the new coronavirus from Wuhan. The viruses that cause these diseases, and indeed roughly two-thirds of all recent emergent viruses, originate in animals before they jump to humans. Despite the complexity of the natural world, the research approach to understanding how potentially pandemic pathogens and their animal and human hosts interact has been relatively simple. Scientists typically focus on a single species at a time, studied under conditions of constant temperature, humidity and airflow. But biologists believe that more explicitly acknowledging the complexity of the natural world will provide a more robust understanding of emerging infectious diseases. They have set up “artificial ecosystems” in the lab to mimic the complicated conditions out in the real world, to gather new insights into how viruses and other pathogens actually emerge to become global threats.
8th Feb 2020 - ScienceBlog
Mexico girds for coronavirus, vowing to learn from 2009 swine flu
In 2009, when swine flu broke out in Mexico, critics accused the government of responding too slowly and allowing the virus to spread farther and faster than it otherwise would have. Now, as a new strain of coronavirus spreads from China across the globe, Mexican authorities have vowed that they won’t be caught unprepared. Even though Mexico has yet to confirm a single case, officials have been testing people who may have been exposed and are setting up a toll-free number for queries. The federal health ministry said the country is in a “phase of permanent monitoring” and is prepared for any prospective treatment or isolation of patients.
8th Feb 2020 - Los Angeles Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullNot yet a pandemic, 2019-nCoV has echoes of MERS, SARS, flu
Allison McGeer is professor of laboratory medicine and pathobiology and of public health sciences at the University of Toronto, and was director of infection control at Mount Sinai Hospital during the 2002/2003 SARS pandemic. By her own description, she has “rather more experience with SARS than I would like.” McGeer also has experience with both seasonal and pandemic influenza, and she described 2019-nCov as “somewhere between” other coronaviruses and influenza viruses in its transmission characteristics. The 2019-nCoV virus is able to spread easily via human-to-human transmission. In both Germany and Japan, McGeer said, “transmission has been occurring without close contact.” It is also likely that infected individuals are also contagious before they show symptoms. “We’re all still hoping that it is possible to control the transmission of this in the community,” McGeer said.
6th Feb 2020 - BioWorld Online
When will the threat of coronavirus end? It might return every winter
It was a new virus that killed 12,469 and sickened more than 60 million Americans in one year. The outbreak in 2009 introduced a strain of H1N1 flu that never left. Though it continues to circle the globe as a seasonal virus, the swine flu causes far less damage and anxiety than in its deadly first year. Doctors and researchers see parallels between that pandemic and the threat of a new mysterious bug, the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said a difference this time is the ability to prepare.
6th Feb 2020 - USA Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullAFRL’s Epidemiology Lab supports world health officials in flu vaccine development
Dr. Anthony Fries, a bioinformatics scientist and Dr. Paul Sjoberg, a program manager with the Department of Defense Global Respiratory Pathogen Surveillance Program at USAFSAM’s Epi Lab, discuss how the lab and CDC monitor influenza to provide the FDA with critical data to facilitate the creation of the influenza vaccine each season. Sjoberg shared a success story for the DOD surveillance program at the Epi Lab that relates to the concern with the pandemic influenza virus that emerged in 2009. “In 2009, there was the H1N1 pandemic. Because of what we were able to do in our lab and in our partner lab in California (the Naval Health Research Center), we identified the first H1N1 viruses in the United States in California and Texas. The CDC asked for that virus, and that virus was then utilized as a seed virus for that pandemic vaccine. Our program provides the ability to quickly identify something that is occurring in the population that is responsive to the needs of not only the U.S., but globally,” Sjoberg explained.
5th Feb 2020 - AF.mil
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullNovel coronavirus and avian flu: advice for travel to China
Public Health England (PHE) is aware of a reported outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan City, China, and has offered advice to travellers to the area regarding this as well as the ongoing avian flu risk. Dr Phin advised on avian flu: 'Although the risk of avian flu to UK residents travelling to China remains very low, anyone planning to visit China, Hong Kong SAR or Taiwan should minimise their exposure to any birds such as wild birds or live birds in ‘wet markets’ as a precaution.'
3rd Feb 2020 - GOV.UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Feb 2020
View this newsletter in fullHow deadly is coronavirus, and can it be contained?
Maciej F. Boni, associate professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University, writes about the new coronavirus in comparison with the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: "At this moment, 2019-nCoV looks to me like its severity and transmission profile is somewhere between SARS and the 2009 H1N1 influenza. If this is accurate, airport screening, case isolation, contact tracing and social distancing efforts may be enough in some cities to delay or fend off the arriving stream of new cases. In the next month or two, we will see how easily newly introduced seed cases are able to establish local epidemics outside the Chinese mainland. With a little luck some cities may be able to control their outbreaks. With open scientific collaboration we may learn which containment strategies work best, in preparation for our next pandemic later this decade."
1st Feb 2020 - CNN
Coronavirus shows how UK must act quickly before being shut out of Europe’s health protection systems
The threat posed by 2019-nCoV and the fragmentation of existing health protection systems caused by Brexit call for urgent assessment of cross Europe cooperation, say Mark Flear, Anniek de Ruijter, and Martin McKee. "By removing an important communication channel between the UK and EU, Brexit poses a threat to infectious disease control and—given the wide remit of the EU regime—wider risks to health in both jurisdictions. As the Swiss experience shows, the argument that things will work out because it is in the interest of both sides that they do is misconceived and dangerously complacent."
1st Feb 2020 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullWe’ve Had a Lot of Pandemics Lately. Have We Learned Anything From Them?
On Wednesday, China confirmed that almost 6,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus scientists are calling 2019-nCoV. The progress of 2019-nCoV, as witnessed via media, feels both scary and familiar. As the 21st century moves forward, and we lose all sense of time and space, one pandemic panic seems to merge into another. In a 2019 piece about the legacy of H5N1, Stat’s Helen Branswell wrote that the reasons for the dissipation of this strain aren’t completely understood. H5N1 may have simply mutated into other “bird flu” viruses that are highly pathogenic to both wild and domestic avian populations, but less dangerous to humans—for now. In 2015, the American poultry industry suffered through an outbreak of H5N8 and H5N2 in large chicken flocks in the Midwest; this outbreak, which the USDA linked to migration routes, did not cross over to humans. As recently as November 2019, crows that died en masse in India tested positive for H5N1.
30th Jan 2020 - Slate
Is the coronavirus outbreak as bad as SARS or the 2009 influenza pandemic? A biologist explains the clues
The severity and mortality of a novel emerging virus, which we scientists in this case are calling 2019-nCoV, are very difficult to judge when new data are coming in on a daily basis. During the 2009 influenza pandemic, the earliest reports listed 59 deaths from approximately 850 suspected cases, which suggested an extremely high case fatality of 7%. However, the initially reported information of 850 cases was a gross underestimate. This was simply due to a much larger number of mild cases that did not report to any health system and were not counted. After several months – when pandemic data had been collected from many countries experiencing an epidemic wave – the 2009 influenza turned out to be much milder than was thought in the initial weeks. Its case fatality was lower than 0.1% and in line with other known human influenza viruses.
30th Jan 2020 - The Conversation
Data suggest nCoV more infectious than 1918 flu, but what does that mean?
Research published late yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine offers another estimate of the R-nought (R0) value—a measure of infectiousness—of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has sickened more than 8,000 people and suggests the virus is more infectious than the 1918 influenza pandemic virus. Marc Lipsitch, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and the director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard University, warned that a higher R0 than the 1918 flu pandemic does not necessarily mean nCoV will ultimately cause more severe illnesses or deaths
30th Jan 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - TEST Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullWe’ve Had a Lot of Pandemics Lately. Have We Learned Anything From Them?
On Wednesday, China confirmed that almost 6,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus scientists are calling 2019-nCoV. The progress of 2019-nCoV, as witnessed via media, feels both scary and familiar. As the 21st century moves forward, and we lose all sense of time and space, one pandemic panic seems to merge into another. In a 2019 piece about the legacy of H5N1, Stat’s Helen Branswell wrote that the reasons for the dissipation of this strain aren’t completely understood. H5N1 may have simply mutated into other “bird flu” viruses that are highly pathogenic to both wild and domestic avian populations, but less dangerous to humans—for now. In 2015, the American poultry industry suffered through an outbreak of H5N8 and H5N2 in large chicken flocks in the Midwest; this outbreak, which the USDA linked to migration routes, did not cross over to humans. As recently as November 2019, crows that died en masse in India tested positive for H5N1.
30th Jan 2020 - Slate
Is the coronavirus outbreak as bad as SARS or the 2009 influenza pandemic? A biologist explains the clues
The severity and mortality of a novel emerging virus, which we scientists in this case are calling 2019-nCoV, are very difficult to judge when new data are coming in on a daily basis. During the 2009 influenza pandemic, the earliest reports listed 59 deaths from approximately 850 suspected cases, which suggested an extremely high case fatality of 7%. However, the initially reported information of 850 cases was a gross underestimate. This was simply due to a much larger number of mild cases that did not report to any health system and were not counted. After several months – when pandemic data had been collected from many countries experiencing an epidemic wave – the 2009 influenza turned out to be much milder than was thought in the initial weeks. Its case fatality was lower than 0.1% and in line with other known human influenza viruses.
30th Jan 2020 - The Conversation
Data suggest nCoV more infectious than 1918 flu, but what does that mean?
Research published late yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine offers another estimate of the R-nought (R0) value—a measure of infectiousness—of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has sickened more than 8,000 people and suggests the virus is more infectious than the 1918 influenza pandemic virus. Marc Lipsitch, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and the director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard University, warned that a higher R0 than the 1918 flu pandemic does not necessarily mean nCoV will ultimately cause more severe illnesses or deaths
30th Jan 2020 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullNew coronavirus looks set to cause a pandemic – how do we control it?
The new coronavirus may be about to go global. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Gabriel Leung at the University of Hong Kong said that without “substantial, draconian measures limiting population mobility” epidemics outside China “may become inevitable”. David Fisman at the University of Toronto notes that in several cases one infected person has transmitted the virus to far more than two people. “It means scary events happen, with large clusters of cases,” says Fisman. “But these are likely to attract attention and a public health response”, with everyone exposed quarantined. By contrast, many cases may not spread. So individual transmissions, which are harder to spot, may also be dead ends for the virus, which hasn’t yet adapted to humans and is mutating slowly. “Contrast that with something like flu, where everyone is spreading and any case can spark an epidemic,” he says. “Super-spreader events suggest this can be controlled.”
29th Jan 2020 - New Scientist
Coronavirus panic? The influenza pandemic was far worse (for now)
The eyes of the medical world are on Wuhan, China. Will the new coronavirus grow from epidemic to pandemic? It’s the stuff of health officials’ nightmares. At last word, nearly 2,000 people have been infected. More than 50 of them have died. That’s triggering fears of a deadly virus marching unrestrained across the globe. But here’s the thing: It’s happened before. And it happened where you live: the 1918–1919 Spanish flu pandemic. Numbers tell the ultimate story. There were 105 million people in the U.S. at the time — 675,000 of them died from the flu, more than were killed in World War I.
29th Jan 2020 - Washington Examiner
Pandemic Influenza News - Sample Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullNew coronavirus looks set to cause a pandemic – how do we control it?
The new coronavirus may be about to go global. Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Gabriel Leung at the University of Hong Kong said that without “substantial, draconian measures limiting population mobility” epidemics outside China “may become inevitable”. David Fisman at the University of Toronto notes that in several cases one infected person has transmitted the virus to far more than two people. “It means scary events happen, with large clusters of cases,” says Fisman. “But these are likely to attract attention and a public health response”, with everyone exposed quarantined. By contrast, many cases may not spread. So individual transmissions, which are harder to spot, may also be dead ends for the virus, which hasn’t yet adapted to humans and is mutating slowly. “Contrast that with something like flu, where everyone is spreading and any case can spark an epidemic,” he says. “Super-spreader events suggest this can be controlled.”
29th Jan 2020 - New Scientist
Coronavirus panic? The influenza pandemic was far worse (for now)
The eyes of the medical world are on Wuhan, China. Will the new coronavirus grow from epidemic to pandemic? It’s the stuff of health officials’ nightmares. At last word, nearly 2,000 people have been infected. More than 50 of them have died. That’s triggering fears of a deadly virus marching unrestrained across the globe. But here’s the thing: It’s happened before. And it happened where you live: the 1918–1919 Spanish flu pandemic. Numbers tell the ultimate story. There were 105 million people in the U.S. at the time — 675,000 of them died from the flu, more than were killed in World War I.
29th Jan 2020 - Washington Examiner
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO weighs science and politics in global virus emergency decision
Most of the World Health Organization’s criteria for declaring a global emergency have been met, but it is awaiting clear evidence of a sustained spread of the new coronavirus outside China before doing so, some experts and diplomats said. “Essentially the WHO is between a rock and a hard place,” said Jeremy Farrar, an expert in infectious disease epidemics and director of the Wellcome Trust global health charity. Farrar noted that the organization was criticised for having called an early emergency in 2009 for the H1N1 flu pandemic, which proved mild, and then for being too late in declaring the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014.
28th Jan 2020 - Reuters
Coronavirus vs SARS, Spanish flu and Ebola – death toll and symptoms compared
A comparison between the new coronavirus and other viruses. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was the deadliest outbreak of the virus in history killing the most people in the shortest timeframe. It was first observed in Europe, the US and parts of Asia before it quickly spread throughout the world. Research reconstructing the virus suggested it began in birds, then rapidly mutated, leaping to humans. A sudden movement of avian flu genes at the time– causing a change in the kind of haemagglutinin in an already existent flu strain – likely led to the pandemic. Experts say that most people living today would have some immunity to viruses in the 1918 virus' family, called H1N1, while modern antiviral drugs may also be effective.
28th Jan 2020 - The Sun
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullBird flu. SARS. China coronavirus. Is history repeating itself?
Public health emergencies should be handled quickly, transparently, and devoid of political considerations. But public health is inherently political and, with anything involving China, politics can never be fully excised. For Chinese Communist officials, particularly at the provincial level, there is an innate tendency to cover up and conceal. That was certainly the case in late 1997, just after China’s assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, when the territory was hit by an outbreak of the H5N1 virus known as “bird flu.” Well into the outbreak, with people sick and some dying, Hong Kong officials were reluctant to finger China as the source, even though 80% of the territory’s poultry came from the mainland.
27th Jan 2020 - STAT
US officials revisit rules for disclosing risky disease experiments
US disease researchers are pushing the government to be more transparent about federally funded research that involves making pathogens more deadly or more transmissible. Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, argues that discussions around potential pandemic pathogens require even greater disclosure, akin to an environmental-impact assessment. He says that the government should not have funded certain gain-of-function studies — such as experiments in 20121 that created variants of the avian flu virus that could travel between ferrets breathing the same air.
27th Jan 2020 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullWuhan virus will shape China’s smart city vision
An epidemic will shape China’s vision of intelligent cities. The metropolis of Wuhan, with a population of 11 million, is under unprecedented quarantine as a deadly virus, believed to have originated there, spreads around the world. Big investments in healthcare, artificial intelligence, and even surveillance could help curb future pandemics and cushion some institutional weaknesses. President Xi Jinping has pushed to upgrade the country’s rickety healthcare system, enlisting technology giants including $474 billion Tencent and insurance group Ping An. A unit of the latter has partnered with local governments in Shenzhen and Chongqing to develop an algorithm it claims can predict the transmission of influenza and other infectious diseases with 90%-plus accuracy
24th Jan 2020 - Reuters
After criticism, federal officials to revisit policy for reviewing risky virus experiments
A long-running debate over U.S. government-funded research that tweaks risky pathogens in ways that could make them more dangerous to humans is flaring up again. This time, at issue is whether officials should make public the work of a closed-door federal committee that weighs the risks and benefits of experiments proposed for funding by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and in the past 2 years has greenlighted two controversial avian influenza studies. That panel should make public the names of its members, as well as the reviews it writes, some scientists argued yesterday at a 2-day meeting of an expert panel that advises the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
25th Jan 2020 - Science Magazine
Flu pandemic: Gates Foundation projects spread in 2018
Gates Foundation shows projections for the spread of the flu pandemic over the course of six months in 2018, stating there would be over 32 million deaths (video of a map showing spread of the flu and monthly deaths)
25th Jan 2020 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullBird flu, Sars, coronavirus. Is history repeating itself?
Hongkongers could be forgiven any déjà vu over the latest outbreak of a deadly virus originating in mainland China. A common thread appears to link each of these disasters: a Chinese penchant for secrecy that makes things worse. That was certainly the case in late 1997, just after China’s assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, when the territory was hit by an outbreak of the H5N1 virus known as “bird flu”. Well into the outbreak, with people sick and some dying, Hong Kong officials were reluctant to finger China as the source, even though 80 per cent of the territory’s poultry came from the mainland. However, internet use and penetration in China today makes it virtually impossible for a cover-up to last for long.
24th Jan 2020 - South China Morning Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullNetflix's 'Pandemic': Spanish flu that killed 100M shows us that the next outbreak could be just around the corner
Netflix's latest docuseries 'Pandemic: How To Prevent An Outbreak,' follows the lives of those who are on the frontline of the battle to prevent the breakout of the next big pandemic, which could prove a threat to our very existence. The consensus at the moment is that such an event is not a matter of if but a matter of when. There is some hope in the form of a universal vaccine that is currently in development which will provide immunity against not only current strains of influenza, but also future ones. Still at its embryonic stage, the vaccine currently involves seven shots and is being tested on pigs in Guatemala because of federal restrictions in the U.S.
22nd Jan 2020 - Meaww
Coronavirus – Netflix Pandemic doc released today amid fears of another global outbreak like Spanish flu that killed 50m
22nd Jan 2020 - The Sun
China's coronavirus has 'the same death rate as the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50m people'
China’s deadly coronavirus may have the same death rate as Spanish flu, an expert has warned. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 is widely regarded as “the deadliest in history”, and is believed to have infected around 500 million people worldwide, killing between 20 and 50 million. Based on existing data, the disease is said to have a 2% death rate. This means that for every 50 people who catch the infection, one will statistically die. To put this into context, around one in every 1,000 who develop flu die, giving it a death rate of 0.1%. “This [2019-nCoV’s death rate] could be 2%, similar to Spanish flu,” said Professor Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London. Genetic analyses reveal 2019-nCoV is more closely related to Sars than any other coronavirus.
22nd Jan 2020 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullWHO Identifies Urgent Challenges to Address This Decade
The World Health Organization is ushering in the new decade by releasing a list of urgent health challenges that require global attention. The authors of the report point out that another influenza pandemic is unavoidable, but the severity and time frame are unknown. In the latest Contagion flu update featuring 2019-20 seasonal estimates from the CDC, it was reported that there have been approximately 9.7 million flu illnesses, 87,000 hospitalizations, and 4800 deaths from flu, including 32 pediatric deaths so far this season. More than 170 million doses of the flu vaccine have been administered, the agency added.
20th Jan 2020 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullAs the World Faces One of the Worst Flu Outbreaks in Decades, Scientists Eye a Universal Vaccine
Along with protecting against the seasonal influenza, a universal vaccine would also arm humanity with a weapon against the next pandemic strain of the flu. In a statement in March, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced a Global Influenza Strategy for the upcoming decade. The strategy has two overarching goals: to improve every country’s preparedness to monitor and respond to influenza and to develop better tools to prevent and treat influenza. Research on a universal vaccine could support the second objective of arming the global population with a stronger defense against the flu. “The threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present,” Ghebreyesus said. “We must be vigilant and prepared. The cost of a major influenza outbreak will far outweigh the price of prevention.”
17th Jan 2020 - Smithsonian mag.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullExplained: What is H9N2, which has infected an Indian child?
Indian scientists have detected the country’s first case of infection with a rare variant of the virus that causes avian influenza. In the December 2019 issue of the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scientists of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, reported avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection in a 17-month-old boy in Maharashtra. The child was not exposed to poultry. A week before showing the symptoms, he had travelled with his parents to a religious gathering. The father showed similar symptoms but could not undergo serologic testing. NIV scientists said H9N2 viruses have been observed in poultry in India several times. Now, identification of the first clinical human case of H9N2 virus infection highlights the importance of systemic surveillance in humans and animals to monitor this threat to human health, they said.
13th Jan 2020 - The Indian Express
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullNovel Avian Influenza Vaccine Is Safe and Immunogenic
A new vaccine for the avian influenza A(H5N1) was shown to be safe and immunogenic, establishing it as a needed addition to the global pool of pre-pandemic vaccines, according to a study published in Vaccine. This Phase 2/3, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study (Clinical Trial identifier NCT02612909) conducted by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, Vietnam, tested the safety and immunogenicity of a recently developed IVACFLU-A/H5N1 vaccine.
12th Jan 2020 - Pulmonology Advisor
Wuhan novel coronavirus and avian flu: advice for travel to China
Public Health England is aware of a reported outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan City, China, and has offered advice to travellers to the area regarding this as well as the ongoing avian flu risk. All travellers should be aware of the risk of avian flu when visiting China during the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, beginning on 25 January 2020. Human cases of avian influenza have recently been reported in China, and historically there have been more cases at this time of year. Although the risk is very low, PHE and the National Travel Health Network and Centre are reminding UK travellers to protect themselves from avian flu by minimising exposure to wild birds and poultry.
12th Jan 2020 - Gov.UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullNovel Avian Influenza Vaccine Is Safe and Immunogenic
A new vaccine for the avian influenza A(H5N1) was shown to be safe and immunogenic, establishing it as a needed addition to the global pool of pre-pandemic vaccines, according to a study published in Vaccine. This Phase 2/3, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study (Clinical Trial identifier NCT02612909) conducted by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Hanoi, Vietnam, tested the safety and immunogenicity of a recently developed IVACFLU-A/H5N1 vaccine. Study authors concluded, “Though more than half of the vaccinated participants did not reach seroprotection levels as per definition based on seasonal influenza, the great majority of them exhibited at least a 2-fold seroresponse level, indicative of priming. A potential approach to counter pandemic threats from A(H5N1) influenza may include priming the population with an A(H5N1) vaccine and then boosting with a dose of the pandemic vaccine at the start of a pandemic.”
7th Jan 2020 - Infectious Disease Advisor
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Jan 2020
View this newsletter in fullFlu Trackers
A number of public health experts believe that as global travel expands, cases of “rogue” influenza outbreaks may become more common. Underdeveloped areas, where overpopulation and poor sanitation often abound, are increasingly visited by travelers from urban centers who return home carrying more than just their passports. The very speed and frequency of modern travel could, therefore, work against public health authorities racing to control a pandemic. In mid March 2009, an unknown virus began spreading in Mexico, and by late April, cases of the H1N1 virus had been confirmed in the U.S., Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom; on June 11, the World Health Organization declared a new pandemic as a result of the global spread of the H1N1 virus. Unlike the garden-variety influenza virus, this strain can infect more than one species. Birds, swine and humans are all at risk for infection.
5th Jan 2020 - PBS
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullAdaptive amino acid substitutions enable transmission of an H9N2 avian influenza virus in guinea pigs
H9N2 is the most prevalent low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) in domestic poultry in the world. Two distinct H9N2 poultry lineages, G1-like (A/quail/Hong Kong/G1/97) and Y280-like (A/Duck/Hong Kong/Y280/1997) viruses, are usually associated with binding affinity for both α 2,3 and α 2,6 sialic acid receptors (avian and human receptors), raising concern whether these viruses possess pandemic potential. To explore the impact of mouse adaptation on the transmissibility of a Y280-like virus A/Chicken/Hubei/214/2017(H9N2) (abbreviated as WT), we performed serial lung-to-lung passages of the WT virus in mice. The mouse-adapted variant (MA) exhibited enhanced pathogenicity and advantaged transmissibility after passaging in mice. Our findings elucidate the specific mutations in PB2 contribute to the phenotype differences and emphasize the importance of monitoring the identified amino acid substitutions due to their potential threat to human health.
26th Dec 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullCongressional spending package includes $200M for universal flu vaccine
Approximately $200 million has been allocated for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against multiple strains of the flu virus in Congress’s year-end spending package. U.S. Sen, Edward Markey (D-MA) has spearheaded the effort to boost funding for the flu vaccine. He and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Flu Vaccine Act to support research for the creation of a universal influenza vaccine. The bill calls for a $1 billion investment – $200 million from 2020 through 2024.
23rd Dec 2019 - Homeland Preparedness News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullNew research shows domestic animals link virus spread among humans and wildlife
Our domesticated animals - both pets and livestock - hold the key to the spread of viruses among humans and wildlife according to new research involving Swansea University. However, the study has revealed the patterns of how viruses are shared between humans and wildlife species differs between the two major groups of RNA and DNA viruses. RNA viruses that cause diseases in humans and originate from animals include flu viruses, Ebola virus and the SARS virus. Dr Wells said: "We found RNA viruses to have high potential to shift across mammalian species with very different life histories and habitats, enabling them to be shared by more host species. This means also more risk for humans in terms of unpredictable emergence of novel infectious diseases."
19th Dec 2019 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullUK University Empowers Vietnam To Expand Vaccine Production Technology
Scientists from the University of Bristol are working with Vietnamese vaccine manufacturer Vabiotech to share cutting-edge knowledge that could prevent future global outbreaks of avian flu and rabies. These scientists are meeting with universities and organizations in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh city to forge new connections, as well as building on existing research partnerships. Vabiotech and the University of Bristol are partners in the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub (FVMR Hub), a collaborative initiative led by Imperial College London and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
18th Dec 2019 - Precision Vaccinations
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullRe-evaluation of the evolution of influenza H1 viruses using direct PCA
The history of influenza H1 virus was re-evaluated by applying a new methodology to sequencing data; this objective method enables comparisons among viral types. The approach led to the segregation of all segments of swine and human viruses into three distinct groups: two of them included the pandemic 1977 and 2009 human viruses, and the remaining group may be new in humans. These three groups might have originated from avian viruses and drifted out independently. Genome shifts occurred occasionally among swine viruses; however, distances between avian and swine/human viruses negated the existence of direct shifts from avian viruses. In humans, only one or two viruses appeared each year, which suggests the presence of competition among viruses that migrated freely.
17th Dec 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullResearchers isolate antibody that blocks bird flu
Despite efforts to contain it, bird flu remains a serious menace to public health. That's why scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are redoubling their efforts to help people fight off the virus if they become infected. Their focus is H7N9, one of the most dangerous of the influenza viruses that have been transmitted from birds to humans. In the journal Cell Host & Microbe, James Crowe Jr., MD, and colleagues report that human monoclonal antibodies, isolated from two survivors of H7N9 infections and produced in bulk in the laboratory, protected mice from an otherwise lethal viral challenge. "The point of this paper is that antibodies humans make are sufficient to protect or treat H7N9 flu," said Crowe, who directs the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center.
16th Dec 2019 - Phys.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullA(H9N2) avian flu infections in humans in China
In China, two cases of human infection by the A(H9N2) avian flu virus were notified in November. In both cases,the patient (a 4 year-old girl and a 5 year-old girl) was exposed to poultry and presented with benign symptoms
14th Dec 2019 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullBird flu outbreak in Suffolk could spread to people – the signs to watch out for
There is no immediate threat to humans amid an outbreak of bird flu at a Suffolk farm, experts have said. It has been identified as "low pathogenic avian flu", and though rare some strains can prove fatal to humans. The four strains that have caused concern in recent years include H5N1, H7N9, H5N6 and H5N8. There hasn't been any cases so far in the UK but several people have been infected around the world, including in China. Both H5N8 and H5N6 have been detected in birds in Britain, however experts say plans are in place to manage suspected cases. And scientists warn, it is possible for the virus to mutate and infect humans.
11th Dec 2019 - The Sun
Bird Flu Outbreak In Suffolk – What's the Risk To Human Health?
11th Dec 2019 - Huffington Post UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhat blocks bird flu in human cells?
Normally, bird flu viruses do not spread easily from person to person. But if this does happen, it could trigger a pandemic. Researchers from the MDC and RKI have now explained in the journal Nature Communications what makes the leap from animals to humans less likely. In their paper, the researchers explain that avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) are unable to transform infected human cells into effective virus factories, because they do not produce enough of the matrix protein M1 following infection. The virus requires this protein, however, to export its many copies of its genetic material from the cell nucleus - a prerequisite for building new viruses.
10th Dec 2019 - EurekAlert!
What blocks bird flu in human cells?
10th Dec 2019 - Science Daily
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullOU awarded $2.5 million research grant to understand and predict the bird flu
The University of Oklahoma is taking a key role in a new project that could help surveillance and pandemic preparedness for avian influenza viruses that infect humans, wild birds and poultry. The National Science Foundation awarded a $2.5 million grant to OU to investigate the diversity and transmission of avian influenza viruses. "One of the world's great challenges impacting society today is the spread of infectious diseases and its implications on human health and world economy," said Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, OU's vice president for research and partnerships for the Norman campus. "This research will change how disease is predicted and tracked in order to ultimately protect people and animals from deadly viruses."
9th Dec 2019 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullSpain - No home produced flu vaccines: Spain's weak point in the next pandemic
Sooner or later, there is going to be another flu pandemic, and experts believe that belonging to the small circle of countries that produce flu vaccines could bring certain advantages. Spain does not have any flu vaccine making facilities, unlike other big European nations like France, Germany and the UK. This would be a strategic advantage in the event of a flu pandemic, and a few years ago, there were plans for such a flu making facility in Spain: Rovi wanted to create a plant in Granada, but the plans never came to fruition as the economic crisis took hold and flu vaccine prices fell
7th Dec 2019 - El Confidencial
Nearing development of a universal influenza vaccine, experts caution there’s more to accomplish to combat the flu
Beyond the seasonal flu, U.S. officials are equally concerned about the emergence of pandemic influenza. In the last century there were three such incidences, the most devastating being the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which killed 50-100 million people. The 2009 pandemic influenza, H1N1, resulted in 80 percent of virus-related deaths in people younger than 65 years of age. In comparison, most seasonal flu deaths occur in those over 65. “There is no singular threat that could devastate our country, our health and our economy, and our social institutions more than pandemic influenza … the risk is we’ll have another severe one and that would devastate our country,” said Robert P. Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Domestic manufacturing is critical particularly for pandemics, because other nations the United States relies on for pharmaceutical production will allocate resources and protect their populations first, Kadlec said.
6th Dec 2019 - Homeland Preparedness News
WHO's Global Influenza Strategy 'Welcome Step' But Needs To Address Emerging Challenges, Opinion Piece Says
A response to the WHO's Global Influenza Strategy: "Given the ongoing threat posed by influenza, the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year released its Global Influenza Strategy 2019-2030. … The new strategy is a welcome step. However, we believe that it should address several current and emerging challenges to preventing and responding to influenza, among them potential barriers to pathogen sharing, use of influenza genetic-sequence data for vaccine development, and global response capabilities, including medical countermeasures. Although these challenges may be addressed in other ongoing initiatives, influenza preparedness and response strategies must be sufficiently agile for new technologies, transparent for accountability, and equitable for global health justice."
7th Dec 2019 - Kaiser Family Foundation
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe dynamic proteome of influenza A virus infection identifies M segment splicing as a host range determinant
Pandemic influenza A virus (IAV) outbreaks occur when strains from animal reservoirs acquire the ability to infect and spread among humans. The molecular basis of this species barrier is incompletely understood. Here we combine metabolic pulse labeling and quantitative proteomics to monitor protein synthesis upon infection of human cells with a human- and a bird-adapted IAV strain and observe striking differences in viral protein synthesis. Most importantly, the matrix protein M1 is inefficiently produced by the bird-adapted strain. We show that impaired production of M1 from bird-adapted strains is caused by increased splicing of the M segment RNA to alternative isoforms. Strain-specific M segment splicing is controlled by the 3′ splice site and functionally important for permissive infection.
4th Dec 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Dec 2019
View this newsletter in fullFrance - Should we worry about the reappearance of 'extinct' viruses and bacteria as a result of permafrost thaw?
French scientists discuss the risk of viruses and bacteria we thought extinct reappearing as a result of permafrost thaw. Viruses seem to diminish in intensity with the cold, unlike bacteria. With viruses, there is more of a risk of scientists reconstructing the old virus thanks to the 'dead', defrosted virus. This has been done before, using fragments of the Spanish flu virus genome taken from the corpse of an Inuit victim.
2nd Dec 2019 - La Croix
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullDr Ann Moen on the global influenza strategy
Dr Ann Moen, Chief of the WHO’s Influenza Preparedness & Response Unit (IPR), explains the importance of their latest strategy: the Global Influenza Strategy 2019-2030: "There has been incredible progress made in influenza prevention, control, and preparedness since WHO’s last overarching influenza strategy was published in 2002, and especially since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. However, there are two overarching sets of challenges that remain. These two overarching sets of challenges drove the development of the strategy and the specific distinction of the two high-level outcomes."
28th Nov 2019 - SciTech Europa
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullSwine fever raises fears of bird flu pandemic
Meat shortages caused by African swine fever sweeping through the Far East are encouraging a shift to poultry production in backyard farms, raising the spectre of a deadly avian influenza pandemic, scientists warn. “This is very scary because we know that there will be another pandemic,” Kristina Osbjer, a veterinary epidemiologist, until recently with the FAO in Cambodia, tells SciDev.Net. “Now, there is an increased risk of avian influenza being the origin.” In recent times two strains of bird flu — H5N1 and H7N9 — have struck humans with deadly results. Scientists fear that such viruses can mutate into strains capable of human-to-human transmission.
27th Nov 2019 - SciDev.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Nov 25 - Army biolab resumes work
After a 4-month hiatus due to safety protocol problems, research will resume on a limited basis at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. In July, work on high-level pathogens was stopped after a CDC inspection in June identified several concerns about standard operating procedures. No pathogens were found outside authorized areas, but the review found issues such as a failure to follow local procedures, a lack of periodic recertification training for biocontainment lab workers, and a wastewater decontamination system that didn't meet Federal Select Agent program standards.
30th Nov -0001 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullDisentangling the role of Africa in the global spread of H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza
The role of Africa in the dynamics of the global spread of a zoonotic and economically-important virus, such as the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5Nx of the Gs/GD lineage, remains unexplored. Here researchers characterise the spatiotemporal patterns of virus diffusion during three HPAI H5Nx intercontinental epidemic waves and demonstrate that Africa mainly acted as an ecological sink of the HPAI H5Nx viruses. A joint analysis of host dynamics and continuous spatial diffusion indicates that poultry trade as well as wild bird migrations have contributed to the virus spreading into Africa, with West Africa acting as a crucial hotspot for virus introduction and dissemination into the continent.
23rd Nov 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Nov 2019
View this newsletter in full'We should be afraid of it': WHO chief's warning over global flu pandemic threat
Countries are investing heavily in defence but missing the real enemy – a deadly flu virus, the leader of the World Health Organization has warned. In an interview with the Telegraph Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, said the one thing that worried him more than anything was the threat of a flu outbreak racing around the world. “If pandemic flu starts like we had 100 years ago, with the level of connectedness we have now cases could travel within hours from one corner to the other. And imagine the level of destruction we could have. Pandemic flu actually worries me all the time. If you ask me one thing – that’s what scares me. As a world we should be afraid of it,” he said.
21st Nov 2019 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullChannel Island health experts and emergency services learn how to deal with 'flu pandemic
Health experts, emergency planners and the emergency services across the Channel Islands have been learning how to deal with a 'flu pandemic. Experts from the UK have been over to test the updated joint Channel Islands Pandemic Flu Strategic Plan. Pandemic 'flu is the worldwide spread of a new 'flu virus for which there is no immediate vaccine available. The aim of these particular exercises is to identify what needs to be done differently should an emergency arise in the future
20th Nov 2019 - ITV News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe Real Reason to Panic About China’s Plague Outbreak
The Chinese government’s response to this month’s outbreak of plague has been marked by temerity and some fear, which history suggests is entirely appropriate. But not all fear is the same, and Beijing seems to be afraid of the wrong things. Rather than being concerned about the germs and their spread, the government seems mostly motivated by a desire to manage public reaction about the disease. Those efforts, however, have failed. Lowering pandemic risks requires transparency on the part of public health authorities. But given the Chinese government’s public health history—covering up the 2003 SARS epidemic even as it traveled to 30 other nations, denying the spread of the dangerous H5N1 influenza in the country for years, and stifling social media accounts of outbreaks—a fair amount of caution and skepticism is merited.
16th Nov 2019 - Foreign Policy
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullPandemic policy can learn from arms control
The WHO has little recourse when countries do not meet their obligations to protect global health. This is no way to protect the world from a global pandemic. Rebecca Katz writes: "I think our best hope is to learn from the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). This disarmament treaty, which entered into force in 1975, was the first to ban an entire class of weapons. Since then, signatory countries have continued to review technological developments and debate protection strategies; they meet up to twice a year and are mandated to hold a review conference once every five years". "This upcoming January, the WHO and its member states will meet to plan the World Health Assembly later in 2020. An IHR review conference, which can lay out a plan for future updates, should be on the agenda."
12th Nov 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullPandemic influenza preparedness: 5 priority countries on the road to sustainability
Since 2014, WHO/Europe has been supporting the 5 priority countries of Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, to build and strengthen national preparedness and response for the next influenza pandemic, through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework Partnership Contribution (PC). The 5 countries are now focusing on achieving sustainability and self-reliance as demonstrated at this year’s annual meeting held in Yerevan, Armenia from 2–4 October 2019.
11th Nov 2019 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Nov 06, 2019 - H9N2 avian flu case in India
Researchers studying the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) deaths in India's Maharashtra state earlier this year identified an H9N2 avian flu infection in a 17-month-old boy, according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. A swab received by India's National Institute for Virology lab on Feb 12 tested positive by polymerase chain reaction for H9N2.
6th Nov 2019 - CIDRAP
Could a deadly flu pandemic strike again? It already has.
Dr. Annette C. Reboli, an infectious disease specialist and dean of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, explains how pandemic flu spreads and why it is so deadly. "In 1918, Philadelphia's nurses told their patients to stay in bed, drink plenty of fluids and eat good food. Those without access to medical care came up with their own remedies: red pepper or garlic sandwiches and camphor amulets. Today, struggling patients can be placed on ventilators to help them breathe. They can receive anti-viral medication to help them fight off the bug. And the public has access to information about the number of influenza cases in a particular region, enabling people to take precautions — like getting a flu vaccine that wasn't available 100 years ago."
6th Nov 2019 - Courier Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullChinese experts call for global cooperation in flu prevention
Chinese experts called for global cooperation to prevent and control flu outbreaks at the 2019 World Flu Day Campaign and Academic Conference in Beijing. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese National Influenza Center (CNIC) provides technical training to ASEAN countries every year, according to Wang Dayan, who is in charge of the national flu center of the CNIC National Institute for Viral Disease Prevention and Control." "The CNIC has conducted laboratory testing training of H7N9, an avian influenza virus, for six countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia and Mongolian representatives," said Wang.
1st Nov 2019 - Xinhuanet.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Nov 2019
View this newsletter in fullResearchers Harnessing Big Data’s Power to Fight Flu
It’s always difficult to predict when and where flu will strike most severely. The U.S. CDC is working to change that, however, by harnessing the power of supercomputing and big data analysis to find better ways to mitigate the flu season with targeted intervention programs. During the contract year, Lewis’ group – which includes three sub-teams, each with specific areas of expertise – will build a nuanced and actionable national-scale model to estimate the possible effects of multi-layered interventions on both seasonal and pandemic epidemics.
31st Oct 2019 - Mirage News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Oct 22 - Oseltamivir effective against 1918 flu
A new study in mBio shows oseltamivir phosphate, the neuraminidase inhibitor marketed as Tamiflu, was effective against the H1N1 strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic when used in infected macaques. The findings suggest the antiviral could be useful in future flu pandemics, but warns resistance would be likely. The 1918 flu pandemic was the world’s deadliest, causing 50 million fatalities globally. To conduct the study, researchers treated two groups of four animals daily for 5 consecutive days with 150 mg oseltamivir phosphate starting either 1 day before or 1 day after infection with the 1918 strain of H1N1.
22nd Oct 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullJapan is hoarding viruses to fight bioterrorism at the 2020 Olympics
Japan is stepping up its game in handling infectious diseases in preparation for a possible bioterror attack. But it could also be keeping pace with China's biotech expansion. In Asia, Elke Mühlberger, a microbiologist working at Boston University’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, points to the risk of emerging pathogens that are not known to pose a risk to humans but appear to be closely related to the dangerous pathogens that are currently handled in high-containment labs. “We learn more and more that the viral kingdom is pretty large. And we only know about a very tiny fragment of all these viruses,” says Mühlberger. Having a BSL-4 lab in operation would allow scientists to experiment with new viruses without the risk of infection outside the four walls. In the last two years, researchers discovered a number of viruses in animals that are related to Ebola and influenza, including in Chinese bats and fish from the East China Sea. “That’s pretty close to Japan,” she says.
21st Oct 2019 - Wired UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullBattelle awarded two-year contract for CDC influenza strain vaccines
The global nonprofit research and development organization Battelle won a two-year contract with the CDC for research on vaccines for influenza strains. Battelle will assist the CDC in expanding its vaccine seed stockpile for any novel flu virus that could become widespread at some point. While the CDC has a lab that produces candidate vaccine viruses, contractors like Battelle bolster that development process and speed it up.
19th Oct 2019 - Homeland Preparedness News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullBARDA achieves milestone in developing health security solutions
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has achieved a milestone, with more than 50 approvals by the U.S. FDA over the past 12 years of health security solutions it helped develop. The solutions range from a pandemic influenza vaccine licensed in 2007 to an anthrax diagnostic test approved earlier this month, BARDA Director Rick Bright explained. Bright explained that 19 of the 51 approvals are vaccines, diagnostics, or treatments that increase the nation’s preparedness for influenza pandemics.
16th Oct 2019 - Homeland Preparedness News
How pandemics shape social evolution
Laura Spinney weighs up Frank Snowden’s sweeping history charting the impact of infectious diseases on society.: "An odd omission from the book is the 1918 ‘Spanish’ influenza pandemic, which overlapped with the First World War and is estimated to have killed between 50 million and 100 million people. Snowden might have felt that it garnered enough attention around its centenary. But a future flu pandemic is currently ranked among the leading threats to global security, and there has been surprisingly little research on the long-term consequences of the 1918 catastrophe. Furthermore, it might have been interesting to explore the possible links between that pandemic and the ongoing epidemic of AIDS in South Africa"
16th Oct 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullClinically Important Zoonotic Diseases Part 1: Influenza and Salmonella
The One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization workshop, organized jointly by the U.S. CDC, Department of Agriculture, and Department for the Interior, recently reported a list of 8 top zoonotic diseases of national concern. These endemic and emerging diseases were ranked according to epidemic and pandemic potential, risk for introduction or increase in transmission within the US, severity of disease in humans, and potential for bioterrorism. The workshop highlighted the requirement for a coordinated multisector response with input from human, animal, and environmental sectors. In light of this report, Infectious Disease Advisor presents a series of clinical updates for each identified zoonosis.
15th Oct 2019 - Infectious Disease Advisor
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe world is not ready for pandemic flu, says WHO director
The world is not ready for a flu pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Euronews' Nathalie Huet during the Sixth Replenishment Conference, organised by the Global Fund in Lyon, France. In order to eradicate and eliminate such pandemics, "we have to invest in health systems", he said. "As we speak. "Half of the world's population don't have access to essential health services, and 100 million descend into poverty because of out-of-pocket payments."
10th Oct 2019 - Euronews
What to do with pandemic flu
Even with effective early detection and collaboration, the likelihood of pandemic flu slipping past the controls and arriving in the UK is high. This is an eventuality for which the UK prepares intensively. But deciding how to respond to pandemic flu infection adequately and proportionately when information on the virus is still forthcoming is a balancing act between under- and over-reaction. “Something that the 2009 pandemic taught us is: you shouldn’t assume things about flu, because you’re likely to be wrong,” says Ellen Fragaszy, senior research fellow at University College London’s Institute of Health Informatics. “Pandemic flu doesn’t necessarily mean more cases. Pandemic flu doesn’t necessarily have to mean more severe disease. Not every pandemic flu is like the 1918 pandemic flu."
10th Oct 2019 - E&T
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullPandemic Emergency Financing Facility: struggling to deliver on its innovative promise
Bangin Brim and Clare Wenham contend that the World Bank’s pandemic financing scheme serves private sector interests at the cost of global health security. The Ebola outbreak in west Africa in 2014-16 exposed many flaws in the global response to infectious disease. In particular, it highlighted the gap between countries’ commitments for outbreak preparedness, detection, and response, as required under the International Health Regulations, and their actual ability to respond when needed. This is partly due to a lack of financing. Responding agencies such as governments and non-governmental organisations were on the back foot when trying to fund control efforts as the Ebola epidemic increased in intensity. Prompt financing during the early stages of outbreaks can limit a pathogen’s spread, and the World Bank estimated that early financing of $100m could have averted much of the subsequent socioeconomic and human crisis
9th Oct 2019 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullCamel flu pandemic fears as virus that kills 1 in 3 infected spreads to humans
Scientists are racing to find a cure for deadly camel flu amid fears of a pandemic. The virus has killed one in every three people it has infected. It was first reported in the Middle East and linked to camels. But experts now warn it can be transmitted among humans. Professor Robert Dingwall, a public health expert at Nottingham Trent University, said: “It is one of the viruses that public health officials keep an eye on in the sense that there have been a small number of deaths of people, mainly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states."
6th Oct 2019 - Daily Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullRecipe for pandemic
The World Health Organization notes the threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present and a pandemic can arise whenever a new influenza outbreak spreads. “We can never be certain when or from where the next pandemic will arise,” the organization says on its website. “However, another influenza pandemic is inevitable.” Immigration authorities are refusing to vaccinate detainees as the flu season approaches, and the lack of soap, toothbrushes, and safe sleeping conditions remain. Any outbreak of flu will mean that not only the incarcerated become ill and may die. With the rapid intake and slow release of detainees, and with the coming and going of staff and others, the chance of a rapid spread of flu and other illnesses, first throughout local communities and then beyond, increases exponentially. The situation is a recipe for a pandemic.
2nd Oct 2019 - The Commons
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Oct 2019
View this newsletter in fullDisease X: How UK virus hunters are tracking down viruses sweeping Britain
Disease X is the name of a mystery disease scientists have deemed a “known unknown” in the battle against global pandemics. Scientists are currently hunting the UK for Disease X candidates to cut the chances of a future pandemic. Among the “novel” diseases PHE has identified in the UK over the past 12 years is pandemic swine flu. Of these pathogens, very few are still active in the UK, as they are often self-limiting and difficult to transmit. Swine flu, which made rounds as a pandemic in 2009, is still in circulation, however.
30th Sep 2019 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullGlobal Pandemic threat: ‘Human error’ leak of lab virus now a ‘substantial probability'
Lynn Klotz, Senior Science Fellow at the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation said: “There is a substantial probability that a pandemic with over one hundred million fatalities could be seeded from an undetected lab-acquired infection.” Laboratories run by Ron Fouchier in the Netherlands and Yoshihiro Kawaoka in Madison, Wisconsin have begun a “research enterprise” aimed at creating mammalian-airborne-transmissible, highly-pathogenic, avian-influenza live viruses. Such viruses could be transmitted through the air, similar to seasonal human influenza.
29th Sep 2019 - Express.co.uk
How to prepare for the next pandemic
Globally, a lack of preparedness for health emergencies is putting millions of lives and international security at risk, and India could be the next ground zero for a catastrophic epidemic. Compared to 1918, India is significantly more interconnected, with denser cities and no nation-wide seasonal flu immunisation policy. Government leaders must secure sustained financial investments, prioritise health system improvements and involve communities to build trust. As demonstrated in India, all of these efforts are proven to yield positive results.
29th Sep 2019 - BusinessLine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullTerrorists using genetically modified virus could ‘wipe us off the face of the planet’
Terrorists could use genetically modify diseases to attack their enemies, and the consequences would be devastating. If terrorists were able to obtain the biotechnology which allowed them to genetically modify a pathogen or virus, the consequences could be deadly for humanity. The virus would need to be altered in a way that scientists are unfamiliar with to truly maximise chaos.
26th Sep 2019 - Express
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullUniversity of Cambridge’s Prof Jonathan Heeney answers call from Bill Gates to transform flu vaccine
A Cambridge professor has been awarded funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the charity Flu Lab to help tackle the threat of a global influenza pandemic. Prof Jonathan Heeney, head of the Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics at the University of Cambridge, is one of seven recipients so far of a $12million fund designed to make progress towards a game-changing universal influenza vaccine. Speaking to the Cambridge Independent from Singapore, where the funding was announced at the Options X for the Control of Influenza conference, Prof Heeney said his lab aimed to create a new vaccine candidate ready for human trials within two years.
25th Sep 2019 - Cambridge Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullFlu-like epidemic could kill 80 mn globally, wipe out 5% global GDP: Report
With increased mobility, unprepared health facilities and the possibility of weaponising disease, a viral respiratory disease can travel through the world quickly, turning into an outbreak capable of killing up to 80 million people and wiping out 5 per cent of the world’s economy, a new report has warned. In such an epidemic, India would lose 2 per cent of its gross domestic product. This is unless world leaders increase funding for disease control and coordinate their efforts to develop strategies to contain the disease, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, convened by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, said.
24th Sep 2019 - Business Standard
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullExperts detail global pandemic readiness gaps, offer steps
In its first annual report, an independent board established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank to keep its finger on the pulse of the world's outbreak and emergency readiness said the world isn't prepared to respond to a pandemic and that proactive efforts are needed to detect and control potential outbreaks. For its first report, the group looked at preparedness for epidemics and pandemics by reviewing recommendations from previous high-level panels following the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic and the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak and commissioning seven review papers, including one on managing pandemics caused by high-impact respiratory pathogens.
18th Sep 2019 - CIDRAP
Deadly flu outbreak could spread in 36 hours and kill 80,000,000 people, experts warn
It could take just 36 hours for an airborne illness to travel around the world and kill 80,000,000 people, experts have warned. Current efforts to prepare for a deadly outbreak are ‘grossly insufficient’, a new report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board has revealed. Instead, a future pandemic similar to the Spanish flu could spread faster than ever before due to modern advances in international travel, the document said. Entitled ‘A World At Risk’, the report states: ‘The threat of a pandemic spreading around the globe is a real one.'
19th Sep 2019 - Metro
Flu-like outbreak could spread in 36 hours, kill 80M people: Report
19th Sep 2019 - Toronto Sun
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullExperts warn world ‘grossly unprepared’ for future pandemics
It sounds like an improbable fiction: a virulent flu pandemic, source unknown, spreads across the world in 36 hours, killing up to 80 million people, sparking panic, destabilising national security and slicing chunks off the world’s economy. But a group of prominent international experts has issued a stark warning: such a scenario is entirely plausible and efforts by governments to prepare for it are “grossly insufficient”. The first annual report by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, an independent group of 15 experts convened by the World Bank and WHO after the first Ebola crisis, describes the threat of a pandemic spreading around the world, potentially killing tens of millions of people, as “a real one”.
18th Sep 2019 - The Guardian
World at risk of pandemics that could kill millions, panel warns
18th Sep 2019 - Reuters
Flu-like illness could travel world in 36 hours killing 80 million people, former chief of World Health Organisation warns in report
18th Sep 2019 - Manchester Evening News
Devastating flu-like illness could spread across the world in 36 hours and kill 80 million people, experts warn
18th Sep 2019 - Evening Standard
Outbreak of a flu-like illness 'could circulate the world in 36 hours and kill 80million people'
18th Sep 2019 - Mail Online
Flu-like pandemic can 'spread in just 36 hours and kill 80million', experts warn
18th Sep 2019 - Daily Mirror
World at risk of flu-like pandemics that could spread in less than 36 hours and kill up to 80 million people, experts warn
18th Sep 2019 - Irish Independent
Flu-like outbreak could spread in 36 hours, kill 80M people: Report
18th Sep 2019 - Canoe.com
Flu on the farm
Farms help to spread influenza but they might be an early warning system for the next human pandemic. Last year marked the 100-year anniversary of a pandemic that killed as many as 50 million people worldwide. “We’re worried,” says virologist Hon Ip, “about another Spanish flu.” To prevent that from happening, researchers need to bolster surveillance efforts and curb the spread of flu in animals.
18th Sep 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullBat influenza viruses possess an unexpected genetic plasticity
Bat-borne influenza viruses enter host cells by utilizing surface exposed MHC-II molecules of various species, including humans. Now, an international research team from Germany and the United States addressed concerns about the zoonotic spill-over potential and discovered an unexpected high genetic plasticity of the bat influenza virus H18N11 with unpredictable consequences. Concerning the potential spill-over risk of the bat influenza virus to the human population, Prof. Schwemmle is cautiously optimistic
17th Sep 2019 - Phys.Org
Bat influenza viruses possess an unexpected genetic plasticity
17th Sep 2019 - EurekAlert!
Blast sparks fire at Russian laboratory housing smallpox virus
A gas explosion has sparked a fire at a Russian laboratory complex stockpiling viruses ranging from smallpox to Ebola, authorities have said. The State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology denied that the fire had exposed the public to the pathogens stored inside, some of the deadliest on Earth. The lab has also held highly contagious forms of bird flu and strains of hepatitis.
17th Sep 2019 - The Guardian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullBat influenza viruses transmit among bats but are poorly adapted to non-bat species
Major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules of multiple species function as cell-entry receptors for the haemagglutinin-like H18 protein of the bat H18N11 influenza A virus, enabling tropism of the viruses in a potentially broad range of vertebrates. However, the function of the neuraminidase-like N11 protein is unknown because it is dispensable for viral infection or the release of H18-pseudotyped viruses. Here, we show that infection of mammalian cells with wild-type H18N11 leads to the emergence of mutant viruses that lack the N11 ectodomain and acquired mutations in H18. Our findings suggest that wild-type H18N11 replicates poorly in mice and ferrets and that N11 is a determinant for viral transmission in bats.
16th Sep 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullPublic Health England launches new infectious disease strategy
Over the last decade, 19 new genetic mechanisms of antibiotic resistance have been identified in bacteria causing infections in the UK. The findings come as Public Health England sets out a new 5-year infectious diseases strategy to address urgent current and future threats to our health. Globally, the infectious diseases challenges of today are amplified by increased movement of people and climate change. These increase the chances that we will witness a global pandemic in the coming years, including pandemic influenza and novel viruses
11th Sep 2019 - GOV.UK
Convention-goers get a peek at DC Public Health Lab
Dead mosquitoes large and small, colorful Petri dishes, and fluorescent-green rabies antibody tests were among the sights during two Aug. 1 tours at the District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences for some of the attendees at AVMA Convention 2019 in Washington, D.C. The groups went behind the scenes at the department's Public Health Laboratory. According to a fact sheet, in the department's 2018 fiscal year, "PHL conducted over 4,000 test procedures including influenza subtyping, rabies testing, arbovirus screening, and testing for foodborne outbreaks." The laboratory does whole genome sequencing for outbreaks of foodborne disease and for influenza, the latter key because so many people come in and out of Washington, D.C.
11th Sep 2019 - American Veterinary Medical Association
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullSurveillance for novel flu viruses should target swine workers with 'intense' exposure to pigs
A study of hundreds of swine workers in China showed that they are at an increased risk for infections with enzootic swine influenza A viruses despite pre-existing elevated neutralizing antibodies, according to a recent study. Researchers found that workers with the most “intense” exposure to pigs had higher titers against influenza viruses, yet also higher odds of seroconversion to H1N1 and H3N2 swine viruses, suggesting that they be targeted for surveillance of emerging influenza A viruses.
10th Sep 2019 - Healio
Health officials attend meeting on Influenza Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness and Response Training in Jamaica
Officials from the Ministry of Health in St. Kitts are currently in Montego Bay, Jamaica, for a Sub-Regional Meeting in Influenza Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness and Response Training. The training is organized by the Pan American Health Organization and is attended by health professionals from 30 countries and territories. Participants at the workshop are expected to among other tasks to prepare a weekly bulletin, a pandemic preparedness plan, monitor indicators for influenza surveillance, and draft a national action plan in order to develop or update the national pandemic influenza preparedness plan
10th Sep 2019 - SKNVibes
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullStructures of influenza A virus RNA polymerase offer insight into viral genome replication
Influenza A viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics, and pandemics can arise from the transmission of novel zoonotic influenza A viruses to humans. Influenza A viruses contain a segmented negative-sense RNA genome, which is transcribed and replicated by the viral-RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPolA) composed of PB1, PB2 and PA subunits. Although the high-resolution crystal structure of FluPolA of bat influenza A virus has previously been reported, there are no complete structures available for human and avian FluPolA.
4th Sep 2019 - Nature.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhy We Need More Open-Source Epidemiological Tools
In the middle of an outbreak, having the right tools can make all the difference. Epidemiological resources, such as modeling systems, are useful but can be costly and have limited use across large teams. A newer tool, though, is changing the game in outbreak response and modeling. The Spatiotemporal Epidemiologic Modeler (STEM) is an open-source software that is available to the global health community. This is not just a rigid instrument against disease, in that it is not pre-set to a specific disease or environment and has the flexibility for hundreds of variations. “STEM has been used to study variations in transmission of seasonal influenza in Israel by strains; evaluate social distancing measures taken to curb the H1N1 epidemic in Mexico City; study measles outbreaks in part of London and inform local policy on immunization; and gain insights into H7N9 avian influenza transmission in China. A multi-strain dengue fever model explored the roles of the mosquito vector, cross-strain immunity, and antibody response in the frequency of dengue outbreaks,” the authors of a briefing in Health Security wrote.
3rd Sep 2019 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullProtecting the world from infectious disease threats: now or never
Whether by microbial mutation, movement across borders, or man-made biological release, a new health threat is inevitable, unpredictable and potentially devastating. For the first time, the world now has a clear picture of how prepared countries are for this potentially catastrophic event. When the international evaluation team left Haiti in July 2019, one hundred countries had completed a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of health emergency readiness. The JEE is a voluntary, externally validated assessment of 19 technical areas required to prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies. JEEs have documented that, despite the certainty that the world will face another epidemic challenge at least as great as recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome, H1N1 influenza, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Ebola and Zika, most countries remain woefully underprepared to manage large-scale epidemic disease threats.
2nd Sep 2019 - BMJ
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Sep 2019
View this newsletter in fullLife Sciences Research Foundation funds study to track evolution, spread of bird flu
Despite studies suggesting that just a few mutations in the genes of the bird flu virus could generate a new variant able to spread easily among humans, scientists still have an incomplete picture of how that might happen and of the best way to prevent it. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center postdoctoral researcher Dr. Louise Moncla has been awarded a three-year fellowship from the Life Sciences Research Foundation to trace the evolutionary changes that have taken place in a worrisome strain of bird flu known as H5N1.
31st Aug 2019 - Fred Hutch News Service
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullAuthor to talk about 'What IF the Next Pandemic is Inevitable?'
Will certain strains of the flu become resistant to drugs? Is there a pandemic on the horizon? Could understanding the 1918 influenza pandemic aid in preventing future pandemics? Gina Kolata, author of “Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918,” will speak at Purdue University on “What IF the Next Pandemic is Inevitable?”
29th Aug 2019 - Purdue News Service
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullMadhya Pradesh/ After swine flu, bird flu knock on Jabalpur’s door, 5 patients confirmed
After the swine flu in Jabalpur, now H3N2 i.e. bird flu has knocked the district’s door. Bird flu is deadly to most birds. And it’s deadly to humans and other mammals that catch the virus from birds. Five patients of bird flu have been confirmed in the district. They are being treated at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College and Hospital. Most of the people who get bird flu have had close contact with infected birds or with surfaces that have been contaminated
28th Aug 2019 - DBPost
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullResearchers search for next pandemic human flu virus in county fair pigs
A handful of Midwestern scientists are quietly hunting in an unlikely place for the next pandemic flu virus capable of killing thousands of people -- the swine barns at county fairs.
Scientists believe that all of the deadly influenza outbreaks in human history probably originated in domesticated pigs. But they don't understand exactly how the virus transforms from a swine disease into something that can infect humans. "All the major pandemics start in the animal population," Bowman said. "We only know about them after the fact. The questions is: Can we know about them before? Because if we know ahead of time we can get vaccines ready and maybe stop a pandemic from happening."
26th Aug 2019 - UPI.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullResearchers identify risk factors for mortality in patients with H7N9
Data from hundreds of cases of influenza A(H7N9) in China showed that patients aged older than 65 years, patients with secondary bacterial infections and those who initiated neuraminidase inhibitor therapy 5 days or more after symptom onset had an increased risk for death, according to a recent study. There have been 1,568 reported cases of human H7N9 infection in China since March 2013, but only one in the past year, Yu Chen, PhD, from Zhejiang University, and colleagues noted. The reduction in cases has been credited to an aggressive vaccination campaign in poultry.
22nd Aug 2019 - Healio
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullBeijing confirms avian influenza detected in expat
Beijing confirmed that a 59-year-old female expatriate who came to the city three months ago was carrying avian influenza H5N6, according to the municipal center for disease control and prevention's report. The woman complained of symptoms on Aug 6. She reportedly contacted with dead poultry before she got sick and the poultry was not from Beijing, according to the authority. "The disease is under control," the statement said
21st Aug 2019 - China Daily
Beijing reports H5N6 flu case
21st Aug 2019 - Xinhuanet.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullFortify PHL defenses against animal diseases
The rapid increase in population has led to the expansion in animal production not only in the Philippines but also in other Asian countries. As output expanded, so did the outbreaks of animal diseases, such as avian influenza (AI), foot and mouth disease, and swine flu. These outbreaks have killed hundreds of millions of animals and crippled poultry and hog industries. Luckily for the Philippines, it was spared from AI, at least for 14 years, after the virus resurfaced in Asia. Experts said the country’s climate and its topography allowed the Philippines to dodge the AI bullet. The threat, however, was just around the corner simply because the country’s borders remained open to products from AI-affected areas.
21st Aug 2019 - Business Mirror
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullH5N6 avian influenza case reported in Beijing
The China National Health Commission reported a human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) today. The case involved a 59-year-old female from Beijing. She was hospitalised on August 11. She is now in a critical condition. From 2014 to date, 24 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Chinese health authorities.
19th Aug 2019 - Outbreak News Today
News Scan for Aug 19, 2019
19th Aug 2019 - CIDRAP
The links between climate change and viral infection
Prof Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, MBBS, M Phil (Microbiology), is a WHO Fellow and Head, Department of Microbiology, Enam Medical College, Savar, Dhaka. He writes about the links between climate change and viral infection: "The role of climate as well as environmental changes on the growing burden of emerging and re-emerging infections calls for a new approach so as to prevent these threats. The response options need to be appropriate keeping in mind the nature of vulnerabilities that might affect demographic transitions due to climate change. Health, nutrition and population experts must address these areas of public-health issues related to climate change with the required responses. Member countries have given the World Organisation for Animal Health a mandate to address the issue by using its scientific capabilities and networks at the global, regional and sub-regional levels. The aim is to prevent or reduce the effects of climate change on animal diseases which are transmissible to humans."
19th Aug 2019 - The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullHow Pigs Are Helping Researchers Develop More Effective Flu Vaccines
Predicting the next influenza pandemic is an ongoing task. Some of the most valuable data comes from a place that may seem a bit unexpected: the pigs at county fairs. For the past decade, researchers from Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine have used fair season to travel to local fairs and take swabs from the noses of swine. This ongoing project was instituted after the 2009 flu pandemic.
18th Aug 2019 - Healthline
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullExpression of M gene segment of influenza A virus determines host range
The host range of the influenza A virus (IAV) is restricted by dysregulated expression of the M viral gene segment, according to a study by Anice Lowen and John Steel of Emory University School of Medicine, and colleagues. To gauge the adaptive potential and therefore pandemic risk posed by a particular IAV, it is critical to understand the mechanisms underlying viral adaptation to human hosts. To address this question, Lowen and Steel examined the role of one of IAV's eight gene segments, the M segment, in host adaptation. The authors compared the growth of IAVs with avian- and human-derived M segments in avian and mammalian systems.
15th Aug 2019 - EurekAlert!
Expression of M gene segment of influenza A virus determines host range
15th Aug 2019 - Medical Xpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullScotland is a pioneering place for poultry
On a nondescript estate just outside Edinburgh, Scotland, you can find some of the world’s most advanced research facilities for livestock, The Roslin Institute, and it is far from the only facility in the country working to improve poultry research. Ongoing work at the Roslin Institute is to gene-edit poultry to potentially prevent birds from spreading avian influenza. And the latest success in this long-running project has been to gene-edit chicken cells to prevent them from spreading the virus. “In this research, we have identified the smallest possible genetic change we can make to chickens that can help to stop the virus taking hold. This has the potential to stop the next flu pandemic at its source.”
9th Aug 2019 - Poultry World
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Aug 08, 2019 - Global pandemic preparedness
A new WHO survey on countries' pandemic preparedness revealed gaps, even in high- and middle-income countries, and it determined that targeted support is needed in some low-income countries, especially in Africa. The 56-page report with a June date on it appeared recently on the WHO's website. The 55-question survey was completed by 104 of the 194 WHO member states. Overall, 88% said they had a national flu pandemic preparedness plan, but 54% aren't publicly available. The vast majority (88%) of countries said they plan to develop or update their plans in the next 1 to 2 years.
8th Aug 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullDNARx Awarded DARPA Contract for up to $10.7 Million to Develop Non-Viral DNA-Encoded Gene Therapy to Protect Against Pandemic Influenza
DNARx, the developer of the pioneering HEDGES, non-viral gene therapy delivery platform, announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the company up to $10.7 million for research and development of DNA-encoded gene-based therapeutics to protect against pandemic influenza. This $10.7 million contract will support research for up to four years to advance promising anti-pandemic influenza candidates into preclinical testing. The results may enable human clinical trials after the end of the DARPA contract.
6th Aug 2019 - Business Insider
DNARx Awarded DARPA Contract for up to $10.7 Million to Develop Non-Viral DNA-Encoded Gene Therapy to Protect Against Pandemic Influenza
6th Aug 2019 - Globe Newswire.com
Health Ministry carrying out avian flu simulation from Aug 5-7
As avian influenza poses a real concern if the virus spreads from an infected bird to human, the Malaysian Health Ministry is carrying out a national Avian Influenza field simulation training from Aug 5 to 7. Its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this was to prepare the country in the eventuality of the virus spreading to Malaysia.
6th Aug 2019 - The Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullEthical Considerations in Pandemic Influenza Planning
Public health officials around the world are developing plans for handling an influenza pandemic in response to experts’ warnings that a widespread outbreak of the respiratory virus is inevitable. Many responses to a pandemic would challenge individual rights and freedoms. Thus, there would have to be discussion about the extent to which privacy concerns should give way to the need for rapid disease surveillance. Disease containment strategies such as quarantine, isolation, and social distancing could have a huge effect on people’s mental health and livelihoods. The Minnesota Pandemic Ethics Project is attempting to address such issues and to assist Minnesota in reaching some agreement well in advance of a pandemic.
1st Aug 2019 - Minnesota Medicine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Aug 2019
View this newsletter in fullQ&A: Insights from recreating the 1918 flu virus
In a review published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers summarized key findings and unanswered questions from the 1918 influenza pandemic and discussed how reconstructing the pandemic strain has revealed insights into the potential origin of the virus and the features that made it uniquely fatal.
31st Jul 2019 - Healio
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullInterventions at live poultry markets protect humans from avian influenza
Interventions at live poultry markets protect humans — but not birds — from avian influenza viruses and decrease detection rates of the viruses in market environments, according to results from a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. “Most strains of avian influenza virus (AIV) do not pose a risk to human health. However, some, such as H7N9 and H5N1, have crossed the species barrier and resulted in human infections,” Hui Jin, PhD, associate professor in the school of public health at Southeast University in Nanjing, China, and colleagues wrote. “Affected countries and the international community have recognized the importance of surveillance and control of the disease because of the potential for a global influenza pandemic caused by AIVs.”
30th Jul 2019 - Healio
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullEntry of the bat influenza H17N10 virus into mammalian cells is enabled by the MHC class II HLA-DR receptor
Haemagglutinin and neuraminidase surface glycoproteins of the bat influenza H17N10 virus neither bind to nor cleave sialic acid receptors, indicating that this virus employs cell entry mechanisms distinct from those of classical influenza A viruses. We observed that certain human haematopoietic cancer cell lines and canine MDCK II cells are susceptible to H17-pseudotyped viruses. We identified the human HLA-DR receptor as an entry mediator for H17 pseudotypes, suggesting that H17N10 possesses zoonotic potential.
29th Jul 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullAust study could help predict flu pandemic
Australian researchers have mapped the genetic structure of the flu and it could help predict the next pandemic. Unlocking the make-up of the influenza A strain has allowed scientists to see how it can morph into completely new viruses, University of Melbourne flu researcher Lorena Brown said. The influenza A breakthrough won’t prevent pandemics but it could help health authorities respond more effectively.
24th Jul 2019 - Daily Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullAussie research help predict, understand future flu pandemic
Australian scientists have mapped the genetic structure of the influenza virus, presenting opportunities for understanding and coping with future pandemics. The team from the University of Melbourne, led by Lorena Brown, revealed how the eight segments of the influenza A genome lock together, the mechanism by which new flu viruses form. "Pandemic viruses are usually created by reassortment," Brown said. "Often influenza viruses from birds will swap genes with influenza viruses from humans." "If the resulting virus has new surface antigens that humans have never seen before they will not have any antibodies to the virus."
23rd Jul 2019 - Xinhua
Mapping the structure of the influenza A virus genome
23rd Jul 2019 - Medical Xpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullEbola, 9 other viral diseases pose a big threat to India
India needs to brace for viral diseases like Ebola that have not entered the country so far but have raged in some other countries in recent years. Scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Centre for Disease Control have identified 10 emerging viral infections that could pose a threat to public health in India. These include Ebola, MERS-CoV, Yellow Fever and Avian Influenza (H7N9).
22nd Jul 2019 - The Times of India
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullAvian Influenza A (H7N9) and related Internet search query data in China
The use of Internet-based systems for infectious disease surveillance has been increasingly explored in recent years. However, few studies have used Internet search query or social media data to monitor spatial and temporal trends of avian influenza in China. This study investigated the potential of using search query and social media data in detecting and monitoring avian influenza A (H7N9) cases in humans in China. Researchers collected weekly data on laboratory-confirmed H7N9 cases in humans, as well as H7N9-related Baidu Search Index and Weibo Posting Index data in China from 2013 to 2017, to explore the spatial and temporal trends of H7N9 cases and H7N9-related Internet search queries.
18th Jul 2019 - Nature
Disease X: Which Plague is Coming Next?
Our most recent brush with a novel influenza pandemic virus was in 2009. While all health authorities were on high alert for a severe 1918-like pandemic, it turned out to be unusually mild. After this experience, the WHO revised their approach to pandemic phases to also include a measure of severity and not just base it on evidence of spread across several world regions. Meanwhile, avian influenza viruses continue to loom as a potent threat in the background, forcing the killing of infected domestic bird populations in order to minimize the spread and risk to humans.
18th Jul 2019 - ACSH
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullViruses on the wing
Dr Michelle Wille is studying wild birds to understand how they spread viruses across the globe. She explains that "a huge diversity of avian influenza A viruses are naturally found in wild birds and generally don’t cause disease. However, detection of these viruses in poultry can be catastrophic." "Of greater concern is when these viruses spread from birds to people, although this is a very rare phenomenon and largely restricted to only a few strains of virus." "My research combines field work, lab work and computational biology. We use these techniques to work out which samples contain viruses and then try to understand the properties of those viruses."
16th Jul 2019 - Pursuit
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullBirds poop out flu viruses that could become deadly global pandemics. These scientists swab their butts to protect us from that threat.
Migrating shorebirds stop each spring in New Jersey to feast on horseshoe-crab eggs. The birds have lots of flu strains in their guts. Researchers swab the birds' butts (the technical term is "cloacas") and pick up their droppings in search of clues about potential future pandemics. So far, after years of field research, scientists have gained some clues about which genes make an influenza strain more likely to be harmful and better able to jump from birds to poultry, pigs, and people. The new genetic information from this year will become part of that catalogue of three decades' worth of flu-gene segments, enlarging the database that helps researchers better track — and potentially fight — pandemic flu
14th Jul 2019 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullTariffs, retaliation, and the flu
History shows that “easy” tariff wars are not all that easy, and may soon careen into issues of public health. Specifically, China has signaled that in part in response to President Trump’s trade tactics, it has stopped the process of sharing information concerning Avian flu viruses emanating from its chicken farmers. In a report in the New York Times late in the summer of 2018 (Aug. 27), Emily Baumgartner noted that despite repeated requests, China has not provided samples of H7N9, usually exchanged readily by WHO
9th Jul 2019 - MinnPost
Flu is studied in bird butts to prevent a pandemic
Migrating shorebirds stop each spring in New Jersey to feast on horseshoe-crab eggs. The birds have lots of flu strains in their guts. Researchers swab the birds' butts (the technical term is "cloacas") and pick up their droppings in search of clues about potential future pandemics. So far, after years of field research, scientists have gained some clues about which genes make an influenza strain more likely to be harmful and better able to jump from birds to poultry, pigs, and people. The new genetic information from this year will become part of that catalogue of three decades' worth of flu-gene segments, enlarging the database that helps researchers better track — and potentially fight — pandemic flu.
9th Jul 2019 - Business Insider
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullLab report gives reprieve to people who came in contact with man who died of bird flu virus
In Nepal, test results of all specimens collected from the people who came in contact with a man who died of H5N1 virus (bird flu) have returned negative, according to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. The division had collected 179 samples, from those who came in close contact with the deceased. Of the 179 samples, 172 were taken from hospital staff—doctors, nurses, lab technicians, cleaning staff—who were involved in the treatment of the patient. The remaining seven samples were from the family members of the deceased.
8th Jul 2019 - Ekantipur
Vaccines for influenza, other diseases will be 'printed' at home in the future
While traditional vaccines involve producing proteins or even entire organisms on a massive scale, tests have shown that it’s possible to vaccinate an animal by injecting some of its cells with DNA that encodes one of a pathogen’s proteins. So a miniaturized DNA printer may be all we need to protect ourselves from many diseases. Imagine versatile self-upgrading bioprinters extending into every pharmacy and medical office—each with a vast FDA-sanctioned repertoire of templates. This would be a game changer in public health and emergency response. Prepping the nation for flu season? No need to guess which flu variant will be spreading months in advance and then bet it all on a massive centralized production run. Just print the precise vaccine required at thousands of locations across the country.
8th Jul 2019 - Genetic Literacy Project
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jul 2019
View this newsletter in fullCan we feed 11 billion people while preventing the spread of infectious disease?
A new article published in Nature Sustainability describes how the increase in population and the need to feed everyone will also, ultimately, give rise to human infectious disease, a situation the authors of the paper consider "two of the most formidable ecological and public health challenges of the 21st century." As the world's population grows, the state of rural economies, use of agrochemicals and exploitation of natural resources, among other factors, are poised to further contribute to infectious disease outbreaks. "There are many modern examples where high human contact with farm animals or wild game is a likely cause of new human diseases that have become global pandemics," such as avian and swine flu, and mad cow disease
3rd Jul 2019 - EurekAlert!
TV Series Explores the Threat of a Next Global Influenza Pandemic
A recent report on the PBS show News Hour details reasons why the next influenza pandemic is not a matter of if but when, and what is being done to prepare for the emergence of the next pandemic virus. The News Hour report included a segment on the recent advances in the development of a universal flu vaccine, which could offer protection against all strains of the influenza virus across many years.
3rd Jul 2019 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jul 2019
View this newsletter in full$21.9 million gene modulation research effort targets influenza pandemics
A multifaceted research effort aimed at temporarily modulating gene expression using RNA-based techniques could help protect against pandemic flu by boosting lung resistance to infection, attacking the influenza virus directly, enhancing immune system response and improving the effects of existing vaccines. Drugs developed through the up to $21.9 million effort, which is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), would provide rapid response against a broad range of flu variants. Led by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the planned four-year initiative includes scientists from Duke University, Emory University, the University of Georgia, the University of Louisiana, Rockefeller University and Acorda Therapeutics.
2nd Jul 2019 - Emory News Center
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jul 2019
View this newsletter in full$3.1 million NIH grant given to create universal flu vaccine
In the race to create a universal flu vaccine not dependent on predicting strains of flu, the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has been awarded a $3.1 million grant. The grant comes from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with the National Institutes of Health. The funding comes on the heels of the veterinary department's previous work in this area, particularly the development of a technology for an intranasal vaccine that could be used in place of an injection into the muscle tissue.
1st Jul 2019 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Jul 2019
View this newsletter in full$21.9 Million Gene Modulation Research Effort Targets Influenza Pandemics
A multifaceted research effort aimed at temporarily modulating gene expression using RNA-based techniques could help protect against pandemic flu by boosting lung resistance to infection, attacking the influenza virus directly, enhancing immune system response and improving the effects of existing vaccines. Drugs developed through the up to $21.9 million effort, which is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), would provide rapid response against a broad range of flu variants — and could potentially be used against other viruses in the future. The RNA-based drugs could be delivered to the lungs through a nebulizer or inhaler, which are well-established techniques.
28th Jun 2019 - Georgia Tech News Center
$21.9 Million Gene Modulation Research Effort Targets Influenza Pandemics
28th Jun 2019 - Mirage News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhy the flu remains a major global threat
Close to 100,000 Australians have been infected this year with what authorities say is a particularly virulent strain of the influenza virus. It's an example of what global health authorities have been warning about for years: mutations in existing viruses that spread rapidly through a combination of complacency and population density. Dr Michael Osterholm is an international leader on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. He breaks down the flu, the threat of a global pandemic and antimicrobial resistance for RN Drive.
27th Jun 2019 - abc.net.au
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullWe Must Prepare for the Next Pandemic
Bruce Schneier is a fellow and lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School. He writes that "When the next pandemic strikes, we’ll be fighting it on two fronts. The first is the one you immediately think about: understanding the disease, researching a cure and inoculating the population. The second is new, and one you might not have thought much about: fighting the deluge of rumors, misinformation and flat-out lies that will appear on the internet."
17th Jun 2019 - New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Jun 25, 2019 - PAPHA reauthorization finalized
President Trump signed bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovations Act (PAHPA), which plays a crucial role in preparing the country for natural or manmade biological threats such as pandemic flu or a bioterror attack. The final passage reauthorizes and improves funding for critical programs including the Biomedical Advances Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Strategic National Stockpile with $1.2 billion annually over the next 5 years, along with $710 million annually for 10 years for the Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund, Bavarian Nordic, a federal countermeasure partner, said
25th Jun 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhy another flu pandemic is likely just a matter of when
Despite the availability of vaccines, the flu still kills tens of thousands of people in the U.S. each year, and hundreds of thousands more worldwide. But public health officials fear that an even graver threat lies ahead: the emergence of a new, much more deadly flu virus. As William Brangham reports, the scenario has occurred before.
19th Jun 2019 - PBS NewsHour
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullIs the world due for an influenza pandemic?
Research has shown that an influenza pandemic is more likely to strike in the spring or summer than at the height of seasonal influenza season. But is there any way to predict exactly when the next one will occur? Infectious Disease News asked Peter Palese, PhD, professor and chair of the department of microbiology in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, if the world is due.
17th Jun 2019 - Healio
A Decade After the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic: Where Are We Now?
It’s been 10 years since the beginning of the worldwide (H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus pandemic, and while preparedness to detect and respond to influenza pandemics has improved in the decade since, it remains 1 of the greatest public health challenges of our time. As a consequence of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the World Health Organization’s Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System is now much more robust and better integrated, growing by more than 26% since 2014.
17th Jun 2019 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullBat flu can spread to humans: Should we be worried?
Scientists at the University of Zurich have recently reported in Nature that they have identified the gateway (“receptor”) that lets the bat flu viruses enter their host’s cells and cause infection. Unfortunately, this receptor also exists on the cells of certain livestock and, more worryingly, humans. Because of the role farm animals play in transmitting flu to humans, it appeared that the bat flu virus has the potential to either infect humans directly or by first infecting other animals. But given the limited understanding of MHC-II in bats, the biological role of the protein in transmitting bat flu remains obscure and is yet to be investigated. We don’t know whether humans have been infected with bat flu in the past, but this research suggests that it is possible.
16th Jun 2019 - Health Issues India
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullHealthcare Workers' Attitudes to Working During Pandemic Influenza: A Qualitative Study
Healthcare workers (HCWs) will play a key role in any response to pandemic influenza, and the UK healthcare system's ability to cope during an influenza pandemic will depend, to a large extent, on the number of HCWs who are able and willing to work through the crisis. UK emergency planning will be improved if planners have a better understanding of the reasons UK HCWs may have for their absenteeism, and what might motivate them to work during an influenza pandemic.
13th Jun 2019 - Medscape
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullLessons From a Pandemic, a Decade Later
A decade ago today, on June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm that a swine-flu pandemic was spreading around the globe. The 2009 pandemic marked a number of major changes in the way that flu experts respond to pandemic threats. Rather than growing the virus in cell culture, which takes time, they now sequence the virus' genes, which can be done quickly. Every state can now submit flu virus samples to three laboratories under contract to the CDC to quickly determine what viruses are making their residents sick. Researchers also can track the evolution of viruses much more effectively.
12th Jun 2019 - U.S. News & World Report
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe last pandemic was a ‘quiet killer.’ Ten years after swine flu, no one can predict the next one
Since it started circulating in the spring of 2009, H1N1 has infected about 100 million Americans, killing about 75,000 and sending 936,000 to the hospital, the CDC estimates. Another virus, H3N2, is responsible for more infections, but “in terms of the severity, H1 is kind of this quiet killer,” said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, head the CDC’s flu division. The experience of H1N1 is a reminder that it’s impossible to know from the get-go how a pandemic will play out. Science currently has no way to predict when pandemics will occur
11th Jun 2019 - Stat News
STAT Examines Pandemic Influenza Preparedness 10 Years After Swine Flu Outbreak
11th Jun 2019 - Kaiser Family Foundation
The last pandemic was a "quiet killer." Ten years after swine flu, no one can predict the next one
11th Jun 2019 - BioPortfolio
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullSourcing the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic With a Walk Down Viral Memory Lane
Despite the name Spanish influenza, many believe that the origin of the 1918 pandemic came from a US military base. It is estimated that the pandemic infected 500 million people or one-third of the US population. The CDC estimates that 50 million people died worldwide. The 1918/1919 pandemic has been referred to as a more recent metric to highlight the power of pandemics and the likelihood that we are overdue for the next one. For many, though, the origin of this pandemic and how it impacted its victims has been questionable. Investigators recently wrote in the Journal of Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics of possible European origin, noting that clinicians back then didn’t have the tools to really understand both the origin or how the virus claimed its victims.
30th Nov -0001 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullSeasonal Influenza Vaccination: A Tool To Advance Epidemic And Pandemic Preparedness In Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the most recent influenza pandemic. Representatives from governments, global health, and industry met at the Wellcome Trust in London in March 2019 to discuss what needs to be done to expand seasonal vaccine programs as a pandemic tool. One product of the meeting organized by the Task Force for Global Health is the formation of a coalition of stakeholders that will work together according to a coordinated work plan to accelerate epidemic and pandemic vaccine readiness by expanding national influenza vaccination programs. All of this will help. Even so, building programs that can effectively deploy lifesaving vaccines when needed requires attention in parallel with the development of new and improved vaccines.
9th Jun 2019 - Health Affairs
Scientists edit chicken genes to make them resistant to bird flu
Scientists in Britain have used gene-editing techniques to stop bird flu spreading in chicken cells grown in a lab - a key step towards making genetically-altered chickens that could halt a human flu pandemic. By editing out a section of chicken DNA inside the lab-grown cells, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute prevented the bird flu virus from taking hold in the cells and replicating. The next step will be to try to produce chickens with the same genetic change, said Mike McGrew of the Roslin Institute, who co-led the research.
9th Jun 2019 - Japan Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullNew task force to strengthen diagnostic capacities for high threat pathogens
A new task force will help countries in the WHO European Region improve the detection of outbreaks caused by high-threat pathogens such as those causing influenza, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, anthrax and brucellosis. The European Regional Laboratory Task Force for High Threat Pathogens, known as the Lab Task Force, will focus on improving capacities for detection in countries considered priorities in the Region, mainly in eastern and south-eastern Europe and central Asia.
6th Jun 2019 - World Health Organization- Europe
Gene-edited chicken cells resist avian influenza virus in the lab
In newly released research, scientists from The Roslin Institute have prevented the avian influenza virus from replicating in lab-grown chicken cells, suggesting that it may one day be possible to produce chickens that are resistant to the disease. The study was funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council with additional funding from Cobb-Vantress. “This is an important advance that suggests we may be able to use gene-editing techniques to produce chickens that are resistant to avian influenza,” said Helen Sang, professor at The Roslin Institute
6th Jun 2019 - The Poultry Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullPandemic preparedness renewal sent to Trump's desk
The US House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovations Act (PAHPA), paving the way for the bill to be signed into law by President Donald Trump. PAHPA plays a key role in preparing the country against a range of natural or man-made health threats such as pandemic flu or bioterrorist attacks. The bill's authors, Reps Susan Brooks, R-Ind., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., applauded the House vote. Brooks said, "I am proud this bipartisan legislation is now on its way to the President's desk to be signed into law because it will ensure our health care professionals are trained to respond to possible pandemic outbreaks, prioritize the further development of our national stockpile of vaccines, medical equipment and diagnostics, and establish new advisory groups focused on protecting vulnerable populations such as senior citizens and people with disabilities during public health threats and emergencies."
5th Jun 2019 - CIDRAP
Can Gene Editing Stop The Bird Flu? Here Is The Latest With Chickens
Will creating new "superchickens" help prevent the next human influenza pandemic? If so, chicken science may have just crossed a road in moving towards genetically engineering chickens to be resistant to the bird flu. In a study published on June 4 in eLife, scientists from Imperial College in London, the University of London, and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute edited part of the DNA in chicken cells, which then prevented the bird flu virus from using the cells to reproduce themselves.
5th Jun 2019 - Forbes
Gene-edited chicken cells could leave flu with nowhere to hide
5th Jun 2019 - Imperial College London
CRISPR Chicken Cells Have Secret Recipe to Resist Bird Flu
5th Jun 2019 - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Can Gene Editing Stop The Bird Flu? Here Is The Latest With Chickens
5th Jun 2019 - BioPortfolio
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullSuper chicks: scientists publish blueprint for flu-resistant chickens in bid to stop pandemics
A team of scientists at Imperial College, London and the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh are using gene-editing technology to develop chickens that are resistant to pandemic flu viruses. The first question to establish is whether the birds are healthy - does the genetic change make them more vulnerable to other pathogens, do they reproduce normally, do the birds develop in a normal way? The work is embryonic and while the technique may one day stop a recurrence of the pandemics that have killed millions over the last 100 years, it doesn't mean that flu will be a thing of the past.
4th Jun 2019 - The Telegraph
Gene-edited chicken cells resist bird flu virus in the lab
4th Jun 2019 - Phys.org
Chicken gene edit prevents avian flu virus spread
4th Jun 2019 - Feed Stuffs
Researchers make chicken cells resist bird flu by snipping out a tiny bit of their DNA
4th Jun 2019 - ZME Science
Gene-edited Chicken Cells Resist Avian Influenza Virus in the Lab
4th Jun 2019 - Infection Control Today
Gene-edited chicken cells resist bird flu virus in the lab
4th Jun 2019 - Science Daily
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullScientists edit chicken genes to make them resistant to bird flu
Scientists in Britain have used gene-editing techniques to stop bird flu spreading in chicken cells grown in a lab - a key step towards making genetically-altered chickens that could halt a human flu pandemic. By editing out a section of chicken DNA inside the lab-grown cells, researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute prevented the bird flu virus from taking hold in the cells and replicating. The next step will be to try to produce chickens with the same genetic change, said Mike McGrew of the Roslin Institute
3rd Jun 2019 - Reuters UK
Scientists edit chicken genes to make them resistant to bird flu
3rd Jun 2019 - Channel NewsAsia
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jun 2019
View this newsletter in fullReport Lists Top Zoonotic Diseases in US
The U.S. CDC, the Department of the Interior and the US Department of Agriculture released a report listing the zoonotic diseases of most concern in the country. The agencies developed the report after hosting a workshop that aimed to “further joint efforts to address zoonotic disease challenges.” Zoonotic Influenza is the top concern. Occasional outbreaks of avian influenza have been reported in the U.S., such as the 2017 outbreak of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Tennessee. Certain avian viruses (H5, H7, and H9), as well as swine influenza H3N2v, H1N1v, and H1N2v are mentioned in the report
1st Jun 2019 - Infectious Disease Advisor
First bird flu death: What next?
On May 3, the Ministry of Health and Population called an unexpected press meet to announce that a 21-year-old male had died of influenza A “H5N1”, popularly known as “bird flu”. This is the first reported case of a human casualty from a bird flu infection in Nepal. It would be worth mentioning here that this author had previously examined two other suspected bird flu cases, but they could not be verified by laboratory testing due to its unavailability. The “One Health” approach, which recognizes that the health of the people is related to the health of animals, has proved to be effective in reducing zoonotic diseases
1st Jun 2019 - The Himalayan Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullHeterologous prime-boost with A(H5N1) pandemic influenza vaccines induces broader cross-clade antibody responses than homologous prime-boost
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5Nx) viruses continue to pose a pandemic threat. US national vaccine stockpiles are a cornerstone of the influenza pandemic preparedness plans. However, continual genetic and antigenic divergence of A(H5Nx) viruses requires the development of effective vaccination strategies using stockpiled vaccines and adjuvants for pandemic preparedness.
29th May 2019 - Nature
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullSpanish flu may have lingered two years before 1918 outbreak and vaccine could have treated it
The most severe pandemic in recent history, killing some 50 million people worldwide, the Spanish influenza, may have emerged up to two years earlier than previously believed. And, according to a new study, its early manifestation was ignored at the time as a "minor infection". It is believed that, if doctors had recognized that influenza was the cause of an illness which was killing soldiers in Etaples, France, and Aldershot, England, in 1916, scientists would then have had better grounds to embark on a two-year vaccination programme and some of the worst effects of the Spanish influenza could have been avoided.
25th May 2019 - Medical Xpress
Spanish flu may have lingered two years before 1918 outbreak and vaccine could have treated it
25th May 2019 - EurekAlert!
Doctors dismissed Spanish flu as being a 'minor infection' before the 1918 pandemic
25th May 2019 - Daily Mail
How Vaccines And Vigilance Could Have Stopped The Worst Pandemic Of Modern Times
25th May 2019 - IFLScience
Spanish flu was ignored as a 'minor infection' two years before the great outbreak of 1918
25th May 2019 - QMUL
Spanish flu may have lingered two years before 1918 outbreak and vaccine could have treated it
25th May 2019 - Science Daily
World Health Assembly approves resolutions on climate change and health, noncommunicable diseases, and influenza preparedness
The delegations at the World Health Assembly approved a series of technical and administrative resolutions on climate change and health, noncommunicable diseases and the pandemic influenza preparedness framework. Delegates adopted a decision to request WHO, inter alia, to work with the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and other partners to improve influenza virus sharing, and to prepare a report with Member States and stakeholders on influenza virus sharing and public health in the context of legislation and regulatory measures including those implementing the Nagoya Protocol.
25th May 2019 - paho.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhy climate change could bring more infectious diseases
While the social, economic, and environmental effects of climate change are important, climate change could also increase the spread of infectious diseases dramatically. Seasonal disease outbreaks are quite common, but vaccination helps to reduce their occurrence. The nature of the virus makes it difficult to find a universal vaccine so researchers manage infection by adjusting vaccines according predicted global influenza circulation; a change in the environment and virus occurrence would make vaccine prevention much more difficult.
23rd May 2019 - OUP Blog
US Senate authorises increased spending on pandemic flu products
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill authorising spending on the development of products to protect the US against pandemic influenza and other biological threats to public health. The central role vaccines and other biological interventions play in current efforts and future plans to protect the U.S. against pandemic flu and other threats suggest the spending provisions will benefit some biopharma companies
23rd May 2019 - Biopharma-Reporter.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st May 2019
View this newsletter in fullSpecimen from patients for bird flu virus sent for tests
In Nepal, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division has collected specimens of 179 people who came in contact with a man who died from bird flu virus (H5N1). Of the 179 samples, 172 were taken from hospital staff—doctors, nurses, lab technicians, cleaning staff and others, who were involved in the treatment of the patient. The remaining seven samples are of the family members of the deceased, according to the division. “We are preparing to send samples abroad for tests,” Dr Bibek Kumar Lal, director at the division told the Post, “I can assure you that no other people have so far been infected with the deadly disease.”
20th May 2019 - The Kathmandu Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullRisk of a flu pandemic in Cumbria has been ranked “very high
A flu pandemic has been put to the top of the list of “risks” facing Cumbria. The “worst-case scenario” could see half of Cumbria’s 500,000 population affected, a report said. That would lead to “unprecedented” demand on the emergency services and local councils, it found. Although rare, councils have had to consider the impact of flu pandemic as part of their business continuity plans if disaster struck.
19th May 2019 - The Westmorland Gazette
BIO Applauds Senate Passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act
In the U.S., the Biotechnology Innovation Organization applauded the Senate passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation (PAHPAI) Act (S. 1379). The legislation would re-authorize critical federal biodefense programs and agencies, including the BioShield Special Reserve Fund (SRF), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). The legislation also authorizes funding for pandemic influenza product development and procurement for the first time.
18th May 2019 - Business Wire
What is the best way to distribute vaccines during flu season?
Researchers in the United States simulated a pandemic to determine optimal strategies for distributing vaccines. Their results can help inform public health initiatives and supply chain protocols during flu season. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and North Carolina State University undertook a study to quantify the importance of geographic vaccine inventory data in improving vaccination campaigns during pandemics. Their work was published in PLoS One.
18th May 2019 - Medical News Bulletin
Secretary Azar Meets with the Pasteur Institute
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar participated in a meeting with the Pasteur Institute. He and other U.S. health officials met with Stewart Cole, President of the Pasteur Institute, and other members of the Institute’s senior leadership team. They discussed the history of the Pasteur Institute and the continued collaboration between the Institute and HHS, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to improve influenza and emerging infectious disease surveillance networks in Africa and Southeast Asia. They also discussed vaccine development to prevent pandemic flu
18th May 2019 - EIN Newsdesk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullArtificial diseases will pose a threat to humans, but not in the way you're thinking
We’ve been using the tools of genetic manipulation for decades to understand and deal with disease. What is new is the speed and accuracy with which we’re able to do some of this work. For example, in 2011, a set of experiments was conducted where the H5N1 strain of bird flu was modified to become air-transmissible between ferrets. This caused controversy on both sides of the debate. Was it possible that this modified virus could escape the laboratory? If it did, what would the consequences be? Such experiments raise a lot of important questions about where we are going with disease research. As it turned out, this particular ‘engineered’ bird flu decreased in lethality when it was made air-transmissible. Understanding what makes one particular strain of flu transmissible between humans and another one not, is a huge opportunity.
16th May 2019 - Metro.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullAuthorities to send more specimens abroad to test for bird flu virus
In Nepal, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division says it is preparing to send specimens collected from the people who came in close contact with the person who died after contracting the H5N1 virus on March 29.
12th May 2019 - The Kathmandu Post
Plague and zoonotic influenza warning: CDC names eight diseases which could spark pandemic
Rabies, plague, SARS and zoonotic influenza all have the potential to develop in to global pandemics, a US-based expert in infectious diseases has warned. Dr Behravesh said zoonotic influenza had been ranked top of the list, a reflection of its pandemic potential. The CDC, US Department of the Interior (DOI), and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the report after jointly hosting a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritisation Workshop for the United States.
12th May 2019 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullFlu risk to Cumbria
A flu pandemic has been put to the top of the list of “risks” facing Cumbria. The “worst-case scenario” could see half of Cumbria’s 500,000 population affected, a report said. That would lead to “unprecedented” demand on the emergency services and local councils, it found. A report to South Lakeland District Council said flu pandemic posed a high risk because any new virus would be an “unknown quantity”. “Therefore people will have no immunity and effective antivirals may not be available for six months,” the report warned.
9th May 2019 - Times & Star
Swine flu pandemic preparedness: Behind the deadly swine flu pandemic 10 years on
Swine flu was once a major pandemic, and still spreads around the world today during the annual flu season. One doctor at the head of disease response outlines how health services have changed as the result of the 2009 pandemic. Dr Stephen Redd, Deputy Director for Public Health Service and Implementation Science in the US, said one final exercise in 2008 before the disease started to spread was vital for dealing with it.
9th May 2019 - Express.co.uk
News Scan for May 09, 2019 - H9N2 avian flu infection reported in Oman
Oman has detected H9N2 avian flu in a 13-month-old baby girl from South Batinah governorate, according to a post yesterday from ProMED Mail, the online reporting system of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. The post cited a WHOvirus traceability notification that said H9N2 had been obtained from a nasopharyngeal swab, as well as a mention in a May 7 Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection weekly avian flu report that noted the baby's infection and said the illness onset was Mar 17.
9th May 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullA century later, Spanish flu pandemic still holds valuable lessons for Japanese and global health experts
New Zealand-based scholar Geoffrey Rice and health expert Kenichi Ohmi told The Japan Times there were still lessons from the Spanish flu that governments and the public needed to bear in mind. For Ohmi, there are several measures the government must take, including a re-evaluation of the mass vaccinations for schoolchildren that took place in the 1970s and 1980s. “Japan introduced mass vaccination of schoolchildren for influenza in 1962, long before the vaccine’s efficacy was demonstrated almost 40 years ago,” Ohmi said. “But Japan no longer mandates such a program, even as other countries promote mass vaccination programs.”
8th May 2019 - The Japan Times
Feds cite flu, Salmonella, MERS, Lyme among zoonotic threats
Marking the first federal collaboration report of its kind on US zoonotic disease threats, the CDC and its partners have released a top priority list of eight diseases that includes influenza, salmonellosis, plague, MERS-CoV, and Lyme disease. For each disease, the report covers the human burden and animal burden—broken down into livestock and poultry, wildlife, and pets. It also details the impact on the environment and reviews current work by the CDC, USDA, and DOI. The report is designed to be a resource for groups that work on One Health issues, the media, and other stakeholders.
8th May 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullRoslin Institute to undertake gene study set to investigate how flu jumps species
A new study led by Dr Finn Grey of The Roslin Institute aims to identify genes that are important in reducing infection by Influenza A virus in pigs and chickens, and genes that limit the spread of the virus to people. The study, which will receive over £750,000 from the UK Governments’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, will boost our understanding of how to combat influenza strains. Work will be conducted in collaboration with Roslin scientists Professor Paul Digard, Dr Kenneth Baillie and Dr Jacqueline Smith as well as Dr Sam Wilson from the Centre for Virus Research of the University of Glasgow.
7th May 2019 - The Poultry Site
6 in 10 Infectious Diseases Come from Animals. The CDC Is Most Worried About These 8.
More than half of the infectious diseases that affect people come from animals. Now, for the first time, the U.S. government is releasing a list of the top eight illnesses spread from animals in the U.S. The list includes some strains of the flu, Salmonella infection, West Nile virus, the plague, emerging coronaviruses, rabies, brucellosis and Lyme disease
7th May 2019 - Live Science
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullFirst bird flu death raises concerns, but government response is too slow
In Nepal, in a hurriedly called press conference, the Ministry of Health and Population announced that a person had died from bird flu, the first human casualty in the country by H5N1 virus. The 21-year-old had died on March 29, according to the ministry. It was the first H5N1 human infection in the world since February 2017 and there were immediate concerns whether the virus was making a resurge. But the authorities concerned, it seems, are still too slow to recognise. Nor is there any preparedness to control further infection.
6th May 2019 - The Kathmandu Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th May 2019
View this newsletter in fullNepal reports 1st human H5N1 avian influenza death
The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the Nepal Ministry of Health and Population confirmed the first human fatality due to H5N1 avian influenza infection. The Himalayan Times says the individual died on March 29 after having contracted the flu. Laboratory tests, which were received on April 30, was found to be H5N1 influenza positive. The health officials who had diagnosed bird flu as the cause of the patient’s death had sent the patient’s sample to Japan for further tests.
4th May 2019 - Outbreak News Today
1st bird flu death in Nepal
4th May 2019 - The Tribune India
First Bird Flu Death Case Reported In Nepal
4th May 2019 - outlookindia.com
First bird flu death reported in Nepal
4th May 2019 - The Himalayan Times
News Scan for May 03, 2019
4th May 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd May 2019
View this newsletter in fullFirst bird flu death in the country exposes passive surveillance and poor preparedness
The H5N1 bird flu virus that has been confirmed as the first cause of death in Nepal, 10 years after it was first detected in birds in 2009, is the world’s first H5N1 human infection since February 2017 and has raised issues of public health emergency of international concern as government and WHO officials refuse further information on the case. “We are taking the help of the UN body to contain the disease,” Ministry of Health and Population spokesperson Mahendra Prasad Shrestha said. “The outbreaks of H5N1 have serious public health, economic and social implications, therefore its prevention is a priority across the globe and the human infection is evident of zoonotic disease spillover from animals to humans,” said Manisha Bista, a disease surveillance officer at the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal. “This is an opportunity to identify flaws in our passive surveillance programmes and invest in technical and human capacities to detect diseases and investigate outbreaks and inform the general public without creating public outcry.
2nd May 2019 - Kathmandu Post
Nepal confirms first death related to avian flu
Nepal health authorities confirmed the first death related to avian flu in the country. A 21-year-old man died due to H5N1 influenza at Kavre district, east of Kathmandu, Health Ministry spokesperson Mahendra Shrestha said. "Tests from the Japanese laboratory confirmed that the person was infected with (avian) influenza A (H5N1)," Shrestha said
2nd May 2019 - The Economic Times
Man Dies Of Bird Flu – Report
2nd May 2019 - Leadership.ng
First human casualty from bird flu reported in Nepal
2nd May 2019 - The Himalayan Times
H5N1 bird flu virus
2nd May 2019 - Kathmandu Post
News Scan for May 02, 2019
2nd May 2019 - CIDRAP
Global disaster experts to gather in Brisbane
Fire, floods, terrorism, epidemics, earthquakes, war, climate change, rising sea levels and animals in emergency management...these topics and more are on the agenda next week at an international congress co-hosted by QUT in Brisbane. Professor FitzGerald will speak on the subject of overcrowding in hospital emergency departments. "Flu season has arrived early in Australia and there have been three times as many cases already this year compared to 2018. Our hospital emergency departments are under extreme pressure and winter is yet to come," said Professor FitzGerald who recently co-authored a paper for the Medical Journal of Australia on how Australia's health system is unprepared to deal with climate change.
2nd May 2019 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd May 2019
View this newsletter in fullChanging climate may affect animal-to-human disease transfer
Climate change could affect occurrences of diseases like bird-flu and Ebola, with environmental factors playing a larger role than previously understood in animal-to-human disease transfer. Researchers from The University of Queensland and Swansea University have been looking at how different environments provide opportunities for animal-to-human diseases to interact with and infect new host species, including humans. Dr Nicholas Clark, from UQ's School of Veterinary Science, said this was a new line of thinking in this area, changing how we understand, and tackle, emerging zoonotic diseases.
1st May 2019 - Eurekalert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st May 2019
View this newsletter in fullMapping all flu routes from bird to human
Deadly flu pandemics can arise when influenza viruses circulating in animals acquire the ability to jump to humans. In work published in the open-access journal eLife, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center comprehensively mapped the alterations in a key influenza protein that allow bird flu to grow better in people. The map could help scientists better understand which changes enable flu to jump species and may presage a new pandemic, said flu researcher Dr. Shirleen Soh, a postdoctoral fellow working in the lab of Hutch computational biologist Dr. Jesse Bloom. This understanding, in turn, would be a step toward heading off pandemics by pinpointing which viruses should be targeted with a vaccine.
30th Apr 2019 - FredHutch.org
Global pandemic may pose bigger risk to civilisation than climate change, warns ‘apocalypse report’
A report launched in conjunction with post-apocalyptic video game Days Gone has warned of the dangers of a global pandemic. The report was authored by Professor Lewis Dartnell, a lecturer at the University of Westminster and author of ‘The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World After An Apocalypse’. Dartnell suggests that while climate change could ‘collapse the world order’ it is ‘unlikely to drive us to extinction as a species.’ But some form of virulent strain infecting us all could be much more devastating.
30th Apr 2019 - Metro.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullMeet the Pro-Vaxxers Helping to Stave Off the Next Pandemic
About 1,660 people enrolled in about 30 trials this past year at one of nine vaccine testing centers funded by the NIH. Beyond the arm jab—or two to three, if there are multiple doses—vaccine volunteers return for months to have blood drawn for testing. They typically receive $50 or $75 per visit. The money is a draw for some, but they also share a sense of altruism and a firm belief in science. “They are hastening the development of a potential intervention that may ultimately save people’s lives,” says Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID. Pediatrician Ken Haller believes in vaccines, which is why he volunteered to test three different influenza vaccines that weren’t yet approved by the FDA—including against H7N9, a strain of influenza seen as a plausible source of the next pandemic.
29th Apr 2019 - Wired
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Apr 2019
View this newsletter in full'Hibernating' research studies on standby to tackle next flu pandemic
The University of Liverpool is improving the UK's preparedness for another influenza pandemic through its involvement in an innovative network of research studies 'hibernating' on standby ready to be activated if an outbreak strikes. One study has been funded to develop rapid turnaround flu phone surveys to monitor behaviour across the general population and identify ways to better communicate public health advice. Another is to advance real-time modelling of flu epidemics and provide a tool to monitor and predict the development of an ongoing pandemic.
19th Apr 2019 - Medical Xpress
How the UK is leading the world on flu research, ready to kick in quickly when the next pandemic hits
19th Apr 2019 - The Conversation UK
How the UK is leading the world on flu research, ready to kick in quickly when the next pandemic hits
22nd Apr 2019 - EconoTimes
Ten years after the A(H1N1) pandemic, is the world better prepared to fight another pandemic?
In 2009, the A(H1N1) pandemic wasn't more deadly than the usual seasonal flu, in the end. What improvements have been made since then to prepare against future pandemics? In 2009, some pandemic preparedness plans were already in place because of the threat of avian flu H5N1 being transmitted to humans since 2005. However, this didn't stop all sorts of issues and mistakes in the management of the pandemic by WHO and also individual governments, such as in France
22nd Apr 2019 - Le Monde
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullPandemic Preparedness Begins With Personal Responsibility
Novel influenza pandemics are uncommon, with only a few occurrences since the 1918 pandemic. Yet, influenza pandemics are one of the world’s greatest public health threats. This is because an influenza A pandemic can overwhelm public health systems, causing widespread illness, death, and social disruption. Novel influenza A viruses can be viruses that originate in animals that gain the ability to infect humans or human viruses that change significantly, so as to be different from current human seasonal influenza A viruses. There are 5 things the CDC says you can do to prepare for an influenza A pandemic, the first one being getting an annual flu vaccine to protect you against seasonal influenza. But, a seasonal flu shot will not protect you against a novel influenza A virus,
17th Apr 2019 - Precision Vaccinations
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullMeasles outbreak drains resources we may need for a future epidemic or bioterrorist attack
Former senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, co-chair the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, write: "A devastating infectious disease pandemic could kill more people than nuclear war. Just 100 years ago, the Spanish flu killed 50 to 100 million people. Life-threatening diseases continue to place us at great risk. Ten years ago, it was H1N1 influenza. Today, it is the measles." "We cannot afford to ignore the lessons that measles, Ebola, pandemic influenza, plague, Zika and other diseases have been teaching us — and continue to teach us — about our vulnerabilities. Eventually, those vulnerabilities to biological events could overcome our national ability to respond and recover. Emergency declarations will not be able to help us then. Let’s do the work today to effectively prepare for what we know will one day come."
16th Apr 2019 - USA Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullHuman case of H7N9 in China's Inner Mongolia
China's Inner Mongolia region reported on 6 April a case of human infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus, the official Xinhua news agency reported to Reuters. The same bird flu strain killed almost 300 people in the country during the winter of 2016/2017. The patient, an 82-year-old man, was receiving treatment and local authorities disinfected his home and the surrounding area.
13th Apr 2019 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullHuman infection of H7N9 avian influenza in China's Inner Mongolia
China's Inner Mongolia region reported on 6 April a case of human infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus, the official Xinhua news agency reported to Reuters. The same bird flu strain killed almost 300 people in the country during the winter of 2016/2017. The patient, an 82-year-old man, was receiving treatment and local authorities disinfected his home and the surrounding area.
11th Apr 2019 - The Poultry Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullCDC raises Inner Mongolia 'alert'
In Taiwan, the Centers for Disease Control raised its travel warning for the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the “alert” level after China confirmed the world’s first case of influenza virus A subtype H7N9 in a human this year. The Chinese government on Friday last week informed the centers that a case of H7N9 avian influenza in a human was confirmed in Jiuquan, Gansu Province
9th Apr 2019 - Taipei Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullWorld must prepare for inevitable flu pandemic, says WHO
Countries must prepare for the next global influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization warns. There is a real and ongoing risk that a new flu virus will jump from animals to human, according to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The question is not if we will have another pandemic, but when,” the director-general stated. As things stand, “we are still not prepared enough.” Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the spread of the virus and is especially important for health workers and people at high risk of complications, WHO says.
8th Apr 2019 - CMAJ
A case of H7N9 bird flu virus infection reported in Mongolia
China's Inner Mongolia region has reported a case of human infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus. The same bird flu killed hundreds in the country during the winter of 2016/2017. The patient, an 82-year-old man, was receiving treatment while local authorities disinfected his home and the surrounding area. According to local government, people who have had contact with the man have shown "no abnormalities".
8th Apr 2019 - MENAFN
Symposium sets new direction for infectious diseases research at Imperial
Infectious diseases experts shared their latest work at an annual research symposium hosted at Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus last month. As well as providing the opportunity to showcase recent projects within the Division, the symposium also looked forward to the creation of the new Department of Infectious Disease this August. The first keynote lecture of the day was given by Dr Guillaume Fournié (Royal Veterinary College) and focused on how changes to modes of production and commerce in the food industry have affected animal-to-human (zoonotic) transmission of infectious diseases.
8th Apr 2019 - Imperial College London
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullChina's Inner Mongolia reports human infection of H7N9 bird flu virus: Xinhua
China’s Inner Mongolia region reported on Saturday a case of human infection with the H7N9 bird flu virus, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The same bird flu strain killed almost 300 people in the country during the winter of 2016/2017. The patient, an 82-year-old man, was receiving treatment and local authorities disinfected his home and the surrounding area. The local government said people who had had contact with the man had shown “no abnormalities”, Xinhua reported.
6th Apr 2019 - Reuters
H7N9 avian influenza reported in Gansu, China: 1st human case of 2019
5th Apr 2019 - Outbreak News Today
China's Inner Mongolia Reports Human Infection of H7N9 Bird Flu Virus: Xinhua
6th Apr 2019 - New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullPublic Health: Wisconsin's scientific role in H5N1 flu research remains contentious
A University of Wisconsin-Madison laboratory is set to resume experiments that could build the foundation of an early warning system for flu pandemics. The research is based on altering a deadly type of the influenza virus in a way that could make it more dangerous, though, and critics say its approval lacked transparency and creates unnecessary risks. Kawaoka’s work has been the focus of fierce debate among epidemiologists ever since he announced in 2011 that his lab had successfully altered the H5N1 subtype of the influenza A virus to be transmittable through the air among ferrets.
4th Apr 2019 - Milwaukee Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Apr 2019
View this newsletter in fullWHO's new Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030
About two weeks back, WHO launched the 'new Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030' with the aim of protecting people in all countries by promoting annual influenza vaccination as the most effective way to prevent the spread of influenza. The goal of the strategy, as mentioned on the organisation's website is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic. “Since January 2019, the influenza vaccine is no more an optional vaccine but is compulsory for influenza virus now according to the XX vaccination schedule," says Dr Amol Annadate, paediatrician and neonatologist practicing in Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Influenza vaccines need to be taken every year, by both children as well as adults, as the influenza viruses constantly evolve.
29th Mar 2019 - The Week Magazine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Mar 27, 2019 - H9N2 flu case in China
A 9-year-old boy from Jiangsu province, China, is hospitalized in serious condition after contracting H9N2 avian flu, according to Avian Flu Diary. This is the second human H9N2 infection recorded in China in 2019; in 2018, the country reported seven cases. The boy developed symptoms on Mar 15, and was likely exposed after contact with live poultry. Though H9N2 is common in poultry throughout Asia and the Middle East, the virus threatens humans by its ability to genetically reassort with other influenza strains, making it a potential pandemic threat.
27th Mar 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullGene study to investigate how flu jumps species
A new study will aim to identify the genes that are important in reducing infection by Influenza A virus in pigs and chickens, and genes that limit the spread of the virus to people. The research, which will receive over £750,000 from the UK Government’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, hopes to improve understanding of how to combat influenza strains. The Roslin Institute’s Dr Finn Grey will lead the research. She said: “Research of livestock influenza infections is critically important, both in terms of economic burden and the potential for pandemic human outbreaks."
25th Mar 2019 - Poultry World
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullA new flu pandemic is inevitable
WHO released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030, which is aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza. The goals of this new strategy are to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic. WHO will expand partnerships to increase research, innovation, and availability of new and improved global influenza tools to benefit all countries. At the same time WHO will work closely with countries to improve their capacities to prevent and control influenza.
24th Mar 2019 - El Expres
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullGuide to tame next global flu pandemic now available
The World Health Organisation has released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 to protect people in all countries from the flu. The goal of the strategy is to prevent seasonal influenza, control its spread from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic since “The threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present,” as WHO director-general Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus described it.
21st Mar 2019 - The East African
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWHO launches global strategy against influenza
WHO recently announced a new global strategy for the years 2019 to 2030 that is aimed at protecting people in all countries from influenza. “In 2018, the world recognized the centenary of the 1918-1919 pandemic. During that time, WHO assessed the progress that has been made and the ongoing challenges in influenza, particularly those identified since the most recent 2009-2010 pandemic,” Ann Moen, WHO’s chief of Influenza Preparedness and Response, explained. The goal of the new, “holistic” strategy, as Moen described it, is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans and prepare for the next influenza pandemic by strengthening routine programs
20th Mar 2019 - Healio
Risk Assessment of Avian Influenza A(H9N2)
The risk of A(H9N2) infection to UK residents travelling to China is very low. A Public Health England update includes information and advice for travellers and clinicians
20th Mar 2019 - UK Government
Pathogens sometimes escape the lab — with deadly results
All over the world, bio research labs handle deadly pathogens, some with the potential to cause a pandemic. Sometimes, researchers make pathogens even deadlier in the course of their research (as Science Magazine reported last month, the US government just approved two such experiments after years of keeping them on hold). Errors could be deadly. “If an enhanced novel strain of flu escaped from a laboratory and then went on to cause a pandemic, then causing millions of deaths is a serious risk,” Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard, said. The US government has approved research aimed at making certain deadly influenza viruses more virulent. The researchers involved want to learn more about transmissibility and virulence, in order to better equip us to combat these diseases.
20th Mar 2019 - Vox
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWHO releases pandemic strategy as summer influenza rates soar
This year has seen more than 17,000 confirmed cases of influenza in Australia at an average of around 28 per 100,000 people, including a young Victorian child who died last week. VicHealth has described the situation as one of the largest summer outbreaks of flu the state has seen, while New South Wales and Queensland also appear to have been particularly hard hit. The high numbers have coincided with WHO's recently released Global Influenza Strategy 2019–2030, the goal of which is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of the virus from animals to humans, and prepare for the next pandemic.
18th Mar 2019 - RACGP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullFT Health: war on flu and pneumonia; sleep hype; space medicine
The World Health Organization this week launched a new influenza strategy up till 2030, stoking a debate that has been simmering since the last pandemic a decade ago. The need to identify the most widespread flu strains each year and produce vaccines by archaic methods in response remains cumbersome. Improved drugs and diagnostics are needed — not least to avoid the misuse of antibiotics, driving fresh drug resistance.
15th Mar 2019 - Financial Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWorld must prepare for inevitable next flu pandemic, WHO says
The world will inevitably face another pandemic of flu and needs to prepare for the potential devastation that could cause, and not underestimate the risks, the World Health Organization said. Outlining a global plan to fight the viral disease and get ahead of a potential global outbreak, the WHO said the next influenza pandemic “is a matter of when, not if”. “The threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, said. “We must be vigilant and prepared – the cost of a major influenza outbreak will far outweigh the price of prevention.”
14th Mar 2019 - Ahram Online
Next Flu Pandemic 'a Matter of When, Not If,' Says WHO
14th Mar 2019 - The Wire
Protecting the world from the threat of pandemics
Professor Jodie McVernon, the Director of Epidemiology at the Doherty Institute, notes that infectious diseases are an ever-present threat. “Avian influenza remains one of the highest risks to human health,” she says, “with the possibility that new strains of flu could cross over from birds to humans and become infectious enough to cause a global pandemic.” Professor McVernon is leading a research team that is collaborating with public health professionals to create mathematical and computational models of infectious diseases such as pandemic flu. Their research is directly informing public health policy on a global scale. Thanks to the team’s research, Australia now has a necessary policy toolkit to prepare for and mitigate the whole-of-society risks posed by emergent infectious diseases. Professor McVernon’s research has helped inform the Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza
14th Mar 2019 - The Mandarin
Protecting the world from the threat of pandemics
14th Mar 2019 - University of Melbourne
We're Due for a Flu Pandemic, So Why Hasn't It Happened Yet?
For a flu to become pandemic, a new strain of the virus needs to emerge, explains Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, the director of Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. There are certain steps we can take to prevent pandemic flu, he said. These steps include conducting more research into finding out how to recognize the viruses that may jump from animals to humans; finding ways to stop contact between virus-infected animals and humans; and, as some teams around the world are doing, working to find a universal vaccine that could protect against all flu viruses.
14th Mar 2019 - Live Science
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWHO Launches New Global Influenza Strategy
The World Health Organization has released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza. The goal of the strategy is to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic. WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The on-going risk of a new influenza virus transmitting from animals to humans and potentially causing a pandemic is real. The question is not if we will have another pandemic, but when. We must be vigilant and prepared – the cost of a major influenza outbreak will far outweigh the price of prevention.”
13th Mar 2019 - Infection Control Today
Next flu pandemic is inevitable: WHO
13th Mar 2019 - The Times of India
World Health Organisation in global flu pandemic alert
13th Mar 2019 - Independent Online
WHO launches new global influenza strategy
13th Mar 2019 - Open Access Government
WHO launches strategy to fight 'inevitable' global flu pandemic in coming decade
13th Mar 2019 - Firstpost
Genetic study to investigate how flu jumps species
The influenza A virus can affect both people and animals. The virus is able to jump to new species, where it can cause more severe symptoms, according to an announcement from The Roslin Institute in the U.K. Now, a new study led by Dr. Finn Grey of The Roslin Institute aims to identify genes that are involved in the influenza virus jumping species, specifically among chickens, swine and people. "Research of livestock influenza infections is critically important, both in terms of economic burden and the potential for pandemic human outbreaks. This research, along with the recent development of genome-wide CRISPR libraries for livestock species, places The Roslin Institute at the forefront of cutting-edge systematic approaches in livestock species," Dr. Finn Grey said.
13th Mar 2019 - Feedstuffs
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhy The Scientific Debate Over A UW Bird Flu Study Isn't Going Away
A University of Wisconsin-Madison laboratory is set to resume experiments that could build the foundation of an early warning system for flu pandemics. The research is based on altering a deadly type of the influenza virus in a way that could make it more dangerous, though, and critics say its approval lacked transparency and creates unnecessary risks.
12th Mar 2019 - WisContext
Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 Announced
WHO released a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030, which is aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza. The goals of this new strategy are to prevent seasonal influenza, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next influenza pandemic. WHO will expand partnerships to increase research, innovation, and availability of new and improved global influenza tools to benefit all countries. At the same time WHO will work closely with countries to improve their capacities to prevent and control influenza.
12th Mar 2019 - Precision Vaccinations
UN unveils global influenza strategy to prevent ‘real’ threat of pandemic
12th Mar 2019 - India Blooms
World Health Organization tells countries to bolster their flu control plans as it admits another influenza pandemic is 'inevitable'
12th Mar 2019 - Daily Mail
Next devastating flu pandemic WILL happen ‘it’s a case of when, not if’, say WHO
12th Mar 2019 - The Sun
Next flu pandemic is inevitable: WHO
12th Mar 2019 - The Tribune India
Killer flu pandemic is inevitable and world is not prepared, says WHO
12th Mar 2019 - News Medical.net
WHO Launches Strategy to Fight ‘Inevitable’ Flu Pandemics
12th Mar 2019 - Newsweek Pakistan
WHO launches strategy to fight 'inevitable' flu pandemics
12th Mar 2019 - The Jakarta Post
WHO to launch global strategy against next deadly flu pandemic
12th Mar 2019 - ECNS.cn
WHO launches new global influenza strategy
12th Mar 2019 - The Jamaica Observer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullWorld must prepare for inevitable next flu pandemic, WHO says
The world will inevitably face another pandemic of flu and needs to prepare for the potential devastation that could cause, and not underestimate the risks, WHO said. “The threat of pandemic influenza is ever-present,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, said. “We must be vigilant and prepared – the cost of a major influenza outbreak will far outweigh the price of prevention.” Its two main goals, the WHO said, are to improve worldwide capacities for surveillance and response - by urging all governments to develop a national flu plan, and to develop better tools to prevent, detect, control and treat flu, such as more effective vaccines and antiviral drugs.
11th Mar 2019 - Reuters
WHO launches new strategy to fight 'inevitable' flu pandemic
11th Mar 2019 - CTV News
Tackling vaccine fears and misinformation key to preventing next pandemic, WHO says
11th Mar 2019 - The Independent
World must prepare for ‘inevitable’ flu pandemic, warns World Health Organisation
11th Mar 2019 - Daily Mirror
Another Flu Pandemic Is Inevitable, World Heath Organization Says
11th Mar 2019 - Fortune
WHO launches strategy to fight 'inevitable' flu pandemics
11th Mar 2019 - EWN Sport
WHO launches strategy to fight 'inevitable' flu pandemics
11th Mar 2019 - Yahoo News
Next flu pandemic 'a matter of when, not if,' says WHO
11th Mar 2019 - Deutsche Welle
The world is not prepared for a global flu pandemic, experts warn
11th Mar 2019 - The Telegraph
WHO launches new global influenza strategy
11th Mar 2019 - Kazinform
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullUS Government lifts four-year ban to allow 'dangerous' bird flu experiments
The US Government has been scorned for lifting its ban on experiments to engineer deadly bird flu which could infect humans. Research into the viruses will soon be allowed to carry on, despite experts warning people could die if the pathogens break out of laboratories. Scientists say they want to study the virus 'to protect human health' so they can learn more about it and be better prepared for a pandemic. But Professor Steven Salzberg, a biomedical engineering expert at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, said he cannot fathom why the NIH, which has permitted the 'dangerous' research, is allowing it to happen
8th Mar 2019 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullFlu Research Once Banned Because It Was Deemed Too Dangerous is Set to Resume
Research on a deadly strain of bird flu that was banned in 2014 over safety concerns is set to resume, new reports say. A government panel quietly approved the resumption of the research by the two labs that are based in Wisconsin and the Netherlands, which was confirmed by the New York Times last week. Some scientists raised concerns over the government's lack of transparency in announcing that the research was resuming.
5th Mar 2019 - The Weather Channel
Bioweapons research gets quiet OK from National Institutes of Health: Here's why that could be 'horrific'
5th Mar 2019 - Genetic Literacy Project
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullScientists Restart Research On Creating Deadly Bird Flu, With NIH's Blessing
Steven Salzberg is the Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins University. He writes about the NIH's recent decision to allow two scientists to resume dangerous research into turning avian flu into human flu. He writes that " Not surprisingly, many scientists are vehemently opposed to this. In mid-2014, a group of them formed the Cambridge Working Group and issued a statement warning of the dangers of this research. The statement was signed by hundreds of scientists at virtually every major U.S. and European university". He adds: "I can't allow this to go unchallenged. This research is so potentially harmful, and offers such little benefit to society, that I fear that NIH is endangering the trust that Congress places in it."
4th Mar 2019 - Forbes
As Government Gives Green Light To Research That Could Make Flu Viruses More Dangerous, Scientists Remain Concerned
4th Mar 2019 - Kaiser Health News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullStudies of Deadly Flu Virus, Once Banned, Are Set to Resume
In the U.S., research that could make flu viruses more dangerous, and that the government suspended in 2014 because of safety concerns, has been approved to begin again, federal officials have confirmed. The government did not publicly announce its decisions in recent months to allow two labs to resume their projects. The lack of information about the decision and how it was made have provoked outrage from some scientists, who oppose the research because they say it could create mutant viruses that might cause deadly pandemics if they were unleashed by lab accidents or terrorism. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it was a sound decision to let the research resume.
1st Mar 2019 - The New York Times
Scientists studying pigs to develop better flu vaccinations
In their efforts to develop new flu vaccines, U.S. scientists are studying how the virus affects pigs, who can contract and spread the flu just like humans. Infectious diseases experts are going to fairs across the country to swab pigs, looking for any new flu strains that are arising in order to be able to develop vaccines. They are trying to understand how the virus transmits from animals to humans
2nd Mar 2019 - Today
Dangerous experiments veiled in secrecy by American government
We have serious doubts about whether these experiments should be conducted at all. We also suspect that few members of the public would find compelling the rationale that the best way to fight the flu is to create the most contagious, lethal virus possible in a lab. But with deliberations kept behind closed doors, none of us will have the opportunity to understand how the government arrived at these decisions or to judge the rigor and integrity of that process.
4th Mar 2019 - Sentinel & Enterprise
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Mar 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe U.S. is funding dangerous experiments it doesn’t want you to know about
In the past year, the U.S. government quietly greenlighted funding for two groups of researchers, one in the United States and the other in the Netherlands, to conduct transmission-enhancing experiments on the bird flu virus as they were originally proposed before the moratorium. Despite the potential public-health consequences of such work, neither the approval nor the deliberations or judgments that supported it were announced publicly. The government confirmed them only when a reporter learned about them through non-official channels.
27th Feb 2019 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullBAT flu can spread to humans and could spark next pandemic, experts warn
Scientists first discovered that bats carried flu viruses back in 2012 but they've just discovered that humans may be able to catch them too. Muhammed Munir, lecturer in molecular virology at Lancaster University, tells The Conversation that new "alarming" research has found that bat flu receptors are actually really similar to mice, pigs, and chickens. Muhammed says: "Intriguingly, viruses that can successfully spread and transmit between different bat species can also rapidly spread to people, indicating the risk bats pose in spreading zoonotic diseases".
27th Feb 2019 - The Scottish Sun
Alarming Study Shows Bat Flu Can Spread to Humans
27th Feb 2019 - Newsweek
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullBat flu can spread to humans: should we be worried?
Scientists first discovered bat flu viruses in 2012. Although these were influenza A viruses, there was something strange about them – the way they infected their host’s cells seemed to be different from other influenza A viruses. Given the justified fear over zoonotic diseases, the race was on to discover how these viruses operated.
Scientists at the University of Zurich have just won that race. They recently reported in Nature that they have identified the gateway (“receptor”) that lets the bat flu viruses enter their host’s cells and cause infection. Unfortunately, this receptor also exists on the cells of certain livestock and, more worryingly, humans.
26th Feb 2019 - The Conversation - UK
Alarming Study Shows Bat Flu Can Spread to Humans
26th Feb 2019 - Newsweek
Human error in high-biocontainment labs: a likely pandemic threat
Incidents causing potential exposures to pathogens occur frequently in the high security laboratories often known by their acronyms, BSL3 (Biosafety Level 3) and BSL4. If the agent involved were a potential pandemic pathogen, such a community release could lead to a worldwide pandemic with many fatalities. Of greatest concern is a release of a lab-created, mammalian-airborne-transmissible, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, such as the airborne-transmissible H5N1 viruses created in the laboratories of Ron Fouchier in the Netherlands and Yoshihiro Kawaoka In Madison Wisconsin. In an analysis circulated at the 2017 meeting for the Biological Weapons Convention, a conservative estimate shows that the probability is about 20 percent for a release of a mammalian-airborne-transmissible, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus into the community from at least one of 10 labs over a 10-year period of developing and researching this type of pathogen. This percentage was calculated from FSAP data for the years 2004 through 2010.
26th Feb 2019 - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Disease X: Deadly illness could wipe out millions like Spanish flu - what you need to know
Disease X has been identified as the next global pandemic by researchers - but it doesn’t exist yet. Scientists are currently working to predict when the virus will emerge, with the World Health Organisation warning last year conditions are perfect. Fears are circulating the illness evolves from a mutated form of influenza and healthy people could be most at risk.
26th Feb 2019 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullDisease X: an unknown disease that could claim millions of lives
Dubbed ‘Disease X’, scientists believe a future epidemic of the influenza virus could cause millions of deaths worldwide, mimicking the effects of the Spanish Flu of 1918. With globalized trade, increased connectivity between countries, and higher numbers of people traveling frequently, large outbreaks of infectious diseases are “becoming inevitable”, a Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint brochure states. Hoping that we can deal with an outbreak of an unknown disease more effectively in the future and saving countless lives, WHO science adviser Rottingen says that “history tells us that it is likely the next big outbreak will be something we have not seen before, and that the “the point is to make sure we prepare and plan flexibly in terms of vaccines and diagnostic tests.”
25th Feb 2019 - News Medical.net
Disease X could be this generation’s Spanish Flu
25th Feb 2019 - Daily Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullThis Nigerian doctor might just prevent the next deadly pandemic
As leader of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu works to protect the nation — and the world — from devastating outbreaks. On 13 November last year, President Buhari made the NCDC an independent agency, granting Ihekweazu authority over how he reports data, how he spends the budget and whom he hires. Still, the agency has too few experienced epidemiologists and molecular biologists. During the 2009–10 H1N1 influenza pandemic, Ihekweazu criticized the country for being unprepared. “Nigeria needs a central, well-resourced centre for infectious disease prevention and control,” he wrote in 2010, “or one day we will pay the price the hard way.”
20th Feb 2019 - Nature
Bird flu outbreak warning: UK travellers warned over new strain - signs and symptoms
Public Health England has issued a warning for travellers after a new bird flu virus strain has been reported in humans for the first time. A case of H7N4 bird flu has been reported in a human for the first time, it’s been revealed. A 68-year-old woman was admitted to hospital in China after developing symptoms, before the diagnosis was confirmed. She had been in contact with live poultry before her symptoms first appeared, according to the Hong Kong Department of Health.
20th Feb 2019 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Feb 18, 2019
China has reported another H9N2 avian flu illness, which involves an 8-year-old from Yunnan province, according to a Macao Health Bureau statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary. The girl's symptoms began on Jan 27, and she reportedly has a mild infection, which fits the typical pattern for H9N2.
18th Feb 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullBiologists are trying to make bird flu easier to spread. Can we not?
The bird flu is a deadly virus with the potential to spark a global pandemic. Now, thanks to the US government, two lab experiments trying to find ways to make it more dangerous will resume their work after years on hold. It’s a troubling development, and one that highlights the risks of something called “gain-of-function” research. That’s research in which pathogens are manipulated to change their capabilities — usually to make them deadlier.
17th Feb 2019 - Vox
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullGovernments urged to stockpile antibiotics for a future flu pandemic
Stockpiling antibiotics to use in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak could save billions of pounds worldwide, according to a new analysis. In the first study to model the financial value of holding antibiotics back to use in a global flu outbreak, researchers have found that an effective drug would save the world between $3 and $4 billion (£2.3 to £3.1 billion). The official report into the 2009 swine flu epidemic found that it cost the UK alone £1.24 billion
14th Feb 2019 - The Telegraph
Why it’s so difficult for scientists to predict the next outbreak of a dangerous disease
In January, the World Economic Forum called pandemics one of the greatest risks to business and human life. The nascent field of outbreak forecasting is becoming essential, as a result. Scientists should stop assuming that every outbreak follows the same rules. When comparing one outbreak with another, they should keep in mind all of the contextual differences between them: biologists have uncovered many details about influenza infections. They know how the viruses bind to host cells, how they replicate and how they evolve resistance to antiviral drugs. But one epidemic might have started when a large population used public transportation on a certain day of the month, while another might have been initiated by a congregation at a religious service. Though both outbreaks are rooted in the same infectious agent, these and many other differences in their particulars mean that scientists may need to reframe how they model how each progresses.
14th Feb 2019 - The Conversation
China makes keeping tabs on bird flu difficult
Last year, the New York Times reported that China had begun withholding samples of a strain of bird flu virus from U.S. health authorities. The news was of particular import to Arizona State University College of Health Solutions Associate Professor Matthew Scotch, whose research into virus evolution helps to inform public health officials of potential pandemic threats. An expert in phylodynamics, Scotch looks at viruses to see how they’re related to one another from an ancestral standpoint. In an ongoing project funded by the National Institutes of Health, he is working to develop a bioinformatics system that can be used by health agencies like the CDC to implement models of phyloydynamics without having to be experts themselves.
14th Feb 2019 - Arizona State University
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullWhat happened to bird flu? How a major threat to human health faded from view
Just over a dozen years ago, H5N1 was charting a destructive course through Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East, ravaging poultry in apocalyptic numbers and killing 6 in 10 humans known to have contracted it. The overall human death toll was low, but scientists and government officials feared that the virus could ignite a human pandemic reminiscent of the catastrophic 1918 Spanish flu. There has not been a single H5N1 human infection detected since February 2017, but the situation could change in an instant. At its twice-a-year gathering of influenza experts to determine which flu viruses manufacturers should be ready to develop vaccines for, the WHO still devotes time for discussion about which H5 viruses pose the greatest threat. And an H5N1 virus is in fifth spot in a CDC risk assessment ranking of flu viruses with pandemic potential. (The first two spots are held by H7N9 viruses.)
13th Feb 2019 - Stat News
Former CDC leader on bird flu threat: 'We don't know how the story's going to end'
13th Feb 2019 - Becker's Hospital Review
Checking Out the Bird Flu Shuffle
In the last several years, public health officials have been monitoring two varieties of bird flu viruses with alarming properties: H7N9 and H5N8. Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have been probing the factors that limit reassortment between these strains and a well-known strain (H3N2) that has been dominating the last few flu seasons in the United States.
13th Feb 2019 - Technology Networks
Researchers Investigate How Well H7N9 and H5N8 Can Genetically Mix With a Seasonal Strain
13th Feb 2019 - Infection Control Today
Bird flu shuffle probes viral compatibility
13th Feb 2019 - EurekAlert!
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullNew Victorian biosecurity laws unlikely, despite farmers desperate calls
In Australia, Victoria is unlikely to get new legislation to protect the state’s biosecurity from animal activists invading farms, despite desperate calls from farmers. VFF egg group vice-president Brian Ahmed, who has had activists break into his Werribee farm, said the poultry industry was most concerned about the spread of avian influenza. He said the disease, which could be spread by activists simply walking in duck poo before trespassing on a farm, was untreatable and required the killing of birds on the affected farm and surrounding farms.
12th Feb 2019 - The Weekly Times
Eight emerging diseases and emergencies WHO responded to in the Western Pacific Region in 2018
In 2018, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme’s surveillance team detected and reviewed 2000 signals of potential emergency health threats in the Western Pacific Region. Seventy-one turned out to be significant public health events, with WHO called upon to support the response to 50%. Sporadic human cases of avian influenza continued to be reported in China in 2018. Last year witnessed the first ever human case caused by the H7N4 influenza subtype and additional cases of H7N9, H9N2, H5N6 and H5N1. With ongoing circulation of different types of influenza viruses in poultry and wild fowl, there is potential for the virus to mutate and become more contagious between animals and humans or between humans in the future.
12th Feb 2019 - World Health Organization
Scientists given green light to resume research on lethal flu pathogen
Scientists have been given the go ahead to resume controversial research that involves modifying highly virulent flu pathogens to make them more easily transmissible. The studies on the H5N1 avian flu virus, carried out by researchers in the Netherlands and the United States, have been subject to a moratorium by the US government since 2014 because of fears that the highly pathogenic virus could escape the laboratory or fall into the wrong hands. Now, the US government has lifted the ban and the US-based research project is to resume later this year. The Dutch study is awaiting funding.
12th Feb 2019 - The Telegraph
News Scan for Feb 12, 2019
Following the December 2017 lifting of a moratorium on funding gain-of-function (GOF) research on potential pandemic viruses such as avian flu, a government review panel tasked with reviewing proposed projects last year approved experiments by two labs. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has funded one of the projects, led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, DVM, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the University of Tokyo. The grant funding approved in January will cover work to identify mutations in H5N1 that allow transmission by respiratory droplets in ferrets. The other proposed project cleared for work is still awaiting funding and will be led by Ron Fouchier, PhD, from Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands.
12th Feb 2019 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in full100 years on, India is still seen as vulnerable to influenza pandemic
India remains as vulnerable to death and devastation caused by influenza viruses as it was during the global influenza pandemic in 1918-19, despite medical advancements and improved diagnostics. Vaccination is the most effective way of preventing infection and severe outcomes caused by influenza viruses, according to WHO. Despite India’s successful immunization programme Mission Indradhanush, the country does not have a seasonal flu immunization/vaccination policy. Public health experts explained why India faces several challenges in vaccines and vaccination
11th Feb 2019 - Live Mint
Avian influenza likely to reoccurs
In Vietnam, the Ministry of Health warned of reoccurrence of the avian influenza yesterday after the hospitalization of two people in Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi admitted two people who were suspected to infect with H5N1 avian flu virus. The two were suffering severe pneumonia and the National Institute of Hygiene Epidemiology will take their blood samples for testing.
11th Feb 2019 - Saigon Online
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Feb 2019
View this newsletter in fullGovernment prepares for worldwide flu pandemic
In Belgium, Federal health minister Maggie De Block has set aside a budget of two million euros to supply the government with six million flu vaccines in the event of a wordwide flu pandemic similar to that of 2009. The government has signed a framework agreement with two suppliers of vaccines who engage to provide six million vaccines should a pandemic be declared. The vaccines will not be supplied in advance, De Block explained, because they will have to be tailored to the specific characteristics of the virus at the time of the pandemic, which cannot be predicted in advance.
3rd Feb 2019 - Brussels Times
H9N2 avian influenza case reported in China, 7th case of 2018
Officials with the Taiwan Disease Control Department reported Friday an additional human H9N2 avian influenza case in Mainland China. According to officials, the case was reported in a 2- year-old boy from Changde City, Hunan Province. This is the seventh case reported in China in 2018.
3rd Feb 2019 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullA century after the Spanish flu, preparing for the next pandemic
Dr Kevin McCracken and Professor Peter Curson are health researchers at Macquarie University. They write about the 1918 flu pandemic, and that another pandemic is inevitable and that "public health preparedness for a serious future epidemic is thus essential. A lot of effort has been put into this by federal and state authorities (and international agencies) since the 2005 bird flu scare. They stand us in good stead. At the same time, we can virtually be certain that our health care facilities and medical personnel would again be overwhelmed."
30th Jan 2019 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullScientists Produce Gene-Edited Chickens to Stop Spread of Flu Virus
British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens designed to be fully resistant to the flu virus. Wendy Barclay, one of the leaders of the gene-editing project, said the idea is to produce birds that cannot get the flu and would form a “buffer between wild birds and humans.” Health experts say the threat of a human flu pandemic is one of their biggest concerns.
26th Jan 2019 - Voice of America News
CRISPR-edited chickens are coming: Can they stop a bird flu epidemic?
25th Jan 2019 - Genetic Literacy Project
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullOne hundred years on, could we cope with a new flu pandemic?
A review of Jeremy Brown's 'Influenza: The Quest to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History'. Dr Brown is director of emergency care research at the US National Institutes of Health. He explains what a virus is, and how it works, and iinterviews Jeff Taubenberger, also of the NIH, and possibly the world’s top influenza specialist. He explains that another flu pandemic might well happen, and that we are better prepared to treat secondary infections with antibiotics, but that we do not have a vaccine ready.
24th Jan 2019 - The Spectator
Flu Vaccine Stored for Pandemic Risk Found Safe, Immunogenic
Influenza vaccine stored up to 12 years as part of the US Department of Health and Human Services’ pandemic readiness plan is safe and immunogenic, a study has found. The H5N1 avian influenza antigen and adjuvant maintained their functional integrity in the National Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Stockpile, according to testing led by Rick Bright, PhD, director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).
24th Jan 2019 - MD Magazine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullVaccine hesitancy would harm pandemic flu response
The rise of fake news and “vaccine fatigue” could seriously harm the response to a global flu pandemic on the scale of the 2009 swine flu outbreak, experts have warned. Flu experts told a conference on pandemic preparedness at Chatham House in London that falling public trust in vaccines and short memories meant that the world would struggle to fight a deadly outbreak of flu. Gulsah Gabriel, a virologist at Leibniz University in Germany, told the conference: “We are in the middle of an epidemic of vaccine fatigue. No one cares about influenza any more. People think it’s not dangerous.”
23rd Jan 2019 - The Telegraph
Vaccine hesitancy would harm pandemic flu response
23rd Jan 2019 - Yahoo News
Gene-edited chickens resistant to bird flu being created to stop next pandemic
An attempt to create gene-edited chickens that are totally resistant to flu has been launched by scientists in a bid to avert the next global pandemic. Knocking out genes that are vital for the virus as it infects a host could produce birds that act as an effective barrier between dangerous new strains developing in the wild and humans. A massive outbreak of flu, which can be transmitted from other animals including birds is considered by experts one of the biggest dangers facing humanity
23rd Jan 2019 - The Independent
Flu-resistant chickens under development
23rd Jan 2019 - Canada.com
Scientists designing gene-edited, flu-resistant chickens
23rd Jan 2019 - New York Post
Gene-edited chickens could prevent future flu pandemic
23rd Jan 2019 - News-Medical.net
Are we ready for a flu pandemic?
Nathan Yozwiak is drector of Viral Genomics at Ring Therapeutics, and Pardis Sabeti is a professor at Harvard University and Harvard School of Public Health and an institute member member of the Broad Institute. They write about the scientific progress made since the 1918 flu pandemic in the field of infectious disease, but warn that the risk of another global flu pandemic remains high. Among the many things needed to be able to avoid or deal with such a pandemic: "We need new therapies (such as the experimental drug favipirivir), and multidrug combinations need to be developed and approved for flu, because highly mutable viruses like flu can develop resistance. The flu vaccine pipeline, while a time-tested and well-oiled machine, still takes six to eight months for production, and too often the vaccine misses the mark due to changes that occur in the virus in nature and during egg-based manufacturing. Many researchers are pursuing the holy grail of flu prevention: a universal vaccine"
23rd Jan 2019 - The Boston Globe
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullExperts work on gene-edited chickens to stop next flu pandemic
British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens designed to be totally resistant to flu in a new approach to trying to stop the next deadly human pandemic. The birds' DNA has been altered using a new gene editing technology known as CRISPR. In this case the `edits` are to remove parts of a protein on which the flu virus normally depends, making the chickens totally flu-resistant. The idea is to generate poultry that cannot get flu and would form a `buffer between wild birds and humans"
22nd Jan 2019 - EJ Insight.com
Scientists make gene-edited chickens in bid to halt next pandemic
22nd Jan 2019 - First Post
Scientists make gene-edited, flu-resistant chickens
22nd Jan 2019 - Gulf News
Scientists who created Dolly the sheep reveal plans for gene-edited 'superchickens' resistant to flu in bid to halt human pandemic
22nd Jan 2019 - Daily Mail
Avian flu: advice for travellers over Chinese New Year
Travellers should be aware of the risk of avian flu when going to China during the annual festival. The Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival begins on Tuesday 5 February 2019; human cases of avian influenza have recently been reported in China, and historically there have been more cases at this time of year. The majority of reported human cases in China have had close contact with wild birds or poultry. Although the risk is very low, Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre are reminding UK travellers to protect themselves from avian flu by minimising exposure to wild birds and poultry.
22nd Jan 2019 - UK Government
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullScientists make gene-edited chickens in bid to halt next pandemic
British scientists are developing gene-edited chickens designed to be totally resistant to flu in a new approach to trying to stop the next deadly human pandemic. The birds’ DNA has been altered using a new gene editing technology known as CRISPR. In this case the “edits” are to remove parts of a protein on which the flu virus normally depends, making the chickens totally flu-resistant. The idea is to generate poultry that cannot get flu and would form a “buffer between wild birds and humans"
22nd Jan 2019 - Reuters
Superbugs and anti-vaxxers make WHO's list of 10 global health threats
WHO said it believes the world "will face another influenza pandemic -- the only thing we don't know is when it will hit and how severe it will be." In the U.S. alone, at least 13 children have died from the flu this season. WHO said it's constantly monitoring the circulation of flu viruses to detect potential pandemic strains. It said 153 institutions in 114 countries are involved in global surveillance and response.
21st Jan 2019 - CNN
WHO: Vaccine Hesitancy a Major Global Health Threat
21st Jan 2019 - Infectious Disease Advisor
WHO lists 10 threats to global health in 2019
21st Jan 2019 - Webindia 123
100 years later, why don’t we commemorate the victims and heroes of ‘Spanish flu’?
The pneumonic influenza pandemic of 1918–19 killed an estimated 50-100 million people – at least three times all of the deaths caused by the First World War. After the disease came ashore in January 1919, about a third of all Australians were infected and the flu left nearly 15,000 dead in under a year. While victims initially suffered the typical signs and symptoms of influenza – including aches, fever, coughing and an overwhelming weariness – a frighteningly high proportion went rapidly downhill.
21st Jan 2019 - Australian Journal of Pharmacy
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullThe WHO’s Vaccination Triple-Billion-Target
While vaccines are one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease, vaccine hesitancy threatens to reverse progress already made in eliminating infectious diseases, such as measles. To expand vaccination rates beginning in 2019, the WHO published a new 5-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work. During 2019, the WHO says it will ramp up efforts to help countries around the world eliminate several infectious diseases, such as dengue and influenza viruses
16th Jan 2019 - Precision Vaccinations
World Health Organization Names Anti-Vaxxers Among Global Health Threats
17th Jan 2019 - Rolling Stone
Ebola, HIV, Antivaxxers: The World Health Organization Names 2019's Global Health Threats
17th Jan 2019 - Gizmodo
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullPartnership to supercharge vaccine production
Vaccines to stop the world's next epidemic could be developed in record time under a $14.7 million partnership using technology developed at The University of Queensland. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has funded a research consortium to develop a rapid response pipeline to develop and test new vaccines in as little as 16 weeks. "The technology has been designed as a platform approach to generate vaccines against a range of human and animal viruses," Professor Young said. "We've had some extremely promising results so far from trials targeting viruses such as influenza, Ebola, Nipah and MERS coronavirus."
16th Jan 2019 - EurekAlert!
To save lives in the next flu pandemic, tweak vaccine supplies
In case of a flu pandemic, health experts should only replenish flu vaccines in areas that need them, researchers argue in a new paper. US flu vaccine distribution logistics could use an update, says Pinar Keskinocak, chair and professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director for the Center of Health and Humanitarian Systems. The new study compared the current approach with a proposed allocation method calculated to save many more lives in a pandemic or similarly intense influenza outbreak that taxes vaccine supplies.
15th Jan 2019 - Futurity
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullTen threats to global health in 2019
2019 sees the start of the World Health Organization's new 5-year strategic plan - the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan focuses on a triple billion target: ensuring 1 billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. Among the 10 threats WHO will be focusing on is the threat of a global flu pandemic.
15th Jan 2019 - Africa News
WHO lists top 10 threats to global health in 2019
15th Jan 2019 - Pulse Nigeria
UQ emerges as front line in fight against pandemics
Vaccines to combat outbreaks of deadly diseases could be rolled out in weeks instead of years, with Queensland researchers granted nearly $15 million to develop the process. A research team from the University of Queensland has developed a method that can easily create vaccines for a range of known diseases as well as respond rapidly to new ones, putting them at the front line of a potential response to a pandemic. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an international non-profit, has announced $14.7 million in funding for the method to be developed into a pipeline that could develop vaccines in as little as 16 weeks.
16th Jan 2019 - Brisbane Times
Study finds solution to gaps in US flu vaccine supply chain
When the next flu pandemic hits, and a new strain of flu emerges that none of us has a natural immunity to, Dr. Pinar Keskinocak, a professor at Georgia Tech's School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, says being able to effectively distribute the limited vaccine available early on in the outbreak could save thousands of lives. Keskinocak's team found more transparency in the registries would allow the supply chain to be tweaked to better meet the demand for vaccine. Instead of automatically allocating the vaccine based on population, it could be directed to areas where the demand is higher, and away from areas where the vaccine is piling up.
14th Jan 2019 - FOX 5 Atlanta
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullTen threats to global health in 2019
2019 sees the start of the World Health Organization’s new 5-year strategic plan – the 13th General Programme of Work. This plan focuses on a triple billion target: ensuring 1 billion more people benefit from access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people are protected from health emergencies and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and well-being. Among the 10 threats WHO will be focusing on is the threat of a global flu pandemic.
14th Jan 2019 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullChanges to Flu Shot Supply Chain Could Save Lives: Study
Problems with flu vaccine distribution in the United States may cost lives and pose a serious threat in the event of a flu pandemic, researchers warn. However, a computer model shows that proposed changes to the current distribution system could save thousands of lives, said study co-leader Pinar Keskinocak. She and her colleagues recommend replenishing flu vaccine stocks in regions where they are being used up and not replenishing them in areas where vaccines are piling up because people aren't getting flu shots.
11th Jan 2019 - Health Day
Study: Changes to flu vaccine supply chain could save thousands of lives
12th Jan 2019 - UPI.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullClose flu vaccine supply gaps to ease flu seasons, make pandemics less deadly
U.S. flu vaccine distribution logistics could use an update, according to Pinar Keskinocak. The researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology co-led a recent study that compared the current approach with a proposed allocation method calculated to save many more lives in a pandemic. The study's main recommendation, which applies to resupplying vaccine stocks during a running outbreak, boils down to this: To put a bigger dent in the spread of flu, replenish vaccine stocks in regions where they are being used up and don't replenish them in areas where vaccines are just sitting on shelves because few people are getting flu shots there.
9th Jan 2019 - EurekAlert!
Flu vaccine supply gaps can intensify flu seasons, make pandemics deadlier
8th Jan 2019 - MedicalXpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullH7N9 activity intensifies in China with 16 more cases
The number of new human H7N9 avian flu cases in China increased sharply, with 16 reported, including 15 on the mainland—most of them in Guangdong province—and another imported infection reported by Hong Kong. China and Hong Kong have now reported 38 cases in the fifth wave of H7N9 activity, which began in October, far more than the 10 cases reported at this point in the season last year.
7th Jan 2019 - CIDRAP
Flu Vaccine Supply Gaps Can Intensify Flu Seasons, Make Pandemics Deadlier
More than 50 million people died in the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919. Its 100th anniversary this flu season serves as a reminder to close flu vaccine supply gaps that may be costing lives now and could cost many more when the next “big one” strikes, researchers say. The current U.S. flu vaccine distribution approach could use updating, according to Pinar Keskinocak. The researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology co-led a recent study that compared the current approach with proposed updated logistics calculated to save many more lives.
7th Jan 2019 - Newswise.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullChina reports 6th human H9N2 avian flu infection of 2018
Chinese health officials reported a confirmed human H9N2 avian influenza case in a 32-year-old woman from the city of Shenzhen, Guangdong province, according to a Macao Health Bureau notice. According to the notice, the woman developed symptoms on December 19, 2018, and was admitted to hospital on December 25, and her condition is mild.
3rd Jan 2019 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for Jan 02, 2019
Chinese health officials have confirmed an H9N2 avian flu infection in a 32-year-old woman from the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, according to a Macao government statement translated and posted by Avian Flu Diary. The woman's symptoms began on Dec 19, and she was hospitalized on Dec 25. According to the report, her illness is mild. The H9N2 case is China's sixth of 2018.
2nd Jan 2019 - CIDRAP
China: Guangdong Province Reports Human H9N2 Infection
2nd Jan 2019 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jan 2019
View this newsletter in fullBill Gates: World isn't ready for killer flu epidemic
As 2018 comes to a close, Bill Gates is reflecting on the year and thinking about what lies ahead in his annual "What I learned at work this year" letter. In addition to addressing energy and gene editing, this year's musings focused on the potential of a global flu epidemic - one that Gates does not think we are ready to handle. Despite the lack of progress in developing a preparedness plan, Gates noted that there have been major steps towards creating a vaccine that protects against every strain of flu.
1st Jan 2019 - Becker's Hospital Review
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullFlu hunter's career spent tracking down a virus
Dr. Robert Webster is known worldwide as the first person to connect the flu virus to migratory birds. For the past year, Webster has been traveling the world to commemorate the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. “One hundred years ago, the monster virus emerged and the question still is, could another influenza virus, with the terrible disease that caused, ever occur again?” Webster said. Most of Webster’s research these days takes place in Asia and Bangladesh, following the evolution of bird flu.
28th Dec 2018 - Daily Memphian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullWHO Report Shows Global Progress On Influenza Preparedness Response
The World Health Organization has released a new report showing that significant progress has been made to build national and global preparedness for future influenza pandemics. This progress resulted from the collaborative multi-sectoral implementation of a WHO plan, funded by the benefit-sharing contributions of industry partners, to strengthen global health security against pandemic influenza.
18th Dec 2018 - IP Watch
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird Flu Vaccine Inventory Reported Safe & Immunogenic
As part of the US government overall pandemic preparedness strategy, maintaining a stockpile of vaccine antigen and adjuvants for avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses with pandemic potential is essential. The results of the “BARDA Ready In Times of Emergency” (BRITE) study is the first of its kind in the world and provided the data needed to answer that important preparedness question. Typically, a flu vaccine is used within the year it is made. The H5N1 influenza vaccine stored for more than a decade in the National Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine Stockpile (NPIVS) was found safe and immunogenic in the BRITE study.
17th Dec 2018 - Precision Vaccinations
Emerging Health Threats: EMA Releases Response Plans
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Monday released a plan detailing how it would respond to a cross-border emerging health threat. According to EMA, the plan is based on its 2006 pandemic influenza plan and has been updated based on experience gained during recent disease outbreaks such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and the 2014-2016 Ebola virus outbreak. Specifically, the 15-page plan details the roles and responsibilities of EMA staff and scientific committees during a health emergency and covers procedural matters to expedite the development and authorization of products to prevent or treat an emerging health threat.
17th Dec 2018 - Regulatory Focus
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullYour neighbour’s backyard chickens could kill you
Backyard chickens could be potential biohazards, according to Paul De Barro, research director for Health and Biosecurity at the CSIRO. They have the ability to spread zoonotic diseases and there would be little the government could do to contain it, he warned the ABC. Scientists are still unsure what exact conditions are needed for such transfers to occur. In Australia, there is a lack of information on exactly what diseases wild animals are carrying and which ones are building up in certain areas and could become potentially dangerous to humans.
16th Dec 2018 - Domain.com.au
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullTens of thousands could die in modern-day influenza pandemic
A pandemic research fund has been added to the health sector's wish-list. Public health experts want the Government to create a living memorial to mark the 1918 disaster and better prepare the country for future events. Prof Michael Baker of the University of Otago Department of Public Health says pandemics can happen about three times a century. "1918 was the most lethal influenza pandemic in recent history, but we could get an event like that again anytime - and it could be more severe."
13th Dec 2018 - Newshub
Backyard chooks could be a biosecurity time bomb
Infectious disease experts have warned of a potential biohazard, literally in our backyards. CSIRO research director for Health and Biosecurity Paul De Barro said there was a growing risk your humble chicken, pig or goat could contract a zoonotic disease, which can be deadly to humans. If a disease like avian flu started spreading, authorities would have no idea who had chickens, or where, because registration rules do not exist in most parts of Australia. He said that would make containing an outbreak of disease impossible.
13th Dec 2018 - ABC.Net.au
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullNo new cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans reported since 2014
Vietnam has reported no new human cases of avian influenza A/H5N1 and the country has successfully controlled outbreaks of the H5N1 strain over the past five years, an agriculture official said.The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said the country had also co-ordinated with domestic and international organisations by sharing information and implementing measures to cope with A/H7N9.
12th Dec 2018 - Vietnam News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew Diagnostics, Novel Therapies and Surveillance Are Central to Pandemic Prevention
A century after the 1918 flu pandemic, we understand much more about diagnosing and controlling the flu, but most global health experts say our interconnected communities present the same danger for the right kind of virus. So if, or when, that virus emerges, will we be ready? Duke Global Health Institute checked in with a few infectious disease experts to get their thoughts on how we can best prevent and—if it comes to pass—contain this looming outbreak.
9th Dec 2018 - Global Health Duke
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird flu strain could overcome vaccines and infect humans, scientists warn
Scientists have warned that a strain of avian influenza could potentially overcome vaccines and infect humans. A team led by the Pirbright Institute has shown that mutant H9N2 bird flu viruses isolated from Pakistan are able to escape immune responses and adapt to infect humans. This could result in reduced vaccine efficiency and the possibility of human outbreaks, say the scientists.
6th Dec 2018 - FarmingUK
“Designer bugs”: how the next pandemic might come from a lab
Diplomats from around the world are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of an annual gathering of state parties for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Beyond developing new global standards and practices, we need to adopt more flexible countermeasures to face off the threat of bioengineered pathogens. We also need to invest more in developing antivirals that hit a wider range of targets. And we should also develop “platform” technologies that allow rapid vaccine development.
6th Dec 2018 - Vox
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in full'Are we ready?': Canada and the world have work to do before next pandemic, say experts
One hundred years after the deadly Spanish flu killed tens of millions of people around the world, the conditions are ripe for another severe flu pandemic, say experts, and Canada is not as ready as it needs to be. Canada is not alone. At the biannual Canadian Immunization Conference, being held in Ottawa this week, delegates heard from a leading international expert who warned that more work needs to be done globally before the next severe pandemic.
5th Dec 2018 - Ottawa Citizen
The flu is coming: Are we ready for the next pandemic?
The next pandemic, say experts, is a question of when, not if. Are we ready? "We've come a long way, but we are still vulnerable," says Ruth Berkelman, emeritus director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research at Rollins School of Public Health. "Influenza spreads quickly. It mutates quickly. And it's persistent in the environment. I think it's one of the biggest catastrophic threats we face." The virus constantly morphs and changes to outwit vaccines. "You can do a lot to get ready, but at the end of the day, the flu seems to find a way around everything you've done," says Lynnette Brammer, who leads the CDC's domestic influenza surveillance team.
5th Dec 2018 - Medical Express
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Dec 2018
View this newsletter in fullAfrican countries test their capacity to respond to a deadly global flu pandemic
A simulation of a response to a deadly global flu pandemic involving more than 40 countries, including 10 on the African continent is taking place 4-6 December, 2018. This highly complex exercise is coordinated by the World Health Organization’s Global Emergency Operations Centre (WHO EOC) and by the EOC Network, a network of health emergency operations centres. “The threat of a deadly pandemic flu outbreak persists and it is essential that countries in the African region strengthen their capacities to respond by participating in these simulation exercises,” says Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa
4th Dec 2018 - afro.who.int
The Flu is Coming
The best defense against a flu pandemic would be a universal vaccine. Researchers say such a vaccine is still years away, but important work is being done at Emory, which partners with the University of Georgia as one of five Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS). These five centers are responsible for pandemic planning for the U.S. government. Rafi Ahmed, director of the Emory Vaccine Center, is working to develop a vaccine that targets the stalk of the HA molecule. Since that region does not tend to change from strain to strain, a vaccine that disabled the virus by attacking the stalk would work for many, if not all, strains of influenza A.
4th Dec 2018 - Emory News Center
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullAnother Voice: U.S. needs will to prepare for next pandemic
Dr. Kevin M. Gibas, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, is a resident in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He writes on the likelihood of a new global pandemic. "It is not a question of if, but when, a new contagion or a large-scale pandemic will emerge that will test our public health system’s infrastructure. A national lack of infrastructure to deal with such threats, unless addressed on many different levels, could be disastrous when a new pandemic emerges. Ensuring that we are prepared for this next epidemic will require the input and collaboration between health care, public health and government institutions on many different levels. It will require education and training of medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, as well as first responders. It will also require funding both in the United States and in areas of critical disease burden abroad for disease treatment, vaccine research and the funding to create the infrastructure necessary to respond to large-scale epidemics."
29th Nov 2018 - The Buffalo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullHow to Survive a Flu Pandemic
Stephen C. Redd, director of the Center for Preparedness and Response at the C.D.C., gives advice on how to survive a flu pandemic. He recommends staying away from crowds, potentially staying home, wearing a mask and observing good hygiene. He adds that producing a vaccine for a new influenza strain could take months; when one becomes available, get it as soon as you can, knowing that it will be distributed first to those most at risk. Beware rumors and fake news.
28th Nov 2018 - The New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullFear of the unknown keeps WHO infectious diseases team on its toes
Every month, approximately 300 reports cross the desk of Dr Sylvie Briand detailing an outbreak of a disease somewhere in the world. The director of infectious hazard management for WHO's team is presently monitoring an outbreak of the H7N9 avian influenza in China – an illness that has killed at least 615 people globally since it first crossed over into humans in March 2013 – but says our world will never be free of new and mutated diseases.
26th Nov 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullH5N6 avian influenza: Chinese girl hospitalized in serious condition
The Chinese National Health Commission reported on an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Jiangsu. This brings the total cases to 23 in China since 2014. The case involved a 10-year-old girl from Suzhou in Jiangsu. She developed symptoms on October 29 and was hospitalized on November 3. She is now in a serious condition.
23rd Nov 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhat if a deadly influenza pandemic broke out today?
Given the flu virus’ propensity for mutation and its constant presence in nature (it occurs naturally in wild water birds), experts agree that it is only a matter of time until a strain emerges that is just as contagious and deadly as the Spanish flu – and possibly even worse. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, says: “The idea that we would not have another 1918-like event is foolish". "But when that will happen, he continues, is impossible to predict: “For all we know, it could be starting as we speak.” It’s also impossible to predict exactly how things will play out when a Spanish flu-like strain does reemerge – but we can make some educated guesses."
22nd Nov 2018 - BBC
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Nov 2018
View this newsletter in full'Negligible risk' in contracting bird flu from eating contaminated raw eggs
The chances of catching low pathogenic avian influenza from eating contaminated raw egg is negligible, according to a European Union report. The European Commission asked EFSA to assess the risk for transmission of low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAIV) of subtypes H5 and H7 via raw poultry meat and table eggs leading to infection and onward virus transmission to animals and humans. And EFSA concluded that the probability of infection was negligible for both raw table eggs and raw poultry meat.
20th Nov 2018 - FarmingUK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew threat of avian influenza – human transmission
Research led by The Pirbright Institute has shown mutant H9N2 bird flu viruses isolated from Pakistan are able to escape immune responses and adapt to infect humans. This could result in reduced vaccine efficiency and the possibility of human outbreaks. Pirbright scientists carrying out surveillance research discovered small changes to a surface protein, called haemagglutinin, of the H9N2 influenza A virus enabled the mutated virus to enter human cells. The group is now working on understanding how this mutant H9N2 avian influenza A virus could generate a mutation that hits the right balance, while retaining its ability to bind to human-like receptors.
19th Nov 2018 - Vet Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullRisk of flu pandemic 'remains high'
The centenary of the Spanish flu's lethal impact on New Zealand has prompted a warning the risk of another flu pandemic remains high. Professor Geoff Rice attended a ceremony in Wellington at the weekend to mark 100 years since the country's worst public health disaster. The researcher said the risk of another flu pandemic remained high and if a similarly deadly infection were to hit New Zealand today, we could expect more than 30,000 deaths.
19th Nov 2018 - New Zealand Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullNepal at high risk of imported diseases outbreak
Nepalis are at greater risk of contracting imported infectious diseases, as several countries, where Nepalis are working as migrant workers, have reported increasing cases of Zika, Ebola and other types of influenza, according to doctors. Infectious diseases that can get transmitted to Nepal from India are flu H1N1, chikungunya and Crimean-Congo H fever. The Ministry of Health and Population claims that the government has been monitoring the situation at regular intervals and has directed the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division to provide updates every week.
12th Nov 2018 - The Himalayan Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy the flu of 1918 was so deadly
Why was the 1918 flu so lethal? It is a conundrum that scientists have deliberated over for a century, because the 1918 flu is an anomaly in the annals of flu pandemics too. In an average flu pandemic, 0.1% of those who fall sick go on to die, essentially of severe respiratory distress. In 1918, that number was 5-10%.
9th Nov 2018 - The Economist
Predicting the next global pandemic
The nature and likelihood of the next pandemic presents many challenges to governments and health organisations, as it could be an unknown pathogen that the world is ill-equipped to contain. The risks associated with such a pandemic has secondary effects as it not only affects human health, but also causes severe disruptions in economic, political, and social areas. At present, the Centers for Disease Control in the United States rate H7N9 as having a high likelihood of evolving into a wide-spread pandemic.
8th Nov 2018 - Global Risk Insights
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullOn 100-year anniversary of influenza outbreak that killed 9000 Kiwis, fresh concerns arise
In New Zealand, Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago Wellington's public health department is concerned the country is falling out of step with many westernised countries when it comes to dealing with outbreaks of contagious diseases. "New Zealand really is the odd one out now in not having an agency whose job it is to do the surveillance and control of these events," Mr Baker said. While the Ministry of Health has a "great pandemic plan with excellent people working on this," he said, the country is lacking the infrastructure to implement the plan with speed and effectiveness.
7th Nov 2018 - TV New Zealand
News Scan for Nov 07, 2018
A serological survey of shelter workers exposed to cats infected in an outbreak of low-pathogenic H7N2 avian influenza in New York City in 2016 found one additional human case, bolstering evidence of cat-to-human transmission. Researchers from New York City and the CDC reported their findings on Nov 5 in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The individual who tested positive is only the fourth person in the United States to be infected with an H7N2 virus and the only serologically confirmed human infection connected to cat exposure.
7th Nov 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullHuman case of A(H5N6) infection in China
The National Health Commission in China has reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi. The case involved a 44-year-old man from Hechi in Guangxi. He developed symptoms on October 18, was hospitalized on October 21 and died on October 27. The patient denied that he had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms. From 2014 to date, 22 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.
6th Nov 2018 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong to remain vigilant over bird flu threat, health chief Sophia Chan vows, as Japanese research confirms H7N9 virus can be transmitted via respiratory droplets
Hong Kong’s health minister promised the government would stay alert over any possible outbreak of bird flu in the city as new research in Japan confirmed the H7N9 virus could be transmitted via respiratory droplets. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the government had done a lot in the prevention and surveillance of bird flu at local farms and markets selling live poultry. University of Hong Kong microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung said research by Chinese scientists in 2013 obtained similar findings to the Japanese study. Citing the WHO’s surveillance programme, Ho said the risk of a large outbreak remained low.
4th Nov 2018 - South China Morning Post
News Scan for Nov 05, 2018
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its interim planning guidance for allocating pandemic influenza vaccine during a flu pandemic, which weaves in its updated pandemic severity categories and lessons learned during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The 25-page document, posted on Oct 26, also covers the possibility that two doses of vaccine or an adjuvant may be needed to provide immunity. CDC's interim plan has a tiered allocation system, which can be refined based on vaccine quantity available.
5th Nov 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullA century on from the influenza pandemic that killed 9,000 Kiwis - are we ready for the next one?
In New Zealand, north of Wellington, the World Health Organisation's National Influenza Centre is part of the WHO worldwide network keeping tabs on flu virus strains that are already circulating and any possible new ones. Otago University Public Health professor Michael Baker is worried about the public health infrastructure is broken into smaller parts and talks about an erosion, especially in staff and fragmentations of services.
3rd Nov 2018 - TV New Zealand
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullH5N6 avian influenza death reported in Guangxi, China
The National Health Commission in China has reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi. The case involved a 44-year-old man from Hechi in Guangxi. He developed symptoms on October 18, was hospitalized on October 21 and died on October 27. The patient denied that he had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms. From 2014 to date, 22 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities.
1st Nov 2018 - Outbreak News Today
China hit with human case of avian influenza
1st Nov 2018 - Global Meat News
News Scan for Nov 01, 2018 - CIDRAP
1st Nov 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Nov 2018
View this newsletter in fullInfluenza's wild origins in the animals around us
Efforts at producing a universal vaccine to prevent influenza infection in humans show promise. But the ability to test those vaccines and to prepare for and predict emerging strains will not be complete without a strong understanding of the origin, movement and risk of viruses circulating in the animals and environment around us. With better understanding of these ecological connections coming from continued research, we hope we can be better prepared for the next pandemic.
31st Oct 2018 - The Malta Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullBritish study discovers flu virus capable of developing resistance to pandemic drug
A drug currently under development for use against flu pandemics is at risk of being outpaced by the virus it is meant to prevent, according to researchers at Imperial College London and Public Health England. In a study, the organizations found that two genetic mutations could bring the flu virus down a path of drug resistance to favipiravir, an experimental antiviral developed in Japan.
29th Oct 2018 - Homeland Preparedness News
100 years ago, the Spanish flu killed millions. Could it happen again?
In many ways, the world is better-prepared to deal with a flu pandemic than it was in 1918. “Almost everywhere in the world, and Canada is a good example of it, we now have pandemic flu plans in place, which allow us to in an organized and systematic fashion address it when and if it emerges,” Dr. Gerald Evans said. A paper published in early October in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology found that global influenza surveillance programs are constantly monitoring for flu outbreaks, and authorities are acting on that information — by slaughtering infected poultry, for example — to prevent them from spreading.
29th Oct 2018 - Global News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullHow Vaccines Help Prevent Another Flu Pandemic
Researchers believe that over 50 million people worldwide died in the 1918 flu pandemic, making it possibly worse than even the Black Death that began in the 14th century. This could occur again unless we protect ourselves better. To do that, we should emphasize high compliance with the flu vaccines that are currently available while we pursue the longer-term goal of a better vaccine.
25th Oct 2018 - ACSH
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullPredicting Pandemics - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Today, three-quarters of new infectious diseases originate in animals, and human activities — from travel to farming and urbanization — contribute to the spread of these viruses. So as experts collaborate to pinpoint where and when the next global health crisis might occur, they focus on areas where people come in contact with animals. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Global Health Program has been an integral part of this effort, working directly with experts from three Myanmar government ministries to lead USAID PREDICT program activities in Myanmar. Aptly named, PREDICT aims to prevent, detect and control infectious diseases.
23rd Oct 2018 - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullA Centennial of Death: The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918
As we remember the 1918 flu pandemic, Americans are reminded of the importance of getting a flu shot, especially in children who tend the spread the virus easily. Dr. Grohskopf says that immunization coverage tends to be better in younger children, and then starts to drop, so that it is lowest among young adults. Last season, 67.8 percent of children from 6 months to 4 years old were immunized, but only 47.4 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds. That’s a lot of children left exposed.
22nd Oct 2018 - The New York Times
An Unknown 'Disease' Could Become an Epidemic. Can We Find It Before It's Too Late?
Earlier this year, WHO listed "Disease X" among the diseases most in need of research and development. Experts at the World Health Summit in Berlin warned that we're not prepared to find such a disease at its likely animal source, or spot it quickly when it starts making people sick. Veterinary pathologist Tracey McNamara, who organized a summit panel on Disease X, said there is little to no surveillance of wildlife diseases, and in her career, she has found that the divide between the public health sector and animal health sector makes it very difficult to recognize and respond to a novel threat.
22nd Oct 2018 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullPublic Trust in Vaccines Plummets After Philippines Dengue Crisis
The ability to fight future pandemics could be at risk following a plunge in public confidence in vaccines in the Philippines, according to a report from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The plummeting trust can be traced to 2015, when the government of the Philippines began a large-scale dengue fever vaccination program after an increase in cases of the mosquito-borne disease. “This dramatic drop in confidence is a real concern about risks to other diseases such as measles, on the one hand. On the other hand, too, Asia is ripe for a pandemic in influenza viruses to take hold, and in the case of a pandemic or an emergency outbreak, that’s not a time when you can build trust,” said Larson, who also cautioned that misinformation played a big part in undermining confidence in vaccines.
21st Oct 2018 - Voice of America
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe cost and challenge of vaccine development for emerging and emergent infectious diseases
In The Lancet Global Health, Dimitrios Gouglas and colleagues present a cost analysis for vaccine development for epidemic infectious diseases. Such an analysis is crucial to serve as a guide to harmonise finite funds and monetary needs to achieve CEPI's goal of successful testing through phase 2a of at least one vaccine per targeted pathogen. Although not part of CEPI's mandate, the eventual objective is successful vaccine licensure.
18th Oct 2018 - The Lancet
An Unknown 'Disease X' Could Become an Epidemic. Can We Find It Before It's Too Late?
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization listed "Disease X" among the diseases most in need of research and development. Disease X is not a specific illness, but rather a hypothetical epidemic that could be caused by a pathogen that we don't yet realize affects humans. Experts at the World Health Summit in Berlin this week warned that we're not prepared to find such a disease at its likely animal source, or spot it quickly when it starts making people sick. Veterinary pathologist Tracey McNamara said there is little to no surveillance of wildlife diseases, and the divide between the public health sector and animal health sector makes it very difficult to recognize and respond to a novel threat.
18th Oct 2018 - Live Science
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe dangers of a global pandemic
Dr Peter Barlow is a spokesperson for the British Society for Immunology and is Associate Professor of Immunology and Infection at Edinburgh Napier University. He talks about the 1918 flu pandemic and contemporary equivalents. He thinks that when it comes to the Avian flu, there isn’t a direct comparison. When it comes to annual flu shots, Dr Barlow is adamant that as many people as possible should get flu vaccinations each year. “My perspective is that there is no reason not to get a flu vaccination,” he says. “We know that every year it isn’t 100 per cent effective but it is absolutely the best way we have of preventing the spread of flu — and it’s been shown that the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of a child of infant dying from an influenza infection, so the more people that are vaccination against flu, the less people are going to catch it. So, from my perspective, I strongly, strongly encourage anyone to vaccinate themselves and their children against flu.”
17th Oct 2018 - Gulf News
The flu that transformed the 20th century
The picture we have of the 1918 flu pandemic is vastly more detailed today than it was 20 years ago, let alone 50 or 100 years ago. But it’s nowhere near complete. Pathologist Jeffery Taubenberger of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – the man who in 2005, with his colleague Ann Reid, published the genetic sequence of the virus responsible for the pandemic – said at a recent conference there were still many unanswered outstanding questions. Researchers all over the world are working hard to answer them.
17th Oct 2018 - BBC
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullWould we now fare better against the equivalent of the Spanish flu?
It is 100 years since the influenza pandemic killed millions around the world. But what is the chance of something similar happening again? New strains of flu continue to emerge and experts warn that another pandemic could happen despite a century of advances in technology and healthcare. Arnaud Fontanet of the Pasteur Institute believes that the real issue and unknown is the capacity of a new flu virus to cause severe infection
16th Oct 2018 - France Inter
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework: 5 countries report their achievements
Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reported their achievements since first receiving WHO’s continuous support through the PIP Framework Partnership Contribution in 2014, which aims at building capacities that are fundamental to greater preparedness for the next influenza pandemic. The Annual Meeting also marked the transition from the PIP Framework Partnership Contribution High-Level Implementation Plan I (2014–2017) to the High-Level Implementation Plan II (2018–2023). Plan II focuses on further enhancing the quality of national influenza surveillance data and on ensuring that newly established or improved influenza surveillance systems are maintained in the long term by each country.
16th Oct 2018 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullA pandemic killing tens of millions of people is a real possibility — and we are not prepared for it
We cannot totally eliminate the risk of pandemics in the near term. But a three-pronged agenda focused on mitigating that risk — pushing for better and faster vaccine development and deployment, a stronger emergency response infrastructure, and a more robust global health security system — can make us safer. But most importantly, we need to take the risk seriously.
15th Oct 2018 - Vox.com
Spanish flu pandemic 1918 - could it happen again?
It is 100 years since the influenza pandemic killed millions around the world, a death toll far worse than the bubonic plague. But what is the chance of something similar happening again? New strains of flu continue to emerge and experts warn that another pandemic could happen despite a century of advances in technology and healthcare.
15th Oct 2018 - BBC
Era of danger of a catastrophic influenza pandemic far from over
Whatever it may have lacked in lethality, the 1918 flu made up for in virulence. Could we see one fifth of the population struck down with influenza ever again? Dr Michael Osterholm, director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, thinks so. "We now have influenza vaccines that we didn’t have in 1918, but their effectiveness is limited." With regard to a universal flu vaccine, he thinks that more money and effort is required, and we are 5 to 8 years away from it
15th Oct 2018 - The Irish Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullFlu pandemic that wiped out NZ's population could happen again
A flu that killed thousands of New Zealanders in 1918 could repeat in the future, experts say, but they're in disagreement over how to deal with it. "In many ways the world of 2018 is more conducive to a 1918-like pandemic than 1918," says Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the John Hopkins centre for Health Security. Global travel times have fallen, which a virus can exploit, he says, and population increases and cramped cities could also encourage a virus to spread "like wildfire" in the right context. He claims pharmaceutical companies have a lack of interest in infectious disease research, and few are engaged in the hunt for new vaccines or treatments.
14th Oct 2018 - Stuff.co.nz
Influenza: are we ready? - World Health Organization
When 100 passengers on a flight from Dubai to New York in September 2018 fell ill with respiratory symptoms, health officials were concerned that they might be carrying a serious respiratory illness called MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and quarantined the plane until further health checks could be completed. Testing showed that several were positive for the influenza virus, which can be easily spread when people are in close contact or in contained spaces such as airports and planes for several hours. WHO and partners are developing a renewed Global Influenza Strategy to be launched this year. This will support countries in developing seasonal influenza prevention and control capacities.
12th Oct 2018 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe next great plague is on its way
One hundred years on from the influenza outbreak known as the Spanish Flu, scientists say that while lessons have been learned from the deadliest pandemic in history, the world is ill-prepared for the next global killer. In particular, they warn that shifting demographics, antibiotic resistance and climate change could all complicate any future outbreak.
10th Oct 2018 - The Nation
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in full4 flu preparedness lessons from the 1918 pandemic
The 1918 flu pandemic offers several lessons on infection control and outbreak response efforts for health officials today, according to a study. Researchers analyzed numerous flu studies to identify the human, viral and societal factors that fueled the flu pandemic of 1918, in which 50 million people died. "Like the 1918 pandemic, the severity of any future outbreak will result from a complex interplay between viral, host and societal factors," study author Carolien van de Sandt, PhD, a researcher at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia, said. "Understanding these factors is vital for influenza pandemic preparedness."
9th Oct 2018 - Becker's Hospital Review
What deadly 1918 Spanish flu outbreak taught us, and how world can ready for next pandemic
9th Oct 2018 - South China Morning Post
Rise of obesity and diabetes could exacerbate future flu pandemics
The growth in rates of obesity and diabetes and the threat of antibiotic resistance could turn even a mild flu outbreak into a severe one, scientists have warned. They say the world is far better prepared to tackle a flu outbreak today than in 1918 because of a better understanding of how flu spreads and improved surveillance of infections. But they warn that the rise of chronic diseases, coupled with changing population demographics and antibiotic resistance, could exacerbate an outbreak.
8th Oct 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullLessons from the 1918 flu pandemic: How to prepare for future pandemics
This year marks the centenary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, the worst flu outbreak in recorded history. A new study into the human, viral and societal factors behind its severity provides valuable lessons that could save lives in future pandemics. Publishing in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, the authors warn that while the world is better prepared than 100 years ago, new challenges will affect the impact of the next influenza virus pandemic — including changing population demographics, antibiotic resistance and climate change. Scientists today can evaluate the pandemic potential of new viruses, both in animals and once a strain has crossed into humans. But, as the authors point out, such surveillance efforts are required across the world.
8th Oct 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Lessons from the 1918 flu pandemic, 100 years on
8th Oct 2018 - Science Daily
100 years on, Spanish flu holds lessons for next pandemic
8th Oct 2018 - Free Malaysia Today
100 years on, Spanish Flu holds lessons for next pandemic
8th Oct 2018 - Radio France International
100 years on, Spanish Flu holds lessons for next pandemic
8th Oct 2018 - France 24
100 years after Spanish flu, researchers look for new pandemic protections
7th Oct 2018 - Tribune-Review
The NZ-trained flu hunter trying to prevent global outbreak of the virus
Virologist Robert Webster has just published a memoir called Flu Hunter: Unlocking the Secrets of a Virus. As a leading flu researcher, he has helped prove that flu viruses are spread by wild aquatic birds to domestic poultry and pigs, and eventually to humans. Webster, who at age 86 continues to keep a close eye on the latest flu research, says these threats make efforts to find both a cure for the flu and a vaccine to prevent it even more urgent.
8th Oct 2018 - Noted
Global health security threats — despite worldwide responses, there’s much more to do
Ambassador John E. Lange (Ret.) is a senior fellow for Global Health Diplomacy at the United Nations Foundation. He was a foreign service officer and served as the State Department's special representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza from 2006-2009. He writes on the threat of global pandemics that " the many international and national efforts to prevent, detect and respond to global health security threats deserve commendation and support for trying to protect all of us. And yet, funding to build required capacity to face these threats is woefully inadequate."
6th Oct 2018 - MSN.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullGlobal health security threats — despite worldwide responses, there's much more to do
Ambassador John E. Lange (Ret.) is a senior fellow for Global Health Diplomacy at the United Nations Foundation. He was a foreign service officer and served as the State Department’s special representative on Avian and Pandemic Influenza from 2006-2009. He writes on the threat of global pandemics that " the many international and national efforts to prevent, detect and respond to global health security threats deserve commendation and support for trying to protect all of us. And yet, funding to build required capacity to face these threats is woefully inadequate."
5th Oct 2018 - The Hill
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullCHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangdong
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health in Hong Kong has received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangdong. The case involved a 22-year-old man who developed symptoms on September 25 and was hospitalised on the next day. He is now in a serious condition. The patient had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms
1st Oct 2018 - 7thSpace.com
CHP informed of H5N6 bird flu case in Guangdong
1st Oct 2018 - rthk.hk
Vulnerability to Pandemic Flu Could Be Greater Today Than a Century Ago
In a recent conversation with JAMA, Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, explained why the world is vulnerable to another 1918-like flu pandemic and what’s needed to dodge the infectious bullet.
1st Oct 2018 - The Jama Network
Diseases like Ebola and avian flu are some of the biggest threats to global security — and lack of funding puts the US at risk
The prevailing laissez-faire attitude toward funding pandemic preparedness within President Donald Trump’s White House is creating new vulnerabilities in the health infrastructure of the United States and leaving the world with critical gaps to contend with when the next global outbreak of infectious disease hits. This lack of focus and relative decline in funding is dangerous, given the steady stream of global reports suggesting that transmission of potentially deadly zoonotic diseases, where pathogens move from animals to humans, is rising at an alarming rate.
1st Oct 2018 - Business Insider
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Oct 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe Next Pandemic Will Be Arriving Shortly
Pandemic disease is arguably one of the greatest threats to global stability and security. But investments to contend with such outbreaks have declined to their lowest levels since the height of the Ebola response in 2014, with U.S. federal dollars cut by over 50 percent from those peak levels. Perhaps most terrifying, difficult to treat and highly fatal strains of H7N9 avian influenza are spreading throughout China. This strain of bird flu causes rapid respiratory illness with associated multiorgan dysfunction that’s easily spread by a small droplet.
30th Sep 2018 - Foreign Policy
100 years ago, influenza killed as many as 50 million people. Could it happen again today?
Top health and science groups, such as WHO, the National Academy of Sciences and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predict influenza pandemics are nearly certain to recur. "Influenza viruses, with the vast silent reservoir in aquatic birds, are impossible to eradicate," WHO warned. "With the growth of global travel, a pandemic can spread rapidly globally with little time to prepare a public health response." A pandemic could also arise if a strain mutates with or develops directly from animal flu viruses, the CDC said.
30th Sep 2018 - USA Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullFlu’s success owes much to its genetic mutability
Both “mini-epidemics” of seasonal flu, which happen most years, and much larger pandemics, of which 1918’s was the worst example, are the result of an arms race between the influenza virus and the immune systems of the animals it infects.
27th Sep 2018 - The Economist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhere there’s global unrest, there are often pandemics
In a lecture titled “Conflict and the Global Threat of Pandemics,” Michele Barry, senior dean of global health and director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health at Stanford University, examined the relationship between unrest and health crises. Barry, a specialist in tropical diseases, said she has long been interested in the development of pandemics. In some cases, she noted, politics alone is enough to spread diseases. She cited a New York Times report from just two weeks ago, headlined “China Has Withheld Samples of Dangerous Flu Virus.”
26th Sep 2018 - News.Harvard.edu
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullBiosafety Reforms Still Lagging at Military Labs
In the U.S., three years after discovering that a military laboratory had shipped live anthrax to facilities around the world, the Department of Defense still has not developed a plan to evaluate its biological security practices, the federal Government Accountability Office reported. Efforts to reform the government’s approach to biological security came on the heels of lab safety lapses at other agencies as well. In 2014, a lab at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accidentally contaminated a relatively benign flu sample with a dangerous H5N1 bird flu strain.
24th Sep 2018 - New York Times
Experts urge study of animal-human disease
Scientists have called for more research into diseases transmitted from animals to humans. The researchers said African governments have not prioritised research in zoonotic diseases. “We should build capacity for the next generation of African scientists without relying on funding from outside. This will help countries mitigate the spread of zoonotic diseases that are highly infections and fatal,” Bassirou Bonfoh, director of Afrique One-Aspire, a Pan African consortium that promotes research on zoonotic diseases, said
24th Sep 2018 - The Star
Harvard's 'Outbreak Week' marks centennial of flu pandemic
Harvard University will be honoring the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic with a series of events on disease outbreak. The school's Global Health Institute is hosting "Outbreak Week" starting Monday, featuring public lectures and discussions with prominent scholars and scientists. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is scheduled to give a keynote address Friday.
24th Sep 2018 - Boston Herald
Avian flu and live bird markets in Hong Kong – a global concern?
Avian influenza viruses usually only infect birds, with human cases rare. However, with the ability for genetic reassortment, there is risk they may adapt and become more transmissible to humans. The risk of a pandemic occurs when these viruses are able to infect and sustain human to human transmission, and, therefore, spread rapidly in a naive population. Jo Widdicombe assesses potential zoonotic dangers posed by animals kept in these conditions and whether a ban on bird markets should be considered
24th Sep 2018 - Vet Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in full50 years ago, a flu pandemic spurred vaccine research
The 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic killed about a million people worldwide. A vaccine became available only after the pandemic had peaked. Even today, flu vaccine development is tricky because the three types of influenza virus that infect people are moving targets that change, or mutate, often. But scientists are getting closer to making universal flu vaccines that would protect against many flu strains over multiple seasons.
22nd Sep 2018 - Science News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullRegulations to address public-health emergencies decided
In the Philippines, the Department of Health aid that the International Health Regulations (2005) Joint External Evaluation has been concluded as it aims to assess the country’s preparedness for disease outbreaks and public-health emergencies. From September 9 to 14, international experts involved in 19 technical area (food safety, disease surveillance, outbreak response and public health emergency preparedness) have been working with representatives from the various departments of the government to conduct the JEE.
20th Sep 2018 - Business Mirror
How to prevent new strain of bird flu turning into a global crisis
A new strain of bird flu could soon provoke a global crisis. The disease has infected 1,400 people in China -- and killed 40 percent of them. Experts worry the virus could spread worldwide. A few cases have already been detected in Tennessee. Public health officials won't be able to defeat these ailments solely by inoculating and treating people. They'll need to combat them at the source -- the animals that spread viruses and bacteria.
20th Sep 2018 - International Business Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy pandemic influenza is so much more deadly than seasonal flu
A look at what makes the flu virus so deadly: our immune system plays an important role in the severity of infections with pandemic flu and bird flu. It detects these viruses and launches a violent counterattack, or `cytokine storm`, which is so strong that our lungs fill up with white blood cells, fluid and blood, and we effectively drown. Dangerous flu viruses make a molecule that causes disease when these viruses get inside our cells. Scientists think this is because they have not had enough time to adapt and are copying themselves incorrectly.
19th Sep 2018 - Times of Malta
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhite House shines high-level spotlight on biodefense
The Trump Administration has released a new National Biodefense Strategy, along with an order that directs the Department of Health and Human Services to take the coordinating lead and establishes a cabinet-level biodefense steering committee. Tom Inglesby, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said today that he was impressed by the scope of the effort. "It's the first national strategy that encompasses natural, deliberate, and accidental biological threats, and that addresses threats to humans, animals, and plants."
18th Sep 2018 - CIDRAP
Flu plane: are we really ready for a global pandemic?
The world is vastly unprepared for a flu pandemic: there is poor public health surveillance in many parts of the world, there aren’t enough vaccines to go around and the international legal framework designed to ensure vaccines get to the poorest countries is not fit for purpose.
18th Sep 2018 - Bizcommunity.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy pandemic influenza is so deadly – revealed
A look at what makes the flu virus so deadly: our immune system plays an important role in the severity of infections with pandemic flu and bird flu. It detects these viruses and launches a violent counterattack, or “cytokine storm”, which is so strong that our lungs fill up with white blood cells, fluid and blood, and we effectively drown. Dangerous flu viruses make a molecule that causes disease when these viruses get inside our cells. Scintists think this is because they have not had enough time to adapt and are copying themselves incorrectly.
17th Sep 2018 - The Conversation
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew Zealand flu hunter: 'Nature only needs to shuffle the perfect hand'
Much of what we know now about the origins of influenza pandemics is because of Robert Webster, a pioneering virologist and bird-flu expert. At 86, he still works in infectious diseases at St Jude Children's Research Hospital in the USA where he continues to publish research papers, mentor others and run influenza investigations and programmes around the world. Webster calls wild ducks "the Trojan horse" because they harbour, replicate and transmit the virus to other poultry by defecating in open water. They don't get sick but the other birds they infect — like chickens — are quick to succumb to H5 variants.
17th Sep 2018 - New Zealand Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullA prototype of how to fight the next pandemic: A vaccine without the shot
When the next deadly pandemic flu hits, the first challenge will be to develop a vaccine. But looming behind that obstacle is another: How to get an inoculation to millions of people without inadvertently exacerbating the crisis. A new study provides proof of concept for a solution that could upend the traditional centralized model, in which health professionals give injections at clinics: Researchers created an H5N1 vaccine, boosted by a special ingredient that primes the body's immune system to respond, and administered it through a microneedle that only penetrates the upper layer of the skin. They see this prototype technology as a platform that could lead to novel vaccine patches that can be distributed rapidly and administered without a nurse.
13th Sep 2018 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullMolecular Evolution, Diversity, and Adaptation of Influenza A(H7N9) Viruses in China
The substantial increase in prevalence and emergence of antigenically divergent or highly pathogenic influenza A(H7N9) viruses during 2016–17 raises concerns about the epizootic potential of these viruses. Researchers investigated the evolution and adaptation of H7N9 viruses by analyzing available data and newly generated virus sequences isolated in Guangdong Province, China, during 2015–2017. Phylogenetic analyses showed that circulating H7N9 viruses belong to distinct lineages with differing spatial distributions.
12th Sep 2018 - CDC.gov
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe decline in virus sample sharing is not just about China
The problems the United States and other countries have experienced with China's episodic sharing of H7N9 samples are part of a bigger challenge that the weakening of the global sample sharing system presents and which makes all of us less safe. This systemic deterioration cannot be fixed by fixating on China-US relations, but the United States, China and global actors should use this latest episode on H7N9 to create political momentum for improving the global sample sharing system.
11th Sep 2018 - kitv.com
Deadly Bird Flu In China Evolves, Spreads To New Regions
This past year China had the largest outbreak of a deadly bird flu since the virus was first detected in March 2013. For the past five years, China has had annual waves of H7N9 outbreaks that peak around January and February. The virus has picked up mutations that make it more deadly in poultry and less susceptible to antiviral treatments. "Our research shows it can kill all the chickens in our lab within 24 hours," virologist Guan Yi told NPR.
11th Sep 2018 - NPR
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew measures beef up battle against bird flu
China will revise its national influenza pandemic contingency plan based on its recent experience in fighting avian flu and lessons learned from the 2017 WHO guidelines on pandemic influenza risk management, public health officials said at the 2018 World Influenza Conference. China will also continue to cooperate with other countries in combating influenza, including timely reporting of data and virus sample sharing in accordance with guidelines from the World Health Organization
10th Sep 2018 - ECNS.cn
New measures beef up battle against bird flu
10th Sep 2018 - China.org.cn
New measures beef up battle against bird flu
10th Sep 2018 - China Daily Europe
Flu plane: are we really ready for a global pandemic?
An Emirates airliner was quarantined at John F Kennedy International Airport after several passengers reported flu-like symptoms. Oxiris Barbot, New York City's acting health commissioner, said the cause of the illness was `probably influenza`. The following day, two more flights, arriving from the Middle East were quarantined at US airports after passengers reported similar symptoms. If these events really were the start of a flu pandemic, the world is vastly unprepared for it. There is poor public health surveillance in many parts of the world, there aren't enough vaccines to go around and the international legal framework designed to ensure vaccines get to the poorest countries is not fit for purpose.
10th Sep 2018 - Econotimes.com
Flu plane: are we really ready for a global pandemic?
10th Sep 2018 - Eyewitness News
Outbreak News This Week: Guests include Kamran Khan MD and Michael Osterholm, PhD
University of Minnesota Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH., discusses the formation of a Fresh Express Blue-Ribbon Panel to study the Cyclospora parasite, and offers his thoughts on a recent New York Times article about China withholding H7N9 avian flu samples.
10th Sep 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullFlu plane: are we really ready for a global pandemic?
An Emirates airliner was quarantined at John F Kennedy International Airport after several passengers reported flu-like symptoms. Oxiris Barbot, New York City’s acting health commissioner, said the cause of the illness was “probably influenza”. The following day, two more flights, arriving from the Middle East were quarantined at US airports after passengers reported similar symptoms. If these events really were the start of a flu pandemic, the world is vastly unprepared for it. There is poor public health surveillance in many parts of the world, there aren’t enough vaccines to go around and the international legal framework designed to ensure vaccines get to the poorest countries is not fit for purpose.
7th Sep 2018 - The Conversation UK
A Harvard professor says the dozens of passengers sickened on international flights are a clear 'warning shot' of a worst case scenario
7th Sep 2018 - Business Insider
Spanish flu: the killer that still stalks us, 100 years on
There are still many unanswered questions with regard to the 1918 flu pandemic. Answering those questions is important because genes from the Spanish flu continue to circulate in human and pig populations to this day. Some of these genes are direct descendants of the 1918 virus; others have reassorted with other pandemic viruses, such as the 1968 Hong Kong flu and the hybrid H1N1 virus responsible for the 2009 swine flu pandemic.
9th Sep 2018 - The Guardian
WHO: Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China: Update
Since March 2013, when the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection was first detected in humans, a total of 1567 laboratory-confirmed human cases, including at least 615 deaths, have been reported to WHO in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). So far, all but three reported cases have occurred in China. In the latest wave, only three human cases have been detected; meanwhile there have been fewer A(H7N9) virus detections in poultry and environment samples, according to reports from mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region China.
9th Sep 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
The decline in virus sample sharing is not just about China
US and global health officials have been concerned about China's sporadic sharing of H7N9 samples since 2013. The lack of sharing over the past year fits this pattern and does not appear to be a response to the Trump administration or its policies on trade. The World Health Organization has attributed the delays in China sharing virus samples to bureaucratic difficulties in coordinating the multiple government ministries involved with approving those sample shipments abroad. This response leaves questions unanswered, such as why China has shared H7N9 samples with South Korea in 2018 but not, so far, any other country, including those requested by the United States.
8th Sep 2018 - CNN International
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullThis is not a drill: 5 reasons why the experts are worried about the next pandemic
Preparing for a global pandemic is an issue tackled by of Ali Moore’s This is Not A Drill series in partnership with the University of Melbourne, Asialink, the Wheeler Centre and the ABC. Moore talks about WHO's Disease X, the threat of pandemic flu, Australia's pandemic preparedness plan, the Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza, which is vague, and the fact that Australia is the only country in the OECD that doesn’t have a national coordinating body responsible for communicable disease threats.
6th Sep 2018 - University of Melbourne
Operation Yellowhammer: 'No-deal' Brexit plans revealed
Government officials responsible for emergencies such as a flu pandemic have met to discuss a possible "no-deal" Brexit, leaked documents reveal. The disclosure was made in papers titled "Operation Yellowhammer: No-deal contingency planning", photographed in the arms of someone leaving the Cabinet Office. The Treasury briefing documents state: "The Civil Contingencies Secretariat held a two-day workshop last week to review departments' plans, assumptions, interdependencies and next steps"
6th Sep 2018 - Sky News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullJay Evensen: A century since the flu killed millions, we're no better prepared
In this opinion piece, Jay Evensen writes about the inevitability of a pandemic and that "we have a lot more effective medicines today, but we can’t react any faster to a global pandemic because we’re not planning for it. And, most troubling of all, the United States seems to be turning inward at a time when it needs to take the lead in international cooperation among health officials." He adds: "While the flu isn’t the only disease to pose a global threat, its annual mutation poses a troubling challenge. A number of groups are at work on a universal flu vaccine that would put an end to annual shots. All of these needs require more government spending and a sense of urgency."
5th Sep 2018 - Deseret News
A practical guide for developing and conducting simulation exercise to test and validate pandemic influenza preparedness plans
The World Health Organization has issued a document to "support countries in developing and conducting simulation exercises to test and validate their national pandemic influenza preparedness plans. It is intended to provide practical guidance on how to select, plan, conduct and evaluate simulation exercises specific to pandemic influenza preparedness and response, and how to set up a process for using the outcomes of these exercises to review and improve pandemic influenza preparedness plans."
5th Sep 2018 - Relief Web
Case Study: Novel Flu Virus From Wild Bird to Poultry to Woman
Last December a 68-year-old woman was hospitalized for 23 days, including eight days in the ICU, due to a severe bout of pneumonia. Now an epidemiological investigation has tied a novel flu strain, that nearly killed the woman, to the vector: the poultry in her backyard, and the wild birds that the H7N4 strain originally came from, writes a team of Chinese scientists in the Elsevier journal Science Bulletin. “Unlike H7N9, the new wild bird-origin H7N4 virus can directly cause human infection, without reassortments with any other poultry influenza viruses,” the authors write, from the Chinese CDC and other domestic institutions. “These results highlight a potential threat on human health that backyard poultry feeding might serve as the media in the human infection with (avian influenza viruses) carried by wild birds.”
5th Sep 2018 - Laboratory Equipment
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China: Update
Since March 2013, when the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection was first detected in humans, a total of 1567 laboratory-confirmed human cases, including at least 615 deaths, have been reported to WHO in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005). So far, all but three2 reported cases have occurred in China. In the latest wave (the sixth wave, which began in October 2017), only three human cases have been detected; meanwhile there have been fewer A(H7N9) virus detections in poultry and environment samples, according to reports from mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region China.
5th Sep 2018 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullH7N9: China won't share its samples
The New York Times and other media have been reporting that China has been withholding samples of H7N9 flu virus from the U.S. and the UK, in violation of WHO rules
4th Sep 2018 - Le Monde
A lethal game of chicken: the next trade war with China could be a matter of life and death
A vaccine against H7N9 could save thousands of lives – maybe millions. However, China is refusing to share virus samples despite repeated requests. It has even refused to share clinical data on infected patients. Information flowed freely soon after the strain first emerged, but it has slowed to a stop. Researchers have obtained a few samples from Taiwan and Hong Kong, but those may not be enough to develop a vaccine.
4th Sep 2018 - Philly.com
Severe human infection with a novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N4) virus
Wild birds are believed to be the reservoir of influenza A viruses, and poultry may serve as a key intermediary in the cross-species avian influenza virus transmission from wild birds to human. Backyard poultry, especially those located in the flyway of migratory birds, is thought to play a vital role in the introduction of wild bird AIVs. A novel reassortant AIV, influenza A(H7N4), has been identified in such a scenario, according to a new study published in Science Bulletin.
4th Sep 2018 - Medical Xpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina sharing virus samples, WHO says
China and the United States have continued sharing influenza virus samples for public health purposes, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received five H7N9 viruses from the China CDC since May this year, according to the World Health Organization. The statement was made in response to a U.S. media report, citing allegations by U.S. officials, that China has refused for more than a year to share H7N9 virus with the U.S. to develop vaccines and treatments.
3rd Sep 2018 - ECNS.cn
La OMS asegura que China comparte muestras de virus
3rd Sep 2018 - Centro de Información por Internet de China
China sharing virus samples, WHO says
3rd Sep 2018 - People.cn
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China – update
Since March 2013, when the avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infection was first detected in humans, a total of 1567 laboratory-confirmed human cases, including at least 615 deaths1, have been reported to WHO in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005). In the latest wave (the 6th wave since Oct 2017), only three human cases have been detected; meanwhile there have been generally fewer A(H7N9) virus detections in poultry and environment samples, according to various reports from mainland China and China, Hong Kong SAR.
3rd Sep 2018 - World Health Organization
Can PPPs help ensure vaccine supplies for future global epidemics?
There are dozens of deadly diseases with the potential to become international health threats, but there is uncertainty about when and where these will emerge, meaning there is little financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to bring vaccines to the market, which is where public-private partnerships come in. Following the Ebola outbreak in DRC’s Equateur province, Devex spoke to Gavi, CEPI, WHO, and Médecins Sans Frontières to discuss how lessons learned from this emergency can inform preparedness against other lethal infectious diseases, and what role PPPs are playing in getting the world ready for the next big epidemic.
3rd Sep 2018 - Devex
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Sep 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina sharing virus samples, WHO says
China and the United States have continued sharing influenza virus samples for public health purposes, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received five H7N9 viruses from the China CDC since May this year, according to the World Health Organization. The statement was made in response to a US media report, citing allegations by US officials, that China has refused for more than a year to share H7N9 virus with the US to develop vaccines and treatments.
1st Sep 2018 - China.org.cn
WHO: China teilt Virusproben
2nd Sep 2018 - China.org.cn
US has received five H7N9 viruses from China since May this year
31st Aug 2018 - China Daily
China Daily editorial: With its ploy exposed, will the NYT eat crow?
31st Aug 2018 - China Daily Europe
Severe human infection with a novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N4) virus
Wild birds are believed to be the reservoir of influenza A viruses, and poultry may serve as a key intermedia in the cross-species avian influenza virus (AIV) transmission from wild birds to human. The backyard poultry, especially those locating in the flyway of migratory birds, is supposed to play a vital role in the introduction of wild bird AIVs. A novel reassortant AIV, influenza A(H7N4), has been identified in such a scenario, according to a new study published by Science Bulletin.
31st Aug 2018 - Bioengineer
Severe human infection with a novel avian-origin influenza A(H7N4) virus
31st Aug 2018 - EurekAlert!
China withholding H7N9 bird flu virus samples from US
According to the New York Times, Chinese officials have not sent lab samples of H7N9 bird flu virus to their U.S. counterparts despite repeated requests and an international agreement. U.S. officials say the specimens of the rapidly evolving virus are needed to develop vaccines and treatments. The Chinese government has withheld lab samples of the H7N9 virus for over a year.
31st Aug 2018 - Medical Xpress
1st Jan 1970 -
1st Jan 1970 -
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullDeadly bird flu could spread worldwide because China is refusing to share samples of the virus with the UK or US to help vaccine production
A Chinese strain of bird flu could cause a deadly global pandemic if it spreads because the country is slowing efforts to make vaccines, experts warn. Both the UK and US governments have been denied samples of the H7N9 virus which they need to make a jab to protect people from the disease. China could be breaking WHO rules by keeping its lab samples secret. Experts say the virus, which is carried by poultry, could cause a worldwide pandemic and has so far killed more than a third of people who have been infected.
30th Aug 2018 - Daily Mail
China risks sparking global pandemic with new deadly bird flu strain
30th Aug 2018 - Express.co.uk
Influenza aviaria, la Cina non condivide il nuovo e pericoloso virus
30th Aug 2018 - Wired.it
China desarrolla virus H7N9 peligroso y letal
30th Aug 2018 - Su Médico
China hield opzettelijk informatie achter over het dodelijk griepvirus H7N9
30th Aug 2018 - Het Laatste Nieuws
Isolate & Contain: Creating a refuge against pandemics
Recent outbreaks like H1N1 and Ebola show the possibility of a pandemic happening again. Refuge 2018 looks at how scientists are helping to prevent that possibility and how an event that would tear people apart can, instead, be used to bring them together
30th Aug 2018 - ABC.Net.au
News Scan for Aug 30, 2018
A spending bill passed by the U.S. Congress in March that extended funding for global health security programs for another 3 years directed the Trump Administration to create a strategy to guide future US efforts in the area, which is due this fall. Among the main recommendations, the US strategy should define global health security in a flexible way that keeps the focus on health security, call for meaningful integration of nongovernmental groups into global health security efforts, recognize that continued US investments are needed, establish clear targets for measuring progress, and address gaps in existing efforts.
30th Aug 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina is withholding samples of deadly new flu virus
China has verified samples of a new strain of avian flu called H7N9, as the New York Times reports. It’s a dangerous virus that could cause massive problems if it were to spread throughout an unprepared population, but despite repeated requests from US officials it seems China has little interest in helping the United States study the strain.
29th Aug 2018 - New York Post
China defies WHO, hinders US development of bird flu vaccine, report says
29th Aug 2018 - Beckers Hospital Review
China withholding crucial bird flu virus samples outraging scientific community
29th Aug 2018 - News-Medical.net
China Refuses To Share Bird Flu Virus Samples, Placing Thousands Of Lives In Danger
29th Aug 2018 - Tech Times
China Will Not Share Deadly Flu Virus Strains, Risking Public Safety
29th Aug 2018 - Inquisitr
China has samples of a deadly new flu virus and it won’t share them with anyoneC
29th Aug 2018 - Yahoo Finance
Disease X: China ignores UK request to share samples of flu virus with pandemic potential
29th Aug 2018 - The Telegraph
China’s refusal to share virus is “scandalous… many could die needlessl
28th Aug 2018 - Ars Technica
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullMolecular Evolution, Diversity, and Adaptation of Influenza A(H7N9) Viruses in China
The CDC's EID Journal has published a new study which has found even more diversity among 5th wave H7N9 viruses than was previously known, and presents evidence of a high rate of adaptive molecular evolution. While China's massive poultry vaccination campaign over the summer of 2017 appears to have been a huge success, the rapid molecular evolution of the H7N9 virus could allow new, antigenically different strains, to evade its effects.
28th Aug 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Molecular evolution, diversity, and adaptation of influenza A(H7N9) viruses in China
28th Aug 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
China Won't Share Its Samples of a Deadly Flu Virus. Here's Why That's a Problem.
To protect people against the next flu pandemic, scientists need to know what flu strains are circulating, and how they are changing. But such efforts can be stymied if countries don't share flu samples; and now, the Chinese government appears to be withholding samples of the dangerous bird flu virus H7N9 from the U.S. For more than a year, China has not provided samples of H7N9, despite persistent requests from officials and research institutions, according to the New York Times. Experts say samples of H7N9 are needed to develop vaccines against the virus, and treatments for it.
28th Aug 2018 - Live Science
China Will now not Fragment Its Samples of a Deadly Flu Virus. Here’s Why That’s a Challenge.
28th Aug 2018 - Newsline.com
Officials Worried as China Refuses To Share Samples of Deadly Flu Strain
28th Aug 2018 - The Western Journal
China Has Been Withholding Bird Flu Samples for a Year. Here's Why Thousands Could Die
28th Aug 2018 - Fortune
China has withheld samples of deadly avian influenza strain from U.S. researchers: NYT
28th Aug 2018 - FiercePharma
El virus letal que pone en peligro a EEUU porque China no comparte información
28th Aug 2018 - El Diario NY
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina Has Withheld Samples of a Dangerous Flu Virus
For over a year, the Chinese government has withheld lab samples of H7N9, a rapidly evolving influenza virus, from the U.S. — specimens needed to develop vaccines and treatments, according to federal health officials. In the past, such exchanges have been mostly routine under rules established by WHO. Now, as the U.S. and China spar over trade, some scientists worry that the vital exchange of medical supplies and information could slow, hampering preparedness for the next biological threat.
27th Aug 2018 - The New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullSisi ratifies agreement with Islamic Development Bank to combat bird flu
In Egypt, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi ratified on Sunday a loan agreement with the Islamic Development Bank to fund the project combating bird flu. Since the H5N1 avian influenza virus was first reported in Egypt in March 2006, a total of 336 cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) infections in humans have been reported, including 114 related deaths, according to the World Health Organization’s statistics in April 2015.
26th Aug 2018 - Egypt Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullThree reasons the US is not ready for the next pandemic
The state of pandemic preparedness and the necessary steps for protecting the people throughout the world was the topic of The Scowcroft Institute for International Affairs’ 2nd Annual White Paper. National leaders must address three main topics: the overuse of penicillin, global supply chains strength, and the need for a centralized, involved leadership. The U.S. is not ready for the next pandemic but if it "chooses to elevate the issue of pandemic preparedness and biosecurity as a national security priority", it could be.
20th Aug 2018 - The Conversation
The US Isn't Ready for the Next Influenza Outbreak, Pandemic Scholars Say
22nd Aug 2018 - Inverse
Hong Kong reports human case of AI in China
The China National Health Commission reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi. The case involved a 42-year-old man from Laibin in Guangxi. He developed symptoms on August 10 and was hospitalized on August 15. He is now in a serious condition. The patient had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms.
22nd Aug 2018 - Global Meat News
Flu pandemic warning: Outbreak is inevitable – not a question of if, but when
A century on from the Spanish flu outbreak which claimed the lives of millions worldwide, Dr Rima Khabbaz, director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said, as she prepares for the 2018 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, that it's extremely important to be prepared for the danger influenza represents. Dr Khabbaz said: "It's a pandemic virus and it's not a question of if, but when there will be another flu pandemic." However, she also stressed that advances in anti-viral treatments and other drug technologies meant the medical community was better equipped to cope now than it was 100 years ago with an outbreak.
22nd Aug 2018 - Express.co.uk
When the next major pandemic threat comes, I worry that people will hold off on vaccines - specialist on disease
Dr Ida Milne finds you can tell a lot about society by tracking its illnesses and disorders over time. She writes: "When the 2009 flu pandemic came about, people worried it had some of the same features as the 1918 flu. When the next major pandemic threat comes, I worry that people will hold off on vaccines partly because of the Pandemrix vaccine scandal and partly because they see that the 2009 flu didn't live up to the threat posed at the time."
22nd Aug 2018 - Irish Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina: Human H5N6 avian influenza case reported in Guangxi
The China National Health Commission reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi. The case involved a 42-year-old man from Laibin in Guangxi. He developed symptoms on August 10 and was hospitalized on August 15. He is now in a serious condition. The patient had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms.
21st Aug 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Hong Kong: CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi
21st Aug 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Cas humain de grippe aviaire à virus A(H5N6) dans la région autonome de Guangxi
21st Aug 2018 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullCHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi. The case involved a 42-year-old man from Laibin in Guangxi, who developed symptoms on August 10 and was hospitalised on August 15. He is now in a serious condition. The patient had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms.
20th Aug 2018 - Hong Kong Government
China: Guangxi Province Reports Their 3rd Human H5N6 Infection
20th Aug 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
News Scan for Aug 20, 2018
20th Aug 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullTroy Trygstad, PharmD, MBA, PhD: The Possibility for Pandemic Flu
Troy Trygstad, PharmD, MBA, PhD, spoke with MD Magazine about the potential for a pandemic flu and emphasized that there’s no “crystal ball” to help predict this. However, he also addresses role the healthcare system can play in preparing for the possibility of an influenza pandemic. “We’re more prepared than we have been in the past, but we have a long way to go to be prepared for a really small world where a pandemic could spread very quickly,” he said.
19th Aug 2018 - MD Magazine
Clinical and immunological characteristics of human infections with H5N6 avian influenza virus
In a new study, H5N6 patients were found to have higher incidences of lymphopenia, and elevated alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels compared to H5N1 and H7N9 patients. Hypercytokinemia was detected at substantially higher frequencies from H5N6 patients compared to those infected with other AIV subtypes. The results support that H5N6 virus could potentially be a major public health threat, and suggest it is possible that the earlier acquisition of cellular immunity and lower concentrations of cytokines/chemokines contributed to survival in our patient.
18th Aug 2018 - ajlh.oxfordjournals.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullHow media coverage of epidemics helps raise anxiety and reduce trust
Yotam Ophir, Joan Bossert Postdoctoral Fellow in Science Communication at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, is carrying out a study on the media coverage of epidemics and its effect on people. So far he has found that the coverage tends to raise anxiety without providing useful information: "does the news provide the information the public needs during outbreaks of infectious diseases? My study suggests that probably not. Looking at the coverage of epidemics from the past few years, I found that the media often focused on what may have seemed interesting, but not what is necessary for people to make educated decisions."
15th Aug 2018 - Nieman Labs
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullHow Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca could help prevent next global health pandemic
Along with the pilgrims arriving to Mecca from over 180 countries—an estimated 2 million by the time the annual ritual ends in late August—are 25,000 health workers to monitor their health. They will treat sick pilgrims as well as collect epidemiological data and, in some cases, biological samples. Any surveillance data collected will be published and shared with the WHO and broader global health community. The research will inform ongoing humanitarian interventions and international health security efforts, as well as insight into new or emerging pathogens, which may help the global health community prevent pandemic-level outbreaks.
14th Aug 2018 - Newsweek
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullAvian Bio. Research: Sequence & Phylogenetic Analysis Of Avian H9N2 HA Genes - Iran
The rapid geographic expansion of HPAI and LPAI viruses over the past decade means that there are places where these viruses are co-circulating, reassorting and/or evolving, from which we only get limited surveillance information. A new report, published in Avian Biology Research, looks at the genetic sequence and phylogenetic description of H9N2 viruses collected from commercial chickens in Iran.
9th Aug 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Experts warn New Zealand not prepared for a global pandemic
Experts are warning New Zealand is not prepared for a global pandemic, and the country needs to be able to close its borders quickly if one hits. Researchers have been studying the benefits of closing New Zealand's doors, and comparing them to the consequences such as loss of tourism. They found hundreds of lives could be saved and the positives outweigh the negatives.
9th Aug 2018 - TV New Zealand
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullClosing NZ"s border against extreme pandemics stacks up, study finds
New Zealand researchers have presented a scenario in which a rogue form of artificial intelligence creates a bioweapon and uses it to escape from human control as a forward-looking risk to illustrate new research about closing the country's border. The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, is a cost-benefit analysis of closing the border in the event of a severe global pandemic. New Zealand's influenza pandemic plan, prepared by the Ministry of Health, includes border management as part of a six-phase approach to preparing for, minimising and recovering from a pandemic. The plan includes a number of border control measures. Ministry emergency management director Charles Blanch said if an international health emergency was declared New Zealand's response would be in line with WHO recommendations.
8th Aug 2018 - Stuff.co.nz
Healthy outlook on life: Are infectious diseases as big a threat as we think?
Public health emergency preparedness was at the very core of a conference on best practices in the implementation of the International Health Regulations (IHR), which recently took place. Expert EU/EEA and accession country professionals spoke on public health crisis preparedness, and on the co-ordination of responses to serious cross-border threats that may be caused by chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear environmental agents and threats of an unknown origin.
8th Aug 2018 - Irish Examiner
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew case of human infection with A(H9N2) in China
In China, a human H9N2 AIV case was reported in the Shenzhen city of Guangdong province on 29th July 2018. The 24-year-old pregnant female patient, who lived in the Longgang district of Shenzhen city, is now in good condition. The patient had no history of live-poultry contact, and all close contacts showed no symptoms of an influenza-like illness
6th Aug 2018 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullCDC Doctors: Next Flu Pandemic Will Catch Us Underprepared
The seasonal flu annually infects 1 billion people across the world each year, killing at many as 650,000 people – with the upper toll in some of the worst years meaning 56,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, according to Dan Jernigan, director of the Influenza Division at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The next likely candidate is an especially virulent bird flu strain of H7N9, according to Jernigan. If a 1918 pandemic was to occur to today, it would likely kill tens of millions of people, regardless of the current institutional precautions in place.
5th Aug 2018 - Laboratory Equipment
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullH9N2 avian influenza case reported in Guangdong Province, China
Macau government officials reported this week on a human H9N2 avian influenza case in Guangdong Province. According to the report, the patient is a 24-year-old woman and currently lives in Shenzhen. This is the third human case of H9N2 avian influenza recorded in China this year. Most human cases are exposed to the A(H9N2) virus through contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments.
2nd Aug 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Aug 2018
View this newsletter in fullMacao Health: Guangdong Province Reports Human H9N2 Infection
Macao's Government Information Bureau is carrying a brief report on what appears to be the third H9N2 case reported out of China in 2018: "Health Bureau today (July 31) received notification of the Mainland health authorities in Guangdong Province confirmed case of human infection of H9N2 avian influenza. According to the briefing refers the patient was a 24-year-old woman, now living in Shenzhen." There is no mention of poultry exposure in this statement.
1st Aug 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
News Scan for Aug 01, 2018
1st Aug 2018 - CIDRAP
UK gets first strategy on biosecurity
In the UK, a flu pandemic is one of the most significant civil emergencies that the country could face, with the possibility of hundreds of thousands of deaths, the government has said. The so-called Tier 1 risk would cost tens of billions of pounds, according to Whitehall’s first biological security strategy. The document, which aims to set out in one place the “wide range of activity” taken by the government to protect the population from disease outbreaks, also rates the growth of microbe resistance to antibiotics as a significant risk, which according to one estimate will account for an extra 10 million deaths a year globally.
1st Aug 2018 - The Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Aug 2018
View this newsletter in full‘Clade X’ Simulation Of A Flu-Like Virus Exposes Gaps As A Mock Pandemic Wipes Out 900 Million People
A mock simulation of a flu-like virus used to test political and medical experts has revealed that the world is not well prepared for such a real-life crisis should it arise. According to Business Insider, a team at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security created a virus called “Clade X” in the simulation drill. The virus was designed to be “moderately contagious” and “moderately lethal.” Yet, in the simulation, it turned out to kill 900 million people worldwide if a vaccine was not developed. That number is equivalent to 10 percent of the world’s current population.
31st Jul 2018 - Inquisitr
Global pandemic could wipe out 900 million people
31st Jul 2018 - The Week UK
Global pandemic dubbed "Clade X" could wipe out 900 MILLION people, scientists warn
31st Jul 2018 - Daily Mirror
BMA warns lack of public health resources leaves London vulnerable to pandemic
The British Medical Association London regional council chair has written to the Mayor of London warning a lack of public health resources leaves the city vulnerable to serious infectious disease like Avian Flu or Ebola. Dr Gary Marlowe, a GP in Hackney, has told Sadiq Khan the BMA has been made aware London’s capacity to deal with an emergency outbreak has been reduced despite "the clear and present danger" posed to a global capital.
31st Jul 2018 - Ekklesia
Lack of public health resources leaves London vulnerable to pandemic, BMA warns
31st Jul 2018 - British Medical Journal
UK government publishes first bio-security strategy
A deadly disease outbreak like a flu epidemic is one of the worst civil emergencies the UK could face and Britain must help developing countries to stop new outbreaks, the Government has said. A flu epidemic in the UK could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths and cost tens of billions of pounds, while disease outbreaks overseas can spread insecurity, harm trade and increase migration, according to the Government's first biological security strategy. Any new deadly epidemic is likely to come from an animal disease infecting humans.
31st Jul 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullHow a virus attack just ended the world (sort of)
A realistic simulation was run by the John Hopkins Center for Health Security designed to replicate how governments, ministers, agencies and organisations respond to a ballooning health pandemic. 10 US government leaders in the arenas of national security and epidemic response were assembled to act out the scenario. They were tasked with making the kind of decisions they’d have to make in just such a pandemic.
30th Jul 2018 - NEWS.com.au
A global pandemic of a flu-like virus could kill 900 million people if it started to spread tomorrow, experts warn
30th Jul 2018 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullChanges to the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act are essential to saving lives in disasters
Robert Kadlec, MD, is the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He writes that in the U.S., the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), which enables readiness and response to serious threats, is currently underway. He adds that in addition, Congress should authorize funding to ensure readiness for pandemic influenza. Using previous supplemental funding, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has been collaborating with industry to build domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity, develop better vaccines, antivirals, and ancillary supplies needed for the next pandemic. History is clear: the question is not if another influenza pandemic will occur but when and how severe it will be.
29th Jul 2018 - The Hill
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullComparison of HPAI & LPAI H7N9 Potential Threat To Mammals
Twelve months ago China's H7N9 virus, having evolved into both HPAI and LPAI versions, was on just about everyone's short list for sparking the next pandemic. During the 5th wave, a new HPAI (highly pathogenic) H7N9 virus emerged in Guangdong province, and quickly began to spread to other provinces. Although case reports are limited, there has been some early evidence suggesting this HPAI version might pose an even greater threat to human health. A new report compares the potential threat posed by both HPAI and LPAI H7N9 viruses in mammalian hosts.
23rd Jul 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullFT Health: Drug resistance, pandemics and the vaccination gap
Stefan Elbe is professor of International Relations at the University of Sussex and author of the new book Pandemics, Pills, and Politics. He explains that for future pandemics: "First, normal processes of pharmaceutical development are unlikely to work for most new medical countermeasures so new economic and regulatory models are needed. Second, stockpiles only have limited use without parallel strategies for rapid distribution. Future outbreaks will continue to rely on a mix of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures. Third, data transparency is absolutely critical for maintaining public trust during an emergency."
20th Jul 2018 - Financial Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe FDA just approved a drug to treat smallpox in case of a bioterrorism attack — here is why that scenario is so scary
Experts think that if a flu like the 1918 version were to emerge again, it could kill 30 million people within six months. Even scarier flus are possible, too: In ongoing studies in 2014 that were resumed in the past year, scientists demonstrated how the flu virus can be made more deadly. They also showed that deadlier viruses can be engineered to become more contagious.
17th Jul 2018 - Business Insider UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe rise of biological and chemical weapons
Responsibility for responding to major disasters in Britain lies with the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, which liaises with intelligence agencies and the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism to draw up the National Risk Register Of Civil Emergencies – a list of 80 or so critical threats to the country, from flooding to a collapse of the national grid to cyber attacks. The NRR distinguishes between natural hazards or accidents, and malicious attacks, and even produces a table ranking these threats by their impact severity and likelihood, both on a scale of 1 to 5. The table makes it easy to see, for example, that the natural disaster the CCS is most worried about is a pandemic flu outbreak, which is given a 5 impact rating, and a 4 for its relative likelihood of occurring in the next five years.
16th Jul 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullFrom H5N1 to HxNy: Overview Of Human Infection with AI in The Western Pacific Region - WHO
While novel flu viruses can emerge from anywhere on the globe, Eastern China has an impressive record of spawning new subtypes. This week WHO has published a review of human infections with avian flu viruses in the Western Pacific over the past 15 years. It discusses some of the challenges in getting accurate data, and the likelihood of seeing additional novel viruses emerge from this region in the future.
13th Jul 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
From H5N1 to HxNy: An epidemiologic overview of human infections with avian influenza in the Western Pacific Region, 2003–2017
13th Jul 2018 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullFBI Seeks Tamiflu Supplier for Pandemic Flu Preparedness Program
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seeking suppliers for anti-viral therapeutic Tamiflu to support is Pandemic Flu Preparedness Program stockpile. The FBI needs approximately 3,300 does of Tamiflu each year and in order to meet its stockpile requirements, which must be rotated on continuous use and expiring medications.
12th Jul 2018 - Global Biodefense
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullVirus hunters identify two new pathogens in Myanmar
Researchers have identified two new viruses in bats as part of a project to stop the next big disease outbreak in its tracks. The virus belongs to the coronavirus family. The scientists took fecal and saliva samples from 150 animals and, so far, have found two positive matches for diseases with the potential to jump to humans.
10th Jul 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullFAO: H9N2 In Indonesia
Indonesia - which between 2005 and 2012 Indonesia reported roughly 190 human H5N1 infections - has been remarkably silent on avian flu issues for the past several years. The last human case was reported in 2016. Today, multiple Indonesian media outlets are announcing the release of a joint statement by the FAO and the Indonesian MOA on the confirmation of H9N2 in the country, and the challenges they may face going forward.
9th Jul 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
News Scan for Jul 09, 2018
A new analysis of a decade's worth of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu virus genetic sequences collected from poultry and wild birds in Egypt found 39 distinct substitutions with the possible ability to increase the pandemic potential of the virus, with spatial clustering that focused on two governorates—Alexandria and Beheira—that are located in the northwestern Nile Delta. Egypt is the country with by far the most human H5N1 infections, and aside from commercial poultry farms, about 4 million to 5 million families raise backyard poultry.
9th Jul 2018 - CIDRAP
Ministry, FAO warn farmers of bird flu
6th Jul 2018 - The Jakarta Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullBiological Threats Against Americans: Where Are We Now?
The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) exists “to improve the Nation’s public health and medical preparedness and response capabilities for emergencies, whether deliberate, accidental, or natural” and there have been hearings on the bipartisan effort to re-authorize an appropriation toward responding to biological attacks, pandemics, and emerging infectious disease outbreaks. Throughout the proceedings there has been a large focus on the flu. When asked to name the most imminent threat to public health, the witnesses that responded with particular biological agents both named influenza, or the flu.
5th Jul 2018 - ACSH
JID: Antigenic Drift of H7N9 Viral Hemagglutinin
While all influenza viruses evolve incrementally via antigenic drift (or abruptly, via reassortment), the H3N2 subtype has been an over-achiever for the past 4 or 5 years. A report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases now shows that H3N2 isn't alone. The authors report that H7N9 - which is ranked by the CDC as having the highest pandemic potential of the currently circulating novel flu viruses - is mutating at a rate comparable to H3N2.
5th Jul 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew & Resurgent Infectious Diseases Can Have Far-reaching Economic Repercussions
The health risks of outbreaks and epidemics—and the fear and panic that accompany them—map to various economic risks. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the formidable array of possible causes of epidemics, including pathogens that are currently unknown. In December 2015 the World Health Organization published a list of epidemic-potential disease priorities requiring urgent research and development attention. There is a significant market failure when it comes to vaccines against individual low-probability pathogens that collectively are likely to cause epidemics. Given the low probability that any single vaccine of this type will be needed, high R&D costs, and delayed returns, pharmaceutical companies hesitate to invest in their development.
4th Jul 2018 - Inter Press Service
Humans Are to Blame for the Rise in Dangerous Viral Infections
There are many factors contributing to the spread of viruses around the world. Expanding settlement towards wilderness areas provides more opportunities for viruses to meet people. Domesticated livestock may carry viruses that infect humans, and the growing human population dictates increasing and more compact livestock production. Influenza virus infects pigs, cattle and poultry as well as humans. The H7N9 strain that has infected more than 1,500 people in China and resulted in the death of one-third since 2013, first moved to humans from diseased poultry.
4th Jul 2018 - Front Line Genomics
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullAvian Flu: are the viruses still around?
Avian flu is still present around the world, resurfacing regularly in France for instance (H5N8), in China (H7N9, which has spread to humans), and in Hong Kong (H5N1, killing two thirds of infected people). If the media has grown tired of the topic, scientists are still working on the conditions in which these viruses can spread from birds to humans through the air, and what consequences for non immunised human bodies?
3rd Jul 2018 - The Conversation FR
New Virus Discovered in Myanmar by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute"s Global Health Program
Smithsonian and University of California, Davis scientists and partners have discovered a new coronavirus in a species of bat in Myanmar as part of routine surveillance for the PREDICT project. A second virus was also detected in Myanmar for the first time; it had been previously detected in bats in Thailand. The PREDICT/Myanmar team is testing all of the samples for five viral families from which researchers have previously detected zoonotic diseases including corona-, filo- (such as Ebola), flavi- (such as Zika), influenza and paramyxo-viruses
3rd Jul 2018 - Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Humans are to blame for the rise in dangerous viral infections
There are many factors contributing to the spread of viruses around the world. Expanding settlement towards wilderness areas provides more opportunities for viruses to meet people. Domesticated livestock may carry viruses that infect humans, and the growing human population dictates increasing and more compact livestock production. Influenza virus infects pigs, cattle and poultry as well as humans. The H7N9 strain that has infected more than 1,500 people in China and resulted in the death of one-third since 2013, first moved to humans from diseased poultry.
3rd Jul 2018 - Medical Xpress
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy No News Isn"t Necessarily Good News
As economic, societal, and political winds shift around the world - the willingness of many countries to publicly (and apparently, even privately) acknowledge infectious disease outbreaks tends to change - sometimes dramatically. A positive example, five years ago, we saw a remarkable shift in reporting of avian flu details out of China following the emergence of H7N9 in 2013. That openness ended early in the spring of 2015, when China's MOH went strangely silent on H7N9. This subdued reporting continued until January 2017 - when faced with a sudden avalanche of human H7N9 cases - the MOH belatedly announced a batch of cases from the previous month
2nd Jul 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
‘You can never be completely prepared’: How scientists spot the next pandemic
A global network of researchers, including the WHO, are constantly looking for emerging threats, trying to spot the next pandemic. Jennifer Ganton, an associate professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health and Canada Research Chair in Public Health Genomics, explains the factors at play for a virus to turn into a pandemic. Ganton isn’t worried about Canada’s ability to fight the next big pandemic. “There will always be pandemics. We will always be surprised,” she said. Canada has the laboratories, surveillance, expertise and plans to effectively meet a public health threat from a new disease, she thinks. Ganton believes that surveillance is the best way to prevent the next pandemic – not predicting the next big virus.
30th Jun 2018 - Global News.ca
Meet the virus hunters: scientists to track down diseases X, Y and Z
Researchers are hoping they can stop 'disease X' in its tracks by taking a bold approach to preempt its emergence. Through the Global Virome Project, with backing from USAID, virologists will attempt to identify every virus in the world that has the potential to jump from animals to humans, in the hope that collecting such information with give health workers a head start in dealing with a future outbreak.
29th Jun 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jul 2018
View this newsletter in fullNext plague coming: Is America ready?
On average, a new infectious disease has emerged every year for the past 30 years, and researchers estimate that birds and mammals harbor anywhere from 631,000 to 827,000 unknown viruses that could transfer to humans. However, while medicine has advanced, including nationwide vaccination programs, America is “disturbingly vulnerable,” to a pandemic, says Ed Yong in The Atlantic
1st Jul 2018 - WND.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullGenomic surveillance of avian-origin influenza A viruses causing human disease
Avian influenza A viruses (AIVs) pose a threat to global health because of their sporadic zoonotic transmission and potential to cause pandemics. Genomic surveillance of AIVs has become a powerful, cost-effective approach for studying virus transmission, evolution, and dissemination, and has the potential to inform outbreak control efforts and policies.
27th Jun 2018 - Genome Medicine.biomedcentral.com
ASU study aims to develop a risk model to pinpoint future bird flu outbreaks
Matthew Scotch, associate professor of biomedical informatics at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions and assistant director of the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, has received a $75,000 PLuS Alliance Accelerator Award to study how avian flu mutates and spreads. Scotch and his team will work to develop a risk model that enhances global security against future outbreaks.
26th Jun 2018 - Arizona State University
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullDeveloping influenza vaccines for the future
According to the World Health Organization, developing new influenza vaccines is crucial for preparing for pandemics. In the recent 6th Joint WHO/Europe–European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) Annual European Influenza Surveillance Meeting, Dr Nedret Emiroglu said: “Getting ready for the next influenza pandemic is our collective responsibility. Let’s ask ourselves three basic questions: are we prepared for a severe pandemic? Are our pandemic plans revised? Are Europe and the world ready to respond tomorrow?”
25th Jun 2018 - SciTech Europa
New CDC Director Targets Opioids, Suicide and Pandemics
In his first interview as the head of the CDC, Robert Redfield discusses the need to address rising substance abuse, global health threats and HIV/AIDS. Dr. Redfield said his top priority is to protect Americans from major global epidemic threats, namely pandemic flu and antimicrobial resistance.
25th Jun 2018 - The Wall Street Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullIs European Region ready to respond to next influenza pandemic?
To date, less than 1 in 3 countries in the European Region have revised their pandemic influenza plans since the 2009 pandemic. The Annual European Influenza Surveillance Meeting called on the remaining countries to contribute to health security by ensuring they have up-to-date pandemic preparedness plans developed according to international standards.
22nd Jun 2018 - WHO Europe
Are we ready for a pandemic?
As this year marks the centenary of the 1918 pandemic, it has triggered one question: Are we ready to face such a large scale pandemic now? An article published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases says the answer is no. The stand is echoed by medical experts in Mumbai, which has seen the worst outbreak of H1N1 in 2009.
22nd Jun 2018 - The Hindu
Most countries not ready to deal with the next disease outbreak
Four in five countries are not ready to detect and respond to disease epidemics and prevent them spreading beyond their borders, a new analysis has found. The findings from the Resolve to Save Lives initiative, by US non-profit Vital Strategies, highlights which countries are falling short when it comes to readiness to respond to the next outbreak.
21st Jun 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew report spotlights top synthetic biology threats
A new analysis of synthetic biologic threats commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense found that three capabilities raise the greatest concerns: re-creating known pathogenic viruses, making existing bacteria more dangerous, and using microbes to produce harmful biochemical in humans. Its centerpiece is a five-tiered chart that ranks synthetic biology capabilities from the highest to lowest concern levels. The capacities include gain-of-function research, a topic that sparked controversy in 2012 when two research groups published papers on experimentally modified H5N1 avian flu viruses.
21st Jun 2018 - CIDRAP
Disease X: story of the mysterious virus that could trigger the next pandemic
Since 2015, the World Health Organization has published an annual list of "priority diseases " that require immediate attention based on their epidemic potential or a lack of sufficient countermeasures available to health authorities. The list includes deadly viruses such as Ebola, Zika and SARS, as well as lesser diseases such as Lassa fever and the Marburg virus. This year, a new name has appeared Disease X
20th Jun 2018 - Panorama
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullFear as new bird flu kills 38 per cent of infected people
Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation warned that an array of new diseases may soon have the potential to kill millions of people around the globe. The Telegraph has now reported a deadly strain of bird flu has been detected in Chinese poultry that has the potential of starting a new worldwide influenza pandemic. According to the report, the virus H7N9 in its current state kills 38 per cent of those who get infected by it. “[H7N9] is an example of another virus which has proven its ability to transmit from birds to humans,” Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said. “It’s possible that it could be the cause of the next pandemic.”
20th Jun 2018 - Startsat60.com
Terrifying new strain of bird flu that kills over a third of those who contract it
20th Jun 2018 - The People's Voice
What is Disease X?
20th Jun 2018 - The Week UK
A Structural Response To Pandemic Threats
As public health officials this year mark the 100-year anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic, trends in urbanization and globalization that have made the world increasingly crowded and connected have brought into focus the need for a strategic approach to addressing the risks and costs of epidemics in a modern context. Preparedness is essential for pandemic response. However, evidence abounds that the appropriate funds and resources have not been allocated to properly handle an unexpected outbreak.
20th Jun 2018 - Brinks News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullCDC, UK officials say H7N9 could cause global health crisis
The CDC says H7N9 avian influenza has great potential to cause a pandemic, and Jonathan Van-Tam, the UK's deputy chief medical officer, says it could cause an international health crisis. Most of the 1,600 people infected with the viral strain in China since October 2016 came in contact with infected poultry, and the CDC said travelers to China who come in contact with infected poultry could spread the virus internationally.
19th Jun 2018 - Smart Brief
Un virus proveniente dalla Cina causa un"influenza mortale: “Rischio pandemia”
19th Jun 2018 - TPI
Using Modern Data and Analytics To Confront the Challenge of Epidemic Risk
While epidemics pose a global risk, they are notoriously challenging to forecast and monitor. The team at Metabiota produces epidemic risk models for the insurance, commercial, and government sectors to help address the challenge of quantifying this seemingly unquantifiable risk. Such models provide the probability of experiencing a certain level of human or financial loss due to infectious disease epidemics.
19th Jun 2018 - Brink – The Edge of Risk
The characteristics of pandemic pathogens
The Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has published a new report, The Characteristics of Pandemic Pathogens. "Although most classes of microbe could evolve or be manipulated in ways that would cause a catastrophic risk to humans, viruses—especially RNA viruses—are the most likely class of microorganism to have this capacity."
19th Jun 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullDeadly Chinese poultry flu could be "disease X" that sparks worldwide pandemic
A new strain of bird flu which kills 38 per cent of those it infects has been identified by the deputy chief medical officer for England as the most likely candidate to spark a worldwide flu pandemic. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England with special responsibility for emergency preparedness and pandemic planning, told the Telegraph that the virus concerning him and others most was H7N9, a flu virus circulating in poultry in China.
15th Jun 2018 - The Telegraph
Deadly poultry flu could be "disease X" to spark pandemic
16th Jun 2018 - Irish Independent
China: Aggressive Vogelgrippe ausgebrochen
16th Jun 2018 - Contra Magazin
Health chief: bird flu strain H7N9 could cause world pandemic
16th Jun 2018 - The Times
Fears raised over the spread of a bird flu that kills in China
15th Jun 2018 - Daily Mail
What is Disease X? Deadly Bird Flu Virus Could Be Next Pandemic
15th Jun 2018 - Newsweek
Terrifying new strain of bird flu that kills over a third of those who contract it discovered in China
15th Jun 2018 - The Sun
Terrifying new strain of bird flu that kills nearly half of those who contract it discovered in China amid fears of new global pandemic
15th Jun 2018 - The Scottish Sun
Chinese Bird Flu Virus Threatens To Become Deadly Disease X Pandemic
15th Jun 2018 - International Business Times
New Strain Of Chinese Bird Flu Linked To "Disease X" Kills 38 Percent Of People Infected
15th Jun 2018 - Tech Times
L'influenza aviaria H7N9 potrebbe essere la “Malattia X” dell'OMS: cosa rischiamo
15th Jun 2018 - Scienze Fanpage
1st Jan 1970 -
1st Jan 1970 -
1st Jan 1970 -
Clinical & Epidemiological Characteristics of A(H9N2) Infection In A Young Child
In China, three cases of the avian influenza A (H9N2) virus have been documented in Changsha. Among these patients, one was a girl and two were boys. The ages of the patients were 9 months, 2 years, and 15 years. Whether H9N2 ever poses a direct pandemic threat or not, it continues to aid and abet in the creation of new, potentially deadly, bird flu viruses. That alone makes it worthy of our attention, although any substantial increase in human infection would be of concern as well.
16th Jun 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
U.S. Department of State Names Michael Osterholm U.S. Science Envoy
Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., MPH, University of Minnesota Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Public Health, and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), has been selected by the U.S. Department of State as one of five 2018 U.S. Science Envoys. Osterholm is co-author of the 2017 book, Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, in which he lays out a nine-point strategy on how to address the most pressing infectious disease threats of our day, with preventing a global flu pandemic at the top of the list.
8th Jun 2018 - University of Minnesota
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullDeadly Chinese poultry flu could spark worldwide pandemic
A new strain of bird flu which kills 38 per cent of those it infects has been identified by the deputy chief medical officer for England as the most likely candidate to spark a worldwide flu pandemic. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England with special responsibility for emergency preparedness and pandemic planning, said that the virus concerning him most was H7N9, circulating in poultry in China. So far 1,625 people in China are known to have been infected with the H7N9 virus, 623 of whom have died.
14th Jun 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird flu alert: Outbreak spreads to European farms
The latest outbreak of the flu virus – known as the H5 avian influenza virus – was announced at a bird farm in Bulgaria. The H5N1 virus has infected 860 people worldwide, according to latest WHO figures. More than 450 people have died. Since March 2013, the H7N9 virus has infected 1,565 people, and 612 people have died from the flu virus. The NHS advised the public on how to reduce the risk of infection.
13th Jun 2018 - Express.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullJVI: Divergent Human Origin influenza Viruses Detected In Australian Swine Populations
Over the past decade we've seen plenty of evidence of current (or recent) human flu viruses reassorting with swine flu viruses, but now we've a report from the Journal of Virology with a bit of an unexpected twist. Researchers have discovered genetic remnants of much older human flu strains still circulating in geographically isolated swine populations in Australia. Lineages going back roughly 50 years (to H3N2 in 1968), which show unexpectedly little antigenic drift over time. The authors go on to suggest that "isolated swine populations can act as ‘antigenic archives’ of human influenza, raising the risk of re-emergence in humans when sufficient susceptible populations arise."
11th Jun 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza A virus infection among workers at live poultry markets, China, 2013–2016
Researchers conducted a 3-year longitudinal serologic survey on an open cohort of poultry workers, swine workers, and general population controls to assess avian influenza A virus (AIV) seroprevalence and seroincidence and virologic diversity at live poultry markets (LPMs) in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China. The data suggest that stronger surveillance for AIVs within LPMs and high-risk populations is imperative.
10th Jun 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhite House Preparing Bio-defense Strategy As Germ Warfare Fears Rise
In the U.S., the National Security Council staff is preparing a dedicated bio-defense strategy. This could be the single most important policy initiative President Trump undertakes, given the potential consequences of a devastating pandemic. It does not require a great deal of additional federal funding, but it does need some sort of mechanism to coordinate all the federal players. The most important player at present is the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Preparedness & Response, who works with the Centers for Disease Control and others to maintain adequate stockpiles of medical countermeasures.
7th Jun 2018 - Forbes
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullH7N9 Spreading Westward from Southern and Eastern China
A recent study has shown that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H7N9) virus is spreading westward from southern and eastern China. Qiqi Yang, Wei Shi, and Lei Zhang, from Beijing Normal University, China, and colleagues published the results of their study online in the June 2018 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. “We report cases of human infection with H7N9 virus, including in 1 person who was infected with a highly pathogenic variant, in Shaanxi Province, western China, during April and May 2017,” the authors write.
4th Jun 2018 - Contagion Live
News Scan for Jun 04, 2018
The amount of money given to states by the US Department of Health and Human Services for infectious disease, bioterrorism, and other public health preparedness has fallen almost 30% since 2003, when it was at its peak, the Government Accountability Office said in a recent report. GAO investigators noted that, from 2002 through 2017, HHS awarded about $3 billion to states and others to respond to specific disease threats, such as Zika, Ebola, and H1N1 pandemic influenza
4th Jun 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullCDC Adds Two New Novel Viruses To Their IRAT List
The CDC released an updated Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT) list of 16 novel flu subtypes/strains that currently circulate in non-human hosts, but that pose a potential threat to human health. This latest update - the first since October 2017 - adds 2 new viruses to the watch list; both are North American H7N9 viruses.
1st Jun 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Jun 2018
View this newsletter in fullSimulated global pandemic leaves 150 million dead. A real one could be much worse
A recent day-long exercise hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security mixed details of past disasters with fictional elements to force government officials and experts to make the kinds of key decisions they could face in a real pandemic. By the end of the exercise, failure to develop a vaccine within 20 months had led to 150 million deaths globally, or about 2 percent of the world's population. Players underscored the need for the United States to `go from bug to drug" faster, said Jim Talent, a former Republican senator from Missouri who played the defense secretary.
31st May 2018 - South China Morning Post
Ebola, pandemic influenza and SDG feature prominently at 71st World Health Assembly
The 71st World Health Assembly concluded on May 26 in Geneva, Switzerland.The Assembly considered the progress report by the DG on the implementation of WHA70 (10) on Review of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework. The framework brings together all stakeholders in implementing a global approach towards pandemic influenza preparedness and response. While it approved of all the recommendations, the committee asked for the final analysis of the text to be submitted to the WHA in 2019, instead of 2020.
31st May 2018 - Down To Earth Magazine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st May 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina is becoming a critical player in global health, while making internal drug approval processes more efficient
China has made huge progress in dealing with epidemics since the SARS outbreak of 2002. China has openly and quickly shared information with its citizens and internationally when incidents of H7N5 and H7N9 or H1N1 had been detected within its borders. But there are stumbling blocks still: the average time for review and approval of new drugs in China is more than three and a half years, while it takes only 10 months in the US. The Institute of Immunological Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a generic for Tamiflu. The Chinese generic developed by the CAS should be more effective and also cheaper than Tamiflu, according to CAS spokesperson Bi Yuhai, so that people in developing countries and their governments can afford to buy it. The only problem is it could take ages for the drug to appear on the market.
30th May 2018 - Global Times
DARPA kicking off four-year effort to leverage gene tuning to mitigate threats
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Preemptive Expression of Protective Alleles and Response Elements (PREPARE) program aims to “tune” gene expression to temporarily improve the body’s natural defenses against biological, chemical and radiological threats. The four-year program will address four key areas: influenza viral infection, opioid overdose, organophosphate poisoning and exposure to gamma radiation.
30th May 2018 - Homeland Preparedness News
This mock pandemic killed 150 million people. Next time it might not be a drill
A recent day-long exercise hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security mixed details of past disasters with fictional elements to force government officials and experts to make the kinds of key decisions they could face in a real pandemic. By the end of the exercise, failure to develop a vaccine within 20 months had led to 150 million deaths globally, or about 2 percent of the world’s population. Players underscored the need for the United States to “go from bug to drug" faster, said Jim Talent, a former Republican senator from Missouri who played the defense secretary.
30th May 2018 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullReport identifies characteristics of microorganisms most likely to cause a global pandemic
Infectious disease preparedness work focuses predominantly on an historical list of pathogens derived from biological warfare agents, political considerations, and recent outbreaks. That fails to account for the most serious agents not currently known or without historical precedent, write scholars from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in a new report on the traits of microorganisms with high pandemic potential.
29th May 2018 - EurekAlert!
RNA Viruses Viewed as Greatest Threat for Causing Global Pandemic
29th May 2018 - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
GAO finds mixed results in HHS performance standards for infectious disease funding
A U.S. Government Accountability Office review has found that most states meet performance standards for infectious disease threats related to safety and coordination of first responders, but states reported mixed results regarding electronic lab reporting, epidemiology capacity, and laboratory capacity.
29th May 2018 - Homeland Preparedness News
Funding and Performance of Key Preparedness and Capacity-Building Programs
29th May 2018 - Government Accountability Office
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullWill we be prepared for "Disease X" – the next pandemic?
Tom Koch is a professor of medical geography at the University of British Columbia and the author of Cartographies of Disease and Disease Maps: Epidemics on the Ground. He explains that "the only answer is to assure that public health organizations – from city-health departments to international agencies – have the funding and support they will require to react when Disease X emerges. Unfortunately, we are, in most countries, more concerned with health efficiencies than health preparedness. WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have had their budgets cut in recent years"
28th May 2018 - The Globe and Mail
Bill Gates warns that a deadly disease could wipe out 30 million people in just six months
Bill Gates has warned that a deadly disease could be on its way. Speaking at a conference last month, Gates claimed that the disease could spread in as little as six months, wiping out up to 30 million people in the process. He said: “There’s one area where the world isn’t making much progress and that’s pandemic preparedness.” Gates played a video showing a simulation of how quickly a deadly flu strain could spread. The simulation suggested that a flu could kill 30 million people in just six months.
28th May 2018 - Daily Mirror
Australia braces for flu season, 100 years after Spanish influenza killed one in 10
Dr Rob Grenfell, CSIRO's director of health and biosecurity, writes that "many people don't realise the most threatening infectious diseases originate in animals, and at some point mutate and infect humans. Zika came from mosquitos, SARS came from bats, swine flu from pigs and influenza A from birds. While not necessarily visible, for years CSIRO researchers have been tracking diseases across a range of animals, testing and monitoring to catch the sweet spot when genetic changes driven by the virus make it possible for a disease to make the jump to people. Part of this research includes developing treatments and vaccines for the animals themselves."
28th May 2018 - abc.net.au
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullGlobal health shifts to local experts with global partners
Jimmy Kolker, now a visiting scholar at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's Center for Science Diplomacy, used to be assistant secretary for global affairs at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. He explains how multidisciplinary and multinational approaches are especially beneficial as researchers in emerging economies increasingly want to select the health experts they partner with and the research they want to pursue. Such collaborations have led research teams to no longer focus exclusively on infectious diseases, but also
on chronic diseases
26th May 2018 - Science Magazine
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullDecade of global health initiative GISAID lauded
The Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), which contributes to global health security with its data-sharing programme used to combat influenza, has gone from strength to strength as it celebrates a decade of enabling near real-time surveillance to respond to and mitigate seasonal and pandemic influenza, says GISAID trustee Dr Iqbal Surve. To mark the occasion, global public health experts and leading researchers will emphasise the contributions of GISAID, while government officials from countries such as China and Brazil will recognise its importance at the 2018 World Health Assembly in Switzerland this week.
24th May 2018 - Infosurhoy
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullDecade of global health initiative GISAID lauded
The Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), which contributes to global health security with its data-sharing programme used to combat influenza, has gone from strength to strength as it celebrates a decade of enabling near real-time surveillance to respond to and mitigate seasonal and pandemic influenza, says GISAID trustee Dr Iqbal Survé. To mark the occasion, global public health experts and leading researchers will emphasise the contributions of GISAID, while government officials from countries such as China and Brazil will recognise its importance at the 2018 World Health Assembly in Switzerland this week.
23rd May 2018 - 4-traders.com
Decade of global health initiative GISAID lauded
23rd May 2018 - Independent Online
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd May 2018
View this newsletter in fullNew Smithsonian exhibit explores pandemics and infectious diseases
In the U.S., the new Smithsonian exhibit called “Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World,” will explore the ecology of epidemics. In particular, how pathogens might move from nature and wildlife to humans and tracking those outbreaks over a period of time.
22nd May 2018 - ABC 7 News - WJLA
TFAH Applauds the Introduction of the Bipartisan Pandemic And All-Hazards Preparedness And Advancing Innovation
John Auerbach, President and CEO, of Trust for America's Health, issued a statement on the introduction of the Senate HELP Committee's Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation (PAHPAI) Act. He says: "While we are much better prepared than we were a century — or even 17 years — ago, some important gaps remain. The nation needs to better prepare our healthcare system for disasters and unusual outbreaks and ensure thoughtful planning occurs for community members who could be at higher risk during disasters, such as older adults, children and people with complex health conditions. And, the nation must be better at moving vaccines and other lifesaving medications from initial research all the way through to dispensing"
22nd May 2018 - PR Newswire.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd May 2018
View this newsletter in fullU.S. ranch promises protection against wars and pandemics
"Modifying something like the bird flu virus (H7N9), making it contagious in humans and releasing it in the United States or anywhere in the world could result in a pandemic that could easily kill more than a billion people. In addition, our electrical system is quite fragile, and a major solar event that causes PEM can have dire consequences. The police will not be able to keep order. The economy could stop," suggested Drew Miller, a man with an academic background in National Security and Resource Strategy.
21st May 2018 - Veja.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st May 2018
View this newsletter in fullPopulation Serologic Immunity To H2N2 For Pandemic Risk Assessment
While H7N9 or H5N6 might produce a much higher mortality rate, H2N2 has a long track record of successfully sparking pandemics, making it a virus we definitely want to watch. H2N2 has lain dormant for very long, and those born after 1968 appear to have little or no immunity to the influenza viruses that circulated in the mid and early 1960s. With the median global age just over 30, and nearly 80% of the world's population under the age of 50, should H2N2 return, it would likely find few immunological impediments to its spread.
20th May 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Commentary: Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
The Gates Foundation recently modelled what might happen if a flu pandemic like the one in 1918 erupted today. The research suggests that if a comparable airborne respiratory pandemic hit now, about 33 million people would die within six months. And, as Bill Gates observed in a speech last month: `Given the continual emergence of new pathogens, the increasing risk of a bioterror attack, and how connected our world is through air travel, there is a significant probability of a large and lethal modern-day pandemic occurring in our lifetimes.` Our globalised world and love of travel makes it easy for pathogens to spread. But another significant problem is a dire lack of co-ordinated action
19th May 2018 - Channel NewsAsia
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe whole of humanity could be vulnerable to ... a cold
The next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins' Center for Health Security. To guard against the threat, more needs to be done to improve the surveillance of respiratory-borne RNA viruses. Vaccines against RNA respiratory viruses - including a universal influenza vaccine - should be pursued with increased priority.
17th May 2018 - Science et Vie
Smithsonian opens exhibit featuring contagious diseases
An exhibit titled "Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World," is set to run for three years at the at the Museum of Natural History in Washington. Kirk Johnson, the museum's director, said 10 million visitors are expected during that time. Officials from the NIH and the CDC were at the press opening. After walking through the exhibit, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said, "It was like I was in a dream and someone said, 'This is your life.'" He is prioritizing the development of a universal flu vaccine
16th May 2018 - Washington Examiner
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullBill Gates says a pandemic flu could kill 30 million people - these are the deadly diseases that scare experts the most
Many experts think a global pandemic disease, whether naturally occurring or engineered, is the greatest threat humanity faces right now. Bill Gates, who provides significant funding for disease research through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, has repeatedly emphasized that we're not adequately prepared for the next pandemic illness. Recently, he warned that an outbreak of a disease like the flu virus that swept the world in 1918 could kill 30 million people within a six-month time span. "The world needs to prepare for pandemics in the same serious way it prepares for war," Gates said at a recent discussion about epidemics.
16th May 2018 - MySanAntonio.com
Bill Gates says a pandemic flu could kill 30 million people - these are the deadly diseases that scare experts the most
16th May 2018 - Business Insider
New report suggests airborne viruses most likely cause of future pandemics
The next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins' Center for Health Security. To guard against the threat, more needs to be done to improve the surveillance of respiratory-borne RNA viruses. Vaccines against RNA respiratory viruses - including a universal influenza vaccine - should be pursued with increased priority.
16th May 2018 - Medical Xpress
Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
The Gates Foundation recently modelled what might happen if a flu pandemic like the one in 1918 erupted today. The research suggests that if a comparable airborne respiratory pandemic hit now, about 33 million people would die within six months. And, as Bill Gates observed in a speech last month: “Given the continual emergence of new pathogens, the increasing risk of a bioterror attack, and how connected our world is through air travel, there is a significant probability of a large and lethal modern-day pandemic occurring in our lifetimes.” Our globalised world and love of travel makes it easy for pathogens to spread. But another significant problem is a dire lack of co-ordinated action
16th May 2018 - Financial Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullJohns Hopkins Report: The Characteristics of Pandemic Pathogens
The next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins' Center for Health Security. To guard against the threat, more needs to be done to improve the surveillance of respiratory-borne RNA viruses. Vaccines against RNA respiratory viruses - including a universal influenza vaccine - should be pursued with increased priority.
15th May 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullIs this the face of Disease X? The deadly pathogens which could cause the next global pandemic
The next pathogen to cause a deadly global pandemic will most likely be a respiratory disease, spread by a virus that is contagious during incubation or when symptoms are only mild, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins’ Center for Health Security. To guard against the threat, more needs to be done to improve the surveillance of respiratory-borne RNA viruses. Vaccines against RNA respiratory viruses – including a universal influenza vaccine – should be pursued with increased priority.
14th May 2018 - The Telegraph
Report: Next Pandemic Will Likely Be Respiratory-Based Virus
14th May 2018 - MedPage Today
Going Viral: How to Save Society from Deadly Epidemics
Jonathan Quick is a medical doctor on a mission to make sure people around the globe don’t get complacent about one of the greatest threats to our survival. It’s not nuclear war or terrorism that Quick worries about, but a much smaller, more insidious enemy: viruses. From influenza to Ebola, epidemics are a growing concern in the medical community and beyond. Viral outbreaks that were once confined to small geographic areas now have no boundaries as people travel quickly from place to place. Quick, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and the Boston University School of Public Health, joined the Knowledge@Wharton show to explain his seven steps for curbing viral outbreaks
14th May 2018 - Wharton University of Pennsylvania
H5N1 Influenza A Virus PB1-F2 Relieves HAX-1-Mediated Restriction of Avian Virus Polymerase PA in Human Lung Cells
Highly pathogenic influenza A viruses (IAV) from avian hosts were first reported to directly infect humans 20 years ago. However, such infections are rare events, and our understanding of factors promoting or restricting zoonotic transmission is still limited. One accessory protein of IAV, PB1-F2, was associated with pathogenicity of pandemic and zoonotic IAV. This short (90-amino-acid) peptide does not harbor an enzymatic function. A new study identified host factors interacting with H5N1 PB1-F2, which could explain its importance for virulence.
14th May 2018 - Journal of Virology
Terrifying video shows how a deadly flu can kill millions within months
Experts think that if a new deadly flu like that 1918 pandemic virus were to emerge now, it would spread rapidly enough to kill almost 33 million people within six months. Bill Gates frequently warns people about this possibility, and he reiterated his concerns last month at a discussion about epidemics hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Journal of Medicine. During his lecture, Gates showed a simulation that illustrates how devastating the effects of a flu pandemic would still be in every corner of the world.
14th May 2018 - Metro U.S.
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullHere's What the Next Pandemic Pathogen Might Look Like
A new report aims to address the question of what disease is most likely to cause the next pandemic, in the hopes of preventing or better preparing for such a scenario. The researchers found that although pathogens like Ebola and Zika make headlines, they are unlikely to cause a global pandemic disaster. Instead, viruses that are spread through the air pose a bigger threat. The report called for improved surveillance of RNA viruses, similar to what's done for influenza, as well as an increased emphasis on developing antiviral drugs against RNA respiratory viruses, as well as vaccines, including a universal flu vaccine.
13th May 2018 - Live Science
The Next Pandemic: Forget Zika Or Ebola, Airborne Viruses Like The Flu And The Common Cold Are The Real Threat
13th May 2018 - The Inquisitr
News Scan for May 11, 2018 - CIDRAP
12th May 2018 - CIDRAP
Bill Gates revealed a scary simulation that shows how a deadly flu could kill more than 30 million people within 6 months
Experts think that if a new deadly flu like that 1918 pandemic virus were to emerge now, it would spread rapidly enough to kill almost 33 million people within six months. Bill Gates frequently warns people about this possibility, and he reiterated his concerns last month at a discussion about epidemics hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Society and the New England Journal of Medicine. During his lecture, Gates showed a simulation that illustrates how devastating the effects of a flu pandemic would still be in every corner of the world.
12th May 2018 -
Top White House official in charge of pandemic response exits as global health security team disbanded
The top White House official responsible for leading the U.S. response in the event of a deadly pandemic has left the administration, and the global health security team that he oversaw has been disbanded under a reorganization by national security adviser John Bolton. The day before news of Ziemer's exit became public, one of the officials on his team, Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, spoke at a symposium at Emory University to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic. "The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern," she told the audience. "Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no."
11th May 2018 - The Independent
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullTop White House official in charge of pandemic response exits abruptly
The top White House official responsible for leading the U.S. response in the event of a deadly pandemic has left the administration, and the global health security team he oversaw has been disbanded under a reorganization by national security adviser John Bolton. The abrupt departure of Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer from the National Security Council means no senior administration official is now focused solely on global health security.
10th May 2018 - The Washington Post
Why The World Needs Pop-up Vaccine Factories
In the preparation against pandemics, a core problem remains: how to manufacture vaccines quickly enough, and on a large enough scale, to save more people’s lives. A new £10 million UK-funded project, the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub, is finding a new model. This will include a faster process for finding and testing vaccines alongside localised ‘pop-up’ factories that can get large supplies of vaccines to people within weeks of the threat having been identified.
10th May 2018 - Huffington Post
WHO hedges its bets: the next global pandemic could be disease X
For the first time, the World Health Organization has included “disease X” in its annual list of priority infectious diseases. “A serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease,” WHO says. Disease X might represent a new pathogen or the re-emergence of an old disease, like the last Ebola outbreak. Experts welcomed WHO’s inclusion of an unknown disease. “We cannot predict all emerging disease problems, in contrast to what the list of priority diseases suggests,” Marion Koopmans, head of the viroscience department of the Erasmus MC Rotterdam, told The BMJ. “Look, for instance, at the last flu pandemic in 2009—that arose from a swine flu influenza virus, most likely in the Americas, whereas the world was looking at Asia and avian flu"
10th May 2018 - British Medical Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullNews Scan for May 09, 2018
Using clinical data from the 2009 H1N1 epidemic, flu experts created a new model that predicts the clinical severity of an emerging pandemic virus. The research was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. An international group of authors said experts initially overestimated clinical severity during the H1N1 pandemic, predicting in the early months of the outbreak that case-fatality rates (CFRs) would rival the 1918 pandemic. H1N1 proved to be much milder, prompting the World Health Organization to declare severity a requirement for pandemic status. Ongoing clinical trials for other diseases are the basis for establishing such a severity model.
9th May 2018 - CIDRAP
Trump Administration Views Influenza As Priority Health Security Issue, WH National Security Council Physician Says
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnered with Emory University to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu with a symposium about influenza pandemics: when and if they will strike, how ready the United States is to confront a pandemic, and how to do so. No one argued that the United States is prepared to face a flu pandemic, as experts explained the current status of avian flu viruses, a universal vaccine, and challenges to preparedness.
8th May 2018 - Kaiser Family Foundation
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullBill Gates pushes for universal flu vaccine, efforts to address future pandemics
Innovative new treatments, improved health care delivery systems, and a coordinated global response are among the strategies needed to help the world prepare for future pandemics, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, told Michelle A. Williams, Dean of the Faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, on April 27, 2018 during a Q&A at the World Trade Center in Boston. The conversation followed his announcement of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s plan to award a $12 million Grand Challenge, in partnership with the Page family, to accelerate the development of a universal flu vaccine.
8th May 2018 - News.Harvard.edu
Study gives new insights into avian influenza in Bangladesh
Avian flu in Bangladesh is not considered a threat in the country. But the 2007 to 2018 surveillance in both communities and live-bird markets suggests that the virus circulates round the year in Bangladesh. “We have to closely monitor to identify avian influenza outbreaks at firm level,” said Dr Sukanta Chowdhury, an assistant scientist of icddr,b’s Infectious Diseases Division. Officials said this year they detected only one outbreak so far, but icddr,b’s research suggests many more could be left undiagnosed. The findings revealed the presence of the virus in the environment where the poultry is slaughtered. Poultry workers were also found suffering from the avian influenza, but none of them were hospitalised.
8th May 2018 - BD News24.com
Pandemic flu is #1 health security concern: WH official
The U.S. won't be ready to face a flu pandemic until it improves its vaccines, health care infrastructure, and coordination with other countries — all of which are top priorities for the White House, a National Security Council official said. 85% of seasonal vaccines are now created via an egg-based process that's less expensive but takes 6 months to develop and "is the state of technology, for the 1950s," Borio said. The remaining 15% are made from more expensive but faster producing cell-based or recombinant technologies. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb recently said that the early indications show cell-based vaccines had 20% improved efficacy compared with egg-based vaccines for this past season. Multiple panelists pointed out drug companies need an incentive to leave their egg-production process.
8th May 2018 - Axios.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullExperts review 1918 pandemic, warn flu is global threat
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnered with Emory University to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1918 flu with a symposium about influenza pandemics: when and if they will strike, how ready the United States is to confront a pandemic, and how to do so. No one argued that the United States is prepared to face a flu pandemic, as experts explained the current status of avian flu viruses, a universal vaccine, and challenges to preparedness.
7th May 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullAre we ready for an epidemic this summer?
Ronald A. Klain, a Post contributing columnist, was White House Ebola response coordinator from 2014 to 2015 and a senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. He writes that "Bill Gates went public with a recent conversation he had with President Trump. Gates told Stat News that they had discussed Gates’s work to try to find a universal flu vaccine; his foundation has offered a $12 million prize for development of a vaccine in hopes of taming a pandemic flu threat that could take more than 30 million lives in a single year. As generous as Gates is, however, no single individual has the resources to protect us from the growing array of infectious diseases confronting us: Only government action has that scope."
4th May 2018 - The Washington Post
Prioritize transnational biothreats now, experts warn
America’s response to potential worldwide biological threats — either naturally occurring or imposed by terrorists — must evolve, experts told the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense during its April 25 public meeting addressing current transnational biothreats and the global security efforts to combat them. The most-pressing transnational biothreats are influenza and antimicrobial resistance, said professor Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota
4th May 2018 - Homeland Preparedness News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th May 2018
View this newsletter in fullGates, In Funding Universal Flu Vaccine, Warns Of Global Unpreparedness
During his presentation at the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Medical Society, Bill Gates warned that we are distinctly unprepared for the next big pandemic that will eventually come our way. "To broaden efforts even further, today we are launching a $12 million Grand Challenge in partnership with the Page family to accelerate the development of a universal flu vaccine," he said
3rd May 2018 - ACSH
Ending the Pandemic Threat: A Grand Challenge for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development
3rd May 2018 - Technology.org
Bill Gates makes push for universal flu vaccine, stepped-up efforts to address future pandemics
3rd May 2018 - hsph.harvard.edu
Bill Gates warns of a pandemic that may potentially kill 33 million people
Bill Gates is certain: a pandemic, as bad as the Spanish flu, is threatening us all and it has the potential to obliterate more than 30 million lives worldwide. And the time for humanity to prepare, and to do something about stopping this, is rapidly running out. This scenario may look like a Hollywood blockbuster, but according to Bill Gates, we are threatened in the near future: by a global flu pandemic that will kill more than 30 million people in just six months
3rd May 2018 - TZ.de
Millions of lives at risk: how Bill Gates fights killer flu
Humanity's greatest danger is a pandemic. Diseases that spread uncontrollably across the planet and kill millions of people. The Microsoft founder and Gates Foundation chief is warning of the high risk of an early outbreak of a pandemic - possibly a biological terrorist attack - which would leave humanity grossly unprepared. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, he criticized the Trump administration for failing to arm the United States against such a threat: "There has been little effort so far." "Whether it's a whim of nature or the hand of a terrorist, epidemiologists say a fast-paced, air-resistant pathogen could kill more than 30 million people, " said Gates.
3rd May 2018 - Huffington Post Deutschland
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd May 2018
View this newsletter in fullPandemic Fears Stoke Calls for New Vaccines and Global Health Initiatives
In a major speech on April 27, 2018 in Boston, Bill Gates described how a lethal airborne flu virus could quickly spread around the world and kill 33 million people in six months. To avoid such a catastrophe, Gates announced the launch of a new “grand challenge” award by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with Google co-founder Larry Page and his wife, to provide $12 million in grants to researchers discovering “game-changing” approaches for testing and developing a universal flu vaccine.
2nd May 2018 - BioPharm International
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd May 2018
View this newsletter in fullBill Gates Calls For, And Funds, Steps To Prevent A Global Pandemic
To tackle the flu specifically Bill Gates announced during his Shattuck Lecture that, in conjunction with Google cofounder Larry Page, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation had launched a $12 million challenge to encourage scientists to invent a universal flu vaccine. The foundation is also already partnering with other organizations like the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which has a vaccine candidate that’s likely to enter human clinical trials in the next year.
1st May 2018 - Forbes
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st May 2018
View this newsletter in fullHealth and Human Services Biodefense Budget Oversight
In the U.S., The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education held an oversight hearing focused on the FY2019 Budget for Health and Human Services Biodefense Activities on April 18, 2018. NIAID is partnering with BARDA to support the development of vaccine candidates for influenza strains with the potential to cause a pandemic, including H7N9 avian influenza. NIAID also is working to develop broadly protective, or “universal,” influenza vaccines that could protect against multiple strains of seasonal and pandemic influenza. NIAID recently developed a Strategic Plan to guide research efforts focused on the design and development of universal influenza vaccines.
29th Apr 2018 - Global Biodefense
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullAre We Prepared For A Killer Flu Epidemic?
"Today we are launching a $12 million Grand Challenge, in partnership with the Page family, to accelerate the development of a universal flu vaccine," Bill Gates announced Friday at a scientific meeting in Boston. Yes, it's true we already have flu vaccines. But the problem is that we have too many of them. Sarah Gilbert, a virologist at Oxford University, says there are several promising universal vaccines already in development, including one her team is currently testing in a large clinical trial. So the holdup isn't at the preclinical stage, she says, but further down the pipeline. "The real bottleneck is getting these experimental vaccines into testing in humans, and that is a very expensive undertaking," Gilbert says.
27th Apr 2018 - NPR
Are We Prepared For A Killer Flu Epidemic?
27th Apr 2018 - WAMU 88.5
What Bill Gates Fears Most
27th Apr 2018 - The Atlantic
Bill Gates Warns 30 Million People Could Die From Flu Pandemic if We Don't Get It Together
27th Apr 2018 - Gizmodo
Bill Gates calls on U.S. to lead fight against a pandemic that could kill 33 million
27th Apr 2018 - The Washington Post
Bill Gates Calls On US To Lead Fight Against A Pandemic That Could Kill 33 Million
28th Apr 2018 - NDTV
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullAlliance for Biosecurity testifies before House subcommittee on need for long-term funding to counter biological threats
Leadership from the Alliance for Biosecurity urged Congressional lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday to increase funding for programs to protect Americans from biological and chemical threats. Specifically, the Alliance calls for allocating $954 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). It also calls for the funding of $800 million for HHS’ Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund; $632 million for pandemic flu preparedness; and $668 million for the Strategic National Stockpile.
26th Apr 2018 - Homeland Preparedness News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullInside the secret US stockpile meant to save us all in a bioterror attack
In the U.S., for nearly two decades, the Strategic National Stockpile has been almost exclusively managed by the CDC. That will change under a Trump administration plan to shift oversight of the $575 million program to a different part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Doing so, proponents say, will keep the program intact but streamline decision-making and create `efficiencies.` But some public health officials and members of Congress in both parties worry the move will disrupt a complex process that relies on long-standing relationships between the federal program and the state and local agencies responsible for distributing the medicine. During a congressional hearing last week, lawmakers expressed concern that a change could risk the government's ability to deliver lifesaving medical supplies to what public health officials call `the last mile` - to people in need during a disaster.
25th Apr 2018 - Albany Times Union
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullInside the secret U.S. stockpile meant to save us all in a bioterror attack
In the U.S., for nearly two decades, the Strategic National Stockpile has been almost exclusively managed by the CDC. That will change under a Trump administration plan to shift oversight of the $575 million program to a different part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Doing so, proponents say, will keep the program intact but streamline decision-making and create “efficiencies.” But some public health officials and members of Congress in both parties worry the move will disrupt a complex process that relies on long-standing relationships between the federal program and the state and local agencies responsible for distributing the medicine. During a congressional hearing last week, lawmakers expressed concern that a change could risk the government’s ability to deliver lifesaving medical supplies to what public health officials call “the last mile” — to people in need during a disaster.
24th Apr 2018 - The Washington Post
Dynamic Variation & Reversion in the Signature Amino Acids of H7N9 Virus During Human Infection
A new, open access study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, looks at the evolution of H7N9 in 11 subjects during the course of their infection. This report focuses on 3 mutations we've seen often in the past; NA R292K which can provide resistance not only to oseltamivir, but to zanamivir and peramivir as well; PB2 E627K which enables an influenza virus to replicate at the lower temperatures (roughly 33C) normally found in the upper human respiratory tract; and PB2 D701N (see Dual E627K and D701N mutations in the PB2 protein of A(H7N9) influenza virus increased its virulence in mammalian models)
24th Apr 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullWestward spread of HPAI A(H7N9) virus among humans, China
Via Emerging Infectious Diseases: Ahead of Print -Westward Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus among Humans, China. The conclusions: We report emerging HPAI H7N9 variants in Shaanxi Province, western China. Our phylogenetic analyses support that the LPAI H7N9 viruses in Shaanxi Province originated from eastern and southern China, and the Shaanxi HPAI H7N9 isolates probably originated in Guangdong Province and were transmitted either directly or indirectly through other provinces.
23rd Apr 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullA century ago, the Spanish flu killed 100 million people. Is a new pandemic on the way?
Various authors have written about the Spanish flu, and offer a warning about a follow-up pandemic that is overdue – and for which, it seems, we are largely unprepared. “Somewhere out there a dangerous virus is boiling up in the bloodstream of a bird, bat, monkey, or pig, preparing to jump to a human being,” says Jonathan Quick in The End of Epidemics. “It has the potential to wipe out millions of us, including my family and yours, over a matter of weeks or months.”
21st Apr 2018 - New Statesman
The action plan that saves lives when disease breaks out
Infectious disease expert Professor Allen Cheng said Australia had a strong public health system that could respond to all sorts of communicable diseases. But the federated system could hamper the country’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to national threats. Global health officials are worried that another strain of avian influenza could make a jump into humans, just as H5N1 did in the late 1990s. It has since caused hundreds of deaths but has not acquired the ability to transmit easily from person to person.
20th Apr 2018 - The New Daily
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullA century after the Spanish flu, are we ready for another pandemic?
100 years on from the dreaded Spanish flu, we’re still not safe from pandemics – or even on top of seasonal influenza. The flu vaccine is an imperfect tool, but one that should still be used. Aside from the hit-and-miss nature of the vaccines themselves, one of the unknowns is just how long immunity lasts, and it doesn't last as long in older people. It's the reason two new and stronger-dose vaccines for older people have now been approved by the federal government for use in Australia.
19th Apr 2018 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullDid the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic Originate in China?
Throughout history, many flu pandemics have originated in China. The influenza virus can incorporate the genetic material of animals to evade the human immune system and wreak havoc. Indeed, media reports last year warned that the virus "most likely to cause the next flu pandemic", in this case H7N9 avian influenza, had so far only been detected in China.
18th Apr 2018 - The News Lens International
Cell Reports: A Dominant Gene Constellation Emerged For H7N9 In Wave 5
A new research article which appears in Cell Reports finds the rapid expansion of H7N9 genotypes during the earlier waves appears to have - at least temporarily - slowed dramatically during the 5th wave. Moreover, a single dominant gene constellation appears to have been responsible for the bulk of the human infections during the 5th wave. A very long, detailed, open-access report from Cell Reports describes this abrupt change in the evolution of H7N9
18th Apr 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Mechanism That Enables Avian Flu Viruses to Infect Humans Discovered
A team of Swiss investigators has found a new mechanism that is critical to the ability of certain avian influenza A viruses to infect humans. The mechanism overcomes a defense that normally protects human cells from infection by avian influenza. The research appeared in the Journal of Virology, a publication of the American Society for Microbiology. This ability to cross the species barrier is important because “highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses pose a continuing threat to human and animal health and bear the potential for new influenza pandemics,” the researchers wrote
18th Apr 2018 - Technology Networks
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullThousands of British travellers heading to China are warned to avoid traditional "wet markets" amid fears of bird flu spreading to the UK
Thousands of travellers to China have been told avoid traditional markets amid fears of an outbreak of bird flu spreading to the UK. 'Wet' markets, which contain hundreds of stalls that sell dead and live animals, can appeal to tourists who want to see the 'real' side of the country. However, in an alert issued today, travellers have been warned against visiting the traditional markets to lower their risk of catching bird flu. Two strains of avian flu, H5N6 and H7N4, are currently circulating the Asian country, according to the Public Health England report.
17th Apr 2018 - Daily Mail
Avian influenza A(H7N4): risk assessment
The World Health Organization has confirmed the first ever case of human infection with Avian Influenza A(H7N4) which has been detected in a person from China. A document from Public Health England provides further information and advice for clinicians and the public. The risk to UK residents within the UK is currently considered to be very low.
17th Apr 2018 - UK Government
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullInfluenza pandemic could infect 43 million people in UK, University of Cambridge research finds for BBC’s Contagion! show
An influenza pandemic could infect 43 million people in the UK – and kill up to 886,000, according to a citizen science project that is the largest of its kind. Based on models designed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the results were broadcast on Contagion! The BBC Four Pandemic last month and published in the journal Epidemics. Experts agree it is a question of when, not if, the next deadly pandemic will strike. The issue is top of the UK’s government civilian risk register.
15th Apr 2018 - Cambridge Independent
The 1918 influenza pandemic affected the whole world. Could it happen again?
Another flu pandemic is inevitable, Professor McCaw, a mathematical biologist at the University of Melbourne, says, simply because flu viruses are so prone to mutate. Eventually, we'll encounter another virus that we have low immunity to and it will spread rapidly. Some of the things to monitor are disease transmission in the types of animals that are natural reservoirs for influenza — which are mostly water birds — as well as particular strains of virus that can have high mortality rates when they do occasionally infect humans.
13th Apr 2018 - ABC Online
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullOn World Health Day, Are We Ready for the Next Outbreak?
Without additional funding, the U.S. CDC will be forced to cut its global health security funding. The director of the CDC’s Center for Global Health warned that the agency will have to stop funding epidemic-prevention efforts in 39 of the 49 countries where it now operates. The H7N9 strain of influenza is very dangerous, and since it was first reported in China in 2013, it has broken out five times; 39 percent of those confirmed to have contracted it have died, roughly comparable to the percentage of those infected with Ebola who died in West Africa. And the number of confirmed cases has risen with each subsequent outbreak. Worryingly, China is among the nations CDC has said it would have to cut from its infectious disease surveillance and prevention program.
7th Apr 2018 - Real Clear Politics
World Health Day: WHO Tasks African Leaders On Universal Health Coverage
As the world commemorates the World Health Day, the World Health Organisation stressed that effective leadership and high-level political commitment are critical to achieving Universal Health Coverage. WHO’s regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, said even though access to treatment and essential services had improved in the African region, much more need to be done to curb the increase in non-communicable diseases, and address new threats such as H5N1
7th Apr 2018 - Leadership
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullDo we want another Spanish influenza epidemic? Reauthorizing Preparedness Act could prevent it
While public health and science have made great strides in the last century, our preparedness for the next pandemic is now compromised by a decline in the numbers of public health experts in the U.S. Over the last decade, cuts in funding for hospital and public health programs have diminished resources and capacities to identify and contain infectious disease outbreaks. Rising costs of graduate medical education, combined with disparities between public sector and private salaries for physicians have resulted in fewer physicians applying to the EIS fellowship program.
3rd Apr 2018 - The Hill
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Apr 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy we need to worry about the next flu epidemic
Janet Tobias’ new documentary, Unseen Enemy, looks at the threat pandemics pose to the world. She explains that the threat of a flu pandemic is real and could hit places like India hard, and that "we need to invest in flu research on improving the effectiveness of the vaccine and, more importantly, to develop a universal flu vaccine — one that would work against all types of flu, including potentially a new pandemic strain."
1st Apr 2018 - The Times of India
Zoonotic Threats: As Unpredictable as They Are Dangerous
Public health experts believe the biggest threats are diseases transmitted from animals to humans. According to the U.S. CDC, more than 6 in 10 known infectious diseases are believed to be zoonotic, and three-quarters of new or emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic. Yet, the goal of predicting precisely which zoonotic diseases will become epidemic remains elusive. Among the top concerns of public health officials are the H7N9 avian flu in China and the H5N1 bird flu strain in Egypt. One way governments can prepare for epidemics is by developing vaccines. However, it’s tough to know which vaccines to prioritize, given that vaccine development is expensive, both in terms of time and money.
29th Mar 2018 - Contagion Live
Researchers eyeing different kind of flu as season winds down
It's been three years since the bird flu devastated poultry farms throughout the Midwest, but now researchers are focusing on the virus's impact on the human population. According to experts, it's associated with death in up to 40 percent of individuals who get infected. Researchers at the Alabama Vaccine Clinic at UAB are testing out a vaccine that could combat the virus from spreading between human hosts. Though bird flu is an ongoing problem in China, Dr. Goepfert said that's not the case for the U.S. right now.
29th Mar 2018 - KAIT
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullDisease outbreaks and power blackouts join major UK security threats
The possibilities of a major disease or flu outbreak or widespread blackout have been added to a list of the most serious security challenges facing the UK. Britain’s new National Security Capability Review has recommended that dealing with disease and natural hazards should now be a priority alongside threats from Russia, terrorism and cyber warfare. The acknowledgement of the threat from infectious diseases comes amid growing warnings that the world is due a deadly pandemic that countries are poorly prepared for.
28th Mar 2018 - The Telegraph
UK renews commitment to fund pandemic preparedness
The UK government has pledged a further £4 million to help countries nip disease outbreaks in the bud before they become full-blown epidemics or pandemics. WHO believes another pandemic is inevitable - and will most likely come from an influenza virus, although new and emerging pathogens such as Disease X could pose the next threat.
28th Mar 2018 - The Telegraph
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullRecent ORAU annual meeting highlighted public health security associated with biological threats
Global health security requires meaningful, interdisciplinary actions to resolve the challenges of the 21st century. Public health professionals need the support of communities to predict and overcome a wide range of health threats ranging from pandemic diseases to bioterrorism. Distinguished speakers at the 73rd annual meeting of the ORAU Council of Sponsoring Institutions discussed emerging issues and presented viable solutions based on innovations in advanced technologies.
27th Mar 2018 - ORAU
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullSpread & Evolution of HPAI & LPAI H7N9 During 5th Wave - China
Despite its unexpected disappearing act this winter, H7N9 remains the novel flu virus that is viewed as our greatest pandemic threat. Not only due to its high mortality rate (30%+ among hospitalized patients) and the record number of cases last year, but because of its incredible (and continually growing) diversity. Add to this literally dozens of genotypes created by freewheeling reassortment between H7N9, H9N2, H6Nx and H7Nx viruses (see below), and the emergence of mammalian adapted amino acid substitutions (eg. E627K and A588V in PB2) and we end up with not one - or even ten - competent H7N9 viruses in circulation - but dozens.
26th Mar 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullCitizen science experiment predicts massive toll of flu pandemic on the UK
How fast could a new flu epidemic spread? The results of the UK’s largest citizen science project of its kind ever attempted, carried out by thousands of volunteers, predict that 43 million people in the UK could be infected in an influenza pandemic, and with up to 886,000 of those infected expected to be fatalities. The model behind the results, designed by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on data from nearly 30,000 volunteers and represents the largest and most comprehensive dataset of its kind
25th Mar 2018 - Cambridge Network
Citizen science experiment predicts massive toll of flu pandemic on the UK
23rd Mar 2018 - University of Cambridge
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullA mobile app experiment has suggested the next UK flu pandemic could kill 886,000 people
Scientists have predicted that the next flu pandemic to hit the UK could kill as many as 886,000 people and infect 43 million — about three-quarters of the entire population. Data for the study was collected using a mobile app, which was downloaded by around 29,000 users, able to infect them with a virus and track their interactions for eight months. Two researchers — mathematician Hannah Fry and medic Dr Javid Abdelmoneim — analysed data from around 30,000 people and calculated how quickly the next flu strain would spread around the country.
22nd Mar 2018 - The Verdict
Pandemic Influenza Preparations Seriously Deficient, according to the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons
New influenza strains emerging in the world could cause a global pandemic comparable to the disastrous influenza pandemic of 1918, writes Steven J. Hatfill, M.D., in the spring issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. Yet despite the expenditure of billions of federal dollars, "we are not much better prepared than in 1918. Most communities will be on their own." Current stockpiles of vaccines and antiviral drugs are inadequate in quantity and variable in effectiveness, he notes. On the hopeful side, he reports that there is some progress toward more effective vaccines that can be produced more rapidly.
22nd Mar 2018 - PR Newswire.com
Data gathering can't prevent a new influenza pandemic
Commenting on a new BBC Four programme, Contagion, presenting the results of an on-going citizen-scientist experiment investigating how a new influenza pandemic might spread across the UK, influenza expert Dr. Jeremy Rossman of the School of Biosciences comments that while this data 'cannot be used to prevent a pandemic, it may be useful in coordinating health care responses and limiting the spread of future pandemics. "Current data from the experiment predicts that a new pandemic could infect 43 million people in the UK and cause 886,000 deaths. This data is very useful in preparing for potential pandemics and better understanding how viruses spread. However, this is a worst-case scenario and not a prediction of the most likely scenario."
22nd Mar 2018 - Medicalxpress.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullHealth authorities warn against MERS, avian influenza outbreaks
South Korean health authorities warned Wednesday that there is still the possibility that Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and avian influenza could be brought into the country from overseas. The disease control authority said that people should closely monitor avian influenza, which has yet to be contained in China. It pointed out the possibility of the strain being brought into the country through travelers or birds. South Korea has not yet reported any of its people being infected with bird flu.
21st Mar 2018 - The Korea Herald
Health authorities warn against MERS, avian influenza outbreaks
21st Mar 2018 - Yonhap News Agency
Next flu pandemic could kill 886,000 people in the UK and infect 43 million, reveal scientists as they warn an outbreak is imminent
The next flu pandemic could kill 886,000 people in the UK and infect nearly three quarters of the population, scientists have predicted. Government officials have previously warned an outbreak of a mutated influenza strain is on the horizon and poses a bigger threat to humanity than terrorism. Now in a scientific experiment, conducted for a BBC TV show, an expert has re-iterated the risks of flu. The experiment, to be shown on the TV show Contagion! The BBC Four Pandemic, was led by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and medic Dr Javid Abdelmoneim.
21st Mar 2018 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullWHO Reports 3 H9N2 Cases In China (2017-2018)
Although avian flu reports have been in unusually short supply this winter from China - with only 1 H5N6 human infection, and 3 H7N9 cases - we learn from the latest (March 2nd) WHO Influenza at the human - animal interface report of 3 new H9N2 infections between late December and the middle of February.
20th Mar 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullPandemic flu bigger threat to UK than terrorism - and due to genes some of will be more infectious than others
In new TV show Contagion! The BBC Four Pandemic, mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and emergency medic Dr Javid Abdelmoneim use app technology to ‘infect’ people and see how fast their virtual disease can spread in 24 hours. Despite advances in medicine, experts admit there’s still a lot they don’t understand about flu infection and contagiousness, which means if a potent strain materialises, it still has the potential to devastate populations.
19th Mar 2018 - Daily Mirror
Flu Scan for Mar 19, 2018
NIAID announced the launch of two phase 2 clinical trials of a candidate H7N9 influenza vaccine, one to assess different dosages with or without an adjuvant and the second to look at the adjuvanted vaccine's performance alongside a quadrivalent seasonal flu vaccine. China has reported three more H9N2 avian flu infections in humans, all of them mild and two of them in children, according to the latest update on zoonotic influenza from the World Health Organization
19th Mar 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe looming epidemic threat
Just in the past 20 years we've seen serious outbreaks of H5N1, SARS, pandemic H1N1, chikungunya, Zika, MERS, cholera, and Ebola. Two things about them are notable: how little interest most such outbreaks have stirred outside the hot zones, and how quickly they have been forgotten. Whether these responses are triggered culturally or psychologically, they ensure that we will be predictably unready for the next predictable epidemic. Even the agencies that best understand such epidemics, like WHO and ECDC and CDC, must first persuade their political masters to take such threats seriously.
18th Mar 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
The Long Road To An H7N9 (or Any Other Pandemic) Vaccine
While not a panacea for a pandemic, an effective universal vaccine (particularly if it's been in use for a few years) would provide a huge leg up against an emerging influenza pandemic. Manufacturing and deploying on a global scale would remain a logistical challenge, but it would beat starting from scratch. However for now we are dependent upon current vaccine technology, and desperately in need of effective vaccines against the most obvious novel flu threats. And right now, despite its recent lull in China, that means H7N9.
18th Mar 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullWe must invest in new labs for the CDC to prepare for future health threats
In the U.S., the CDC's high containment laboratories need a major investment to remain safe and relevant. During a surge in influenza A (H7N9) cases in China last year, CDC’s high containment laboratory was the only one that provided information on the transmission and lethality of the emerging flu strain to rapidly assess America’s pandemic risk.
15th Mar 2018 - The Hill
We must invest in new labs for the CDC to prepare for future health threats
15th Mar 2018 - MSN
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullVaccine for a strain of avian influenza to be tested in clinical trial at UAB
The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine’s Alabama Vaccine Research Clinic has been chosen as one of four national trial sites to test a candidate vaccine for H7N9. The trial is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with the purpose of having an effective vaccine ready for any future H7N9 pandemic incidence. While there has not been a human infection in the U.S., the trial will be testing the vaccine’s efficacy with an adjuvant (AS03) in conjunction with a quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine, should a future pandemic of H7N9 occur similar to the H1N1 outbreak in 2009.
14th Mar 2018 - University of Alabama at Birmingham
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullOver 4700 UN agency trained veterinarians new vanguard against deadly disease outbreaks
More than 4,700 veterinary health professionals who have just completed a United Nations training to tackle disease outbreaks are the new front line of defence protecting farm animals against deadly illnesses in 25 countries. The freshly trained veterinarians will also help keep at bay diseases that are deadly to humans. Outbreaks of high impact disease in recent decades all had an animal source, including H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza and H1N1 pandemic influenza.
11th Mar 2018 - ReliefWeb
Partnership beefs up veterinary services across Africa, Asia and Middle East to tackle animal disease
12th Mar 2018 - BizCommunity.com
USAID, FAO working to pre-empt next global pandemic
9th Mar 2018 - Feedstuffs
There Are More Than 1.7 Million Unknown Viruses That Can Cause Deadly Pandemics In Humans
Scientists are estimating that there are more than 1.7 million unknown viruses carried by animals and many of them possess the ability to infect humans. Virologists are struggling to discover and study these viruses to protect humanity from possible deadly pandemics in the near future. For example, in mid-February, China’s health officials have confirmed the first case of human infection with a new avian flu virus strain – H7N4.
11th Mar 2018 - Health Thoroughfare
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullA Flu Pandemic Could Occur Tomorrow and This Is What We Need To Do About It, Says Expert
On Monday, the Daily Mail published an article by Jonathan Quick, a medical doctor and chair of the Global Health Council, warning the world risks a viral pandemic even more devastating than the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed 50 million people in less than two years. “The big one is coming: a global virus pandemic that could kill 33 million victims in its first 200 days,” Quick wrote. He explains that the most important method of prevention is vaccination.
10th Mar 2018 - IFLScience
Scientist warns of deadly flu virus that could kill millions across the globe
11th Mar 2018 - Bristol Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullRising UK, US flu death toll revives killer pandemic fears
A killer flu pandemic could be poised to sweep the globe `tomorrow,` killing as many as 33 million people in its first 200 days. Dr Jonathan Quick, chair of the Global Health Council, said the rapidly shapeshifting flu virus is `the most diabolic, hardest-to-control, and fastest-spreading potential viral killer known to humankind.` Flu pandemics happen once in a generation, professor Robert Dingwall, another flu expert, told The Sun Online. He explained that for a pandemic to happen, there needs to be a `dramatic shift` in the flu virus - something we can expect to see roughly every 20 to 40 years.
8th Mar 2018 - The West Australian
New "Aussie flu" pandemic warning
8th Mar 2018 - Central Telegraph
The new "Aussie" flu: Expert warns there's nothing we can do to stop the spread of new influenza pandemic
8th Mar 2018 - Daily Mail
Major flu outbreak ‘could kill 300 million’
8th Mar 2018 - The Week UK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullRising UK, US flu death toll revives killer pandemic fears
A killer flu pandemic could be poised to sweep the globe “tomorrow,” killing as many as 33 million people in its first 200 days. Dr Jonathan Quick, chair of the Global Health Council, said the rapidly shapeshifting flu virus is “the most diabolic, hardest-to-control, and fastest-spreading potential viral killer known to humankind.” Flu pandemics happen once in a generation, professor Robert Dingwall, another flu expert, told The Sun Online. He explained that for a pandemic to happen, there needs to be a “dramatic shift” in the flu virus — something we can expect to see roughly every 20 to 40 years.
7th Mar 2018 - News.com.au
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullKiller flu pandemic ‘could hit tomorrow’ – wiping out 300 million across the globe
Dr Jonathan D. Quick is chair of the Global Health Council. He believes that "the world is at risk of a viral pandemic that will be at least as deadly as anything we have ever known before. The most likely culprit will be a new and unprecedentedly deadly mutation of the influenza virus." He concludes that "we need to invest far more in producing a universal vaccine and also in ensuring that our societies are geared to protect ourselves against the inevitable next pandemic. The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic for humanity."
6th Mar 2018 - The Sun
Flu pandemic warning: Mutant virus killing 300 million people could strike tomorrow
6th Mar 2018 - Express.co.uk
China MOA: Outbreak Of HPAI H5N6 In Guangxi & H7N9 In Shaanxi
For reasons that are less than clear, poultry outbreaks and human infections with avian H5N6 and H7N9 have been unusually subdued in China this winter, with just 5 human cases reported (3 H7N9, 2 H5N6) since October 1st of 2017. By comparison, at this time last year (week 9), Mainland China had reported a record 477 human H7N9 infections. What accounts for this precipitous drop in outbreaks and human cases is a a bit of mystery.
6th Mar 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Mask Up, the Next Wave of Influenza Outbreaks is Coming
China was recently hit by one of its worst flu outbreaks in recent years, leaving hospitals understaffed as the virus caused more than 273,000 recorded cases and 56 deaths, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In January of 2016, flu cases numbered a little over 30,000, just to give a sense of how massive this outbreak was when compared to previous seasons. While the spike in flu cases predicted for March will likely not be as fierce as our previous encounter, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that this new wave may coincide with the seasonal emergence of H7N9 bird flu, which is most active in March and is substantially more dangerous.
6th Mar 2018 - The Beijinger
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullWhy I believe a killer flu pandemic is lurking just beyond the corner - and it could kill 33 million people in the first 22 days
Dr Jonathan D. Quick is an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and chair of the Global Health Council. He believes that "the world is at risk of a viral pandemic that will be at least as deadly as anything we have ever known before. The most likely culprit will be a new and unprecedentedly deadly mutation of the influenza virus." He concludes that "we need to invest far more in producing a universal vaccine and also in ensuring that our societies are geared to protect ourselves against the inevitable next pandemic. The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic for humanity."
5th Mar 2018 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullBeware bird flu's back: Russian watchdog warns of second wave of avian influenza
The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing has warned Russians of an ongoing second wave of avian flu that has been spreading globally since 2013. The Russian consumer watchdog recommended to get seasonal flu vaccinations in order to lower the risk of infection, avoid contact with poultry and non-poultry at farms, markets, surface waters and zoos, avoid visiting poultry farms and places of the poultry killing, as well as consuming raw eggs.
2nd Mar 2018 - TASS
JVI: K193T Mutation Enhances Human-type Receptor Binding In Ferret Transmissible H5N1
Last summer, in PLoS Pathogens: Three Mutations Switch H7N9 To Human-type Receptor Specificity, we looked at research out of The Scripps Research Institute on the amino acid changes that would enhance the ability of avian H7N9 to bind to, and infect, cells lining the human respiratory tract. The researchers identified a pair of three-amino-acid mutations (V186G/K-K193T-G228S or V186N-N224K-G228S) that enhanced H7N9's ability bind to human receptor cells. Most of these same authors are back with a new study, which focuses instead on the amino acid changes that would enhance the binding of previously described ferret transmissible avian H5N1 to human receptor cells.
3rd Mar 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullHyderabad: Rare bird flu virus found in chinese woman
Humans are no longer immune to the H7N4 virus as a 68-year-old woman from Beijing was found to have a strain of the virus believed to be of avian origin. The patient was said to have had contact with live poultry which led to the contraction of the virus. Doctors said more exposure and less immunity was the cause. The women had a ‘dead-end’ infection which meant it would not be transmitted to anyone in contact with her.
1st Mar 2018 - Deccan Chronicle
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Mar 2018
View this newsletter in fullNIH awards $2M to study flu viruses in bats
A National Institutes of Health grant of just over $2 million is helping a Kansas State University veterinary researcher investigate ways of curtailing the influenza threat from bats. "Influenza pandemics are typically caused by the emergence of novel influenza A viruses, which transmit efficiently within human populations that lack pre-existing immunity," said Dr. Wenjun Ma, associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, said
28th Feb 2018 - American Veterinary Medical Association
Making Pandemic Preparedness Financially Sustainable in East Asia and the Pacific
Over the past decade, Ebola, MERS, highly pathogenic influenza and the Zika virus outbreak, have demonstrated how pandemics devastate communities and economies. Health experts and government officials agree that political commitment for financing pandemic preparedness is needed, and that investing in pandemic preparedness is not just a “health security” issue but rather an “economic security” issue
28th Feb 2018 - ReliefWeb
Outbreaks of flu could come again in March
A new wave of flu could hit China in March, and the public should take precautionary measures, including vaccinations, Zhong Nanshan, head of the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, said in January. The new wave may coincide with a wave of human cases of H7N9 bird flu, which is most active between January and March and may have more serious consequences, he warned.
28th Feb 2018 - China.org.cn
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullDesigner pathogen research; Calif.’s bot regulation; IoT defense strategy, and more
In December 2017, after six years of debate and discussion, the U.S. government closed a chapter on one of the most controversial experiments in the annals of dual-use research: the creation of an H5N1 avian influenza virus that was transmissible through the air between mammals. That is, the Health and Human Services Department has finally issued new rules governing how it will decide whether to fund similar experiments in the future. While these new rules embody a reasonable set of principles for assessing the risks and benefits of such research, the review process could also be strengthened in several ways to ensure that it is comprehensive and rigorous.
27th Feb 2018 - Homeland Security News Wire
New pathogen research rules: Gain of function, loss of clarity
27th Feb 2018 - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Predicting bird flu survival a step closer
A new study, led by Australian researchers, has found the presence of specific immune cells in the blood of patients with bird flu is linked to survival. Researchers at Melbourne's Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity analysed blood samples taken from a group of 11 patients infected with the A/H7N9 virus. Eight of the patients recovered, while three had died as a result of the infection. Survival was found to be strongly correlated with a specific type of immune cell circulating in the patient's blood - known as CD8 T cells.
27th Feb 2018 - SBS
Predicting bird flu survival a step closer
27th Feb 2018 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullWHO: Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N4) virus
On 14 February 2018, the WHO was notified of one case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N4) virus. Genetic analysis of this influenza A(H7N4) virus indicates that it is of avian origin. Close contacts of the case-patient tested negative for avian influenza A(H7N4) and remained asymptomatic. Current evidence suggests that this virus does not have the ability of sustained transmission to humans, thus the likelihood of sustained human to human transmission is low.
24th Feb 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N4) virus
24th Feb 2018 - World Health Organization
CDC seeks new labs for bioterror pathogens to replace aging facility
Inside a complex of special government labs, scientists work with some of the world’s deadliest pathogens. Critical research about influenza takes place in the labs. When China began seeing human infections from a lethal strain of bird flu in 2013, officials reached out to CDC researchers to assess the likelihood that the virus could emerge as a pandemic, and if so, “how bad it would be,” said Daniel Jernigan, who heads the influenza division. But the facility, which dates to 2005, needs to be replaced, CDC officials said. The administration is asking Congress for $350 million to build a new high-containment lab complex on the CDC campus
23rd Feb 2018 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullWHO: Genetic Characteristics Of Avian H7N4
Eight days ago, in Jiangsu China Reports 1st Novel H7N4 Human Infection, China announced the first known human infection with avian H7N4 which resulted in a 3-week hospitalization for a 68 year old woman in Jiangsu Province for severe pneumonia. The WHO has released a new Antigenic and genetic characteristics of zoonotic influenza viruses report for February 2018.
22nd Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
WHO Update & Risk Assessment On Avian H7N4
Just a little over a week after the initial announcement from China of the first known human infection with an avian H7N4 virus, we are starting to get details about both the patient and the virus, with a genetic characterization released earlier. The WHO has also just released their first update, and a preliminary risk assessment on this emerging virus.
22nd Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
The bird flu virus mysteriously mutating in China
Last week, the Hong Kong government announced that a 68-year-old woman in Jiangsu province in eastern China had been hospitalized in January with severe respiratory symptoms. This turned out to be the first recorded case in which an H7N4 flu virus infects humans. Although, according to New Scientist , the woman recovered after a month in hospital and this particular strain does not seem to be threatening, the case has raised the alarm because it highlights the unpredictability of viral evolution.
22nd Feb 2018 - N+1
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullYemen's health crisis: Suspected cases of bird flu
Already dealing with severe malnutrition and a cholera epidemic, many people in Yemen are now dying from what is thought to be bird flu. As the country faces this new health crisis, hospitals remain critically short of resources after years of conflict has caused the country's health system to crumble.
18th Feb 2018 - AlJazeera
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullFirst human case of H7N4 bird flu recorded in China
In its weekly report covering the week of February 11-17, ECDC says the first case of H7N4 was detected in a woman living in Jiangsu Province, who developed symptoms at the end of December and who is already being treated. According to the ECDC report, China's disease control and prevention body indicated that a genetic analysis showed that the virus originated from the birds she was on contact with.
18th Feb 2018 - RTP
Avian influenza: H7N4 infected woman discharged from hospital
17th Feb 2018 - Augsburger Allgemeine
No human cases of avian flu reported in Iran
In Iran, despite the outbreak of avian flu among the birds in the northern province of Gilan and also Tehran, no human cases of avian flu has been reported,the head of the infectious diseases department of the Ministry of Health has said.
17th Feb 2018 - Tehran Times
Flu is evolving in new and unpredictable ways in China’s poultry
A type of avian flu has infected people for the first time. So far, the virus doesn’t seem to be especially threatening, but its jump from chickens to humans was unexpected: the World Health Organization says no similar strains have ever crossed over to people before.
19th Feb 2018 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullFirst Human Case of H7N4 Bird Flu Confirmed in China: What You Need to Know
The first human case of H7N4 bird flu has been confirmed in China. The patient, a 68-year-old woman in the Jiangsu province, is in stable condition and health authorities believe she will make a full recovery. Dr. Bettina Fries, chief of Stony Brook Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, explained that the bird flu could form a dangerous combination with a human flu virus: “the viruses recombine/mix their genomes and you have a new flu virus half human, half bird flu virus”
17th Feb 2018 - Elon
The `Fog Of Flu' On Novel H7N4
17th Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
World's first human case of H7N4 avian flu reported in China
17th Feb 2018 - KTVZ
China reports human case of H7N4 avian influenza
17th Feb 2018 - Smart Brief
First Human Case Of Avian Flu H7N4 Reported in China
17th Feb 2018 - IFLScience
First Human "Bird Flu" Case Confirmed in China
17th Feb 2018 - Precision Vaccinations
Yemen's health crisis: Suspected cases of bird flu
Already dealing with severe malnutrition and a cholera epidemic, many people in Yemen are now dying from what is thought to be bird flu. As the country faces this new health crisis, hospitals remain critically short of resources after years of conflict has caused the country's health system to crumble.
18th Feb 2018 - AlJazeera
Influenza A(H7N9) virus antibody responses in survivors one year after infection, China, 2017
Avian influenza A(H7N9) virus has caused 5 epidemic waves in China since its emergence in 2013. Researchers investigated the dynamic changes of antibody response to this virus over 1 year postinfection in 25 patients in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, who had laboratory-confirmed infections during the fifth epidemic wave, Oct 1, 2016–February 14, 2017. Most survivors had relatively robust antibody responses that decreased but remained detectable at 1 year. Antibody response was variable; several survivors had low or undetectable antibody titers.
18th Feb 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina confirms first ever human case of H7N4 bird flu
A woman from eastern China has been confirmed as the first ever human case of H7N4 bird flu, according to Chinese authorities. Officials in Hong Kong have advised citizens to avoid wet markets, live poultry markets or farms if travelling to the mainland over the week-long lunar new year holiday. The 68-year-old patient from Jiangsu province, who has since recovered, developed symptoms on 25 December, was admitted to hospital for treatment on 1 January and was released on 22 January.
15th Feb 2018 - The Guardian
World's first human case of H7N4 avian flu reported in China
15th Feb 2018 - CNN
China reports first human case of H7N4 bird flu
15th Feb 2018 - Channel NewsAsia
China Confirms First Human Case Of H7N4 Bird Flu
15th Feb 2018 - NDTV.com
China confirms first human case of H7N4 avian flu
15th Feb 2018 - Financial Times
China confirms world's first human case of H7N4 bird flu during major travelling season
15th Feb 2018 - Daily Mail
China reports first human case of H7N4 bird flu
15th Feb 2018 - Reuters
Jiangsu China Reports 1st Novel H7N4 Human Infection
15th Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
China confirms first human case of H7N4 bird flu
15th Feb 2018 - The Jakarta Post
China reports world’s 1st human case of H7N4 avian flu strain
15th Feb 2018 - Asahi Shimbun
First human infection by H7N4 virus
15th Feb 2018 - La Nacion Costa Rica
1st Jan 1970 -
1st Jan 1970 -
First Human Case From New Bird Flu: How Many More Strains Are Out There?
A 68-year-old woman in southern China caught H7N4, a new type of bird flu. "This is the first case of human infection with avian influenza A (H7N4) in the world," the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection said. The new case does add to a growing list of bird flu strains to keep an eye on. There's the dangerous H7N9, which killed nearly 300 people in China in 2017. And the deadly H5N1, which regularly crops up around southern Asia and the Middle East every now and then. And in the U.S., H3N2, which is notorious for sending people to the hospital
15th Feb 2018 - NPR
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullHong Kong on alert after China confirms world’s first human case of H7N4 bird flu
Mainland China has confirmed the world’s first human case of a virulent bird flu strain, prompting Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection to issue an alert for the city. The centre said health authorities confirmed this month that a 68-year-old woman in Jiangsu province had been infected with H7N4 avian influenza after developing symptoms on December 25.
14th Feb 2018 - South China Morning Post
Hong Kong: CHP notified of world's first human case of avian influenza A (H7N4) in Mainland
14th Feb 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
China reports 1st known human H7N4 avian influenza case
14th Feb 2018 - Outbreak News Today
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A (H7N4) in Mainland
14th Feb 2018 - Hong Kong Government
Taiwan CDC urges travelers visiting avian influenza affected areas in China to practice “5 do"s and 6 don'ts”
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control Wednesday advised travelers visiting China during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday to practice good personal hygiene to ward off avian influenza infection. This season, a cumulative total of three H7N9 cases, including one death, have been respectively confirmed in Yunnan Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Guangdong Province, China
14th Feb 2018 - Taiwan News
News Scan for Feb 14, 2018
China has reported the world's first known novel H7N4 avian flu infection in a human, according to a report from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. Flu vaccination offers similar effectiveness for younger and older adults, but protection was very low for both groups against the problematic H3N2 strain, researchers from the CDC and several institutions that are part of a surveillance network team that analyzes flu vaccine effectiveness reported
14th Feb 2018 - CIDRAP
3 ways the U.S. should prepare for the next flu pandemic
Despite progress, the U.S. is still not as prepared as it should be against a pandemic. Researchers need to improve the flu vaccine, but the federal government has only allocated US$75 million this year toward flu vaccine research. This is not nearly enough. Public health officials also need more and better information about influenza outbreaks. Finally, government officials and other members of the health community need to pay more attention to plans for public health emergency preparedness.
14th Feb 2018 - Stat News
No cases of human infection with H5N6 bird flu reported in Iran
A senior official at Iran’s Health Ministry said no cases of human infection with the H5N6 form of bird flu have been recorded in the country, APA reported citing Tasnim news agency. He added that all of the people who had contacts with the wild birds infected with H5N6 have been vaccinated.
14th Feb 2018 - APA
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullCan we create a pandemic-free world?
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, spoke in Dubai about the need to prepare against pandemics. He explained that "we must prioritize the research and development of new vaccines and medicines. WHO’s Research and Development Blueprint identifies the pathogens that are the most likely to spark an epidemic, and provides a guide for where investments are most urgently needed. Although this task is difficult, because we have millions of viruses that could potentially spark pandemics."
13th Feb 2018 - World Health Organization
News Scan for Feb 12, 2018
China has reported another H7N9 avian flu infection, marking only the third case of the sixth wave of illness activity that began in October, according to a report from Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection. SK Chemicals announced that it has signed an agreement worth as much as $155 million to license its cell-culture technology to Sanofi Pasteur for developing a universal flu vaccine, Yonhap News Agency reported
12th Feb 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullCHP notified of additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Guangdong
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. Since October 2017, three human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) infections and two other human cases of avian influenza A(H5N6) infections have been reported in the Mainland.
12th Feb 2018 - Hong Kong Government
China: One new human H7N9 case reported in Guangdong province
12th Feb 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
H7N9 avian influenza infection reported in Guangdong province
12th Feb 2018 - Outbreak News Today
The next pandemic will come sooner or later. The CDC needs money to prepare
At the time of the Ebola crisis, the U.S. Congress approved a one-time, five-year emergency supplemental spending package, of which $600 million was sent to the CDC to help countries prevent infectious-disease threats from turning into epidemics. Anticipating that that money will run out in October 2019, the CDC has begun notifying country directors to begin planning withdrawal from 39 of 49 countries. This is not a pullout of all CDC programs, but it does mean retreating from frontline outposts for preventing, detecting and responding to outbreaks.
12th Feb 2018 - The Washington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in full3 ways the US should prepare for the next flu pandemic
The U.S. must improve its ability to stop a new flu pandemic, as well as to reduce the annual impact of influenza infections. To do so, researchers need to improve the flu vaccine, but the federal government has only allocated US$75 million this year toward flu vaccine research. To prevent flu pandemics, public health officials need more and better information about influenza outbreaks. The CDC has led efforts to coordinate global surveillance, but the Trump administration hopes to slash funding for the CDC, as well as global health programs.
9th Feb 2018 - The Conversation US
World must act faster to prevent pandemic diseases - U.N. risk chief
The world must ramp up efforts to prevent huge infectious disease outbreaks - such as flu strains that can jump from animals to humans - which could kill millions of people, the chief of the U.N.’s disaster risk agency said on Saturday. The use of vaccine technologies and disease surveillance is very low across most of the world because the dangers posed by pandemics are “out of sight, out of mind”, said Robert Glasser, head of the United Nations’ Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
9th Feb 2018 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullCDC EID Journal: All About IRAT
The CDC's IRAT (Influenza Risk Assessment Tool) currently follows 14 novel flu subtypes/strains that circulate in non-human hosts and are believed to possess some degree of pandemic potential. The CDC uses two sets of criteria to evaluate novel viruses. One to estimate a virus's potential for sustained human-to-human transmission, and another to gauge it's potential for significant impact on public health.
8th Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Indonesia hosts FAO pilot projects for tackling zoonoses
The Agriculture Ministry and the United Nations’ FAO have designated four areas in Indonesia for pilot projects to contain the spread of zoonoses. The role of the Agriculture Ministry’s Animal Husbandry and Animal Health Directorate General in the project focuses on three major zoonoses – rabies, anthrax and avian influenza – and EID.
8th Feb 2018 - The Jakarta Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullVietnam issues bird flu warning after latest human case reported in China
Vietnam’s agriculture ministry issued an urgent message on Wednesday calling for increased vigilance to prevent fresh bird flu outbreaks. The risk of outbreaks and penetration of dangerous viruses such as H7N9 is “very high” due the increased trade ahead of the Lunar New Year, the ministry said. China reported another human infection of H7N9 on January 12, raising the number of people infected with avian flu in the country over the past five years to 1,624.
7th Feb 2018 - VnExpress International
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullWHO Novel Flu Assessment
After last winter's record number of human H7N9 infections in China, just about everybody expected a repeat performance. Yet, since October 1st, only two cases have been reported by Mainland China. Perhaps China's nationwide poultry vaccination program has dampened down the virus, or it could be a side effect from seeing back-to-back severe seasonal flu (H3N2 & Influenza B) outbreaks in the past 6 months. Or perhaps it's a combination of factors
6th Feb 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullFlu's Endless Mutation Threatens People, Birds, Pigs: QuickTake
Flu season in the U.S. this winter is proving among the worst in the past decade. Canadian researchers found that this year’s flu shot is only about 17 percent effective at preventing illness from the H3N2 strain. Flu among birds has been a growing concern, especially since a strain that was first detected in 1996 in a farmed goose in southern China began spreading a decade later in poultry across Asia, then to Europe and Africa. Countries in Southeast Asia alone culled 140 million fowl and spent about $10 billion on controlling the virus. The strain, known as H5N1, is also blamed for the death of more than 450 people, mostly in Indonesia and Egypt, since 2003. Since 2013, another variant, H7N9, has caused repeated epidemics in China, killing more than 550 people, about a third of those infected.
5th Feb 2018 - The Washington Post
The Flu
5th Feb 2018 - Bloomberg Quint
Bird flu: WARNING as deadly outbreak spreads - how to avoid infection
Bird flu is a deadly infection that’s caused by the H5N1, H7N9, and H5N6 influenza viruses. While common among birds, it can infect humans on rare occasions. The H5N1 virus has infected 860 people worldwide, according to latest World Health Organization figures. More than 450 people have died. Since March 2013, the H7N9 virus has infected 1,565 people, and 612 people have died from the flu virus. The NHS advised the public on how to reduce the risk of infection.
5th Feb 2018 - Express.co.uk
The CDC Is About to Fall Off a Funding Cliff
Two weeks ago, Betsy McKay at The Wall Street Journal reported that the CDC, with no firm promise of future funding, is preparing to downsize its work in 39 countries. Those include the Democratic Republic of Congo, which recently experienced its eighth Ebola outbreak, and China, which is recently underwent its worst outbreak of H7N9 bird flu. Lena Sun of The Washington Post confirmed this report, writing that “notice is being given now to CDC country directors” as the first part of a transition. These changes would make the world—and the United States—more vulnerable to a pandemic
2nd Feb 2018 - The Atlantic
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullScientists to look into how rapidly bird flu can adapt to infect humans
Scientists at two leading UK research establishments have been awarded a grant to research what makes particular strains of bird flu more likely to adapt to infect humans, possibly initiating a pandemic. The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funding for the Pirbright Institute and Imperial College, London, will be used to look at which avian flu strains can rapidly accumulate genetic adaptations that help avian flu viruses infect mammals. This will enable scientists to identify which strains pose a threat to humans and potentially cause major problems across the globe.
3rd Feb 2018 - Poultry World
On top of everything, GOP stinginess could lead to a global pandemic
In the U.S., the CDC is preparing to significantly curtail epidemic prevention in 39 countries as money dries up. It is already making preparations to downsize in countries notorious for infectious diseases, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, which recently endured and beat its eighth Ebola outbreak, and China, which is currently experiencing a horrific H7N9 bird flu epidemic
2nd Feb 2018 - Salon
No new influenza virus has been detected in Viet Nam
In Vietnam, the number of people, especially children, seeking treatment for the seasonal flu virus at hospitals has been on the rise. Luckily, no new influenza virus has been found so far, the Ministry of Health has said. Until now, Việt Nam has not found any avian flu infections with the A/H7N9, A/H5N8, and A/H5N2 in poultry or humans. Last year, China reported the fifth outbreak of the deadly virus of A/H7N9 since the virus was first detected in 2013. The number of infected patients reached 1,600, and over 600 people died.
2nd Feb 2018 - Viet Nam News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Feb 2018
View this newsletter in fullThe Pandemic Everyone Fears Is Flu In the Wrong Place At the Wrong Time
If humanity is lucky, the next flu virus with pandemic potential will unfold somewhere quick to catch and contain the threat—a country with a strong public health service and well-stocked hospitals. If we’re unlucky, a novel, lethal and highly infectious flu virus will break out in a crowded, unprepared megacity that lacks public health infrastructure. A fast-moving virus could burst from a city and catch a ride with international travelers before public health officials realize what is happening.
31st Jan 2018 - Smithsonian
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jan 2018
View this newsletter in full"Bird-Flu" Lands in South Korea
A serious subtype of influenza, H5N6, has increased in South Korea, just as the country prepares to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. Globally, there were 860 cases of human infection of H5N in 16 countries worldwide between January 2003 and December 2017. Since 2013, a total of 1565 laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses, including at least 612 deaths, have been reported to WHO. If the incidence of human cases follows the trends seen in previous years, the number of reported human cases may rise over the coming months. Further sporadic cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus are therefore expected in affected and possibly neighbouring areas.
30th Jan 2018 - Precision Vaccinations
Avian flu kills three people in Vgayet
In Algeria's Kabylia region, three people have died of the flu and there are speculations that it was avian flu. Samples have been sent off for analysis to Algiers
30th Jan 2018 - Tamurt.info
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullAvian flu hits Iranian chicken farms
Avian flu has infected Iranian chicken farms, posing a challenge to chicken breeders and the country’s meat output, Financial Tribune daily reported. Since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year March 21, 2017, about 30 per cent of egg-laying hens, or 20 million, and 10 per cent of broiler chickens, amounting to one million, in the Iranian farms have been culled for the infection with the disease.
23rd Jan 2018 - Vanguard Nigeria
Avian flu hits Iranian chicken farms
24th Jan 2018 - Xinhuanet.com
Welsh poultry keepers to face new bird flu curbs
Bird flu curbs are to be imposed on poultry keepers across Wales from January 25. Rural affairs secretary Lesley Griffiths announced that an all-Wales Prevention Zone will come into force from midnight. It follows the discovery of three English cases of the H5N6 virus in wild birds, prompting UK rural ministry Defra to impose a Prevention Zone across England. A veterinary risk assessment for England and Wales shows the disease risk level in wild birds has now increased from Medium to High.
24th Jan 2018 - Daily Post
A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across Wales starting from midnight
24th Jan 2018 - Wales Online
Hertfordshire nature reserve reopens after bird flu outbreak
In the UK, a nature reserve has reopened to the public three days after it was forced to shut because of an outbreak of bird flu. Amwell Nature Reserve near Ware, Hertfordshire, closed after advice from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust confirmed that 19 dead birds at the site tested positive for the disease. A spokesman said: "The trust believes the risk to visitors is extremely low."
23rd Jan 2018 - BBC
New wave of bird flu likely to hit soon, Chinese expert warns
A new wave of bird flu is likely to hit China over the next few months, which could have serious consequences this year due to the high number of cases of human flu in many parts of the country, a prominent scientist warned. H7N9, which was first reported in China in 2013, is most active between January and March, based on experiences over the past few years, Zhong Nanshan, director of the National Clinical Research centre for Respiratory Disease, said. Zhong called for members of the public to receive flu vaccines, as it is the best means of prevention
24th Jan 2018 - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Hundreds of chickens dead in Prey Veng
In Cambodia, hundreds of chickens in Prey Veng province’s Svay Anthor district have allegedly died from unknown causes over the past week, spurring uninformed local authorities into action. On January 9, three chickens in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district were found to be carrying the H5N1 virus.
24th Jan 2018 - Khmer Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullChicken sample from Hong Kong vendor positive for bird flu virus, as officials urge calm after its sale
A chilled chicken sample from mainland China found to contain a bird flu virus was confirmed on Tuesday to have been sold by a Hong Kong vendor, but officials stressed the contamination was unlikely to sicken consumers. A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that the H5 virus was detected in a sample obtained from a batch of chilled chicken
23rd Jan 2018 - South China Morning Post
Bird flu: Human cases of the avian influenza prompts travel warning ahead of Chinese New Year
Human cases of the avian influenza virus known as "bird flu" have prompted a UK travel warning to anybody going to China. Travellers are reminded of the risks of contracting the virus during their visits and advised to take extra care in order to protect themselves. The majority of reported human cases in China, have had close contact with birds and have originated from several provinces and municipalities across mainland China and Taiwan.
23rd Jan 2018 - Get Surrey
Afghanistan reports two bird flu outbreaks - OIE
Afghanistan has reported two outbreaks of a highly contagious bird flu virus, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday. The H5 virus was detected in a backyard in Kabul where it killed 6 birds and in the Bagrami village nearby, where it killed 15
23rd Jan 2018 - Reuters UK
Bird flu crackdown as Yorkshire council urges public to report sightings
In the UK, Leeds residents are being urged to report any sightings of dead wild birds as part of national attempts to control the spread of bird flu. In the latest outbreak of the virus, bird flu was confirmed in 13 dead wild birds in Warwickshire last week, while 31 wild birds were identified as carrying the disease in Dorset. The Government has reacted by declaring a bird flu prevention zone across the whole of England.
23rd Jan 2018 - Yorkshire Post
Risk status for commercial poultry raised to medium following new bird flu outbreak
In England, the government has raised its avian influenza risk status for commercial poultry from ‘low’ to ‘medium’ following a new bird flu outbreak in wild birds. In Hertfordshire, it has been confirmed an assemblage of dead wild birds was found and tested positive for the H5N6 strain. It is the same strain that has been circulating in wild birds across Europe in recent months.
23rd Jan 2018 - FarmingUK
One more bird flu infection recorded in Iraq's Diyala: official
In Iraq, a new bird flu infection focus was discovered in Iraq’a Diyala, an official was quoted saying on Tuesday as the disease forced farmers to kill birds in thousands. Last Tuesday, NRT quoted a medical source in Mosul saying that al-Salam Educational Hospital in the eastern region recorded three deaths with the disease, while the fourth case was recorded at al-Shifa Hospital in the western region of the city.
23rd Jan 2018 - Iraqi News
Southern Research Programs Aim to Shield Against Pandemic Flu Dangers
In the UK, Southern Research conducts tests on emerging pandemic strains and participates in strategic government vaccine programs focusing on highly pathogenic avian influenza strains that pose potentially grave public health risks. In addition, Southern Research has performed toxicology studies for flu vaccine platforms and provided pre-clinical studies on vaccine candidates, along with clinical trial support for vaccine makers. The non-profit organization has also researched antiviral treatment approaches that could protect people after infection.
23rd Jan 2018 - Infection Control Today
H5N6 strikes again in UK birds; H5 detected in Afghan poultry - CIDRAP
The UK has reported its third highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu outbreak in wild birds, this time in Hertfordshire in the southeast, as agriculture officials there upgraded the risk of the virus spreading to other parts of the country. Afghanistan's agriculture ministry reported two highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza outbreaks, both in Kabul province, according to a notification from the OIE.
23rd Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird flu has been found at a nature reserve less than an hour from Cambridge
In the UK, a nature reserve has been closed until further notice after confirmed cases of avian flu. The Amwell Nature Reserve, less than an hour from Camridge, shut on January 20th and will remain closed until further notice.
22nd Jan 2018 - Cambridge News
Hertfordshire nature reserve closes due to bird flu
22nd Jan 2018 - BBC
Confirmed cases of bird flu leads to temporary closure of Amwell Nature Reserve
22nd Jan 2018 - BOB fm
Amwell Nature Reserve closed until further notice after avian flu
21st Jan 2018 - Hertfordshire Mercury
Sixth case dies of infection with bird flu in Salahuddin: Medical sources
In Iraq, a sixth person infected with bird flu has died in Salahuddin province on Sunday, Iraqi medical sources said, indicating doubts over infection of two other cases. The victim, according to sources, died of bird flu on the outskirts of Balad town, south of Salahuddin. Two other cases are being medically examined. The sources indicated launching vaccination campaigns within the precautionary measures at Balad and al-Dujail towns, fearing spread of the disease.
21st Jan 2018 - Iraqi News
DEFRA issues avian flue prevention zone
In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has introduced an avian flu prevention zone across the whole of England following the disease being found in wild flocks. The disease was found in the south of the UK and all keepers of birds should follow the disease prevention measures
22nd Jan 2018 - Lancashire Telegraph
Bird Flu: 2,700 ducks culled in the Landes region of France
In the Landes region of south-west France, 2,700 ducks have been culled as a prevention measure after a low path H5 avian flu virus was found in tests
22nd Jan 2018 - 20minutes.fr
Iranian Health Official Rejects Rumors about Bird Flu Deaths
In Iran, a senior official at the Health Ministry dismissed as “false” recent reports about the death of a few people in the country due to the outbreak of bird flu. Earlier this month, the head of Iran Veterinary Organization said that more than 17 million chickens have been culled in the country over the past ten months as part of efforts to control avian flu. The official further emphasized that rumors about human deaths due to bird flu, which have been spread in social networks, are false
22nd Jan 2018 - Tasnim News Agency
Maharashtra government on its heels to prevent Bird-Flu in the state
In India, an outbreak of avian influenza was reported from Dasarahari village, Bengaluru a week ago. As the Centre confirmed the outbreak, the Maharashtra government is now working to prevent the spread of the infection in the state
22nd Jan 2018 - Mumbai Live
Avian Flu Spreading to Broiler Chicken Farms
Avian flu infecting Iranian chicken farms has created a new challenge in chicken breeder farms and a threat to the whole country’s meat output. Iranian poultry farms are hit by avian flu every year around this time. The H5N8 strain of bird flu infecting Iranian farms is deadly for poultry, but according to WHO, although human infection with the virus cannot be excluded, the likelihood is low.
22nd Jan 2018 - Financial Tribune
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird flu prevention zone extended to cover whole of England
A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across the whole of England, Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens has confirmed. This means it is a legal requirement for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures. It comes as 13 dead wild birds were confirmed to have the virus in Warwickshire. Last week 17 wild birds tested positive in Dorset and a total of 31 infected birds have now been identified at that site.
20th Jan 2018 - Belfast Newsletter
Bird flu in Warwickshire prompts warning to poultry keepers
20th Jan 2018 - Leamington Observer
Bird flu warning for the West Country
19th Jan 2018 - ITV News
People who keep birds told to "restrict movements" after bird flu warning
19th Jan 2018 - Nottingham Post
Bird flu in Warwickshire prompts warning to poultry keepers
19th Jan 2018 - Rugby Observer
Free range producer welcomes bird flu restrictions as disease spreads
18th Jan 2018 - East Anglian Daily Times
South Korea Winter Olympics Preparing for "Bird Flu"
South Korean health authorities are on alert to contain the spread of avian influenza ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics on February 9, 2018. The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed a new case of suspected avian influenza near Seoul on January 15, 2018. No human cases of H5N6 have been detected in South Korea. Cases of human infections from the H5N6 virus have previously been reported elsewhere, including China and Hong Kong
20th Jan 2018 - Precision Vaccinations
Saudi Arabia bans hunting of migratory birds to combat avian influenza
In Saudi Arabia, with thousands of migratory birds flocking into the Kingdom from all parts of the globe during the winter, the Saudi Wildlife Authority is enforcing its ban on the hunting of birds to help prevent avian influenza. Last week, incidences of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) were reported in Riyadh, Dammam and Al-Ahsa.
20th Jan 2018 - Arab News
Two more poultry farms reported infected with avian flu
In Taiwan, an additional two poultry farms have been identified as infected with avian flu leading to the culling of 16,000 hens and 1,588 ducks, according to the Pingtung County government. Information provided by the county indicates that four farms have been affected by avian flu so far this year
20th Jan 2018 - Focus Taiwan
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird Flu prevention zone now covers whole of England
A bird flu prevention zone has been declared across the whole of England after more dead wild birds were found with the virus. It means all poultry and bird keepers have to follow strict measures to protect their livestock from the disease. 13 dead wild birds have been confirmed to have the virus in Warwickshire - along with 31 in Dorset.
18th Jan 2018 - Wessex FM
Avian Influenza Prevention Zone declared after new bird flu outbreak
18th Jan 2018 - FarmingUK
Bird flu zone extended as strain discovered in Warwickshire
18th Jan 2018 - BBC
"No need" for Scottish bird flu measures
The Scottish government has said it will not be changing its status on bird flu despite a prevention zone being declared for the whole of England. It comes after avian flu was found in wild birds in Dorset and Warwickshire. There have been no reported cases of avian flu in Scotland, but the Scottish government said it was monitoring the situation.
18th Jan 2018 - BBC
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in full"Wiped out" bird flu back
India is scrambling to stamp out an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu virus that popped up last month in poultry birds in Dasarahalli village near Bangalore, about six months after India declared itself free of this virus. The National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases has confirmed the infection as the highly pathogenic avian influenza serotype H5N8, the Union agriculture ministry told the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
17th Jan 2018 - The Telegraph
India reports bird flu outbreak
17th Jan 2018 - GlobalMeatNews.com
New avian flu outbreak (H5N8) in Karnakata state, India
17th Jan 2018 - MesVaccins.net
Philippines added to APHIS avian influenza list
USDA’s Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) has added the Philippines to the list of regions affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza of any subtype. This action comes after HPAI was reported in the Philippines in August 2017.
17th Jan 2018 - Farm Futures
Avian flu found in wild birds in Dorset
In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Farmers’ Union is urging poultry farmers to be vigilant in light of several confirmed cases of Avian influenza in Dorset, England. UFU deputy president Victor Chestnutt is strongly recommending that all poultry keepers, including backyard keepers, review their biosecurity measures and business continuity plans now, as the risk level may well increase in the coming weeks.
17th Jan 2018 - Farming Life
Islamic State member in custody dies with bird flu in Mosul hospital
An Islamic State member held in custody has died after being infected with bird flu in Mosul, a medical source from Nineveh province said on Tuesday. Medical sources were quoted saying that al-Salam Educational Hospital in eastern Mosul recorded three deaths with the disease, while the fourth case was recorded at al-Shifa Hospital. Last Thursday, Iraqi agriculture minister Falah Hassan declared that a poultry farm caught the infection in Babil province, days after another infection focus in Diyala province was brought under control.
17th Jan 2018 - Iraqi News
New bird flu cases detected in Riyadh
In Saudi Arabia, four new bird flu cases were detected in the Riyadh region, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture said on Tuesday. The ministry, in a press briefing, said since the outbreak of the H5N8 bird flu virus, it collected 3,304 samples from the various regions for lab tests.
17th Jan 2018 - Saudi Gazette
Cambodia Issues Health Warning Over Bird Flu Outbreak in Phnom Penh
Health officials in Cambodia have urged calm after an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry in Phnom Penh last week. Hundreds of birds were taken in for testing by health officers in the capital’s Sen Sok district. Officials were quick to clarify that no humans had been found to have been infected by the H5N1 virus
17th Jan 2018 - VOA Khmer
Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in dead goshawk found in Tokyo
In Japan, the Ministry of Environment said that highly pathogenic H5N6 type of avian influenza virus was detected in a dead northern goshawk that had been found earlier this month at a park in Tokyo’s Ota Ward. The ministry raised its warning to a Level 3 — its highest — from the current Level 2, as other bird flu cases were reported in the western part of the country over the past few months. If more dead wild birds are found, they will conduct more detailed examinations, the ministry said.
17th Jan 2018 - The Japan Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullFirst avian flu winter outbreak confirmed
In the UK, veterinary authorities are urging vets and poultry owners to remain vigilant following the discovery of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu in 17 wild birds in Dorset. BVA president John Fishwick said: “I’d encourage vets to reassure their clients this strain of avian influenza poses a very low risk to public health and the food chain.
16th Jan 2018 - Vet Times
Jersey follows advice in UK over avian flu
16th Jan 2018 - Jersey Evening Post
Bird Flu: Highly pathogenic H5N8 case outbreak near Bengaluru in Karnataka, says report
A report from the Indian agriculture ministry noted that according to the World Organisation for Animal Health, there is an outbreak of the disease near Bengaluru in Karnataka, according to Reuters. As per the report, the H5N8 virus was detected on 26 December among birds in the village of Dasarahalli, killing 9 out of 951 birds.
16th Jan 2018 - The Financial Express
Bird flu in Karnataka: Chickens test positive for highly contagious
15th Jan 2018 - Times Now
DONE -TAG TO MAIN 1- India reports outbreak of bird flu virus near Bengaluru
15th Jan 2018 - Livemint
Turkish town shutdown after bird flu outbreak
In Turkey, a town has been quarantined in the province of Mardin after authorities detected two birds carrying the influenza virus. Officials killed at least 609 birds, according to Turkish daily Hurriyet, after locals reported that the animals were dying.
Test results later showed that the birds had bird flu
16th Jan 2018 - Arab News
3 bird flu cases give "no cause for alarm" in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, three new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N8) have sprung up in Riyadh, Dammam and Al-Ahsa, but a senior official from the Health Ministry said there is no cause for alarm since this influenza has not affected anybody in the Kingdom or in other parts of the world
16th Jan 2018 - Arab News
News Scan for Jan 16, 2018
India reported its first highly pathogenic H5N8 outbreak of the year, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia reporting more events involving the strain. Elsewhere, Cambodia reported another highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreak, and Taiwan reported three more H5N2 outbreaks.
16th Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullBVA and BVP respond to confirmation of Avian Influenza in wild birds in Dorset
In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed that Avian Influenza of the H5N6 strain has been detected in 17 wild birds in Dorset. Public Health England have advised the risk to public health is very low with the Food Standards Agency also offering reassurance that bird flu does not pose a food safety risk for UK consumers. Defra has confirmed that this is different to the strains which affected people in China last year
15th Jan 2018 - The Poultry Site
What is Bird Flu, where is there an outbreak in the UK, how is it affecting farmers across Europe
15th Jan 2018 - The Sun
Bird flu arrives in UK after H7N9 strain of virus kills 300 in China
15th Jan 2018 - Daily Star
Bird flu detected in 17 wild birds in Dorset, with more expected
15th Jan 2018 - East Anglian Daily Times
Bird flu confirmed at Abbotsbury Swannery - poultry owners in south Dorset alerted over Defra protection zone
14th Jan 2018 - Dorset Echo
Bird flu outbreak confirmed in England - poultry owners warned
14th Jan 2018 - Wandsworth Guardian
Somerset poultry owners warned after bird flu found in Dorset birds
14th Jan 2018 - Somerset County Gazette
Bird flu found in Phnom Penh
In Cambodia, nearly 300 chickens and ducks were culled after a new case of H5N1 was found in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district last week, officials said. Seang Borin, director of the municipal agriculture department, said that 292 chickens and ducks were killed in Phnom Penh Thmey village on Saturday, where the National Institute of Animal Health and Production found an outbreak that had infected three chickens on January 9.
15th Jan 2018 - Khmer Times
New avian flu outbreak found in Phnom Penh
15th Jan 2018 - The Phnom Penh Post
Town quarantined, 609 birds killed over bird flu in Turkey's southeast
In Turkey, at least 609 birds were killed and a town was quarantined in the southeastern province of Mardin when authorities detected two birds were carrying avian influenza in the suburban Kızıltepe County on Jan. 13. Inspections are ongoing in the southeastern province regarding the disease
15th Jan 2018 - Hurriyet Daily News
Another case of bird flu suspected at farm near Seoul
In South Korea, a new case of suspected bird flu has been detected at a chicken farm near Seoul, the agriculture ministry said, amid a widespread outbreak of the avian influenza in the country's southwestern duck farming region. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said suspected avian influenza was reported at a farm in Gimpo, west of Seoul. The farm, which has 500 chickens, said 10 of them died the previous day. It will take one or two days to confirm if the case is a highly pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus.
15th Jan 2018 - Yonhap News Agency
Experts call for govt intervention to prevent bird flu outbreak in WC
In South Africa, some experts are warning that another avian flu outbreak is imminent come winter if government doesn’t urgently intervene. The Klapmuts Bird Clinic’s Doctor Deon de Beer warns that if government doesn’t intervene - farmers may experience yet another outbreak when the weather gets cold: "Unfortunately we cannot win a biological battle if government stops working at 4, and start working again on Monday at 8 or 9. Unfortunately, disease control doesn’t work like that, so the government is definitely not doing enough."
15th Jan 2018 - Eyewitness News
Duck farm in Yunlin hit by avian flu, 3915 birds culled
In Taiwan, a duck farm in Yunlin County has been confirmed as being infected with the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza virus, leading to the culling of 3,915 ducks, a Council of Agriculture bureau said. This was the fourth case of bird flu reported in Yunlin and the sixth in Taiwan this year, said Shih Tai-hua, deputy director-general of the bureau
14th Jan 2018 - Focus Taiwan
Iran Culls Millions of Chickens to Curb Bird Flu: Official
In Iran, more than 17 million chickens have been culled over the past ten months as part of efforts to control avian flu, the head of Iran Veterinary Organization said. According to the official, 15 provinces in Iran witnessed the outbreak of avian flu.
14th Jan 2018 - Tasnim News Agency
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullCulling of 92000 chickens begins in Japan after bird flu detected
Local authorities in western Japan's Kagawa Prefecture began culling about 92,000 chickens after the highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian influenza was detected. The outbreak was confirmed at a poultry farm in the city of Sanuki as the chickens tested positive in genetic tests, making it the first bird flu case affecting livestock in Japan this season
13th Jan 2018 - Mainichi
Japan starts chicken cull after confirming bird flu outbreak
13th Jan 2018 - Yahoo Finance UK
Japan starts chicken cull after confirming bird flu outbreak
13th Jan 2018 - Channel NewsAsia
Japan starts culling chicken after confirming bird flu outbreak
12th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Japanese authorities battle bird flu outbreak
12th Jan 2018 - Poultry World
Bird flu gives a scare, doctors say all is safe
In India, doctors are reassuring people after one case of avian flu was found in a chicken recently. They explain how the avian flu virus would spread to a human and that no human infections have occurred in the country so far. While the suspected outbreak of Avian Influenza at a poultry farm near Bengaluru has been contained, report of samples sent from Mandya to the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases came back as negative to any form of bird flu that is lethal to humans
13th Jan 2018 - The New Indian Express
Bengaluru bird flu: Chicken safe for consumption, says Karnataka animal husbandry minister
13th Jan 2018 - The New Indian Express
Bhopal lab quells fears of bird flu
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13th Jan 2018 - Deccan Chronicle
Bird flu confirmed in 17 wild animals in Dorset
In the UK, bird flu has been confirmed in 17 wild birds in Dorset, the Government has said. A virus closely related to the H5N6 avian flu strain led the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to declare a prevention zone around the affected area. Defra insisted the strain was not a food safety risk for shoppers, and Public Health England said the risk to people’s health was “very low”
13th Jan 2018 - The Independent
Poultry keepers told to be 'extra cautious' as Defra expects more bird flu cases
13th Jan 2018 - FarmingUK
Bird flu found in wild birds in UK's Dorset but risk to humans, poultry low
12th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Taiwan bans poultry from Japan following outbreak of avian flu
Taiwan issued a new ban on Japanese poultry after an H5 strain of avian flu was detected in Japan's Kagawa Prefecture that led to the culling of 92,000 chickens.
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine on Friday listed Japan as an epidemic region for the highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian influenza and reinstated a ban on the import of its poultry that was only lifted on Monday. This news comes on the heels of reported outbreaks of the avian influenza throughout Japan, South Korea and Europe.
13th Jan 2018 - Focus Taiwan
Two more farms infected with avian flu
In Taiwan, two more poultry farms in Pingtung County have been infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 strain and another H5 subtype, following an alert issued on Friday regarding an avian flu outbreak in Japan and other countries, the Council of Agriculture said
13th Jan 2018 - Taipei Times
H7N9 avian flu fatality reported in Xinjiang
The Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission reported on an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9), this one from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This is the 14th case reported from this region. The 72-year-old male patient died on January 10. He had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms.
12th Jan 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullJapan confirms first bird flu case in livestock this winter
A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza has killed chickens at a poultry farm in Kagawa Prefecture according to the prefectural government, making it the first bird flu outbreak affecting livestock in the nation this winter season. On Thursday night the Kagawa Prefectural Government announced that a positive result in genetic tests confirmed that the disease was caused by a pathogenic strain of influenza virus.
11th Jan 2018 - The Japan Times
The flu pandemic clock is ticking: Are we ready?
Many experts say a flu pandemic is clearly on the horizon, so the question is– Are we ready for a flu pandemic? CIDRAP director, Michael Osterholm PhD, says- not so much -as he outlined in a NY Times op-ed earlier this week. He discusses his views on why he believes we are woefully unprepared for the coming flu pandemic
11th Jan 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Namibia resumes poultry imports from Belgium
Namibia has lifted a ban on poultry from Belgium after outbreaks of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu in the Western European country caused trade to be suspended in June, the government said
11th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Eleven districts along state border on bird flu alert
In India, eleven districts of Maharashtra have been put on alert for bird flu after a reported outbreak of the avian influenza virus in some areas of neighbouring Karnataka. However, state animal husbandry department officials confirmed that nearly 7,000 samples were inspected at the Pune-based National Institute for Virology laboratory and none of them tested positive
11th Jan 2018 - The Asian Age
Japan starts chicken cull after confirming bird flu outbreak
Japan’s western Kagawa prefecture has begun a cull of 91,000 chickens after the discovery of a highly contagious form of bird flu on a farm, the local government said. The confirmation of the outbreak, which was reported earlier in the week, marked the country’s first cases of bird flu in poultry this winter.
11th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullJapan reports first suspected bird flu case in poultry this winter
Japan’s agriculture ministry on Wednesday reported a suspected case of bird flu in Kagawa prefecture, western Japan, potentially marking the country’s first bird flu outbreak in poultry this winter. The ministry said chickens at a farm in the area of Sanuki city in Kagawa tested positive in a preliminary examination on Wednesday for highly pathogenic avian influenza. The government may order all 100,000 chickens at the farm to be culled if the results of genetic tests confirm the infection
10th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Japan reports first suspected bird flu case
10th Jan 2018 - TODAY.ng
Japan govt confirms suspected bird flu case in western Japan
10th Jan 2018 - Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Japan reports first suspected bird flu case
10th Jan 2018 - Punch
First Suspected Bird Flu Case in Poultry This Winter Reported in Japan
10th Jan 2018 - New Tang Dynasty Television
Japan MAFF: Investigating Suspected Avian Flu In Kagawa Prefecture
10th Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Japan reports first suspected bird flu case in poultry this winter
10th Jan 2018 - Business Insider
Dangerous outbreak of bird flu in Iraq
Iraq has reported an outbreak of a highly pathogenic bird flu strand, prompting the government to cull thousands of birds in a bid to stop the disease from spreading in the country. According to the OIE, the virus was discovered at a farm in Diyala province at the end of 2017. The avian influenza strain H5N8 killed 7,250 birds before Iraqi officials culled the remaining 35,750, the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture reported.
10th Jan 2018 - Kurdistan 24
Highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak (H5N8) in poultry in Iraq
10th Jan 2018 - MesVaccins.net
No new bird flu cases reported in WC
In South Africa, the Western Cape may finally be free of bird flu, at least in chickens. Western Cape Agriculture MEC Alan Winde says no new cases of avian influenza have been reported in recent weeks. “To date from October to now, there have been no new cases in unaffected poultry farms. However, the vets are still detecting the virus, specifically amongst swift terns in wildbirds.”
10th Jan 2018 - Eyewitness News
Spread of avian influenza in WC poultry sector halted
10th Jan 2018 - BizCommunity.com
We're not ready yet for a flu pandemic
As bad as this winter’s flu epidemic is, it won’t compare with the flu pandemic that is almost certainly on the horizon if we don’t dedicate energy and resources to a universal vaccine. Although the National Institutes of Health has publicly declared developing a vaccine a priority, it has only about $32 million this year specifically for such research. There is no apparent effort to make these vaccines a priority in the current administration of the United States
10th Jan 2018 - Gulf News.com
Bird flu scare in Karnataka: Maharashtra govt tells 6 districts to monitor health situation
In India, the Maharashtra government has issued an advisory to six districts to monitor the health situation after suspected cases of bird flu were reported in Karnataka. Health officials in Nanded, Sangli, Osmanabad, Latur, Kolhapur and Solapur, have been asked to raise awareness in poultry farms and look for possible infected cases in bordering villages
10th Jan 2018 - The Indian Express
UK reports H5N6 in wild swans as study assesses live-bird markets
In the latest avian flu outbreak developments, the UK reported its first detection of highly pathogenic H5N6, based on sampling from mute swans found dead, and South Korea reported another poultry farm outbreak involving the virus. In the latest research findings, scientists who have been watching avian flu virus levels in Cambodia's live market poultry reported higher levels since their last report, along with coinfections in the birds that pose a risk of emerging reassortant viruses.
10th Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullK'taka outbreak: 11 Maha districts on bird flu alert
In Maharashtra State, India, eleven districts have been put on alert for bird flu after some areas of neighbouring Karnataka reported an outbreak of the avian influenza virus. Animal husbandry department officials said that nearly 7,000 samples were checked in the state and and none of them had tested positive
9th Jan 2018 - The Times of India
Maharashtra takes preventive steps after bird-flu outbreak in Bengaluru
9th Jan 2018 - Mumbai Mirror
Maharashtra govt takes preventive measures after avian influenza outbreak in Bengaluru
9th Jan 2018 - First Post.com
Saudi H5N8 Update: 3 More Outbreaks & A Damaging Video
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture (MEWA) reports only three new detections of H5N8 in the last 24 hours - all from `Darmaa' province - located about 70 km northwest of the Capital of Riyadh. Containment of avian flu in Saudi Arabia became more complicated when a (graphic) video went viral on Arabic social media (twitter) overnight showing cullers using primitive, inhumane methods (clubbing birds with sticks and shovels) in their depopulation efforts
9th Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Swarm incursions of reassortants of HPAI virus strains H5N8 and H5N5, clade 2.3.4.4b, Germany, winter 2016/17
The outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5Nx viruses in winter 2016/2017 was the most severe HPAI epizootic ever reported in Germany. The H5N8 and H5N5 viruses detected in birds in Germany in 2016/2017 represent a reassortant swarm of at least five distinct genotypes, which carried closely related HA segments derived from clade 2.3.4.4b
9th Jan 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
The spread of bird flu looks to have stopped in the Cape
In South Africa, the Western Cape minister of economic opportunities‚ Alan Winde‚ said on Tuesday that no new cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed at previously uninfected poultry farms in the province since 31 October 2017. In December‚ though‚ there was a reoccurrence at a previously infected farm which was still under quarantine.
9th Jan 2018 - Times Live
J. Infect.: Pathogenicity & Transmissibility of 3 Avian H5N6 Viruses Isolated From Wild Birds
A series of snapshots of the Asian H5N6 avian flu virus taken in 2014-2015, published in the Journal of Infection finds a progression in replication and pathogenicity of H5N6 viruses isolated from wild birds in Southern China over time. This study deals with the Asian H5N6 virus which emerged in late 2013 and has caused at least 18 human infections in China, and is not the same lineage as the H5N6 viruses reported this fall in South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands.
9th Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Iraq culls 35,000 chickens amid bird flu outbreak
Tens of thousands of chickens have been culled after a wild bird brought the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N8 to a farm in Diyala, Iraq.
9th Jan 2018 - Global Meat News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullCase of bird flu detected at S. Korean duck farm
A new case of bird flu has been discovered at a duck farm in South Korea's southwestern region, the agriculture ministry said Monday, in the latest outbreak in the duck farming region. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said H5 avian influenza was detected at a farm in Naju, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, and culled all of the farm's 16,500 ducks.
8th Jan 2018 - Yonhap News Agency
Bird flu detected at South Korean duck farm
8th Jan 2018 - New Straits Times
Philippines may regain bird flu-free nation status by April–BAI
The Philippines could regain its bird flu-free status by April, a month later than the government’s target date, as authorities experienced delays in sanitizing the affected farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Animal Health and Welfare Division Chief Aryln Vytiaco said provincial veterinarians in Central Luzon were not able to complete the cleaning and disinfection of a farm struck by bird flu in Cabiao before Christmas.
8th Jan 2018 - Business Mirror
News Scan for Jan 08, 2018 - Saudi MERS cases; Next-gen flu vaccine grant; New H5N6 infection
China has reported another human H5N6 avian flu case, which involved a 3-year-old girl from Fujian province who had contact with live poultry before she became ill, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection said. The girl recovered after treatment, and so far her close contacts have not reported any symptoms. Her illness marks China's 18th involving H5N6 since the first human case was detected in 2014.
8th Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
Iraq, Afghanistan, other nations report avian flu outbreaks
In the latest avian flu developments, two more countries in the Middle East—Iraq and Afghanistan—reported highly pathogenic H5 outbreaks, and Germany reported its first H5N6 detection, according to separate reports from the World Organization for Animal Health. Elsewhere, Bangladesh reported another outbreak involving H5N1, and South Africa recently detected H5N8 again, this time in a wild bird.
8th Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
OIE Notification: H5N8 In Iraq
Although FluTrackers has had the Arabic language media reports for more than a week, today the OIE published the official notification of HPAI H5N8 in Dilaya, Iraq.
While we've heard occasional (unconfirmed) reports of poultry deaths over the past year in Iraq, this is their first OIE notification since December of 2016. Iraq joins Iran, Saudi Arabia in reporting H5N8 outbreaks during this winter of 2017-18.
8th Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Profile: China's top science award winner Hou Yunde
Hou Yunde, a scientist who dedicated himself to antiviral research, won China's top science award for his contribution in the field. Due to the efforts by Hou and other medical workers, China has set up an infectious disease detection system, effective within 72 hours, that can identify about 300 known pathogens and test unknown pathogens, including the H1N1 influenza virus, the H7N9 bird flu virus, Ebola virus, and the MERS virus
8th Jan 2018 - Xinhuanet.com
Iraq reports outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu: OIE
Iraq has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in Diyala in the center of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday. The virus was found on Dec. 27 at a farm of 43,000 birds and killed 7,250 of them, the OIE said
8th Jan 2018 - Reuters
Qatar free from bird flu: health ministry
The Ministry of Public Health said no cases of bird flu have been registered in Qatar. The ministry said bird flu is closely and continuously monitored by the National Influenza Centre, which periodically scans samples to monitor the types of viruses and to detect their strains and epidemiological patterns
8th Jan 2018 - Gulf Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullChina: CHP notified of human case of H5N6 avian influenza A in Fujian
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health (January 5) received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Fujian, China, from the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The case involved a three-year-old girl, who had contact with live poultry before the onset of symptoms. The patient had recovered after medical treatment and her close contacts remain asymptomatic.
7th Jan 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Fujian
7th Jan 2018 - SatPRNews.com
H5N6 avian influenza confirmed in Fujian province, China child
6th Jan 2018 - Outbreak News Today
Outbreak of bird flu in Karnataka; Maharashtra border districts on alert
In India, officials of the Maharahstra Animal Husbandry Department have been put on alert along districts near the Karnataka border after an outbreak of H5 avian influenza was reported at Dasarahalli village in Bengaluru Urban district. Maharashtra Animal Husbandry Commissioner Kantilal Umap, however, assured that the situation was being monitored and “there was no need for alarm”.
6th Jan 2018 - The Indian Express
Outbreak of bird flu in Karnataka puts border districts on alert
7th Jan 2018 - NYOOOZ
TN on high alert as Karnataka reports bird flu outbreak
7th Jan 2018 - The Times of India
Avian flu leads to culling of 10,000 birds at Taiwan chicken farm
In Taiwan, according to the Yunlin County's Animal and Plant Disease Control Center, a chicken farm has been identified to be infected with a subtype of the H5 avian influenza virus which has led to the slaughtering of 10,461 birds as a preventive measure to stop the disease from spreading. On Monday, a similar case was reported in the county's Yuanchang Township where 15,239 birds were culled as a result of the avian flu
6th Jan 2018 - Taiwan News
Chicken farm in Yunlin hit by avian flu, 10461 birds culled
7th Jan 2018 - Focus Taiwan
Saudi MEWA: 11 new cases of H5N8 - Jan 6th
The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture (MEWA) continues to provide detailed daily updates on their battle against the recently arrived (announced Dec 20th) H5N8 avian flu virus. Saturday's update, with 11 new outbreaks listed from 4 different locations, indicates just how tough a job they are facing.
7th Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
As H5N6 hits more poultry, researchers test threat of earlier strain - CIDRAP
In research developments, two different groups that conducted lab experiments to gauge the threat of H5N6 to mammals and poultry found that the virus doesn't easily spread by the airborne route among ferrets, though it can infect ducks, chickens, and mice, and can cause severe disease in mice, which may signal a threat to other mammals.
5th Jan 2018 - CIDRAP
Bulgarian firm buys AgriLabs
The Bulgarian company Huvepharma announced Friday that it has acquired the human and animal health firm AgriLabs. Steve Schram, president and CEO for AgriLabs, said the change will help it accelerate the further development of the first vaccines ever licensed for chickens due to recent outbreaks of avian influenza, after an announcement in November.
5th Jan 2018 - News-Press Now
Poultry owners told to keep birds indoors 'til spring after Avian flu prevention zone period extended
In the UK, an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone that has been in place since 6 December will be extended until 28 February to help protect poultry and captive birds from avian flu, the Chief Veterinary Officer has announced. Public Health England advises that the risk to public health remains very low
5th Jan 2018 - Smallholder
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullBird flu alert in Bengaluru: What is avian influenza? Symptoms of H5N1 virus in humans; prevention tips
In India, after eight chickens died of suspected bird flu on December 29, the Karnataka health and family welfare department started awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of the H5N1 virus in the surrounding areas. On Wednesday, as many as 900 fowls were culled after H5N1 virus was detected in a dead bird at a chicken shop
4th Jan 2018 - Times Now
Flu scare: Officials start culling birds in Bengaluru
4th Jan 2018 - Deccan Chronicle
Bengaluru: 900 fowls culled; health department runs awareness campaign to contain bird flu
4th Jan 2018 - The Economic Times
UAE bans import of live birds from Netherlands
The UAE has banned the import of live birds from the Netherlands following an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N8 bird flu strain, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Thursday. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) issued a notification of the outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu, H5N8, in the Flevoland province of the Netherlands that led to destroying more than 150,000 chicken
4th Jan 2018 - Gulf News
Netherlands chicken and egg imports latest to be banned by UAE
4th Jan 2018 - The National
UAE bans import of live birds from the Netherlands over bird flu strain
4th Jan 2018 - The Gulf Today
South Korea beefs up quarantine measures against bird flu
South Korea's agriculture ministry said Thursday that quarantine measures will be intensified against bird flu, as the latest outbreak in Gyeonggi Province has raised concerns with little over a month left before the start of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs heightened its alert level of avian influenza (AI) after a H5N6 strain was confirmed at a layer chicken farm in Pocheon, 45 kilometers north of Seoul, earlier in the day
4th Jan 2018 - Yonhap News Agency
Iowa State University avian influenza in small birds and rodents
Iowa State University research found no evidence that small wild birds and rodents were possible sources of the avian influenza virus that decimated Iowa poultry flocks in 2015. Jim Adelman, an assistant professor in natural resource ecology and management, and Kyoung-Jin Yoon, professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, were the co-principal investigators who studied wild birds and rodents around poultry operations to see if they carried the virus or had been exposed to it.
4th Jan 2018 - High Plains Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea Reports More HPAI H5N6 In Poultry & Wild Birds
While a far cry from last year's record HPAI H5 epizootic (300+ farms infected, 30 million birds culled), South Korea's struggles against avian flu continue this winter with the arrival of a newly reassorted H5N6 virus in November, and sporadic detections of both LPAI and HPAI outbreaks in wild birds.
3rd Jan 2018 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
High-path H5N6 Bird Flu Detected at South Jeolla Province Poultry Farms
3rd Jan 2018 - The Poultry Site
New bird flu case discovered in South Korea
3rd Jan 2018 - Yahoo! News India
900 fowls culled in Bengaluru to contain bird flu
In Bengaluru, India, as many as 900 fowls were culled after the avian influenza virus was detected in a dead bird, civic officials said. Although the virus does not usually infect people, it can cause fever, diarrhoea, respiratory illnesses in some affected people. The Animal Husbandry Department had on Tuesday declared an area of 1km radius from where the bird was found dead as the "infected zone" and an area of 10km radius as the "surveillance" zone.
3rd Jan 2018 - Zee News
Bengaluru: Dead chicken tests positive for bird flu
3rd Jan 2018 - The New Indian Express
OIE Reports Three More HPAI Outbreaks in Riyadh
Dr Ali Al Doweriej, Director General of Veterinary Health and Monitoring Department, has reported three further outbreaks of high-path H5N8 bird flu, all in Riyadh. According to a follow-up report sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the affected population consists of backyard birds
3rd Jan 2018 - The Poultry Site
Hong Kong suspends import of poultry products from French area over bird flu outbreak
Food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has decided to suspend import of poultry products from Landes Department in southwestern France over an outbreak of bird flu.
3rd Jan 2018 - Xinhuanet.com
Official Allays Fears of Avian Flu Among Humans
The deadly avian flu infecting chickens across Iran cannot be passed on to humans, according to WHO, and consumers need not worry about egg and chicken consumption, the secretary-general of Iran’s Union of Producers of Egg-Laying Hen said. “The acute avian flu, including strains of H1N5 and H1N, cannot be transmitted to humans unless one is in direct contact with the carcass of infected chicken or their dung,” Farzad Talakesh was also quoted as saying. In response to rumors circulating on the social media, the official said there has been no report of human infection yet.
3rd Jan 2018 - Financial Tribune
H5N2 bird flu confirmed in central Taiwan
In Taiwan, the Pingtung and Yunlin County government confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza subtype H5N2 in over 15,000 chickens. Associate director of the Executive Yuan Agricultural Committee, Huang Chin-chengsaid that last December the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection had declared the infected area at high risk for avian flu
3rd Jan 2018 - Taiwan News
Bird flu: There is no need to panic, says doctor
In India, in the wake of a bird flu scare, doctors say there is no reason to panic as the chances of the virus infecting a human is very remote. V. Ravi, head of the Department of Neurovirology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, advised against any panic and said only those who are in contact with infected birds and health workers examining poultry workers are at risk. “Not even a single case of bird flu among human beings has been reported in India,” he said.
3rd Jan 2018 - The Hindu
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullAvian flu scare hits city
Fears of an outbreak of avian flu gripped Bengaluru in India with at least one confirmed case of a chicken infected with the H5N1 virus reported at Dasarahalli. This comes after a gap of more than five years with bird flu last reported in the city in October 2012. Following the confirmation, all chicken stalls in Dasarahalli were immediately shut down to prevent spread of the virus, and measures are being taken to cull chicken in the area, said BBMP commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad
2nd Jan 2018 - The Hindu
Fresh bout of bird flu hits city
2nd Jan 2018 - Deccan Herald
UAE bans eggs, meat products from Russia over H5N2 bird flu Strain
Based on a notification from the OIE of the outbreak H5N2 on a farm in Russia that led to the death of more than 660,000 birds, the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment announced that it has banned the import of all species of domestic and wild live birds, ornamental birds, chicks, hatching eggs, meats and meat products and non-heat-treated wastes from the affected region and from previously infected provinces
2nd Jan 2018 - The Gulf Today
UAE bans birds from parts of Russia
2nd Jan 2018 - Gulf News.com
South Korea culls more than 654,000 birds to stem spread of bird flu
In South Korea, quarantine workers have culled birds since mid-November when the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain hit a duck farm in Gochang, about 240 kilometers southwest of Seoul. Last year, South Korea was forced to cull more than 30 million birds to contain the worst outbreak of bird flu in the country's history.
2nd Jan 2018 - Post Online Media
Imports Blocked Following Bird Flu Outbreak in Saudi Arabia
The United Arab Emirates has blocked all poultry imports from Saudi Arabia following an outbreak of bird flu in its capital Riyadh. UAE took action on Christmas Eve imposing the ban after an outbreak of a highly contagious H5N8 strain of the disease in the Azizia market in Riyadh.
2nd Jan 2018 - The Poultry Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Jan 2018
View this newsletter in fullEgypt slaughters 17,500 poultry after bird flu outbreak reported
Egypt has slaughtered more than 17,500 poultry in a farm where bird flu cases were reported in the Dakahlia governorate (Delta), said Head of Veterinary Medicine Directorate, Abdel Moneim Al Mongy, on Saturday.
1st Jan 2018 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Britain put on bird flu alert after two serious outbreaks near the Dutch coast
Britain has been put on bird flu alert after two serious outbreaks near the Dutch coast. Nearly 60 swans and poultry found dead this month all tested positive for the virus. Scientists fear there is a risk wild birds migrating could spread the bug to the UK. The highly-infectious H5N6 strain has hit many species in Asia and has also passed to humans
31st Dec 2017 - The Sun
Bird flu spreads ahead of Olympics
In South Korea, authorities are on alert to contain the spread of avian influenza ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics in February, after highly pathogenic strains were confirmed at Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province, Sunday. Authorities said the H5N6 strain which broke out at duck farms has similar levels of contagiousness and pathogenicity as the H5N1 type which wreaked the greatest scale of damage last year.
31st Dec 2017 - The Korea Times
Additional bird flu case confirmed at duck farm in central S. Korea
South Korea has confirmed a fresh case of avian influenza at a duck farm in the southwestern region, the agriculture ministry said, raising alarms in the major poultry production region already infected with highly pathogenic bird flu. The H5N6-strain bird flu was detected on a farm with 35,000 ducks in Yeongam, 380 kilometers south of Seoul, while quarantine officials were conducting an inspection in the county
30th Dec 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Pampanga poultry farms cleared of avian flu
In the Philippines, the Bureau of Animal Industry has announced that poultry farms in Pampanga have been cleared of the bird flu virus, which saw an outbreak in August, temporarily restricting poultry transport in Luzon. Based on the latest laboratory test results, sentinel birds that were raised in 4 affected poultry farms in Barangay San Carlos in San Luis town tested negative from the avian flu virus.
29th Dec 2017 - ABS-CBN
S. Korean Government to Develop Bird Flu Emergency Response System
South Korean health authorities have set out plans for a bird flu emergency response system that will include an antigen bank and emergency vaccine supplies.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced the plans after a safety investigation task force launched by the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency found vulnerabilities in emergency response measures. After concluding that regular vaccinations could raise the risk of human infection with the avian influenza virus, the task force decided to create an antigen bank that could be of use in emergency situations
29th Dec 2017 - The Korea Bizwire
Saudi closes Medina central market to contain outbreak of H5N8
The Saudi authorities have stepped up preventive measures to contain the outbreak of the bird flu (H5N8) across the country, according to Al Mowaten newspaper. The municipal authorities in Medina have shut down the central market in co-ordination with the General Directorate for Agricultural Affairs
29th Dec 2017 - Gulf Digital News
Different strains of bird flu emerging around the world
Different strains of bird flu have been reported to the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) by nations around the globe over the Christmas period. These include H5N6 in South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, H5N8 in Russia and H5N1 in Bangladesh. They follow reports shortly before Christmas of cases of H5N8 in poultry in Italy, which involved 17,000 birds at a fattening farm in Emilia-Romagana region and two detections in wild birds of the H5N6 virus in the Netherlands.
29th Dec 2017 - Poultry World
Russia reports outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu: OIE
Russia has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu on a farm in the central region of Kostromskaya Oblast that led to the death of more than 660,000 birds, the OIE said. The virus killed more than 44,000 birds in an outbreak first detected on Dec. 17, the OIE said, citing a report from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture
29th Dec 2017 - Reuters
Un foyer de grippe aviaire H5N2 découvert en Russie
29th Dec 2017 - Yahoo News France
Russia Faces Bird Flu Outbreak
29th Dec 2017 - MedPage Today
Russia Reports Virulent H5N2 Bird Flu at 660,000-bird Farm
29th Dec 2017 - Voice of America
Russia reports outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu
30th Dec 2017 - AOL
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullSaudi MEWA: H5N8 Confirmed In Al-Ahsa - Eastern Province
Until today, in the little more than a week since it was first identified in Saudi Arabia, detections of H5N8 have been centered in and around the capital city Riyadh and in surrounding Riyadh province. Now the virus has been found at a poultry facility in Al-Ahsa, in the Eastern Province - some 300 km to the east
28th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Saudi Arabia: Infectious H5N8 bird flu spreads to two more governorates in Riyadh
28th Dec 2017 - Crofsblogs.typepad.com
Bahrain Bans Poultry Imports from Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Bahrain has banned poultry imports from Saudi Arabia amid a reported bird flu outbreak there in the past week. According to DT News, spokespersons of Health Ministry and Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry confirmed that the Kingdom is taking all the necessary precautionary procedures to prevent the reported outbreak from reaching Bahrain
28th Dec 2017 - The Poultry Site
South Korea: MAFRA Confirms H5N6 At Jeonnam Goheung Duck Farm
South Korea - which has so far detected two different strains of the recently arrived reassorted (European origin) H5N6 virus - continues to report both widely scattered environmental (wild bird feces) LPAI & HPAI viruses, and sporadic poultry outbreaks of HPAI H5N6 in the six weeks since this fall's bird flu season began. Last Saturday, MAFRA Reported the 4th Duck Farm Hit By HPAI H5N6, and today there is another confirmed outbreak, this time on the south coast (Jeonnam Goheung) of South Korea
28th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Bird flu outbreak in Kampong Thom
In Cambodia, Health Ministry officials said H5N1 has spread to Kampong Thom province’s Stoung district following a recent outbreak in Kampong Cham province. However, experts have yet to find any case of human infection. Ministry spokesman Ly Sovann said that while the infection has not yet spread to humans, ministry experts were monitoring the situation very carefully
28th Dec 2017 - Khmer Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullUAE Bans Poultry Imports from Saudi Arabia Following H5N8 Bird Flu Outbreak
The United Arab Emirates has announced a ban on poultry imports from Saudi Arabia following a reported outbreak of a bird flu in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment took the measure following a notification from the Gulf Early Warning Centre of the outbreak of a "highly contagious" strain of bird flu, H5N8, in the Azizia market in Riyadh, the UAE state news agency WAM reported.
27th Dec 2017 - The Poultry Site
UAE bans poultry meat from Riyadh
25th Dec 2017 - Trade Arabia
UAE bans poultry imports from Saudi Arabia following bird flu outbreak
24th Dec 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Iran poultry farms hit hard by culling of 16m chicken
Major egg producing Iranian provinces, namely Qazvin, Tehran, Alborz and East Azarbaijan, are dealing with an outbreak of avian flu, which has led to the culling of 16 million chicken and a rise in egg prices, the chairman of the board of directors at Tehran’s Union of Producers of Egg-Laying Chicken said.
25th Dec 2017 - Customs Today
Iran's Hidden Bird Flu Burden
26th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Taiwan Reports Low-Path H5N6 Bird Flu
Dr Tai-Hwa Shih, Chief Veterinary Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture in Taipei, has reported two outbreaks of the H5N6 strain of low pathogenic avian influenza at two farms located in Zhushan, a township in Taiwan. The outbreak, which was initially observed on 19 December was confirmed on 24 December after reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and gene sequencing tests were carried out on 21 December and 24 December respectively at the Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI). Both tests gave out positive results.
27th Dec 2017 - The Poultry Site
Low-Path H5N6 Bird Flu Reported in Taiwan
27th Dec 2017 - The Poultry Site
OIE Notified Of HPAI H5N1 In Crows - Bangladesh
While once a major hotbed of H5N1 activity, including the detection of 8 human cases, reports have become far more sporadic from Bangladesh over the past few years with only one outbreak reported in all of 2016. Today, however, the OIE is reporting two incidents in Dhaka - roughly less than 5 miles apart and on the same day (11/25/17) - involving the deaths of 63 crows
27th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Cambodia: More Media Reports Of H5N1
On December 9th we looked at Media Reports Of An H5N1 Outbreak In Cambodia, which was quickly confirmed by the OIE. On December 22nd the Cambodian MOH posted a statement suggesting the earlier outbreaks continue to spread
27th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Russia: Follow Up & OIE Notification Of H5N8 Outbreak In Kostroma
A week ago FluTrackers (h/t Gert van der Hoek) posted a Russian media report of a subtype H5 avian flu outbreak in the Kostroma Region, roughly 200 miles north and east of Moscow. The OIE Has confirmed this outbreak to be HPAI H5N8 , and the number of birds affected to exceed 660,000
27th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Six countries report more avian flu outbreaks
A handful of countries reported new avian flu outbreaks over the past few days that involved different strains, including H5N6 in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, H5N1 in Bangladesh and Cambodia, and H5N8 in Russia.
27th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullS. Korea Kills 201000 Birds to Stem Spread of Bird Flu
South Korean quarantine officials have slaughtered 201,000 birds in the country’s southwestern areas to contain the spread of avian influenza, an official said. Quarantine workers culled the ducks between Nov. 18 and Friday, said an official handling the issue at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The culling came after the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain hit four duck farms in Jeongeup, Gochang and Yeongam in the country’s southwest
26th Dec 2017 - The Korea Bizwire
S. Korea confirms highly pathogenic AI at another duck farm
The South Korean government has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a local duck farm, raising the total number of contaminated farms to four throughout the country. The H5N6 bird flu was discovered on the farm with 29,000 ducks in Jeongeup, 260 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
23rd Dec 2017 - The Korea Herald
Two dead birds test positive for H5 avian flu virus, Hong Kong authorities say
Two dead birds found at different locations in Hong Kong tested positive for the H5 avian flu virus on Friday, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said. Further tests are being carried out to confirm the results, while both sites where the birds’ bodies were discovered have been thoroughly disinfected, according to authorities.
23rd Dec 2017 - South China Morning Post
Saudi government on top of efforts to contain H5N8 avian flu outbreak
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture reported that the country’s food security is safe after H5N8 avian flu cases had been reported in the capital. “We are monitoring all poultry farms and incubation chambers all over the Kingdom. We, in fact, had a similar case in 2007, and we were capable of protecting our food,” the ministry’s spokesman told Arab News
24th Dec 2017 - Arab News
Saudi Arabia confirms H5N8 bird flu outbreak: OIE
Saudi Arabia has confirmed an outbreak of highly contagious bird flu in Riyadh that led to the culling of nearly 16,000 ducks, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Friday. The highly pathogenic H5N8 strain infected and killed 14 birds at a non-specified location in the Saudi capital. The other birds in a flock of around 60,000 exposed to the virus were culled, the report said
22nd Dec 2017 - Reuters
Netherlands, Italy report new avian flu outbreaks
In ongoing avian flu activity in Europe, the Netherlands reported two more highly pathogenic H5N6 outbreaks in wild bird species, and Italy reported another highly pathogenic H5N8 poultry outbreak. Also, European public health agencies posted updated risk assessments regarding both viruses
22nd Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Did the NIH Just Open the Door to the Next Killer Pandemic?
The NIH has released guidelines for studying viruses like bird flu, including a code of ensuring ethical justifiability, safety precautions, and that the pathogen in question could be reasonably expected to affect humans. The hope is to ensure safety while encouraging continued scientific progress. But a contingent of scientists believe the research could be dangerous. One prominent group was the Cambridge Working Group, which collected concerned scientists to speak out publicly on why they saw research into extremely contagious viruses like bird flu—and also smallpox and anthrax—as dangerous and ask that the moratorium move from being temporary to being legally binding and permanent
22nd Dec 2017 - Daily Beast
Philippines reports 4th H5N6 avian influenza outbreak since August
Dr Enrico Garzon, Assistant Secretary for Livestock, Bureau of Animal Industry, Department of Agriculture, Quezon City, Philippines reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) an additional outbreak of Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N6 virus. This is the fourth such outbreak in the Philippines since Aug. 2017. The current outbreak was reported in a farm in Nueva Ecija province in Central Luzon
22nd Dec 2017 - Outbreak News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullThe NIH Lifted a Ban on Deadly Mutant Virus Research—Here's Why
The NIH has lifted a ban on “gain-of-function” research —the kind of research that requires genetically modifying viruses to make them more deadly or more contagious. Many people worry about the potential for a lab-made disease outbreak. But gain-of-function research has important implications for developing vaccines, and virologists that Gizmodo spoke to felt the work is misunderstood.
21st Dec 2017 - Gizmodo
Avian Flu: France not ready to use H5N8 vaccine
Ceva Animal Health Labs in France have perfected a vaccine against H5N8 which is targeted at ducks, but is not being used yet. The Agriculture ministry says it is not considering a flu vaccine prevention strategy at this time
21st Dec 2017 - Sud Ouest
H5N6 outbreak in the Netherlands unlikely to pose major risks to Singapore
The recent H5N6 bird flu outbreak in the Netherlands is unlikely to pose major risks to the human population in Singapore even as migratory birds make their way to the Republic to spend the winter, experts said. The Netherlands confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious bird flu on Dec 7. Bird scientist David Tan said the likelihood of a migratory bird from the Netherlands making it to Singapore is "extremely low".
21st Dec 2017 - Gov.sg
Officials checking if bird flu killed chickens
In Cambodia, about 30 chickens became sick and died in Kampong Cham’s Chamkar Leu district and authorities do not yet know the reason because the owners of the chickens only reported the incident after they buried their dead birds. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported that the bird flu (H5N1 virus) had appeared in Kampong Cham province
21st Dec 2017 - Khmertimeskh.com
Two types of highly pathogenic bird flu detected in S. Korea: quarantine agency
South Korea's quarantine agency said at least two strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza have entered the nation via migratory birds this winter. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) announced the results of DNA analysis into viruses detected at two duck farms in Gochang and Yeongam. The virus discovered in Gochang on Nov. 19 was the H5N6 bird flu, which arose from the reassortment between a highly pathogenic H5N8 that spread in Europe in late 2016 and a low-pathogenic N6 virus, the APQA said.
21st Dec 2017 - UkrAgroConsult
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullUS lifts ban on genetically modifying viruses to make them more deadly
Scientists eager to genetically engineer viruses to become even more deadly in order to understand how pandemics arise have been given the green light in the United States. President Trump’s Federal Government has ended a three-year moratorium on allowing such research to be funded. The moratorium was introduced after experts raised fears that such ‘monster’ germs could possibly escape laboratories — unleashing the very kind of pandemic they intended to avert
21st Dec 2017 - News.com.au
Gain-of-Function research on influenza, MERS funding pause lifted
20th Dec 2017 - Outbreak News Today
US Ban On Research Making Deadly Viruses Deadlier Has Just Been Lifted
20th Dec 2017 - IFLScience
Critics applaud cautiously as US lifts ban on making lethal viruses
20th Dec 2017 - Domain-B
US lifts moratorium on studying pathogens capable of creating a viral pandemic -
20th Dec 2017 - National Post
South Korea Reports `Second Strain" Of Newly Reassorted H5N6 Virus
Today, via a short announcement from South Korea's MAFRA and an English language media report from China, we learned that a second strain of H5N6 has been identified in South Korea. Although the differences were slight - and thus far, unspecified - they are a reminder that these HPAI viruses are a work in progress; that they continue to evolve, occasionally manage to reassort with other viruses, and can (potentially) adapt to other hosts over time
20th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
South Korea detects two highly pathogenic strains of bird flu
20th Dec 2017 - Agencia Efe
Highly pathogenic bird flu found in S.Korea: quarantine agency
The viruses, which were detected in Gochang on Nov. 19 and in Yeongam on Dec. 10, were highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) of H5N6 strain, which is a genetic reassortment of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain originating from Europe and the low ...
20th Dec 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Highly pathogenic bird flu found in South Korea
20th Dec 2017 - POST Online Media
Two types of highly pathogenic bird flu detected in S. Korea: quarantine agency
20th Dec 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Saudi Arabia: MEWA Announces HPAI H5N8 Detected In Riyadh
Today Saudi Arabia's MEWA (Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture) announced the detection of Highly Pathogenic H5N8 among birds at a market in Riyadh. While other Middle Eastern countries have reported HPAI H5N8 over the past year, this seems to be the first outbreak in poultry in KSA
20th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Russia: Rosselkhoznadzor Reports Avian H5 In Kostroma Region
Overnight FluTrackers picked up a Russian media report of an avian flu outbreak in the Kostroma Region, roughly 200 miles north and east of Moscow. Thus far, the scattered reports of avian flu we've seen coming out of Russia this fall (see Russia: Rosselkhoznadzor Reports Avian H5 Detected In Rostov Region) have all been reported as being HPAI H5N8, similar to last winter's epizootic strain.
20th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullU.S. lifts funding ban on studies that enhance dangerous germs
The U.S. government on Tuesday lifted a 2014 temporary ban on funding research involving the flu and other pathogens in which scientists deliberately make them more transmissible or more deadly. NIH director Dr. Francis Collins said the funding ban was lifted after the Department of Health and Human Services issued a framework to guide decisions over work involving enhanced pathogens with the potential to cause a pandemic
19th Dec 2017 - Reuters
Feds lift gain-of-function research pause, offer guidance
19th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
US Lifts Moratorium on Funding Controversial, High-Risk Virus Research
19th Dec 2017 - Scientific American
NIH lifts 3-year ban on funding risky virus studies
19th Dec 2017 - Science Magazine
Notice Announcing the Removal of the Funding Pause for Gain-of-Function Research Projects
19th Dec 2017 - Grants.nih.gov
U.S. lifts moratorium on funding controversial, high-risk virus research
19th Dec 2017 - STAT
US government lifts ban on risky pathogen research
19th Dec 2017 - Nature.com
A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted
19th Dec 2017 - The New York Times
U.S. lifts research moratorium on enhancing germs’ danger
19th Dec 2017 - The Washington Post
Public awareness of avian influenza needed as migratory birds return to Europe
WHO/Europe calls on the public to remain vigilant about avian influenza virus outbreaks in poultry and wild birds. Since some avian influenza viruses can infect humans, it is important that people in countries experiencing outbreaks take protective steps and avoid unnecessary contact with sick and dead birds.
19th Dec 2017 - WHO Europe
Avian flu gives poultry farmers no respite
About a month ago, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) re-evaluated the risk of avian influenza . It considered the risk of H5 introduction and spread across Germany in poultry flocks "likely". Previously, the risk assessment was still at "low to moderate." High-risk areas include the wintering areas of waterfowl, Lake Constance, the Rhine and other waterways, as well as the North and Baltic Seas.
19th Dec 2017 - Top Agrar
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullDA eyes March timetable to declare Luzon bird flu-free
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture said it may declare Luzon free of avian influenza by March following the culling of 42,000 chickens in Candaba, Pampanga in late November. Animal Health and Welfare Development officer-in-charge Dr. Arlyn Asteria V. Vytiaco said that the DA is in the process of checking infected areas through the introduction of sentinel birds.
19th Dec 2017 - BusinessWorld Online
Netherlands Media: Avian Flu At Scharrel Mountain Zoo in Biddinghuizen
Although nothing has been posted on the Netherlands's Rijksoverheid (government) website, or by the Wageningen Bioveterinary Research Institute, multiple Dutch media sources are reporting an avian flu outbreak at the open-range Scharrel Mountain petting Zoo in Biddinghuizen. Tests are underway to determine if this outbreak is due to the same HPAI H5N6 virus which has struck in and around Biddinghuizen over the past two weeks
18th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
China: 4 H7 Positive Samples Taken From Hunan Poultry Markets
Although reports of H7N9 out of China remain scarce right now, Chinese media is filled with reports of the detection of the H7 virus in 4 of 32 poultry samples collected from live bird markets in Changde City, Hunan Province on December 15th. No human H7N9 cases have been reported in Changde City this year, but this is a reminder that the virus remains active, particularly in live bird markets
17th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
The Challenge Of Promoting Pandemic Preparedness
Governments, agencies, organizations, and businesses were creating plans, holding drills, and girding themselves against an H5N1 bird flu pandemic that has so far failed to materialize. While H5N1 is still out there, we've a new generation of avian and novel flu viruses that we are watching today, with the number of threats having grown to include H7N9, H5N6, H5N8, along with a rogue's gallery of second tier threats.
16th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullNetherlands: Wild Birds Detected With HPAI H5N6
In Biddinghuizen, Netherlands, there was an HPAI outbreak in poultry affecting roughly 16,000 ducks. The following day, we learned that the virus was remarkably similar to a reassorted H5N6 virus which recently showed up in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Today, in an updated announcement on the Wageningen Bioveterinary Research Institute website, we learn that wild birds found dead along the shores of Lake Veluwe - several miles from the original poultry outbreak in Biddinghuizen - have now tested positive for this newly arrived reassorted H5N6 virus
14th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
NIAID Director Discusses Readying for Next Infectious Disease Threat
Anthony Fauci, MD, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), explains how experiences responding to infectious disease outbreaks have helped to prepare for future threats. He is also looking toward a considerable, concerted effort to develop a universal influenza vaccine. "Influenza is always a threat — at the seasonal level and at the potential for a pandemic level," he said. "For that reason, we need to get a vaccine that we can stockpile and have ready for an emergency, instead of chasing it when it occurs."
15th Dec 2017 - MD Magazine
Where Would Pandemic Flu Wreak the Most Havoc?
When the next flu pandemic hits, a nation’s successful response depends on strong health resources, infrastructure and leadership. That means many developing countries already struggling to provide adequate health care will likely be overwhelmed. And developed countries—with well-trained health workforces, efficient disease surveillance systems, and advanced health facilities—could be pushed to their limits.
15th Dec 2017 - Smithsonian
News Scan for Dec 15, 2017 - CIDRAP
In the latest avian flu outbreak developments, the Netherlands said the new highly pathogenic H5N6 reassortant was detected in mute swans found dead in a wetland area, and the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, and South Africa each reported new outbreaks involving different strains, some of which pertain to events in September and October.
16th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullChinese Poultry Markets May Be Home to Complex Avian Influenza Virus Collections
A flu surveillance study by a Guangxi Veterinary Research Institute-led team suggests live poultry markets in China are sometimes home to low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) that do not cause significant harm to birds carrying them, but may lead to more serious disease and outbreaks in humans. At the live poultry markets considered, the team noted that ducks often carried viruses from the H3 influenza virus subtype, while geese most often carried H6 influenza. H9 influenza was over-represented in chickens. Even so, more than 25 percent of the LPAIV-positive samples contained more than one flu virus subtype, creating an environment that may allow LPAIV rearrangement and recombination
14th Dec 2017 - GenomeWeb
EID Journal: Characterization Of A Feline Influenza A(H7N2) Virus
Human infection with LPAI H7N2 has only rarely been reported, with only a couple of cases on record in the United States (in 2002 and 2003), and 4 people who were presumed to have been infected in the UK in 2007 following local outbreaks in poultry. In all cases, illness was described as mild and self limiting. Avian H7N2 doesn't appear to be ready for prime time, but it has evolved considerably since its previous appearances in U.S. poultry nearly 15 years ago
14th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Defra says UK bird flu risk remains unchanged despite outbreak in the Netherlands
Defra reviewed avian influenza risk in the UK following an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of the virus in the Netherlands, which resulted in the cull of a 16,000-bird flock of ducks, and a mandatory housing order for poultry. But despite a number of new cases of avian influenza in Europe, Defra has decided not to increase the threat level in this country
14th Dec 2017 - edp24.co.uk
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullEID Journal: Changing Geographic Patterns/Risk Factors For H7N9 In China
A new study, published in the CDC's EID Journal, looks at both the increasing geographic range, and shifting risk patterns, from the H7N9 virus in China. Although the risks are difficult to quantify, the co-infection of a human with a seasonal (H1N1 or H3N2) virus and a novel virus like H7N9 is a concern since the potential for seeing a reassorted `hybrid' virus emerge cannot be ignored. When the peak of the regular flu season concides with the peak (and increase) in human H7N9 cases, the odds of seeing co-infections rises
13th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Changing Geographic Patterns and Risk Factors for Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Infections in Humans, China
13th Dec 2017 - CDC
Disinfection bins are not suitable as the only means to prevent the spread of avian influenza, according to a study by the University of California
Researchers compared the effectiveness of decontamination bins when inactivating highly pathogenic H5N8 and low pathogenic H6N2 virus on rubber boots. Surprisingly, disinfectants based on ammonia compounds could not eliminate living high and low pathogenic particles. A chlorine-containing granulate did kill the virus when it came into contact with it. In a second experiment researchers looked at the persistence of high and low pathogenic virus in litter and manure from turkeys, broilers and laying hens. In the litter of turkeys and broilers, the highly pathogenic virus remained alive for 60 hours; in litter of laying hens, the virus remained active for up to 96 hours. The low pathogenic virus remains active for a shorter period of time. This was no longer found active in the litter within 24 hours.
13th Dec 2017 - Boerderij
Evaluating the role of wild songbirds or rodents in spreading avian influenza virus across an agricultural landscape
Researchers examined small, wild birds and mammals in Iowa, one of the regions hit hardest by the 2015 avian influenza epizootic, to determine whether these animals carry AIV. Results suggest that even though influenza A viruses were present on the Iowa landscape at the time of our sampling, small, wild birds and rodents were unlikely to be frequent bridge hosts
13th Dec 2017 - Peerj.com
Genetic tests reveal more about new H5N6 reassortant
The latest analysis of reassortant H5N6 avian flu viruses from South Korean wild birds and domestic ducks shows that the strain is a close relative of an H5N6 virus that first turned up in Greek poultry last season, but it has two mutations that might alter its susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors, according to an expert familiar the test results.
13th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullDEFRA: HPAI in Europe - Outbreak Assessment #17
A newly reassorted H5N6 virus has been detected in the Netherlands; it is of a different lineage than the Asian H5N6 virus which circulates in China, and that impacted Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan last winter. It has been described as being a combination of the H5N8 virus that arrived in Europe last year and a European LPAI HxN6 virus.
12th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
OIE Reports HPAI Outbreak in Netherlands
12th Dec 2017 - The Poultry Site
UK bird flu threat remains low following Netherlands outbreak
12th Dec 2017 - FarmingUK
Hong Kong suspends import of poultry products from Dutch province
Food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has ordered to suspend import of poultry products from a province of the Netherlands due to bird flu outbreak there.
12th Dec 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
No Change in Human-to-Human H7N9 Transmission Risk Over Time
Despite the increase in the number of human infections with avian influenza A (H7N9) virus during the fifth epidemic in China, a new study suggests no change in the risk of transmission of the virus among humans over time. The investigators will continue to study the epidemiology of human infections with influenza A (H7N9) virus, including a severity assessment, the spectrum of illness in infected persons, and transmission dynamics. “We expect a sixth epidemic of human infections with influenza A (H7N9) virus this coming winter and need to be prepared to assess any changes in the epidemiology that could signal an increasing pandemic threat,” Dr. Zhou concluded
12th Dec 2017 - Contagion Live
South Korea beefs up bird flu quarantine measures
South Korea vowed Tuesday to strengthen quarantine measures in duck farms in its southwestern region as a fresh outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu caused alarm in the major duck producing area. "If additional cases of highly pathogenic bird flu are discovered, we will continue to adopt tight quarantine measures to enhance safety ahead of PyeongChang Olympics," Heo Tae-yoong, a senior ministry official, said
12th Dec 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullDead Kampong Cham chickens found to have strain of avian flu
In Cambodia, avian flu has been detected in chickens in Kampong Cham province. Lab testing confirmed the chickens had H5N1, the most common form of bird flu.
Bird flu outbreaks have had a human cost in the past – 14 Cambodians died during one in 2013 – but no human cases have been detected in Koh Svay village so far, according to the Ministry of Health
11th Dec 2017 - Phnom Penh Post
Highly pathogenic avian flu A(H5N1) found in poultry in Cambodia
11th Dec 2017 - MesVaccins.net
H5N1 avian flu outbreak detected in Cambodia
11th Dec 2017 - Dai Truyen Hinh Viet Nam
New H5N1 avian flu outbreak in Cambodia
11th Dec 2017 - Vietnam Plus
Fight to contain bird flu outbreak
11th Dec 2017 - Khmer Times
South Korea culls 76000 ducks after confirming bird flu outbreak
South Korea has confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza at a duck farm in the southwestern region and culled 76,000 ducks to prevent the spread of the virus, the Yonhap news agency reported the Agriculture Ministry as saying. The H5N6 bird flu was discovered on a farm in Yeongam, some 380km south of Seoul, yesterday, said the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ministry
11th Dec 2017 - The Malaysian Insight
South Korea: 76,000 Birds Culled Due to H5N6 In South Jeolla
11th Dec 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
South Korea confirms H5N6 bird flu at duck farm
11th Dec 2017 - Post Online Media
H5N6 avian flu reassortant confirmed in Dutch outbreak
A reassortant H5N6 avian flu virus detected in three Asian nations over the past few weeks has been confirmed in an outbreak in the Netherlands. In other developments, South Korea—one of the countries that has already reported outbreaks from the H5N6 reassortant this season—reported another at a duck farm. And Cambodia reported an H5N1 avian flu outbreak in poultry, its first in nearly a year.
11th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Study: Avian flu can spread quickly in North America
Some avian influenza (bird flu) viruses can enter North America from other continents through migrating birds. That could be deadly to poultry and infect waterfowl populations, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. Scientists from the USGS analyzed the genes, or genome, of the avian flu viruses that spread in the United States in 2014-15. The outbreak resulted in more than $3 billion in losses to the U.S. poultry industry, including Nebraska. The study found that even though the viruses likely evolved in Asia, they easily infected and spread among North American wild birds. The viruses were also able to spread between domestic and wild birds in a process called spillover. However, this study found that the rate of spillover was minor, and the poultry outbreak was able to persist without further transmission from wild birds.
9th Dec 2017 - Grand Island Independent
Netherlands confirms highly pathogenic bird flu outbreak
The Netherlands confirmed an outbreak of highly contagious bird flu in the Flevoland province that led to the culling of nearly 16,000 ducks, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said. The highly pathogenic H5N6 strain was discovered on a duck fattening farm in Biddinghuizen on Dec. 7 where it killed 40 birds, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs said
11th Dec 2017 - Reuters
Fresh advice given on ways to spot bird flu following Netherlands case
Bird flu is not currently present in the UK but it is present in Europe. The Netherlands have issued a Poultry Housing Order after a confirmed outbreak of the H5 strain of avian influenza on a duck farm. The government currently regards the risk of bird flu occurring in the UK as medium in wild birds, and low in poultry, provided there’s a good standard of biosecurity
11th Dec 2017 - FarmingUK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullNetherlands issue a Poultry Housing Order after confirmed outbreak of bird flu
The Netherlands have issued a Poultry Housing Order after a confirmed outbreak of the H5 strain of avian influenza on a duck farm. The N type and the strain are not yet known. APHA have announced that they will issue a new UK assessment on Monday (11 December)
9th Dec 2017 - FarmingUK
Indoor confinement for Dutch poultry after detection of bird flu
9th Dec 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Avian flu outbreak in the Netherlands
9th Dec 2017 - Halterner Zeitung
Bird flu outbreak in Kampong Cham
In Cambodia, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has reported that in early December the bird flu H5N1 virus appeared in Kampong Cham province. The ministry informed Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday, of the outbreak.
10th Dec 2017 - Khmer Times
Bird flu returns in Cambodia
9th Dec 2017 - Bangkok Post
News Scan for Dec 08, 2017 - CIDRAP
The first study to track long-term outcome of patients after hospitalization with H7N9 avian flu infection in China found that lung problems and psychological issues persisted as long as 2 years after discharge. The study, which involved 56 patients from a single hospital in Zhejiang province who were sick during the country's first wave of H7N9 activity, was published in Scientific Reports.
9th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Long term outcomes in survivors of epidemic Influenza A (H7N9) virus infection
8th Dec 2017 - Nature.com
Bird flu controlled, but vigilance needed
South Africa seems to have turned the corner in fighting the deadly H5N8 strain of bird flu in commercial flocks, with outbreaks under control and the disease on the wane across the country. While the poultry industry, health authorities and consumers sigh with relief, Ziyanda Majokweni, director of the South African Poultry Association’s poultry-disease management agency, warns against complacency, as the disease has not yet been eradicated, particularly in wild birds and ostrich enterprises. Surveillance in this area is continuing, although the disease seems to be waning in wild birds
8th Dec 2017 - Business Day
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird carcass removed, samples sent for tests in Mysuru
The carcass of a spot-billed pelican that was found floating in Kukkarahalli Lake in India was removed on Thursday. Samples of the bird have been sent for lab analysis in Bengaluru. No further pelican deaths have been reported from the lake. Deputy Conservator of Forests (Mysuru Wildlife Division) Yedukondalu said the cause of death will be known by Friday. He ruled out the possibility of bird flu
7th Dec 2017 - The Hindu
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullVeterinary Services continues state of emergency to face Bird Flu
In Egypt, the General Authority for Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture announced the continuation of the state of emergency in Egyptian governorates to face bird flu. The Central Administration started implementing a number of precautionary measures to combat strands of bird flu that appeared in 2015 and 2016, H5N1 and H5N8, respectively. Agriculture Ministry officials have issued statements confirming that there have been outbreaks of H5N8 in several governorates this year
6th Dec 2017 - Egypt Today
AU tackles bird flu
Veterinary experts of the African Union have expressed concern over the menace of bird flu, describing it as a serious threat to human lives, food security, birds and African economy. They made their position known during the opening ceremony of a four-day regional laboratory workshop on the diagnosis and characterisation of influenza disease, to discuss means of eradicating avian influenza from the African continent
6th Dec 2017 - The Punch
China aids Pampanga in bird flu fight
China on Tuesday gave P7.7 million to the Pampanga provincial government to help prevent future avian influenza infestations in the province. Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua described the donation as the “first step” in helping prevent avian influenza in the province
6th Dec 2017 - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullNo slaughter for 12,000 Lot-et-Garonne bird flu ducks
The 12,000 ducks in the Lot-et-Garonne in France infected with a low-risk strain of bird flu will not be killed, it was confirmed today. The department has decided not to slaughter the animals, which are infected with H5N3, a weak strain of avian flu. The decision not to slaughter the animals has been seen as significant, especially since this farm in particular was already affected by the outbreaks of bird flu seen in France at the beginning of 2017
5th Dec 2017 - Connexion France
12,000 ducks hit by avian flu in Lot-et- Garonne will not be culled
5th Dec 2017 - Le Monde
Pampanga gets P7.7-M anti-bird flu 'token' from China
Describing it as a "token of friendship," the Chinese government turned over P7.7 million to the provincial government for Pampanga's anti-avian influenza campaign. The money will be spent on a mobile laboratory that would regularly go to poultry facilities all over the province to conduct tests on chickens and other birds as a pro-active measure against avian influenza
5th Dec 2017 - Rappler.com
China gives P7.7M to Pampanga’s anti-bird flu program
5th Dec 2017 - iOrbit News.com
Timely interventions needed to attain bird flu-free status
In the Philippines, just when the government thought that the bird-flu crisis wass over, the virus struck again in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. Avian influenza affected a layer farm in Cabiao, forcing the owner to cull some 42,000 birds. The Cabiao flock was hit by the same strain (H5N6), which killed thousands of birds in Pampanga.
5th Dec 2017 - Business Mirror
Migratory bird infected with H5N6 bird flu in Southern Taiwan
The remains of a black-faced spoonbill discovered at a park in Tainan were confirmed to have been infected with H5N6 avian influenza and epidemic prevention has been set up to prevent other infections. The H5 subtype found in this incident was different from the previous bird flu strains reported in Hsinchu in February of this year; however, the result showed similarity in the gene with the H5N8 bird flu found in Europe
5th Dec 2017 - Taiwan News
China - 1 new human H9N2 case - Changsha City, Hunan province
One new confirmed case of human infection with H7N9 avian influenza virus in Yunnan Province was reported in a 64-year-old male farmer, who lives in the city of Kunming. Before the presentation of symptoms, he had contact with dead birds. A further confirmed case of human infection with H9N2 avian influenza virus was also recorded in another region of Hunan Province. In this situation the infection was detected in a 20-month-old female child
4th Dec 2017 - Flutrackers.com
Avian influenza H7N9 viruses: a rare second warning
Avian influenza A H7N9 viruses that emerged in China in 2013 have reappeared each year, causing more than 1 600 severe human infections. As these viruses have evolved in nature, they have gained some and can gain additional virulence determinants that enhance their risk for humans, underlining the urgent need to control and eradicate H7N9 viruses in China.
3rd Dec 2017 - Nature.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullSW China reports H7N9 case
Southwest China's Yunnan Province reported a human infection of the H7N9 bird flu virus, local health authorities said. The patient, a 64-year-old male from Kunming, was confirmed as having the infection on Nov. 30. A dozen chicken raised by the patient died successively before the man fell ill
4th Dec 2017 - ECNS.cn
Avian flu (H7N9) human infection in China's Yunnan province
4th Dec 2017 - Chine.org
Human case of avian influenza in south west China
4th Dec 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Tainan reports avian influenza case in rare migratory bird
In Taiwan, a rare black-faced spoonbill found dead at a park in Tainan was confirmed to have been infected with the highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza, the city's Animal Health Inspection and Protection Office said Monday. The migratory bird was discovered by the Taijiang National Park last Friday, and it tested positive for the H5 avian influenza, the office said
4th Dec 2017 - Focus Taiwan
Bird flu outbreak averted
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Animal Industry has placed Cabiao, Nueva Ecija under observation after the confirmation of the presence of avian influenza in a poultry farm in the said area. BAI has assured the contamination is contained but that it will continue to monitor the area as a precaution
4th Dec 2017 - Malaya.com
New Zealand not ready for a pandemic
In New Zealand, Professor of Public health, Michael Baker, says the level of threat for a pandemic is rising and there are more pandemic diseases globally. "We really need a major stocktake of New Zealand's capacity in this area because you do need a large critical mass of scientists and support staff with the right expertise." Michael Baker says he 's worked in this area for 25 years and our capacity has decreased over that time
4th Dec 2017 - Newstalk ZB
Bird-flu case in Cabiao to delay resumption of chicken exports
Exporters would have to wait until the first quarter of 2018 for the Philippines to regain its bird flu-free status, after a new case of avian influenza was discovered in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija. The discovery of AI in a layer farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, reset the country’s countdown to bird flu-free status
4th Dec 2017 - Business Mirror
Avian Flu From Abroad Can Spread in North American Poultry, Wild Birds
Some avian influenza viruses that are able to enter North America from other continents through migrating birds can be deadly to poultry and can infect waterfowl populations, according to a recently published U.S. Geological Survey study. “Results from our study are important because they can help managers enhance biosecurity and guard against the most likely sources of avian flu outbreaks in the United States,” said Dan Grear, a disease ecologist with the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and the lead author of the study
4th Dec 2017 - U.S. Geological Society
News Scan for Dec 04, 2017 - H7N9, H9N2 cases in China
China has detected two new human avian influenza cases, one involving an adult sickened by H7N9 and the other a young child infected with H9N2, according to government reports in the region. The H7N9 illness, China's first since September, involves a 64-year-old man in the Yunnan province city of Kunming. The mainland has also reported a new H9N2 infection, involving a 20-month-old girl from Changsha City in Hunan province
4th Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Avian flu in Tivoli, the end of emergency, as the H5N8 virus remains under control
ASL has proposed the possible restocking of animals a period of 21 days after the last hygiene intervention, said to be 19 December 2017, as required by the relevant regulations.
1st Dec 2017 - Notizialocale.it
Now the avian influenza risk is reduced, the ban of poultry is relaxed
The risk of avian influenza in Finland this year is lower than last year, and therefore the time for extinction of poultry is shortened by three months from the present, says the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. However, the prohibition is still necessary because the avian influenza H5N8 epidemic continues in Europe. Under the new regulation, poultry can not be kept outdoors due to bird flu fluctuations from the beginning of March to the end of May. The regulation applies also to livestock yards in this section.
1st Dec 2017 - YLE
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Dec 2017
View this newsletter in fullDA: 42,000 chickens culled had bird flu
The 42,000 chickens that were culled and buried last week in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija province in the Philippines were infected with avian flu, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said. Pinol did not identify the flu strain that affected the Cabiao farm, but said it affected only chickens
2nd Dec 2017 - Inquirer.net
Department of Agriculture confirms new bird flu case
2nd Dec 2017 - The Philippines Star
Pinol allays fear over new bird flu case in Nueva Ecija
2nd Dec 2017 - Manila Times
Avian flu virus hits Cabiao poultry farm, DA's Piñol confirms
1st Dec 2017 - GMA News
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Yunnan
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is monitoring a notification that an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) was recorded from November 24 to December 1 in Yunnan. The 64-year-old male patient in Kunming, known to have contact with dead poultry, had onset on November 21 and was in a serious condition. “This is the first human case reported in the Mainland since October 2017. As winter approaches, based on the seasonal pattern of avian influenza (H7N9) viruses, their activity in the Mainland is expected to increase,” a spokesman for the CHP said
2nd Dec 2017 - MilTech
Alert over the possibility of Bird Flu outbreaks in the coming months
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned of the risk of increased outbreaks of bird flu, and said it expected cases to appear in the coming months. Speaking to Spanish news agency Efe, FAO specialist Sophie von Dobschuetz said that several strains of the bird flu virus have become endemic in China, where birds are being vaccinated to reduce the circulation of the virus. In 2013, cases of people infected with the H7N9 virus, which could severely affect humans, began to be detected in China for the first time. An FAO review in July warned of the risk of the virus entering the country via trade, posing a threat to public health and food safety, given the high likelihood of contagion
2nd Dec 2017 - Avicultura Industrial
News Scan for Dec 01, 2017 - CIDRAP
The world rarely receives advance notice of a significant public health threat, but the detection of the highly pathogenic form of H7N9 avian influenza in China serves as a second warning, an expert from the WHO's collaborating center in Australia said. Focusing control measures on only poultry flocks infected with highly pathogenic H7N9 won't solve the problem, Kanta Subbarao said. Both forms of H7N9 need to be eradicated from avian species, and human isolates need to be monitored very closely
2nd Dec 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Dec 2017
View this newsletter in full40,000 chickens culled due to avian flu scare in Nueva Ecija
A poultry farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, in the Philippines, possibly hit by avian influenza virus is being monitored by the Department of Agriculture after it culled at least 40,000 of its livestock. Cabiao is near San Isidro, where more than 300,000 birds were culled after the DA declared the area under quarantine last August due to an avian flu virus outbreak. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol commended the farm owner and local veterinarians for making an early call to contain the suspected contagion without waiting for a confirmatory test
30th Nov 2017 - GMA News
New document guides hospitals in responding to infectious disease outbreaks
A new expert guidance document for hospitals to use in preparing for and containing outbreaks has been published by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, with the support of the CDC. The document is part of a partnership between SHEA and CDC to prepare for emerging and re-emerging infections by providing training, educational resources, and expert guidance for dealing with outbreaks in healthcare facilities
30th Nov 2017 - MedicalXpress.com
Tottori University: Shimane HPAI H5N6 A New Reassortment
On Monday, we learned that South Korea's recent outbreak of H5N6 was not simply a return of last year's Asian-origin virus, but an entirely new reassortment comprised of last year's European H5N8 virus and the NA from a European H3N6. Now, testing at Tottori University shows that the virus samples collected two weeks ago from Shimane Prefecture in Japan are a similar reassortant virus
29th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu hits South Korea
Authorities in South Korea imposed a 48-hour nationwide ban on the movement of poultry last week after bird flu was detected there. According to officials, the outbreak of this H5N6 strain was the country’s first bird flu outbreak this winter. However, South Korea’s worst ever bird flu outbreak was experienced between last November and this March, with millions of chickens and ducks culled to contain the spread. However, no human infections have been reported
29th Nov 2017 - The Scottish Farmer
Avian flu could be on its way to Shropshire this winter
The migration season for birds is in full swing and recently a duck, infected with avian flu, was discovered near the Netherlands border in Germany. Shropshire breeder, Andy Cathwray said he feared there would come a time when the threat of avian flu was all year round. National Farmers Union specialist, Aimee Mahony said: “All poultry keepers should review their biosecurity and business continuity plans now, as risk levels may well increase.”
29th Nov 2017 - Shropshire Star
FAO warns of possible new outbreaks of bird flu in coming months
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Tuesday of the risk of increased outbreaks of bird flu, with cases expected to surface in the coming months. Speaking to Spanish news agency Efe, FAO specialist Sophie von Dobschuetz said that several strains of the bird flu virus have become endemic in China, where birds are being vaccinated to reduce the circulation of the virus. "As the country is not in a position to eliminate the virus from poultry populations by killing them, vaccination helps reduce the pressure of the virus and decrease human exposure," von Dobschuetz said.
28th Nov 2017 - Correio da Manhã
Avian flu - FAO warns of likely outbreaks in the next few months
28th Nov 2017 - La Voz del Interior
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu scare latest to rattle South Korea's Winter Olympics
Local governments in South Korea have called on operators of farms close to venues that are to be used in February's Winter Olympic Games to slaughter around 6,000 ducks and chickens after avian influenza was discovered on a duck farm in North Jeolla Province. Organizers of the PyeongChang 2018 games are desperate to play down fears of an outbreak among spectators or athletes taking part in the games
28th Nov 2017 - Deutsche Welle
Bird flu scare latest to rattle South Korea's Winter Olympics
28th Nov 2017 - USA Today
DA to conduct random tests on poultry farms in Nueva Ecija
In the Philippines, the Bureau of Animal Industry will conduct random laboratory tests on farms surrounding a poultry farm in a town where about 40,000 birds were culled, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, who had received reports that “at least 40,000 birds” were culled in a poultry farm in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, by the owner. He has ordered the implementation of the Department of Agriculture's revised avian-influenza protocol in the area as a preventive measure
28th Nov 2017 - Business Mirror
Genesis and Spread of Newly Emerged Highly Pathogenic H7N9
A new study shows that "the rapid geographical expansion and genetic evolution of the HPAI H7N9 viruses pose a great challenge not only to public health but also to poultry production. Effective control measures, including enhanced surveillance, are therefore urgently needed."
28th Nov 2017 - Journal of Virology
Asian bird flu gives birth to more virologist analysis
The H7N9 flu virus is developing into a dangerous threat for humans. Experts are warning that we have to keep a closer eye on the virus without wanting to cause unnecessary panic. Among virologists the fate and future mutations of H7N9 is the subject of some debate. The virus was already detected in poultry in China in 2013, but it is now slowly mutating into a form that looks likely to become dangerous to humans
27th Nov 2017 - Elsevier Weekblad
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullReassortment of bird flu virus detected in Korea
The latest bird flu outbreak in South Korea is presumed to be a new type of avian influenza strain that is a reassortment of highly pathogenic strains that spread in Europe last year, the quarantine authority said Monday. The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said its interim inspection into the bird flu case in Jeolla Province may have been transmitted from migratory wild birds. The genomic analysis into the cases showed a new type of H5N6 strain, which arose from the reassortment between a high pathogenic H5N8 that spread in Europe in late 2016 and a low pathogenic H3N6 virus found in European wild birds, the APQA agency said
27th Nov 2017 - The Korea Herald
Strain of H5N6 Likely to Have Entered Korea through Migratory Birds
27th Nov 2017 - KBS World Radio News
H5N6 avian flu reassortant found in recent Korean outbreak
27th Nov 2017 - CIDRAP
China's Hong Kong suspends import of poultry meat from German district
Food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has suspended the import of poultry meat from a district in the State of Lower Saxony in Germany, because of an outbreak of low-pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in the District of Rotenburg
27th Nov 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Plans in place for future bird flu outbreaks
The Western Cape Economic Opportunities Department is currently exploring risk management plans to deal with possible future outbreaks of avian flu. There are currently 68 confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the province, but no new confirmed cases, MEC Alan Winde said
27th Nov 2017 - IOL.co.za
South Africa: Western Cape Agriculture On Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Infections
In South Africa, Alan Winde, Minster of Economic Opportunities, said there had been no new confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza since the last update on 16 November 2017. There are currently 68 confirmed cases of HPAI in the Western Cape, and no new infections at commercial poultry farms since 18 October
26th Nov 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullFight AI: China can now use recombinant interferon
Chinese scientists have been given another weapon in their armoury in the fight against bird flu. They can now use recombinant chicken alpha interferon, a naturally occurring immune stimulant, in the prevention and treatment of avian influenza.
25th Nov 2017 - Poultry World
Suspected highly pathogenic avian flu A(H5) outbreak reported in poultry in Russia
In Russia, the press department for the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has reported an outbreak of avian flu in poultry. A sample taken from illegally discarded dead poultry revealed the presence of A(H5) avian flu. Further tests are been carried out but the suspicion is that it is highly pathogenic A(H5N8)
25th Nov 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Union warns farmers over bird flu risk
The Ulster Farmers' Union is urging poultry farmers to be vigilant in light of continued outbreaks of bird flu on continental Europe, mainly in Italy, Bulgaria and Germany. UFU poultry vice chairman Ronnie Wells said: "We strongly recommend that all poultry keepers, including backyard keepers, review their biosecurity measures and business continuity plans now, as the risk level may well increase in the coming weeks"
24th Nov 2017 - Belfast Telegraph
UK poultry farmers urged to be vigilant as bird flu grips Europe
UK poultry farmers have been urged to be vigilant in light of continued outbreaks of avian influenza on continental Europe, mainly in Italy, Bulgaria and Germany. Germany has reported an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N2 bird flu on a farm in the Lower Saxony region; Italy has announced three virus cases and bird flu also struck a 42,000-bird commercial layer flock in the Zeeland region of the Netherlands
24th Nov 2017 - FarmingUK
Farmers urged to cull poultry in bid to prevent Pyeongchang 2018 bird flu outbreak
Farmers in areas close to venues due to be used at next year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang are being urged by local officials to cull all poultry in an attempt to prevent the spread of bird flu. An outbreak of the disease was confirmed at a duck farm in North Jeolla province, located 214 kilometres from Pyeongchang, and has forced authorities to act to ensure it does not reach cities which are set to host Winter Olympic and Paralympic events.
24th Nov 2017 - Insidethegames.biz
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullGermany reports outbreak of mild bird flu on farm: OIE
Germany has reported an outbreak of low pathogenic H5N2 bird flu on a farm in the Lower Saxony region in the north of the country, the OIE said on Thursday. The disease was detected on a farm in Rotenburg where 43 ducks and geese showed mild clinical signs, the OIE said
23rd Nov 2017 - Reuters
Germany reports outbreak of mild bird flu on farm: OIE
23rd Nov 2017 - Townhall
Changes to avian influenza housing rules come into force in EU
Last year when highly pathogenic H5N8 struck across Europe, national governments issued a series of housing orders to try to prevent the spread of the virus. But existing EU rules allowed free range birds to be housed for just 12 weeks before they lost their free range status. This rule has now been changed to 16 weeks and is coming into effect force on November 25
23rd Nov 2017 - FarmingUK
Influenza A(H9N2) Virus, Burkina Faso
A study has identified influenza A(H9N2) virus G1 lineage in poultry in Burkina Faso. Urgent actions are needed to raise awareness about the risk associated with spread of this zoonotic virus subtype in the area and to construct a strategy for effective prevention and control of influenza caused by this virus
23rd Nov 2017 - CDC.gov
Bird flu response protocol to be revised
In the Philippines, the protocol for responding to incidences of bird flu will be revised to lessen the negative impact on business, the Department of Agriculture has announced. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the multi-agency Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries would convene to review the policies on the control of avian influenza to minimize the disruption to businesses
23rd Nov 2017 - The Philippines Star
Bird flu prevention still necessary though no new human infection case reported
In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control advised people not to touch dead domestic poultry and wild birds but instead report to the nearest livestock and health officials immediately, even though the country has no new human infection cases of avian influenza or H5N1 since 2006. The advice came from the director-general of the department after the WHO issued its latest update of the avian influenza situation in the world from January 2003- 27 September 2017; the period saw 860 human infection cases of avian influenza in 16 countries, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Vietnam
23rd Nov 2017 - ThaiVisa News
Avian influenza in humans 2017: Hong Kong officials break it down
There was less H5N1 avian influenza (AI) reported in 2017 as compared to recent years; however, the “5th wave” of H7N9 AI was nearly as large as the first four waves combined, according to information published by the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection. In 2017 (as of November 20), human infections with H5N1, H5N6, H7N9 and H9N2 viruses have been reported so far
23rd Nov 2017 - Outbreak News Today
Northern flock owners urged to be vigilant as avian influenza spreads
In Ireland, poultry farmers are urged to be vigilant as outbreaks of bird flu continue to be reported in continental Europe. It follows a briefing with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and the poultry sector on the current disease situation. So far outbreaks of avian influenza have mainly been spotted in Italy, Bulgaria and Germany
23rd Nov 2017 - Agriland.ie
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullChina Gets The Go Ahead To Use Recombinant Interferon Against Bird Flu
Chinese scientists have received approval to use chicken α-interferon, a naturally occurring immune stimulant, in the prevention and treatment of avian influenza in poultry. The rapid development of poultry farming poses challenges to the prevention and control of infectious diseases. In particular, the outbreak of some viral infectious diseases, especially avian influenza, can result in serious economic losses
22nd Nov 2017 - Asian Scientist
Surge in human H7N9 cases caused by poultry, not people
“Reassuring” study findings indicate that the recent surge in human influenza A(H7N9) cases in China is probably due to increased spread from poultry to people and not because of a swell in human-to-human transmission. “If sustained human-to-human transmission occurs, it’s very difficult to see how containment could be implemented successfully, and a pandemic would likely result,” Timothy M. Uyeki, MD, medical epidemiologist in the CDC’s Influenza Division and one of the authors of the new report, said
22nd Nov 2017 - Healio.com
Clusters of Human Infection and Human-to-Human Transmission of Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus, 2013–2017
22nd Nov 2017 - CDC.gov
News Scan for Nov 22, 2017: H7N9 cluster analysis; Impact of malaria funding cuts; Cost of measles; Cholera vaccine protection
22nd Nov 2017 - CIDRAP
New rules extend marketing standards for free range eggs hit by avian flu restrictions
Producers of free range eggs will be allowed to continue to market their products as such even if their hens have restricted access to open-air runs because of influenza outbreaks following further changes to EU egg marketing standards
22nd Nov 2017 - Farming Monthly
HK Suspends Poultry Meat Imports from Parts of Korea
Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety suspended importing poultry meat and products with immediate effect from Jeollabuk-do Province, Gyeongsangnam-do Province and Daegu Metropolitan City in South Korea. The action was in view of the notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the South Korean authorities about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N6 and H5N8 avian influenza in the noted areas
22nd Nov 2017 - UkrAgroConsult
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullHK suspends poultry meat imports from parts of S. Korea
Hong Kong's Center for Food Safety suspended importing poultry meat and products with immediate effect from Jeollabuk-do Province, Gyeongsangnam-do Province and Daegu Metropolitan City in South Korea. The action was in view of the notifications from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the South Korean authorities about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N6 and H5N8 avian influenza in the noted areas
21st Nov 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
HK Suspends Poultry Meat Imports from Parts of Korea
21st Nov 2017 - The Poultry Site
South Korea: MAFRA Testing Environmental H7N7 For Pathogenicity
Nearly two months ago, we saw South Korean H7N7 Indentified As LPAI from samples retrieved from Yeongcheon. Now we learn that MAFRA is testing new samples taken from Pohang, roughly 25 miles further east. While likely to be LPAI, given the rapid reassortment potential for avian influenza viruses, no one in South Korea can afford to take the results for granted
21st Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
UK poultry owners urged to take precautions after bird flu found in Italy, Germany and Bulgaria
UK poultry keepers are being urged to review their biosecurity, sign up for disease alerts and register their birds with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), as well as reporting any unexplained deaths or sickness to their vet. The H5N8 strain of bird flu is currently circulating in Europe, with recent cases in poultry and wild birds in Italy, wild birds in Germany and poultry in Bulgaria
21st Nov 2017 - East Anglian Daily Times
Avian Flu Found in Wild Bird Droppings
In South Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu has been found in wild bird droppings in the southern part of the country. The discovery comes just a day after the first bird flu case of the winter was detected at a poultry farm in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. It was identified as the highly pathogenic strain H5N6
21st Nov 2017 - Chosun Ilbo
Avian influenza (bird flu) in winter 2017 to 2018
Public Health England advise the risk to public health from H5N8 avian influenza is very low. The H5N8 strain of bird flu is currently circulating in Europe, with recent cases in poultry and wild birds in Italy, wild birds in Germany and poultry in Bulgaria
21st Nov 2017 - Department of Health
China: Human H5N6 avian influenza case reported in Guangxi
Officials with China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission are reporting an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in a Guangxi man. The 33-year-old man developed symptoms on November 7 and was hospitalized on November 12. He is now in a critical condition. He had contact with live poultry and exposure to live poultry markets before the onset of symptoms
21st Nov 2017 - Outbreak News Today
DA to review Philippine policies on bird flu
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture said it will review its policies on avian influenza more than 3 months after the country recorded its first outbreak in Pampanga. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the review will include reconciling the Philippines' protocols with those of countries which have "more extensive experience" in handling bird flu outbreaks
21st Nov 2017 - Rappler.com
According to new reports, bird flu is back. Here's what you need to know
Global health officials are warning that there is a concerning bird flu circulating throughout Asia. Known as the H7N9 virus, this form of bird flu is in its “fifth wave,” per the CDC. Nearly 1,600 people have tested positive for the infection and almost 40 percent of them have died. Most of these people have been in close contact with live poultry, but small clusters of the disease imply that it might now be passed from person to person
21st Nov 2017 - Yahoo News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullGov't to penalize farms for bird flu outbreak
The Korean government plans to penalize chicken and other poultry farms infected with avian influenza if they are found to have been negligent in preventing the outbreak of the highly infectious virus, the top agriculture policymaker said Monday. This warning came a day after a highly pathogenic strain of H5N6 flu was discovered at a poultry farm with 12,000 ducks in Gochang
20th Nov 2017 - The Korea Times
Bird flu confirmed in S. Korea, movement of poultry banned nationwide
20th Nov 2017 - Mainichi
South Korea To Disinfect All Poultry Farms, Vehicles Following Bird Flu Outbreak
20th Nov 2017 - The Malaysian Digest
Bird flu halts all poultry trade in South Korea
20th Nov 2017 - Russia Today
SK to Disinfect All Poultry Farms, Vehicles Following Bird Flu Outbreak
20th Nov 2017 - The Poultry Site
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection received notification of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5N6) in Guangxi from the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The patient had contact with live poultry and exposure to live poultry markets before the onset of symptoms
20th Nov 2017 - Hong Kong Government
HK CHP Notified Of Human H5N6 Infection In Guangxi Province
20th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
H5N6 sickens Chinese man, strikes duck farm in South Korea
In new H5N6 avian flu developments, a Chinese man is hospitalized in critical condition after he likely contracted the virus from poultry, and South Korea reported an outbreak from the highly pathogenic virus at a commercial duck farm
20th Nov 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza detected in southern S. Korea
The South Korean government said Saturday the avian influenza (AI) virus has been detected at a poultry farm operated by a local conglomerate located in the southern part of the country.
19th Nov 2017 - Sggp News.org.vn
12,000 ducks culled in Gochang due to bird flu fears
19th Nov 2017 - The Korea Times
South Korea: H5 Avian Flu Detected At Gochang Poultry Farm
18th Nov 2017 - La Prensa Latina
Avian influenza detected in southern S. Korea
18th Nov 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
South Korea confirms H5N6 bird flu at duck farm, raises bird flu alert level
South Korea on Sunday said it had confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N6 bird flu at a duck farm in the south west of the country and raised its bird flu alert level to the highest ranking. The virus was discovered on a farm on Saturday with some 12,000 ducks in Gochang county, southwest of Seoul
19th Nov 2017 - Reuters
South Korea: Avian flu infects 12,000 ducks
19th Nov 2017 - Le Figaro
Natural Reassortants of Potentially Zoonotic Avian Influenza Viruses H5N1 and H9N2 from Egypt Display Distinct
The cocirculation of zoonotic highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) of subtype H5N1 and avian influenza virus (AIV) of subtype H9N2 among poultry in Egypt for at least 6 years should render that country a hypothetical hot spot for the emergence of reassortant, phenotypically altered viruses, yet no reassortants have been detected in Egypt. The present investigations proved that reassortants of the Egyptian H5N1 clade 2.2.1.2 virus and H9N2 virus of the G1-B lineage can be generated by coamplification in embryonated chicken eggs. Reassortants were restricted to the H5N1 subtype and acquired between two and all six of the internal segments of the H9N2 virus
17th Nov 2017 - Journal of Virology
Smallholders reminded of ways to prevent Avian flu
UK smallholders are being reminded of ways to avoid Avian flu in their poultry flock as the contagious disease is being carried by wild birds. A new poster outlining simple preventative measures is targeted at smallholders and they are encouraged to print it and keep it handy
19th Nov 2017 - Smallholder
No cases of bird flu for the last month
For a month now, poultry farms in the Western Cape have not reported any fresh cases of bird flu. The industry has suffered under an outbreak of avian influenza which cost the economy more than R800 million. Agriculture MEC Alan Winde says: “I am pretty certain within the next couple of weeks, we’ll start to see those in the poultry industry will restock. This is a business decision”
17th Nov 2017 - iafrica.com
Farmers in Lower Saxony are looking to try and protect themselves from H5N8 wild bird avian flu infection
Farmers in Lower Saxony are looking to try and protect themselves from H5N8 wild bird avian flu infection. Poultry farmers are preparing for a new, stricter approach to bird flu. The highly contagious virus H5N8 is now present in the domestic wild bird population, said Friedrich-Otto Ripke, President of the Lower Saxony Poultry Industry Association (NGW) in Oldenburg: "We have realised that we have the risk of bird flu, so to speak." Local government has agreed to set up restricted areas each time suspect dead birds are found
17th Nov 2017 - Nordwest-Zeitung Online
North Rhine-Westphalia is adapting to the ever present threat of H5N8 bird flu
North Rhine-Westphalia is adapting to the ever present threat of H5N8 bird flu. In an updated risk assessment, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut recently rated the risk of H5N8 introduction from wild birds from "low" to "probably" high. The approaching winter favors the spread of the pathogen H5N8
17th Nov 2017 - RP Online
ECDC: Guide To Revising The Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan
With the rapid growth in novel viruses with pandemic potential over the past 5 years - including some (H7N9, H5N1, H5N6, MERS) with potential virulence that could exceed the 1918 Spanish Flu - over the past year we've seen renewed interest in updating pandemic plans around the globe
17th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Bird Flu Is Spreading in Asia, Experts (Quietly) Warn
While trying to avoid alarmism, global health agencies are steadily ratcheting up concern about bird flu in Asia. Bird viruses that can infect humans — particularly those of the H7N9 strain — continue to spread to new cities there. Since October 2016, China has seen a “fifth wave” of H7N9 infections. Nearly 1,600 people have tested positive, almost 40 percent of whom have died
17th Nov 2017 - The New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullRare Bird Flu Strikes Cats: What You Need to Know
A rare strain of bird flu recently surfaced in sick cats in New York. Tests have confirmed that 386 cats housed in New York City's Animal Care Centers were infected with the H7N2 strain of the influenza virus. One veterinarian who had prolonged exposure to the infected cats tested positive and recovered. Currently, there is no vaccine to protect against H7N2, but the CDC says, "There is a candidate vaccine virus in the U.S. pandemic preparedness stockpile that could be provided to flu vaccine manufactures to mass produce a H7N2 flu vaccine in the case of an emergency."
16th Nov 2017 - Live Science
Vet Catches Bird Flu From a Cat in New York
16th Nov 2017 - NBC News
Could Your Cat Give You "Bird Flu?"
16th Nov 2017 - US News Health
EID Journal: Avian H7N2 Virus in Human Exposed to Sick Cats
16th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Italy: IZSV Reports 3 More HPAI H5N8 Outbreaks
The pace of HPAI H5 outbreaks in Italy continues to rise, with 15 outbreaks reported in the first half of November. Nearly as many as were reported in the first half of the year. In addition to these poultry outbreaks, there have been a number of detections in wild birds as well. Today, we've three more outbreaks reported by Italy's IZSV, bringing the total for 2017 to 79
16th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Bird Flu in 2016 Spread by Wild Migratory Birds
The H5N8 bird flu virus was identified in the Netherlands in November 2016. A large number of dead wild birds were found and the virus spread to various poultry farms. Studies by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research now show that the bird flu virus identified in 2016 was brought over to the Netherlands by wild migratory birds from Russia
16th Nov 2017 - Science & Technology Research News
South Africa Government : MEC Alan Winde provides update on avian influenza
In South Africa, Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, provided an update on avian influenza during a sitting of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. He said that there are currently 68 confirmed cases of avian influenza in the Western Cape. The rate of infection is slowing down considerably and there have been no new infections at commercial poultry farms since 18 October
16th Nov 2017 - 4-traders.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullAfrica must plan for global pandemics
Bill Gates is among a growing number of world leaders who have expressed concern that the world is not ready for a pandemic. He is right to argue that systems for responding to a global emergency are still not strong enough. The only African countries where human vaccine production — albeit limited — exists are SA, Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia; four out of 54 countries that are likely to be the most afflicted by such an outbreak
15th Nov 2017 - Business Day
Doctors warned of a possible epidemic of the deadly flu
Scientists from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, USA, suggested that from China across the world in the form of large-scale epidemics may spread avian influenza H7N9. The study of samples of H7N9 have shown that the deadly virus may be resistant to the effects of drugs and rapidly spread
15th Nov 2017 - The Quebec Telegram
Lincoln biotech firms develop 1st license bird flu DNA vaccine for chickens
Two Lincoln companies developed a DNA bird flu vaccine for chickens that recently became the first such vaccine ever licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Benchmark Biolabs, an AgriLabs subsidiary, and Nature Technology Corporation announced Wednesday that the vaccine had received conditional approval from the USDA
15th Nov 2017 - Lincoln Journal Star
Could Your Cat Give You 'Bird Flu?'
U.S. scientists are reporting a case of a veterinarian who apparently caught "bird flu" from an infected cat at a New York City animal shelter. The case occurred in December 2016. The unnamed veterinarian got through the battle with the H7N2 strain of influenza, but the cat died, according to researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
15th Nov 2017 - philly.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullSouth Korea: H5N2 In Wild Bird Feces Determined To Be LPAI
South Korea was testing H5N2 samples collected on Jeju Island for pathogenicity, and now the results have come back as low pathogenicity
14th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
B&E: Assessing The Airborne Spread Of Avian Influenza From LPMs
The link between China's live poultry markets and the spread avian flu strains has been well established, with a case-control study released in 2014 citing even casual exposure to poultry in live bird markets as the primary risk factor for infection. While most H7N9 human infections have been linked to exposure to infected birds, a not insignificant number of cases have no known poultry exposure. Some of those, however, either lived near or regularly passed by live bird markets, leading to speculation that viable virus particles may travel beyond the confines of the LPM
14th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
New avian flu outbreaks noted as USDA OK's DNA poultry vaccine
In the latest avian flu developments, Bulgaria and South Africa reported outbreaks from highly pathogenic strains, and a US vaccine company announced that the US Department of Agriculture has conditionally approved the first DNA avian flu vaccine for chickens
14th Nov 2017 - CIDRAP
Genesis and Spread of Newly Emerged Highly Pathogenic H7N9 Avian Viruses in Mainland China
A study analyzed the sequences of HPAI H7N9 viruses from 28 human and 21 environmental samples covering eight provinces in China that were taken from November 2016 to June 2017. The results show that the ancestor virus of the HPAI H7N9 viruses originated in the Yangtze River Delta region. However, the insertion of four amino acids into the HA protein cleavage site of an LPAI H7N9 virus occurred in late May 2016 in the Pearl River Delta region. The mutated HPAI H7N9 virus further reassorted with LPAI H7N9 or H9N2 viruses that were cocirculating in poultry. Considering the rapid geographical expansion of the HPAI H7N9 viruses, effective control measures are urgently needed
12th Nov 2017 - Journal of Virology
Avian flu sub-type H5N8 found in Tivoli - health authority update from the outbreak area
The outbreak happened Nov 3rd in the Tivoli region and was detected on a non-commercial breeding farm. The Veterinarian services sprang into action to limit the extent of the outbreak, and then on Nov 9th a new health ordinance came into force, introducing special health and surveillance measures to be enforced
12th Nov 2017 - Tiburno.tv
Highly pathogenic bird flu virus detected in Shimane
The Environment Ministry said on Thursday (9) that a wild swan found dead in a lake in western Japan was infected with a highly contagious avian influenza virus, confirming it as the first case of the disease in the country this season. A detailed examination conducted at Tottori University has determined the presence of the H5N6 type, which has caused severe epidemics in Japan and Asia in the past, according to the ministry. The dead white swan was found near Shinji Lake in Matsue (Shimane) on Sunday and tested positive for bird flu in a simple examination conducted by the provincial government health authorities
11th Nov 2017 - Portal Mie
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullFirst DNA Vaccine Licensed For Chickens
AgriLabs announced USDA conditional approval of the first DNA vaccine ever licensed for chickens. The approval also represents the first for AgriLabs' ExactVac TM DNA technology with ENABL adjuvant, the first DNA vaccine approved for influenza for veterinary use. The conditional license for high pathogenic H5 will provide a tool for U.S. poultry producers if stockpiling is needed for future avian flu outbreaks
13th Nov 2017 - The Street
New outbreaks of avian influenza in Italy
Northeast of Asti, highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by H5N8 virus was found in two birds in Montechiaro d'Asti and Montiglio Monferrato in the province of Asti in the Piedmont region. Two farms are located in the immediate vicinity, but are in the territory of two different municipalities. According to the regulations were created: 3 km safety zone and 10 km surveillance zone to the affected farms. In total, under 50,000 laying hens will be slaughtered. In addition, eggs, litter and animal feed will be destroyed
13th Nov 2017 - Farmer.pl
Japan MOE: 2nd H5N6 Lab Confirmation & More Dead Birds Being Tested
In Japan, the alert level was raised as two more dead birds tested positive for influenza A near Matsue (Shimane Prefecture) following the positive H5N6 test of a mute swan. Meanwhile South Korea is reporting the detection of H5N2 (pathogenicity undetermined) in wild bird feces on Jeju island
13th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Italy Reports 4 More HPAI H5 Outbreaks
While most of Europe waits apprehensively for the fall arrival of HPAI H5N8, Italy continues to struggle with their summer-long bout of bird flu, which continues to rage in the North-Central provinces. Today Italy's IZSV reports 4 more outbreaks, bringing November's total to 12
13th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
China: Guangdong Province Reports 97% H7N9 Vaccine Coverage
Today Chinese media are carrying reports from Guangdong's Ministry of Agriculture that claim they've reached a 97.87% vaccination coverage in poultry. While an impressive number, it remains to be seen just how effective this vaccine is in actual practice, and for how long it remains protective
13th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Non-typical influenza viruses and how to defend against them
A widely available influenza vaccines can and does offer some protection from avian flu but there are countless other secondary measures that health authorities and farmers need to take in order to protect against various types of avian flu and its spread
10th Nov 2017 - Interia.pl
Avian influenza, new outbreak near Asti
A new outbreak has just been discovered: avian influenza has hit two Aegean flocks, with two outbreaks in Monferrato, in different breeds across two different municipalities. In the two farms there are 50 thousand hens that will be slaughtered. Around these farms, health authorities have set up protection and surveillance zones of 3 and 10 kilometers, respectively
10th Nov 2017 - Veb.it
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza detected on Jeju Island
The South Korean government said an avian influenza virus has been detected in wild bird droppings on the southern island of Jeju. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said an H5N2 strain of the bird flu virus was detected in excretions of wild birds in the northeastern part of the island Nov. 6. The ministry will check to see if the virus is highly pathogenic, with a result expected in a couple of days
12th Nov 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Update from Tivoli on the recent outbreak of H5N8 avian flu in the region
On 3rd November there was an H5N8 outbreak of avian flu in the Tivoli region. In close coordination with local health commissioners the mayor has signed an order to seize the non-commercial livestock where the infection was detected
12th Nov 2017 - Tiburno.tv
Bird flu: The worst may be over in WC
Officials say there have been no new reported bird flu cases in the province of Cape Town in South Africa, signalling the worst may be over
11th Nov 2017 - Eyewitness News
First Consultations Held On WHO Pandemic Flu Framework Options
The World Health Organization is consulting member states and stakeholders on the future of its mechanism to help prepare the world for the next influenza pandemic. It is particularly asking whether countries should submit not only the biological samples of their influenza viruses, but also their genetic information through the mechanism. Also in question is whether the mechanism should be extended to cover seasonal influenza
11th Nov 2017 - ip-watch.org
What You Need to Know About Bird Flu
Some strains of bird flu (namely the H7N9 variety) appear to have become increasingly virulent to humans—the outbreak earlier this year in China is one example. But the Centers for Disease Control says that overall, human cases are still rare and sporadic.
11th Nov 2017 - Yahoo Finance USA
WUR: bird flu virus H5N8 came from migratory birds from Russia
Russian migratory birds brought bird flu viruses to the Netherlands last November. The viruses were different from those that caused an outbreak of avian influenza in 2014. Scientists believe that the H5N8 virus can very quickly change genetic composition, increasing the risk of infection in humans and animals. This is stated in a research conducted by the Bioveterinary Institute of Wageningen University and Research Center (WUR) for the recent bird flu outbreak .
11th Nov 2017 - Boerderij.nl
Dead swan in Shimane found to be infected with avian flu
The Environment Ministry said a dead wild swan found at a western Japan lake was infected with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, confirming it as the first bird flu case in the country this season. A detailed examination conducted at Tottori University determined the presence of the H5N6 influenza strain, which has caused severe outbreaks in Japan and Asia in the past, according to the ministry
10th Nov 2017 - Japan Today
Why Did the 1918 Flu Kill So Many Otherwise Healthy Young Adults?
Experts fear that a new pandemic, of influenza or another infectious agent, could kill millions. Bill Gates is leading the funding effort to prevent this. An influenza virus is currently killing chickens in Asia, and has recently killed humans who had contact with chickens. This virus is of a subtype that has not been known to cause pandemics. It has not yet demonstrated the ability to be transmitted from person to person. However, whether this ability will arise during ongoing virus evolution cannot be predicted
10th Nov 2017 - Smithsonian
The mystery of a 1918 veteran and the flu pandemic
10th Nov 2017 - The Conversation.com
Russian migratory birds brought the avian flu last year
The bird flu viruses that were discovered in the Netherlands a year ago were brought into the country from Russia by migratory birds. This is the findings of a study by the Bioveterinary Institute of Wageningen University and Research Center (WUR). Fifteen poultry farms were cleared and more than 727,000 animals were killed and numerous wild water birds were euthanized too
9th Nov 2017 - AD.nl
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu detected in western Japan
Japan's environment ministry confirmed Thursday that a wild swan found dead in western Japan was infected with a highly pathogenic bird flu. Further tests at the Tottori University confirmed that the swan was infected with the highly pathogenic H5N6 influenza strain
9th Nov 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Dead swan in western Japan found to be infected with avian flu
9th Nov 2017 - Mainichi
Cooperative agreement to enhance avian flu response
An Iowa State University center has received a $1 million federal cooperative agreement to enhance preparedness for future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, such as the 2015 crisis that forced U.S. egg and poultry producers to eliminate millions of birds
9th Nov 2017 - Feedstuffs
Snapshot of H7N9 patients highlights importance of early antivirals
A retrospective review of confirmed H7N9 avian influenza infections from China's Guangdong province to learn more about the demographics, disease severity, and treatment found that early oseltamivir treatment was linked to fewer intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths. A research team from the Guangdong Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported their findings in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases
9th Nov 2017 - CIDRAP
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of humans with avian influenza A (H7N9) infection in Guangdong, China, 2013–2017
A study sought to describe the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients with A (H7N9) infection, test the differences in the distribution of demographics and clinical characteristics by clinical severity, and explore potential factors associated with clinical severity. The study concluded that preventive measures should focus on high-risk populations, such as the elderly and the groups with high frequency exposure to live poultry. Earlier oseltamivir and zanamivir treatment were recommended
8th Nov 2017 - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullNo new cases of bird flu in Western Cape over past week
The spread of the bird flu virus that has decimated parts the Western Cape's poultry industry may be be slowing down, according to Alan Winde, the Western Cape MEC for Economic Opportunities, a post that includes agriculture. In a statement on Wednesday Winde said that no new cases of bird flu have been reported in the province in the past week
8th Nov 2017 - fin24.com
South Africa: MEC Alan Winde On Avian Influenza Infections in Western Cape
8th Nov 2017 - AllAfrica.com
No new avian flu cases in Western Cape
8th Nov 2017 - IOL.co.za
Nearly 90000 birds culled because of 4 outbreaks of bird flu
In Bulgaria, nearly 90,000 birds have been killed so far because of outbreaks of avian influenza, said the press office of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency. The first outbreak occured in the middle of October in the village of Stefanovo in the region of Dobrich. About 11,000 birds were culled.
8th Nov 2017 - Focus News
One year after the first piece of avian flu evidence: Avian flu danger in Germany not banished
One year after the first detection of the highly dangerous pathogen H5N8 in dead waterfowl at Lake Plön in Schleswig-Holstein, infected wild birds are still being found in Europe and infected poultry flocks - an indication that the pathogen still occurs in the environment.
8th Nov 2017 - Thüringer Allgemeine
Preparing for winter for the best chance to prevent bird flu
In the UK the risk of avian flu returning, after last winter’s unprecedented number of outbreaks, is very real. The government has raised the official risk from low to medium, mainly in light of H5N8 outbreaks across Europe. Italy has reported 17 recent outbreaks of the virus, with one farm housing 850,000 layers – one of the country’s largest. In Germany, wild birds are once again turning up with the virus present, and Bulgaria has had two outbreaks
8th Nov 2017 - World Poultry
Germany: FLI Risk Assessment On Return Of HPAI H5 Avian Flu
Germany's FLI (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut) has published a new risk assessment on the potential return of HPAI H5 this winter to Europe. When H5N8 returned to Europe in the fall of 2016 after an 18-month absence it brought with it new virulence, an expanded host range, and significant genetic changes. Today's risk assessment, while focusing on H5N8, also makes note of (as recently have both the UK's DEFRA and the ECDC) of H5N6, which is feared could eventually wing its way from Asia into Europe as have H5N8 and H5N1
8th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Avian influenza outbreak: Chink in flu control
A major flaw has been exposed in Australia’s pandemic influenza management plan in the wake of the worst avian influenza outbreak to hit Europe. In 2014, Victoria’s health management plan for pandemic influenza recommended anyone handling pigs and poultry be routinely vaccinated with seasonal influenza vaccine. But poultry producers and industry staff contacted by The Weekly Times say they have never heard of such a recommendation and there was no mention of the need for vaccination on the Department of Health’s or Agriculture Victoria’s websites
8th Nov 2017 - Weekly Times Now
PHL on track to regaining bird flu-free status by year-end
The Philippines may regain its bird flu-free status before the end of the year, as the government would soon be able to complete the roll out of all the necessary measures to manage the avian-influenza virus. The Bureau of Animal Industry is planning to notify the World Organisation for Animal Health that the Philippines is already bird flu-free by December 20, more than four months after the virus was discovered in some towns in Central Luzon
8th Nov 2017 - Business Mirror
$1 million cooperative agreement will help ISU veterinarians strengthen avian influenza response
An Iowa State University center has received a $1 million federal cooperative agreement to enhance preparedness for future outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, such as the 2015 crisis that forced U.S. egg and poultry producers to eliminate millions of birds
8th Nov 2017 - Iowa State University
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullMoU signed for Bhutan One Health Strategic plan
The Health Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, and other relevant stakeholders. It was signed to implement the Bhutan One Health Strategic Plan for prevention of emerging and re-emerging infectious zoonotic diseases. Infectious zoonotic diseases such as rabies, highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by H5N1 virus have been a major driver for the adaptation of a one health approach to disease management
7th Nov 2017 - bbs.bt
Experts fear increased risk of bird flu again
Tens of thousands of animals were slaughtered during the bird flu epidemic last winter. During the recent summer the virus disappeared. Is it coming back? Experts expect that it will.
7th Nov 2017 - Augsburger Allgemeine
Italy: IZSV Reports 8 New Avian Flu Outbreaks
Although the IZSV website hasn't posted their standard narrative yet, they've updated their map and PDF files, showing 8 new avian flu outbreaks since last Monday's report. Additionally, Asti Province reported its first bird flu outbreak of 2017
7th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
New bird flu alert service launched as threat level is raised from low to medium
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in England has raised the risk level for an incursion of H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds to ‘MEDIUM’. The risk for poultry remains ‘LOW’ for introduction of infection onto individual premises, but will depend on fowl farmers’ levels of biosecurity
7th Nov 2017 - Derry Journal
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullThere are 4 Outbreaks of Bird Flu in Bulgaria
A total of four outbreaks of avian influenza have been found in Bulgaria - in the districts of Dobrich, Haskovo, Sliven and Yambol, the press agency of the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency said
6th Nov 2017 - Novinite
More bird flu outbreaks in Bulgaria
6th Nov 2017 - The Sofia Globe
Japan: Testing Dead Mute Swan For AI In Shimane Prefecture
Today Japanese media is carrying multiple reports of the discovery of a dead mute swan in Shimane Prefecture, which has preliminarily tested positive for influenza A. It will take a few days before a full laboratory analysis can tell us what type of influenza they are dealing with
6th Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullDom Rep Government Seeks Help To Fight Bird Flu
The government of the Dominican Republic has announced the creation of a commission to help control and eradicate bird flu. According to Agriculture Minister Ángel Estévez, the commission will work to boost poultry production, and enable the country to maintain its sanitary standards free of the disease, and to monitor the outbreak detected in the northern section of the country
5th Nov 2017 - Jamaica Gleaner
Bulgaria reports two more outbreaks of virulent bird flu
A virulent bird flu virus has spread to two more regions in Bulgaria prompting veterinary authorities to announce a cull of nearly 8,000 ducks, the Balkan country’s food safety agency said on Sunday.“A total of four outbreaks of bird flu are registered in Bulgarian territory at the moment,” the agency said
5th Nov 2017 - Reuters
Avian influenza detected in Suwon, South Korea
In South Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said an H5 strain of the bird flu virus was detected in excretions of wild birds in Suwon, 46 kilometers south of Seoul. The ministry said it will check to see if the virus is highly pathogenic within the next 3-6 days
4th Nov 2017 - poandpo.com
Norwich's Iceni Diagnostics hopes to reduce avian flu culls across East Anglia with new test
Future50 business Iceni Diagnostics is working on a device to detect avian flu quickly, to help farmers identify infection among chickens, turkeys and geese – reducing the need for mass culls
3rd Nov 2017 - Norwich Evening News
Avian flu alert as winter brings bird migrants
Poultry keepers have been reminded of the vital importance of effective biosecurity and to remain vigilant for signs of avian flu this winter. The UK is currently free from avian influenza (H5N8), but there is a constant risk the disease may arrive, especially now the bird migration season is underway
3rd Nov 2017 - Wales Farmer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullResearchers develop bird flu diagnostic device
Norfolk scientists have been given a grant to help create new technology to help diagnose bird flu. The device could be used by a vet on-farm, using a carbohydrate-based chemical, developed in ID's Norwich Research Park laboratories, which latches on to the avian influenza virus, providing an instant diagnosis
2nd Nov 2017 - ITV News
Will the deadly bird flu virus become a threat to humans worldwide at some point in the future?
A team of scientists from the University of Tokyo and other research institutions found in research that the bird flu virus H7N9 has so far infected about 1,600 people worldwide. Of those affected, around 40 percent died as a result of the disease a high mortality rate. They examined its future potential
27th Oct 2017 - Heilpraxisnet.de
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullEID Journal: H7N9 Viruses Co-circulating In Chickens In Southern China, 2016–2017
A new study, published in the EID Journal, looks at the growing diversity among H7N9 viruses in China. Specifically they isolated 3 different H7N9 viruses found to be co-circulating in chickens between June 2016 and January 2017 in Gaungdong Province, China. As the authors note, all three of these viruses possess traits that `could cause a pandemic among poultry and humans in China'
1st Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
New test bids to speed bird flu diagnosis
Norwich researchers are developing new technology that could revolutionise the way Avian Influenza is diagnosed, thanks to a £60,000 grant from the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative. There have been reports outside the UK of the virus crossing to humans and so authorities immediately cull whole flocks and other flocks in close proximity, whether the birds are infected or not. It’s hoped this new method might reduce the need for precautionary mass culls of poultry in the future
1st Nov 2017 - Business Weekly
A Curious (And Unverified) H5N8 Report From Russia
Some unconfirmed reports from the Russian press say that there was a purported statement by Anna Popova - Chief State Sanitary Physician of the Russian Federation - regarding potential human infection with HPAI H5N8. There were no details on where or when this occurred, or how many seropositive human cases have been detected
1st Nov 2017 - Afludiary.blogspot.com
Rospotrebnadzor now indicating that H5N8 is transmissable to humans
1st Nov 2017 - Ria.ru
Rospotrebnadzor now indicating that H5N8 is transmissable to humans
1st Nov 2017 - Mosaica.ru
Video: Cage-free pledge by 2025 is a "regrettable move", chief vet says
The UK's chief vet Nigel Gibbens has described the commitment by leading retailers to go cage-free by 2025 as a "regrettable move." The chief vet, who has previously questioned whether farmers should continue with free range production in areas of high risk from AI, said more thought needed to be given to what would happen in 2025
1st Nov 2017 - FarmingUK
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Nov 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu drill held
In Hong Kong, Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan observed an avian influenza outbreak drill today conducted by the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department. The exercise simulated a poultry culling operation in which 100 staff from various departments conducted frontline duties
31st Oct 2017 - Hong Kong Government
AFCD conducts exercise to test avian influenza outbreak response
31st Oct 2017 - Hong Kong Government
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian flu virus - highly pathogenic
Avian flu is explained to El Dia readers, the symptoms, the impact on farms and how to best work to prevent or treat it
31st Oct 2017 - El Dia.com.do
Import of poultry meat and products from Province of Milan in Italy to be suspended
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety announced that in view of a notification from the OIE about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Province of Milan in Italy, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products from the province with immediate effect
30th Oct 2017 - Hong Kong Government
Province of Milan poultry banned
30th Oct 2017 - Hong Kong Government
China's Hong Kong suspends import of poultry products from Italy's Milan over bird flu outbreak
30th Oct 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Hong Kong blocks Milan poultry after bird-flu cases
30th Oct 2017 - La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno
China's Wen's overhauls poultry business after bird flu toll
Chinese chicken breeder Guangdong Wen’s Foodstuff Group said it had switched to new broiler breeds and expanded sales of chilled poultry meat in the wake of the country’s worst-ever wave of bird flu last winter. Almost 300 people have died from the H7N9 strain of bird flu in China since last October, far exceeding the death toll of previous winters
30th Oct 2017 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullFirst case of highly pathogenic flu A(H5N8) in wild bird in Cyprus
Cyprus notified the OIE that a wild bird had been found dead and infected with highly pathogenic Avian Flu A(H5N8) in September. It is the first time A(H5N8) has been detected in Cyprus
28th Oct 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Study: Mutated H7N9 virus can pass more easily
A veterinary institute in China has found that the H7N9 bird flu virus has mutated, making the infection of animals significantly easier, but a Chinese health official said the mutation will not increase the risk of human-to-human transmission
28th Oct 2017 - ECNS.cn
Avian influenza detected in S. Korea
In South Korea, a state environmental research institute said that the avian influenza virus has been detected in wild bird droppings in Gwangwon Province. The National Institute of Environmental Research under the environment ministry said that the type H5N3 virus was found in excretions of wild birds
28th Oct 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Can we predict the world’s next pandemic?
A new Australian study, published this week by Jemma Geoghegan from Macquarie University and Edward Holmes from the University of Sydney, argued it’s impossible to predict a global outbreak because there are too many variables. They said efforts will fail because the enormous number of unknown viruses could evolve and appear in humans at any time. “The [Global Virome Project] will be great for understanding more about viruses and their evolution, but I don’t see how it’ll help us work out what’s going to infect us,” Dr Geoghegan said
29th Oct 2017 - News.com.au
Can we predict the world's next pandemic?
29th Oct 2017 - New Zealand Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullIs China Ground Zero for a Future Pandemic?
There is no human vaccine yet available that can guarantee protection against the most recent variant of H7N9. Scientists are helping pave the way for one. They’ve been looking deeply into the virus’ genesis and infection sources, predicting possible transmission routes around the globe. They’re sharing this information with like-minded researchers in China and abroad, and offering seasonal vaccine recommendations to international entities
26th Oct 2017 - Smithsonian
EFSA says wild birds spread avian flu to EU member states
The European Food Safety Authority says migratory wild birds are spreading avian influenza around the globe. The agency figures migration routes crossing the north-eastern and eastern EU borders are the most likely pathway for avian flu entering the continent
26th Oct 2017 - Food Safety News
Fears grow in UK after bird flu cases in Europe
The risk of avian influenza in the UK currently remains low, despite confirmation of outbreaks in continental Europe. Authorities have confirmed to the OIE that bird flu has struck in a near 42,000-bird commercial layer flock in the Zeeland region of the Netherlands. The strain involved is a low path type H5N2
26th Oct 2017 - FarmingUK
Human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
On 8 and 15 September 2017, the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China (NHFPC) notified WHO of two additional laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China. To date, a total of 1564 laboratory-confirmed human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported through IHR notification since early 2013.
26th Oct 2017 - World Health Organization
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullH7N9 virus mutation poses increased threat: scientists
Chinese scientists studying the evolution of H7N9 influenza viruses have found that mutations of the virus pose increased threats to humans. "Our study indicated that the new H7N9 mutations are lethal to chickens and pose an increased threat to humans, thus highlighting the need to control and eradicate H7N9 viruses to prevent a possible pandemic," Chen Hualan, director of the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory, said
25th Oct 2017 - ECNS.cn
Scientists warn mutation of H7N9 virus poses greater threat to humans
25th Oct 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
The mutation of the H7N9 virus poses a growing threat
25th Oct 2017 - Quotidien du Peuple
H7N9 - a new flu virus of which we should be scared?
24th Oct 2017 - VRT NWS
Bird flu risk in UK wild birds increased to medium
The UK government has increased the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) risk from low to medium for wild birds in UK, but poultry flocks remain low
25th Oct 2017 - FarmingUK
Avian influenza risk raised from low to medium in wild birds in UK
25th Oct 2017 - Poultry World
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullConsultation On Future Of WHO Pandemic Flu Programme To Look At Seasonal Viruses, Genetic Information
The WHO mechanism to prepare the world for the next influenza pandemic is pondering its future and possible improvements. Among them are its extension to seasonal influenza, and the inclusion of genetic virus information along with biological samples to keep pace with technological developments. There will be a consultation to discuss an analysis showing the potential beneficial or deleterious effects of the suggested changes to the system
24th Oct 2017 - ip-watch.com
World leaders rehearse for a pandemic that will come ‘sooner than we expect’
A pandemic simulation was held during the World Bank’s annual meeting in Washington this month. Although there is more awareness about the issue, experts agree that the world is not prepared for the next pandemic
24th Oct 2017 - The Washington Post
Global leaders simulated the 'inevitable' pandemic set to hit the world - and concluded we are not ready at all
24th Oct 2017 - Daily Mail
Avian flu: Risk via wild birds rises to "medium"
The level of the UK's risk of avian influenza due to an incursion in wild birds has been raised from low to medium but the risk for poultry remains low for introduction of infection onto individual premises. As a consequence the government is recommending that levels of biosecurity should be increased
24th Oct 2017 - Smallholder
Avian flu: Risk via wild birds rises to "medium"
24th Oct 2017 - Somerset County Gazette
Avian flu vaccine to be discussed - DAFF
In South Africa, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) said that it was discussing a highly pathogenic avian influenza vaccination strategy with various stakeholders, including poultry farmers and vaccine manufacturers
24th Oct 2017 - Independent Online
Mammalian Pathogenesis and Transmission of Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Viruses, Tennessee, USA, 2017
Infections with low pathogenicity and highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses affected poultry in 4 states in the south eastern United States in 2017. A study evaluated pathogenicity and transmission of representative viruses in mouse and ferret models and examined replication kinetics in human respiratory tract cells. These viruses can cause respiratory infections in mammalian models
23rd Oct 2017 - Emerging Infectious Diseases
Indonesia Voices Concern Over Biological Warfare Threat
Health security is expected to increasingly become a global concern in the coming years and Indonesia is particularly worried about biological warfare, a senior member of the country's military said. This comes as a three-day international conference on health security, attended by representatives from 50 countries, began in Jakarta
24th Oct 2017 - Jakarta Globe
Report details U.S., global steps to prevent next pandemic
A break in key U.S. support for global efforts to protect Americans and the world from pandemics could stall momentum that has been gaining steam in the wake of recent threats such as Ebola and Zika viruses, according to a new report from PATH
24th Oct 2017 - CIDRAP
U.S. leadership and sustained funding urgently needed to prevent pandemics
24th Oct 2017 - Path.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullGermany discovers case of H5N8 bird flu in wild duck: OIE
Germany has discovered a case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu in a wild duck, the OIE said on Monday. The virus was found in a mallard duck in Osterwald in Bentheim in the northern state of Lower Saxony, said the OIE, citing information from the German food and agriculture ministry
23rd Oct 2017 - Reuters
Bulgaria reports two outbreaks of H5 bird flu - OIE
Bulgaria has reported two outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5 bird flu virus, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.
23rd Oct 2017 - Reuters
Will there soon be another outbreak of bird flu?
"We are very worried," said Klaus-Peter Linn, Managing Director of the Poultry Farmers' Association of Baden-Württemberg. "The situation is dangerous." In August, the bird flu virus H5N8 was recorded in wild animals in Saxony-Anhalt. In Lower Saxony, too, the pathogen was identified for consumer protection in a wild bird, according to the local authorities. Also in Europe, there were cases in Italy, France and Switzerland, said Linn.
23rd Oct 2017 - TAG24
South Africa: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries On Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
In South Africa, to date, a total of ninety-two locations have been identified that tested positive for HPAI H5N8, and reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) has been working very closely with several role players on critical issues related to the control of the outbreak of HPAI
23rd Oct 2017 - AllAfrica.com
South Africa: Department Working to Control Avian Flu Outbreak
In South Africa, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has been working closely with several role players to control the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the country. The department said it is working on finding the best means to protect consumers and support poultry farmers
23rd Oct 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu in Poland? The risk is real and remains very high
Bird flu threats in Poland are a very real threat at this moment due to the migratory season for wild birds. Veterinary services appeal to breeders to strictly comply with biosecurity regulations, otherwise bird flu will spill over into Poland like it did a year ago. Although experts say there is a spark of hope now, the worry is this time Polish poultry farmers relax too much and drop their guard
21st Oct 2017 - AgroFakt
New H7N9 bird flu strain in China has pandemic potential, U.S.-Japanese lab studies find
Lab experiments on a new strain of the H7N9 bird flu suggest the virus can pass easily among animals and can cause lethal disease, raising alarms that it has the potential to create a global human pandemic
20th Oct 2017 - The Japan Times
Influenza aviaria, il virus H7N9 sempre più minaccioso
20th Oct 2017 - Ansa.it
Novo vírus da gripe aviária é mais letal e resistente que anteriores
20th Oct 2017 - Correio Braziliense
Pandemic Potential Of Avian Flu On The Rise
20th Oct 2017 - Asian Scientist
New bird flu strain in China has experts worried about pandemic
21st Oct 2017 - Domain-B
Lethal strain of bird flu that’s resistant to drugs ‘could pose a threat to humans’
20th Oct 2017 - The Sun
New H7N9 Bird Flu Strain In China Has The Whole World Worried
21st Oct 2017 - Huffington Post
Warning about the spread of a new H5N8 outbreak
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Agriculture Minister Dr. Till Backhaus is warning all poultry farmers to take the necessary biosafety measures to prevent another bird flu epidemic like the 2016/17 one the industry faced. He urged them to redouble safety efforts in the face of risk from the new spread of H5N8
21st Oct 2017 - Top Agrar
South Africa: MEC Alan Winde Gives Update On Avian Influenza in Western Cape
There are 56 confirmed cases of avian influenza in the Western Cape. This is up from 50 confirmed cases last week. Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities, said the number of culled birds stood at 2.7 million, of which 2.6m were layer hens
20th Oct 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Avian Influenza detected in Jeolla Province low pathogenic strains
The avian influenza viruses recently detected in central South Korea have been confirmed to be low pathogenic strains, H5N2 and H6N2, the agriculture ministry said. Bird flu viruses were discovered in three samples of wild bird droppings collected from a river in Iksan, about 200 kilometres south of Seoul, on Thursday
22nd Oct 2017 - The Korea Herald
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullWill the World's Most Worrying Flu Virus Go Pandemic?
The CDC keeps a Most Wanted list for flu viruses and evaluates every potentially dangerous strain, with two scores out of 10—one reflecting how likely they are to trigger a pandemic, and another that measures how bad that pandemic would be. At the top of the list, with scores of 6.5 for emergence and 7.5 for impact, is H7N9
19th Oct 2017 - The Atlantic
The next wave of bird flu could be worse than ever
Researchers isolated the H7N9 virus from a fatal human case and tested it and two genetically modified versions in ferrets, which are susceptible to both human and bird flu viruses. The tested viruses can spread to other ferrets through airborne fluid droplets like those released by a cough or a sneeze, sometimes turning deadly, researchers report October 19 in Cell Host and Microbe.
19th Oct 2017 - Science News
H7N9 influenza is both lethal and transmissible in animal model for flu
19th Oct 2017 - University of Wisconsin-Madison
Is a Dangerous Bird Flu on the Horizon?
19th Oct 2017 - HealthDay
H7N9 study finds virus poised to become more lethal, resistant to treatment
19th Oct 2017 - CIDRAP
New H7N9 bird flu strain in China has pandemic potential, study says
20th Oct 2017 - ABS-CBN
H7N9 Influenza is Both Lethal and Transmissible in Animal Model for Flu
20th Oct 2017 - Infection Control Today
Dutch bird flu outbreak leads to trade bans
Hong Kong has banned regional Dutch poultry products following an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza which led to the culling of more than 40,000 birds
19th Oct 2017 - Poultry World
New H7N9 bird flu strain in China has pandemic potential: study
Lab experiments on a new strain of the H7N9 bird flu circulating in China suggest the virus can transmit easily among animals and can cause lethal disease, raising alarms that the virus has the potential for triggering a global human pandemic, researchers reported on Thursday
19th Oct 2017 - Reuters
Researchers are tracking pandemic potential of H7N9 bird flu in China
19th Oct 2017 - EurekAlert!
Dept of Disease Control moves to prevent bird flu outbreak
In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control is implementing measures to prevent the spread of avian flu during the end of the rainy season, following outbreaks in many other countries
19th Oct 2017 - Pattaya Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa: Government Exploring Solutions to Avian Influenza Outbreak
South Africa's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana says the department is engaging the poultry industry to find ways to tackle the avian influenza outbreak. The H6N2 highly pathogenic avian influenza originates in China and has been spread mainly by wild birds
18th Oct 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Human case of A(H5N1) avian influenza infection in Bali
In Indonesia, the Health Ministry confirmed that there is an outbreak of A(H5N1) avian influenza, and 5 people are suspected of having become infected; lab tests have been carried out and results are awaited
18th Oct 2017 - MesVaccins.net
No decision yet on bird flu vaccination
In South Africa, the Minister of Agriculture says state veterinarians are still assessing whether SA chickens should be vaccinated amid the country's worst ever bird flu outbreak
18th Oct 2017 - Fin24
DAERA launches text alerts for Avian Flu
In the UK, a new text alert service to inform bird keepers of any disease outbreaks has been launched by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affair. The new system ‘goes live’ as chief veterinary officer for NI, Robert Huey urges bird keepers to remain vigilant to the threat of Avian Flu as the migratory cycle begins
18th Oct 2017 - The Scottish Farmer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullChina confirms bird flu outbreak at chicken farms in central Anhui province
China confirmed a bird flu outbreak at some broiler chicken farms in the central province of Anhui, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday. The outbreak was confirmed as a case of the H5N6 strain of the virus
17th Oct 2017 - Reuters
EU is trying to avoid avian flu pandemic
EFSA is asking poultry farmers to report all instances of dead wild birds and avoiding farm birds being in contact with wild birds by using nets, as well as avoiding moving poultry to other farms
17th Oct 2017 - Santé Magazine
Low pathogenic A(H5N2) avian flu outbreak in poultry in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has reported an outbreak of avian flu in the Zeeland province, on a poultry farm
17th Oct 2017 - MesVaccins.net
VIDEO: ‘Great need’ for new antivirals to combat H7N9
Timothy M. Uyeki, MD, medical epidemiologist in the CDC’s Influenza Division, discusses the growing avian influenza A(H7N9) epidemic in China. According to Uyeki, there have been five epidemic waves of H7N9 in China so far. As of early October, there have been 1,562 cases of H7N9, 99% of whom required hospitalization. The case fatality rate is “alarmingly high” at approximately 40% among hospitalized patients, Uyeki says
18th Oct 2017 - helio.com
EFSA advise on Avian Flu
17th Oct 2017 - The Scottish Farmer
Dutch Poultry Farm Exposed to H5N2 Bird Flu
17th Oct 2017 - The Poultry Site
EU prepares itself for cases of bird flu this winter
17th Oct 2017 - FarmingUK
Is the US Prepared for The Next Flu Pandemic?
In a recent Association of Health Care Journalists webcast, 2 experts discussed the pandemic potential of the most concerning flu epidemic circulating in China, and whether the United States is prepared for this threat. According to Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, another flu pandemic “is going to happen”, and the U.S. is not prepared
17th Oct 2017 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu reported in Netherlands - 41500 birds culled
Avian influenza has been reported in a commercial layer flock in the Netherlands. The outbreak is in a flock of 41,500 birds in the Zeeland region of the Netherlands.
It is understood that the virus involved is a low pathogenic H5N2 strain
16th Oct 2017 - FarmingUK
Pandemics pose major threats on Global Tourism Industry
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett said “we can no longer ignore or give insufficient attention to the imminent threat of pandemics and, if we fail to do so, world tourism faces a myriad of global challenges in the event of a world pandemic”
15th Oct 2017 - South Florida Caribbean News
Highly pathogenic A(H5N8) avian flu virus still very active in Northern Italy
While most European countries are becoming less affected by H5N8 avian flu, Italy is still faced with several outbreaks both in wild birds and on farms; there are concerns that avian flu will become a year round issue
16th Oct 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Farmers voice concerns about compensation for bird flu
South African farmers have said the damaging effect of the bird flu outbreak is being exacerbated by the delay in compensation by the government. Meanwhile, the situation in Western Cape continues to worsen with the number of confirmed cases rising to 50. At least 2.5m chickens and ducks have been culled in the province
16th Oct 2017 - Poultry World
Avian influenza text service launched for Northern poultry farmers
In Ireland, a text service has been launched to keep poultry farmers and bird keepers updated with the latest avian influenza threats. The service – which is run by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – will inform bird keepers of any disease outbreaks
16th Oct 2017 - Agriland.ie
Avian influenza: new scientific advice boosts EU preparedness
Migratory wild birds crossing the north-eastern and eastern border of the European Union is the most likely pathway for avian influenza to enter the territory, says EFSA. One of the main recommendations is that water birds found dead should be reported to the local veterinary authorities – particularly during the influenza season
16th Oct 2017 - einnews.com
Avian influenza: new scientific advice boosts EU preparedness
16th Oct 2017 - Mainfatti
Agriculture minister pledges strong measures against bird flu
South Korea's agriculture minister vowed Monday to take strong quarantine measures against bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease ahead of the PyeongChang Olympics to prevent further outbreaks during the winter months
16th Oct 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
South Korea free from highly pathogenic Avian Influenza: government
South Korea said it is free of highly pathogenic avian influenza as new cases of H5N6 and H5N8 strains haven't been discovered in the nation over the last three months, the government said Monday
16th Oct 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Pressing, multiplying biodefense issues plague U.S., experts say
The Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, a privately funded group established in 2014 to ascertain the current biodefense capabilities of the United States and issue expert recommendations to encourage change, has grown increasingly worried about microbial forensics and biological attribution
16th Oct 2017 - Homeland Preparedness News
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullMore than 40,000 hens slaughtered in the Netherlands following the discovery of an outbreak of avian influenza
Le Monde reports that more than 40,000 hens have been slaughtered in the Netherlands following the discovery of an outbreak of avian influenza
13th Oct 2017 - Le Monde
Are we prepared for the next disease outbreak?
Most emerging disease threats come from variants of the bird flu virus subtypes (H5N1, H7N9, H9N2) and swine flu virus subtypes (H1N1, H3N2). The next big threat pandemic threat is likely to be from a bird flu virus, which has prompted the CDC to classify avian influenza viruses as “viruses of special concern”
15th Oct 2017 - Hindustan Times
A bird flu outbreak detected in the Netherlands
An H5 type avian flu outbreak has been detected in the south of the Netherlands, and 42,000 hens will be slaughtered as a result to prevent spreading to other farms
13th Oct 2017 - lematin.ch
Western Cape government, DAFF working to find solutions to bird flu outbreak
The Western Cape government and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries are continuing to work around the clock to find solutions following the bird flu outbreak. The number of confirmed cases of avian influenza in the Western Cape has risen to 50. At least 2.5 million chickens and ducks have been culled since an outbreak of bird flu occurred in the Cape
13th Oct 2017 - Eyewitness News
Bird flu detected at Witfield Dam
In South Africa, according to the chief state veterinarian at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, a dead bird at Witfield Dam tested positive for the H5N8 strain of the virus a few weeks ago. This is the only bird to have died from the virus and it remains unclear if the other wild birds are also infected
12th Oct 2017 - Boksburg Advertiser
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullFour Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic H5N8 Avian Flu Hit Italy This Month
There have been four outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu in farms in central and northern Italy since the start of the month and about 865,000 chickens, ducks and turkeys will be culled, officials said
11th Oct 2017 - Voice of America
Vogelgrippe-Ausbruch in Italien - A(H5N8)-Virus
12th Oct 2017 - NEWS.at
le virus H5N8 frappe un élevage de 900 000 poules en Italie
11th Oct 2017 - Aviculture Réussir
Producers to boost biosecurity measures after bird flu outbreak
SA poultry farmers are scrambling to boost biosecurity measures to curb the spread of the avian flu virus, as government considers rolling out a vaccination programme
12th Oct 2017 - Fin24
Western Cape losing fight against avian flu
The number of confirmed cases of avian influenza in the province of Cape Town has risen to 50, according to the Western Cape government. The Provincial Disaster Management Centre is assisting the Department of Agriculture with the coordination of steps to mitigate the effects of the outbreak
12th Oct 2017 - IOL.co.za
Zambia has not recorded any cases of bird flu
Livestock and Fisheries Minister Michael Katambo says Zambia still remains at high risk of the resurgent avian influenza which has affected some African countries. Mr Katambo says while Zambia has not recorded any cases of bird flu, some neighboring countries have continued to see cases and in some instances the disease has spread
12th Oct 2017 - Lusaka Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullItaly culls birds after five H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in October
Italy has had five outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu in farms the central and northern parts of the country since the start of the month and about 880,000 chickens, ducks and turkeys will be culled, officials said
11th Oct 2017 - Reuters
Should vaccines be used to curb avian influenza?
In South Africa, there has recently been much debate about whether the poultry industry should use vaccines to curb the avian influenza outbreak. However, Dr Charlotte Nkuna, acting CEO of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), said that SAPA’s position on the use of these vaccines largely depended on whether government would compensate producers for their losses
11th Oct 2017 - Farmers Weekly South Africa
America is not prepared for this year's flu pandemic: Experts warn we could soon be hit by an aggressive strain of avian flu that could be hard to control
With the height of flu season fast approaching, experts are warning that the US is not prepared for the destruction that the disease could induce this year. If a strain of avian flu with Asian lineage makes its way to the US, it could cause widespread devastation as there is no vaccination for it and it has killed about 40 percent of those it has infected in China
11th Oct 2017 - Daily Mail
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullAirborne Transmission of Highly Pathogenic Influenza Virus during Processing of Infected Poultry (H5N1)
A new study’s results support the hypothesis that airborne transmission of HPAI viruses can occur among poultry and from poultry to humans during home or live-poultry market slaughter of infected poultry
10th Oct 2017 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Countdown to the deadly pandemic
The countdown has now begun in earnest for residents to sign up to take part in a pioneering BBC science documentary to simulate how pandemic flu – the deadliest threat to world health – could spread through a small close-knit community
10th Oct 2017 - Petersfield Herald
Task team deployed to combat Avian flu in Gauteng
Gauteng MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Lebogang Maile says a dedicated team of experts has been tasked in assisting the private poultry industry fight Avian flu in the province
10th Oct 2017 - SABC
AI this autumn a real threat, says APHA
European poultry farmers will have to be on their guard against a range of different strains of bird flu over the next few months as the autumn migratory season gets underway. They will have to watch out for H5N8 High Pathogenic Avian Influenza, which has continued to persist in the environment
10th Oct 2017 - Poultry World
U.S. not prepared for a flu pandemic, experts warn
As the U.S. begins its annual flu season, experts warn that the country is ill-prepared for a pandemic flu that could cause widespread disruption and death. They looked at 30 essential drugs and found that they all are made outside the U.S. except for a couple made in Puerto Rico. Any kind of disruption from a pandemic elsewhere, particularly in India or China, would have a rapid impact on U.S. health care
10th Oct 2017 - Augusta Chronicle
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 10th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullFight to protect Australia from pandemics will be waged outside borders with $20 million plan
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced Australia would commit $20 million to a regional pandemic preparedness and response plan to protect both Australia and its neighbours from future outbreaks. [But] the real challenge is within the region if there is an emergence of a new wave of zika [or] you could have the equivalent of the Asian bird flu," he said.
9th Oct 2017 - The Sydney Morning Herald
City takes steps as bird flu outbreak hits zoos
Johannesburg is on full alert monitoring its valuable bird collection for avian influenza which has struck its parks and zoo facilities; spokesperson Jenny Moodley said the HPA1 virus was not contagious to humans, but sick birds and carcasses should not be directly handled as a precautionary measure
9th Oct 2017 - IOL.co.za
Sovereign contains outbreak of bird flu
An avian influenza outbreak at a Sovereign Foods facility in South Africa had been contained to the layer house where it was initially identified, the poultry producer told shareholders
9th Oct 2017 - Business Live
Avian flu: poultry farmers to gather in the Landes region of France for a protest
French poultry farmers in the south west region are planning to gather to show how their work has been affected by the H5N8 outbreak and to call for government help and for a vaccine to be authorised
6th Oct 2017 - France3.fr
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 9th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullFive things to know about the Joburg bird flu outbreak
According to the interim CEO of the South African Poultry Association‚ the H5N8 avian flu outbreak in Johannesburg only affects birds and not the health of human beings
5th Oct 2017 - Times Live
Two flocks of birds at C. Washington State Fair test positive for avian flu
Two flocks of birds at the recently concluded Central Washington State Fair were infected with bird flu, but health officials say it’s a strain that has not been shown to infect humans
6th Oct 2017 - Yakima Herald
Consequential Epidemiology: Facing the Enemy, Fighting for the Future
At this point in our evolutionary relationship with pathogens, infectious diseases expert and renowned epidemiologist Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, says our major concern should be pandemic influenza, which can be particularly crippling to the just-in-time society in which we live
6th Oct 2017 - Infection Control Today
Update on avian flu A(H7N9) in China
China notified the Hong Kong health authorities of 2 new cases of A(H7N9) avian flu on the 8th September 2017, since the last update was made available; the number of cases has been falling in the past few months
6th Oct 2017 - MesVaccins.net
La crise de la grippe aviaire s'aggrave en Afrique du Sud
7th Oct 2017 - China.org.cn
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu virus hits Johannesburg
The bird flu virus has now hit Johannesburg with 581 birds culled since last month. The City of Johannesburg says most bird carcasses found have tested positive for the H5N8 strain of the virus
5th Oct 2017 - EyeWitness News
Bird flu kills over 500 wild birds in Johannesburg
5th Oct 2017 - Farmers Weekly South Africa
Joburg cautions residents after detection of bird flu
5th Oct 2017 - Times Live
Joburg residents cautioned of bird flu outbreak
5th Oct 2017 - Rosebank Killarney Gazette
The fight against the flu
The National Institutes of Health announced that assistant professor of biochemistry Tijana Ivanovic has received a New Innovator Award to conduct research that may improve our chances of forecasting a flu pandemic
5th Oct 2017 - Brandeis University
H7N9 Flu Changes Worry Experts
Flu experts are watching China uneasily after some unsettling changes in the H7N9 avian influenza A strain during the 2016-17 epidemic in that country. The fifth wave of the virus saw a "huge surge in cases," the CDC's Tim Uyeki, MD, told a symposium at the annual IDWeek meeting
5th Oct 2017 - Medpage Today
CDC: Novel H7N9 Flu Virus, ‘Biggest Concern’ for Pandemic Capacity
5th Oct 2017 - Infectious Disease Advisor
Preparing for Pandemics and Streamlining Vaccine Development
Preparing for a pandemic in the best way is not a single-pronged strategy. Multiple factors are the rule. Given this reality, the threat must be detected early and the response must be swift and effective. Biomedical research is crucial to this process, as is vaccine development
5th Oct 2017 - Contagion Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullH5N8 virus still present in northern Italy
In northern Italy, 9 new H5N8 outbreaks were reported in September
4th Oct 2017 - Reussir Aviculture
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullSouth Africa: MEC Alan Winde On Western Cape Plan to Respond to Avian Influenza Outbreak
Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, and the Western Cape Government team driving the avian influenza recovery plan, briefed the media on the regional outbreak of avian influenza in the province
2nd Oct 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullQuantum Foods severely hampered by Avian flu outbreak
Egg producer Quantum Foods temporarily closed down the remaining two sites of the Lemoenkloof commercial layer farm as the outbreak of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza continued to plague its eggs farms in the Western Cape
2nd Oct 2017 - IOL.co.za
30 ostrich farms under quarantine due to Avian Flu
Western Cape province minister of economic opportunities Alan Winde said his province had suffered the most with reported cases of Avian Influenza in the country. So far this year, the province has confirmed 36 cases and 70 ostrich farms are under quarantine
2nd Oct 2017 - IOL.co.za
U.S. POULTRY Foundation Approves $125,000 in New Avian Influenza Research
The U.S. POULTRY Foundation has approved $125,000 in additional emergency funding to support avian influenza research and communication
2nd Oct 2017 - The Poultry Site
Biological Weapons and Virtual Terrorism
Today the simple do-it-yourself CRISPR kits could enable virtual terrorists targeting the food supply chain to alter the avian influenza genome and engineer a large bird flu epidemic, similar to the 2009 H1N1 epidemic in Asia that affected not only poultry, but also other mammals, including human beings
2nd Oct 2017 - Huffington Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Oct 2017
View this newsletter in fullWHO announces the development of candidate vaccine viruses for pandemic preparedness
The development of candidate influenza vaccine viruses, coordinated by the World Health Organization, remains an essential component of the overall global strategy for pandemic preparedness
30th Oct 2017 - World Health Organization
RVC researchers find link to spread of avian flu in Asia
A team of researchers has established a link between the use of free-grazing ducks to help farm the land in Vietnam and the spread of avian influenza within the country
29th Sep 2017 - Vet Times
World of Birds in Cape Town hit by Bird Flu (H5N8)
In South africa, Staff are pulling together after an outbreak of avian influenza at Africa's largest bird park situated in Cape Town. At least 62 cases of the deadly H5N8 influenza strain which include an outbreak among poultry and non-poultry animals have been reported throughout the country since June
1st Oct 2017 - Eyewitness News
H5N3 Avian Influenza Outbreak Reported in France
Dr Loic Evain has reported an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza at a farm in Maine-et-Loire. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the outbreak was reported after presence of the H5N3 strain was confirmed
28th Sep 2017 - The Poultry Site
New Bird Flu Epidemic Scares - There is a more resistant strain called H7N9 is in danger of spreading fast to humans
New Bird Flu Epidemic Scares - discusses the fact that there is a more resistant strain called H7N9 which is in danger of spreading fast to humans
29th Sep 2017 - Kasulik
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullThe Colombian government stresses that the country remains free of Avian flu
In Colombia, the government has explained that the H3N2 virus, which is present in the country, is not the avian influenza virus of which Colombia remains free
28th Sep 2017 - El Diario de Todos Bucaramanga
This Sinister Virus Could Cause the World's Next Flu Pandemic
H7N9 avian influenza is emerging as the virus most likely to cause the next flu pandemic. While it’s not so adept at spreading from human to human, it is potent, better adapted to our respiratory tracts than H5N1 and increasingly prevalent in people. Known to be circulating only within China, H7N9 has been mutating in sinister ways this past year, putting scientists on alert
28th Sep 2017 - Bloomberg
How you could help stop a flu pandemic
With international air travel at over four billion flights last year alone, stopping a flu pandemic taking hold is pretty much impossible, but the BBC Pandemic App will help a team of mathematical epidemiologists predict how a virus could spread across the UK and test what might be done to slow it down
28th Sep 2017 - BBC
Why Some Countries Were Harder Hit by the Pandemic Influenza Virus in 2009
A global pandemic mortality study found prominent regional mortality variations in 2009 for Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. The study attempts to identify factors that explain why the pandemic mortality burden was high in some countries and low in others
28th Sep 2017 - Infection Control Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullS. Korea steps up bird flu quarantine measures
South Korea will step up quarantine measures against bird flu as a suspected case was reported in the country's southern region, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said. The ministry said an H7N7 strain of avian influenza was found in wild bird droppings
27th Sep 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Gov't to Strengthen Quarantine Measures against Bird Flu
27th Sep 2017 - KBS World.co.kr
U.S. Poultry Foundation approves $125,000 in new avian influenza research
The U.S. Poultry Foundation has approved $125,000 in additional emergency funding to support avian influenza research and communication. The research is a follow-up study on a previously funded project (BRU007) in which researchers provided insight on using ventilation shut down (VSD) as a humane depopulation method
27th Sep 2017 - Feedstuffs.com
U S Poultry & Egg Association : U.S. Poultry Foundation Approves $125,000 in New Avian Influenza Research
27th Sep 2017 - 4-traders.com
Pandemic flu simulation drill
In East Malaysia, a Pandemic Influenza Simulation Training was carried out by the District Health Office to improve the awareness level of medical personnel. District Health Epidemiology Officer Dr Sahrol Nizam Abu Bakar said that the simulation focused on Avian Influenza as it has been active in China and Hong Kong
27th Sep 2017 - Daily Express Malaysia
InDevR licenses influenza antibodies from Mount Sinai for novel vaccine platform
InDevR has licensed novel influenza antibodies from Mount Sinai Health System, and plans to incorporate the technology into its VaxArray Vaccine Potency platform, which aims to provide vaccine manufacturers with streamlined and cost-effective tools to modernize their production
27th Sep 2017 - Tech Transfer Central
Medicago Announces Phase 3 Study of VLP Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine
Medicago announced the start of a Phase 3 efficacy study for its seasonal quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) candidate
27th Sep 2017 - Pipeline Review.com
Good moods may boost flu shot efficacy for seniors
26th Sep 2017 - Medical News Today
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza (H5N3) outbreak in the French region of Maine-et-Loire, 8,500 turkeys to be slaughtered
In the Maine-et-Loire region of France, an outbreak of H5N3 avian influenza has been confirmed on a turkey farm, where 8,500 turkeys are to be slaughtered to avoid the virus spreading further
26th Sep 2017 - 20minutes.fr
Maine-et-Loire : un foyer de grippe aviaire faiblement pathogène détecté
26th Sep 2017 - Europe1.fr
Maine-et-Loire : un foyer de grippe aviaire détecté dans un élevage de dindes
26th Sep 2017 - France3.fr
Maine-et-Loire. Un virus de grippe aviaire moins pathogène détecté
26th Sep 2017 - Ouest France
Avian flu has killed 21,342 people
Since 2004, the H5N1 virus has caused the death of 21,342 people according to FAO representative to Senegal Réda Lebtahi
26th Sep 2017 - Agence de Presse Senegalaise
Clusters of Human Infections With Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus in China, March 2013 to June 2015
Limited person-to-person transmission is likely to have occurred on multiple occasions since the H7N9 virus was first identified. However, these transmission events represented a small fraction of all identified cases of H7N9 human infection, and sustained person-to-person transmission was not documented
25th Sep 2017 - Journal of Infectious Disease
Avian flu virus found in bird excretions in rural city
A South Korean provincial government said that the avian influenza virus had been found in bird excretions in the southern part of the country. The government of North Gyeongsang Province said the H7N7 strain of avian influenza was detected in the excretions of wild birds
26th Sep 2017 - Yonhap News Agency
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullImperial flu-expert talks about pandemics and responding to outbreaks
Professor Steven Riley talks about flu pandemics and the work of the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis & Modelling, Imperial College London
25th Sep 2017 - Imperial College London
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullUganda, Zimbabwe infected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Uganda and Zimbabwe have been added to the list of countries/regions affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
25th Sep 2017 - American Agriculturist.com
Poultry keepers urged to take precautions to reduce bird flu risk
In light of the ongoing risk of avian flu, the four UK farming unions have been working together with government and the UK Poultry Health and Welfare Group to highlight the importance of maintaining high levels of on-farm biosecurity
24th Sep 2017 - Farming Life
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullAmerican poultry expert shares gold standard for avian flu control
American poultry expert Dr. Fidelis Hegngi briefed African government delegates from nine countries on avian influenza during a two-day seminar in Pretoria and said that 24 hours from detection to depopulation is the ideal for effective avian influenza control
21st Sep 2017 - BizCommunity.com
Western Cape department dealing with 26 confirmed cases of bird flu
The Western Cape Agriculture Department is dealing with 26 confirmed cases of bird flu in the province. And by the end of this week, about two million chickens and ducks would have been culled as a result of the outbreaks
21st Sep 2017 - EyeWitness News
Poultry prices rise as flu spreads to more chicken farms
21st Sep 2017 - Business Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullRCL Foods and Quantum Foods report cases of avian flu outbreaks
Poultry producers RCL Foods and Quantum Foods reported cases of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of avian influenza (AI) in their separate farms in the Western Cape
20th Sep 2017 - IOL.co.za
Quantum Foods confirms avian flu outbreak at two Western Cape layer farms
20th Sep 2017 - Engineering News
UNIST to track the spread of deadly Avian influenza
By successfully securing 3.19 billion KRW in research funding over four years, a research project to develop a new type of tracking device, capable of monitoring the migration routes of wild birds, is expected to accelerate the development of a self-powered tracking device for bird flu outbreak prediction
20th Sep 2017 - EurekAlert!
U.S. experts share avian influenza best practice with African governments
US avian influenza experts met high-level officials from eight African countries in Pretoria this week, to share best practice in the prevention and control of an avian influenza outbreak
20th Sep 2017 - IOL.co.za
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullUK sounds the avian flu all-clear
Following outbreaks of avian influenza at the end of 2016 and start of 2017, the government's chief vet has announced that the UK has met international requirements to declare itself once again free from the disease
19th Sep 2017 - Scottish Farmer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 19th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullVietnam to produce own avian influenza vaccine from 2018
Vietnam will produce its own vaccine against avian influenza A/H5N1 from 2018 to replace imported vaccines, according to the National Veterinary JSC, Navetco
18th Sep 2017 - Vietnam Net.vn
Hong Kong bans import of poultry meat from Italian province (Padua) due to H5N8
In view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in the Province of Padua in Italy, Hong Kong has banned the import of poultry meat and product from the province
18th Sep 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullCHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Liaoning
The Centre for Health Protection is monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that an additional human case of A(H7N9) was recorded in Liaoning, and urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene
15th Sep 2017 - Hong Kong Government
The evolving number of human cases of avian flu H7N9 in China
Roundup of the latest cases of human infection by A(H7N9) in China in August and September 2017
17th Sep 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu detected in Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform has confirmed the presence of Bird flu in the province
14th Sep 2017 - Dispatch Live
First case of bird flu in Eastern Cape detected
14th Sep 2017 - Herald Live
Simulation to ensure flu pandemic readiness
Indonesia is set to conduct a two-day influenza pandemic simulation this month in certain areas of Jakarta’s neighbouring province of Banten in a bid to ensure preparedness for such a situation, if it were to arise in the future
15th Sep 2017 - The Jakarta Post
It’s too easy for bioterrorists to access dangerous research
Ebola virus, a pandemic strain of flu – if these pathogens could be turned into bioweapons by terrorists or rogue nation states, they would threaten humanity; information that might aid that weaponisation process is in danger of leaking out, says the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
14th Sep 2017 - New Scientist
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian Influenza: UK now free of bird flu
The UK is free from Avian Influenza but the government has reiterated calls for all poultry keepers to remain vigilant for signs of the disease as there is a "real and constant threat"
13th Sep 2017 - Smallholder
UK declares itself free from bird flu but Chief Vet urges vigilance
13th Sep 2017 - FarmingUK
Smallholders face greater scrutiny following last Avian Flu outbreaks
The government is exploring more legislation for owners of small flocks of birds after confirming that five of the 13 confirmed cases of Avian Influenza between December 2016 to June 2017 were in flocks owned by smallholders.
13th Sep 2017 - Smallholder
Where Will the Next Pandemic Threat Come From? Public Health Watch Report
On August 14, 2017, researchers from the CDC’s Global Disease Detection Operations Center provided an update on several infectious diseases it cited as the “top threats to public health” from 2012 to 2016, and what concerns they have regarding the threats posed by these diseases in the near term, including H5N1, but the report received little to no attention in the mainstream press
13th Sep 2017 - Contagion Live
IEC steps up work around avian influenza
The International Egg Commission (IEC) is providing a range of additional information on tackling avian influenza as part of its work to ensure members can tackle the disease
13th Sep 2017 - Poultry World
DA eyes changes in bird-flu protocol
The Philippines’ Department of Agriculture is keen on amending its avian-influenza protocol to ensure that measures to manage bird-flu outbreaks will not cause poultry growers to incur losses; Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the DA’s biosecurity experts are currently reviewing the AI protocol of South Korea and the European Union
13th Sep 2017 - Business Mirror
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 13th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullNigeria’s southwest state activates bird flu control measures
Nigeria’s southwest Ogun State activated bird flu control measures at a breeder poultry farm, located in Orile-Ilugun area of the state, to prevent the spread of Avian Influenza H5N8, which was discovered on the farm
12th Sep 2017 - News Ghana
H7N9 Avian Flu Continues to Spread, Worsen in China
The latest epidemic of Asian lineage avian influenza A (Asian H7N9) in China infected almost as many patients as the four previous outbreaks combined and gave rise to a variant less susceptible to available treatments and vaccines, researchers report
12th Sep 2017 - Medscape.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 12th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird viruses which jump to mammals
Chinese researchers may have found an explanation of why bird flu viruses, specifically the H7N9 virus, have been infectious for a few years, including to humans
11th Sep 2017 - Sveriges Radio
At least 40 bird flu cases confirmed since June outbreak
At least 40 cases of bird flu have been confirmed since an outbreak in June. Hundreds of thousands of birds have perished or been culled across South Africa since the H5N8 strain was detected
11th Sep 2017 - Eyewitness News
South Africa rattled by AI outbreak in the Western Cape
Poultry farmers in the Western Cape in South Africa have been rattled by the rise in number of high pathogen avian influenza cases since the first case was recorded on 9 August
11th Sep 2017 - Poultry World
Bird flu breaks in South Africa
There has been a continuous outbreak of bird flu in South Africa as more cases were recorded in six of the nine provinces, authorities confirmed on Sunday
11th Sep 2017 - Information Nigeria
Bird flu continues to spread in South Africa
11th Sep 2017 - Famagusta-Gazette.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullThis year's bird flu outbreak killed a record 281 people in China
Researchers at the CDC reported on Thursday that China reported nearly the same number of H7N9 cases as all four previous years combined, during the 2017 season
8th Sep 2017 - Vice.com
Bird Flu: A new threat to China evolving and spreading to other regions
8th Sep 2017 - Version Weekly
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hunan
The Centre for Health Protection is monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) was recorded from September 1 to 7 in Hunan
8th Sep 2017 - Hong Kong Government
Bird Flu Spreads Across South Africa
Bird flu has continued to spread in South Africa as more cases of the outbreak were recorded in six of the nine provinces, authorities said on Sunday
10th Sep 2017 - PM News Nigeria
Bird flu continues unabated in South Africa
10th Sep 2017 - Vanguard Nigeria
COA Confirms Chickens to Have H5N8 Avian Flu
Chickens at two slaughterhouses in Taipei and New Taipei City were confirmed to be infected with the H5N8 avian influenza virus, the Council of Agriculture said
8th Sep 2017 - The Poultry Site
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullLatest H7N9 epidemic biggest yet, new vaccines sought
The latest H7N9 avian influenza epidemic to affect China is the most widespread, with 759 cases reported as of Aug. 7; the epidemic caused 281 deaths, and recent variations between viruses have prompted health care officials to develop several new vaccine candidates
7th Sep 2017 - Healio.com
Vietnam takes preventive measures against bird flu
In Vietnam, the Department of Preventive Medicine requested the healthcare sector and relevant agencies to conduct measures to tackle avian viruses, with the likelihood of outbreaks in the country still high
7th Sep 2017 - Vietnam Net.vn
200,000 chickens culled in Western Cape as province tackles bird flu
More than 200,000 chickens have died or been culled in the Western Cape as a result of an outbreak of bird flu, leading to over 100 job losses, according to Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities Alan Winde
7th Sep 2017 - fin24.com
Deadly Bird Flu In China Evolves, Spreads To New Regions
This past year China had the largest outbreak of a deadly bird flu since the virus was first detected in March 2013. During the 2017 season, the country reported nearly the same number of cases as all four previous years combined
7th Sep 2017 - npr.org
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullUK chief vets: Prepare for winter bird flu threat
UK chief vets have stressed the need for poultry keepers to remain vigilant to the threat of bird flu and take action now to reduce their disease risk
6th Sep 2017 - Poultry World
Warning over risk of new strain of avian influenza
6th Sep 2017 - The Scotsman
Poultry Keepers Urged to Prepare for Winter Avian Flu Threat
6th Sep 2017 - The Poultry Site
Review of protocols on handling bird flu urged
In the Philippines, the United Broilers Raisers Association has called on government agencies to review current protocols on handling bird flu cases in the wake of the recent bout with an avian influenza outbreak in three towns in central Luzon
6th Sep 2017 - Business Inquirer
New case of H7N9 human avian flu infection in China
Chinese health authorities notified the WHO of a H7N9 avian flu case in China involving a 58 year old man in the province of Fujia. He was hospitalized on 29th July, diagnosed with severe pneumonia. To date a total of 1588 cases of H7N9 human infection have been confirmed by health labs since the beginning of 2013
6th Sep 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Chinese experts laud Pampanga’s fast action vs bird flu
Chinese experts lauded the efforts of the provincial government in response to the avian influenza that struck the poultry industry in San Luis town in the Philippines last August
6th Sep 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 6th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullHuman infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
To date, a total of 1,554 laboratory-confirmed human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported through IHR notification since early 2013 in China
19th Jul 2017 - World Health Organization
Capital hosts forum on avian influenza outbreak
Poultry stakeholders from the Province of Pampanga met on Monday in Capital to discuss the recent bird flu outbreak in San Luis town and how measures could be undertaken to prevent such from happening again
6th Sep 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Avian influenza ‘remains a threat’, warns government
With the summer months winding down, poultry-keepers are being warned to take action now to prevent the risk of avian influenza; chief veterinarians in the UK, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have issued tips on preventing the threat of disease
5th Sep 2017 - Meat Info.co.uk
Poultry keepers must act to counter Avian Flu threat
5th Sep 2017 - Smallholder
Chinese experts laud Pampanga’s fast action vs bird flu
Chinese experts lauded the efforts of the provincial government in response to the avian influenza that struck the poultry industry in San Luis town in the Philippines last August
6th Sep 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 5th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu crisis over, agri chief says
The bird flu crisis in Central Luzon is over, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said. He has lifted the quarantine restriction in the 7-kilometer controlled area radius around the affected farming towns following the recommendations of biosecurity experts
4th Sep 2017 - ABS-CBN
COA confirms chickens to have H5N8 avian flu
Chickens at two slaughterhouses in Taipei and New Taipei City were confirmed to be infected with the H5N8 avian influenza virus, the Council of Agriculture said
5th Sep 2017 - Taipei Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullChina reports H7N9 avian flu death in Jiangsu
In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu; the 58 year-old man died
2nd Sep 2017 - Outbreak News Today
CHP notified of human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu
1st Sep 2017 - Hong Kong Government
New Taipei on high alert for H5 avian flu outbreaks
New Taipei is on high alert after a slaughterhouse in the city reported highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 infections in chickens on three of its nine slaughter lines
3rd Sep 2017 - Focus Taiwan
Bird-flu-infected chickens found in New Taipei City
4th Sep 2017 - Taipei Times
Farm minister says Philippines' bird flu crisis is over
The Philippines has declared its avian flu crisis, which prompted the culling of over 600,000 birds, to be officially over as it eased restrictions on the shipment of poultry products from towns where outbreaks were detected
2nd Sep 2017 - Reuters
No new suspected bird flu cases, says DOH
2nd Sep 2017 - Canadian Inquirer
DOH chief: No human infection of bird flu in PHL so far
The Philippines is so far clear of any human infection of the avian influenza virus, the Department of Health said Sunday; the remarks come on the last day of the surveillance of humans who came in direct contact with fowls affected by the avian influenza
3rd Sep 2017 - GMA Network.com
Avian flu strikes poultry, wild birds in 3 nations
South Africa and Italy reported more highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu outbreaks in both poultry and other birds, and Taiwan confirmed two more H5N2 detections at poultry farms in two counties
1st Sep 2017 - CIDRAP
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Sep 2017
View this newsletter in fullDOH: no human transmission of bird flu in PH
In the Philippines, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial reiterated the Department of Agriculture’s declaration that the country remains free from cases of avian flu transmission to humans
31st Aug 2017 - Davao Today
London Summit to Tackle Avian Disease
Around 100 experts are gathering at the third annual conference hosted by the UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases. Delegates will discuss solutions for major avian viruses, and best management practices to avoid these viruses' spread
31st Aug 2017 - The Poultry Site
Agriculture Dept urges caution on vaccination against avian flu
The South African Agriculture Department says farmers have to be cautious about vaccinating against avian flu because past experience has shown there are repercussions for the poultry industry
31st Aug 2017 - Eyewitness News
SA considering vaccination to top gthe spread of bird flu
31st Aug 2017 - Chronicle Zimbabwe
South Africa struggles to bring avian influenza outbreak under control
Avian influenza is continuing to spread across South Africa where 300,000 birds have been culled in the past 2 months. Because of the mortality rate it is believed the causal agent is the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain but DAFF tests were yet to confirm that was the case
31st Aug 2017 - Poultry World
In the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, three dead swans have been found
In the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, three dead swans have been found, infected with the avian influenza virus H5N8. Vigilance has been recommended in the rest of the country
30th Aug 2017 - Agriholland.nl
Hoogpathogene vogelgriep treft zwanen Sachsen-Anhalt
30th Aug 2017 - Nieuwe Oogst
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullH7N9 avian influenza in China: Should we be worried?
In early 2013, the first reported human cases of H7N9 avian influenza were reported in China; since then, more than 1500 cases have been reported and about 40% of those infected died. A study shows the virus being three mutations away from changing into a form that’s easily transmitted between humans
29th Aug 2017 - Outbreak News Today
Some 60‚000 birds culled as avian flu lands in KZN
About 60‚000 birds have been culled at a poultry farm in Vryheid after an outbreak of avian influenza in northern KwaZulu-Natal
30th Aug 2017 - Times Live
KZN birds culled after avian flu virus detected
30th Aug 2017 - IOL.co.za
No avian flu cases in humans in SA
There have been no confirmed cases of avian influenza in humans in South Africa‚ the National Institutes of Communicable Diseases said; the NICD has been monitoring people who had been exposed to the virus on affected farms, but none have tested positive for the disease
30th Aug 2017 - therep.co.za
DOH monitoring 600 chicken cullers for Avian flu
In the Philippines, the Department of Health is monitoring around 600 chicken cullers, most of them Armed Forces of the Philippines soldiers, to quarantine them and prevent the possible spread of the Avian Flu virus
29th Aug 2017 - Manila Bulletin
'Bird flu vaccine would have to be based on sound scientific research'
In South Africa, 24 outbreaks of Avian Flu have been detected since a recent outbreak of the disease in June. Desperate for a solution, the poultry industry wants government to roll out a vaccine for the highly pathogenic H5 N8 strain
30th Aug 2017 - Eyewitness News
Avian Influenza is back: dead swans found in Mansfeld SudHarz
In Saxony-Anhalt the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N8 has been detected in three dead swans near Seeburg in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz
30th Aug 2017 - Top Agrar
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 30th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu reaches 24 outbreaks in SA
Despite efforts by the government and the commercial poultry and ostrich industries to control the disease, there were now 24 confirmed outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) since late June 2017 in South Africa
29th Aug 2017 - Farmers Weekly
Plenty to chew over on bird flu
As President Duterte decided to show that chicken is safe to eat in the bird flu-infected Philippine province of Pampanga, it emerged that the highly pathogenic H5N6 virus blamed for the country's first avian flu outbreak is more fatal than H5N1
29th Aug 2017 - The Standard
Should you be afraid of 'bird flu'? Expert explains avian influenza
The Philippines recently recorded its first bird flu outbreak, raising alarms on the possibility of transmitting the virus from fowls to humans. Although some strains of the avian influenza are transmittable to humans, Dr. Gundo Weiler of the WHO explains that the risk is low
29th Aug 2017 - ABS-CBN
Germany reports outbreak of H5N8 bird flu in swans
Germany reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus in the central state of Saxony-Anhalt, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said. The virus was found in three swans
29th Aug 2017 - Reuters
South Africa's RCL Foods finds bird flu at poultry farm
South Africa’s RCL Foods has found the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu at one of its poultry farms; RCL financial director Rob Field said the pathogen was contained and it would continue to work with government and industry to stamp out the disease which poses little risk to human health
29th Aug 2017 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 29th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullAgriculture department confirms eight new outbreaks of bird flu
South Africa has reported eight further cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza to the World Organisation for Animal Health
28th Aug 2017 - Engineering News
Anti-bird flu task force rues lack of manpower at checkpoints
In a bid to come up with possible solutions against the avian influenza outbreak in the Philippines’ Pampanga province, the Cordillera Regional Avian Influenza Task Force and stakeholders met to address the lack of manpower among quarantine checkpoints
29th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Duterte commends DA for fast action against bird flu
President Duterte commended the Department of Agriculture officials for their "quick" and "decisive" action in containing the bird flu outbreak in the Philippines
29th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Duterte vows more assistance for Pampanga poultry sector
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte promised on Monday to look into more possible funding for farmers whose stocks were subjected to the culling and quarantine operations recently
29th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Duterte: Pampanga's poultry products safe to eat
28th Aug 2017 - CNN Philippines
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullGovt. animal quarantine agency acquires know-how to make bird flu vaccine
South Korea's animal quarantine agency said it has acquired know-how to make its own bird flu vaccines. The agency said it has developed candidate vaccine materials for its "antigen bank" that targets the H5N6 and H5N1 strains of avian influenza, and that tests have been carried out on chickens, with results showing the materials met standards set by the OIE
27th Aug 2017 - The Korea Herald
Dept of Health ramps up bird flu preps, even as no human cases recorded
There are no confirmed cases so far of humans infected with bird flu in the Philippines, health officials have announced. Despite this, the Department of Health is ramping up preparations to prevent the bird flu's spread among humans, especially as new studies show the virus is becoming deadlier
26th Aug 2017 - CNN Philippines
Avian flu spreads at Astral site
The outbreak of avian influenza at two of its breeding farms has so far cost it R50m, Astral says.
The group said that despite its best efforts, the infection at its second breeding site had spread beyond an isolated shed
25th Aug 2017 - Business Live
Bird flu spreads to other sheds
25th Aug 2017 - IOL.co.za
CHP notified of human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Xinjiang
The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is monitoring a notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) were recorded from August 18 to 24 in Xinjiang
25th Aug 2017 - Hong Kong Government
34 Philippine poultry workers cleared of H5N6 bird flu
The Philippine Department of Health said that 34 poultry workers who showed signs of flu-like symptoms tested negative for bird flu. As of Aug. 24, the health department said "there has been no confirmed human case due to influenza A (H5N6)"
25th Aug 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
No human cases of avian flu yet – DoH
25th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Philippines: Dozens of Patients Test Negative for Bird Flu
25th Aug 2017 - Benar News
DOH clears 34 Pampanga, Ecija workers of avian flu
25th Aug 2017 - Philippine Daily Inquirer
DOH allays avian flu concerns, assures readiness to address related cases
25th Aug 2017 - untvweb.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullDA confirms virus strain in Pampanga bird flu outbreak
The Avian Flu virus that killed hundreds of birds in six farms in San Luis Pampanga in the Philippines has been identified as Influenza A H5N6, a virus that is transmittable to humans but far less deadly than H5N1
25th Aug 2017 - Sun Star.com
Bird flu can infect humans, but risk ‘very low’
25th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Agriculture Department: PH bird flu strain transmissible to humans
25th Aug 2017 - CNN Philippines
Pampanga bird flu strain may jump to humans
25th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
DA expert: Bird flu strain in Pampanga is transmissible to humans
24th Aug 2017 - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Is The Possibility Of A Hybrid Flu Pandemic A Reality? Here’s What You Need To Know
As we face another strain of an avian Influenza Virus (H7N9) that afflicted China not too long ago, scientists are taking matters into their own hands by testing for new viruses that can cause havoc to prepare for the worst
24th Aug 2017 - India Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullHealth Officials Worry A Deadly Avian Flu In China Could Be Next Pandemic
In May, the CDC ranked the influenza strain H7N9 the highest possible threat for viruses at risk of causing a worldwide pandemic; health officials are worried about the virus changing into a form that’s easily transmitted between humans. A new paper published this summer forecast the virus being three mutations away from such a reality
23rd Aug 2017 - Huffington Post
Australian lab confirms bird flu outbreak in Pampanga
The Department of Agriculture of the Philippines said that an Australian laboratory confirmed that the Avian Influenza A(H5) virus killed thousands of birds in six poultry farms in San Luis town
24th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Sales plummet in once bird flu-free country
Consumer fear of the bird flu outbreak, the first in the Philippines, has sent poultry sales down. The WHO said that “there is no evidence that avian influenza viruses can infect humans through properly cooked food”
24th Aug 2017 - Malaya.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 23rd Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullAustralian lab result confirms bird flu in Pampanga – agriculture dept
Australia has confirmed the presence of the bird flu virus in Pampanga, Philippines, where the outbreak was first reported. The results from the World Organization for Animal Health revealed that the strain was avian influenza type A subtype H5
22nd Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Agri dept allows poultry shipments out of Luzon
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture has allowed the shipment of poultry from Luzon to other parts of the country, provided these are validated by quarantine officers. Tests have confirmed the strain of avian flu present in Pampanga was type A subtype H5
23rd Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 22nd Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullOIE officials to meet Piñol, industry stakeholders on avian flu outbreak
OIE and FAO officials flew to the Philippines to meet with Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and industry stakeholders about the avian flu outbreak; rumour is that some of the officials are unhappy about the government’s late submission of samples of the infected birds to Australian Animal Health Laboratory
21st Aug 2017 - Manila Bulletin
Philippines deploys troops to a second province to fight bird flu
The Philippines has deployed more troops to cull thousands of chickens a day after the farm ministry confirmed the spread of the virus to a second province north of Manila
21st Aug 2017 - Kuwait Times
Bird flu-hit Ecija towns under state of calamity
In the Philippines, Nueva Ecija Gov. Cherry Umali has declared a state of calamity after poultry farms in the towns of Jaen and San Isidro tested positive for the avian flu virus
22nd Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Departure of Agriculture dismisses reports of bird flu in Caraga
In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture in the Caraga Region has dismissed rumours that the Avian influenza has reached the region
22nd Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
‘Limit ban on PHL poultry to areas hit by bird flu’
The government is appealing to Japan and South Korea to reconsider the total ban it has imposed on Philippine poultry products, after Manila confirmed to the World Organisation for Animal Health the outbreak of bird flu in Pampanga
21st Aug 2017 - Business Mirror
Zokwana meets poultry industry over H5N8 bird flu
In South Africa, the Minister of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries is expected to meet with CEOs in the poultry industry to discuss mitigation strategies to the H5N8 bird flu outbreak
21st Aug 2017 - Times Live
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullUganda declares end of bird flu outbreak
Uganda on Saturday declared the end of the bird flu outbreak, which has led to the death of thousands of birds and affected the country's poultry export
19th Aug 2017 - xinhua.net
Staying on track against the bird flu virus
Editorial on the way the Philippines government is handling the current bird flu crisis, and how it must take swift action and communicate in a measured manner about the situation
20th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Philippines deploys troops to a second province to fight bird flu
The Philippines has deployed more troops to cull thousands of chickens one day after the farm ministry confirmed the spread of bird flu into a second province north of the capital, Manila
20th Aug 2017 - Reuters
Bird flu virus slips into another Philippine province
In the Philippines, seven days after the government declared an avian flu outbreak in Pampanga, the authorities announced a similar outbreak in at least two towns in neighboring Nueva Ecija
19th Aug 2017 - The Star.com
Can 13-year-old manual save PHL from bird flu?
The Avian Influenza Protection Program (AIPP) Manual of Procedures was written in 2004 in the Philippines to protect the country’s borders from the virus that killed millions of birds in Southeast Asia back then, and is now being used to fight the current outbreak
21st Aug 2017 - Business Mirror
Bekasi bird shop owner suspected of avian flu infection
The inhabitant of a house that also serves as a bird shop in Bekasi, Indonesia, has been admitted to hospital following indications of avian influenza; early findings show that she might have contracted the H5N1 virus
20th Aug 2017 - The Jakarta Post
China confirms bird flu outbreak at quail farms in southwestern Guizhou province
China confirmed a bird flu outbreak at quail farms in the country's southwestern province of Guizhou; the outbreak was confirmed as the H5N6 strain of virus
18th Aug 2017 - Reuters
China confirms bird flu outbreak at quail farms in Guizhou province
18th Aug 2017 - Nasdaq
China confirms bird flu outbreak at quail farms in Guizhou province
18th Aug 2017 - Channel NewsAsia
Palace closely monitoring situation on Avian flu
“We are closely monitoring the situation in Nueva Ecija following the confirmation of poultry deaths in the province yesterday by the Department of Agriculture (DA). We ask our people to remain calm yet vigilant and to refrain from spreading unverified information that may cause undue alarm and panic,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in the Philippines
20th Aug 2017 - Northbound Asia.com
Don’t fan bird flu scare, Palace asks public
20th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Amid bird flu outbreak, public urged to avoid spreading ‘unverified’ reports
19th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Highly pathogenic A(H5N8) avian flu discovered in wild birds in Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Veterinary Office confirmed that two wild swans had been found dead and were infected by the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian flu virus
19th Aug 2017 - MesVaccins.net
Les deux cygnes morts font craindre une nouvelle épidémie
17th Aug 2017 - Tribune de Geneve
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 18th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullPhilippines' first avian flu outbreak and its effects on poultry farming
Some 37,000 birds have died from avian influenza subtype H5 in what has been declared as the first bird flu outbreak in the Philippines, but it is not yet clear which H5 subtype infected the birds
16th Aug 2017 - Sun Star.com
Suspected bird flu cases reported in 2 Nueva Ecija towns
The Bureau of Animal Industry in the Philippines is verifying reports of a new avian flu outbreak – this time in Jaen and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija
18th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 17th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in full2 people with flu-like symptoms test negative for bird flu
In the Philippines, two persons with flu-like symptoms who may have been exposed to chickens hit by the avian flu have tested negative for the virus, an official said
16th Aug 2017 - ABS-CBN
Two suspect cases test negative for avian flu
16th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Two farm workers test negative for bird flu
17th Aug 2017 - CNN Philippines
Philippine troops deployed to battle bird flu outbreak
The Philippines will deploy hundreds of troops to hasten a cull of about 600,000 fowl, the farm minister said yesterday, as part of efforts to rein in the nation's first outbreak of bird flu
17th Aug 2017 - The Straits Times
Philippines to Send Troops to Halt Bird Flu’s Spread
16th Aug 2017 - New Delhi Times
Philippine troops to help cull fowl in bird flu battle
16th Aug 2017 - Bangkok Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 16th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullBird flu in SA: 16 outbreaks since June
Sixteen outbreaks of avian flu have occurred in South Africa since June‚ in Mpumalanga and Gauteng; the Western Cape Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)‚ type H5N8‚ in two ostrich farms
15th Aug 2017 - Times Live
South Africa: Western Cape Agriculture Confirms Presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Two Ostrich Farms in Heidelberg Area
15th Aug 2017 - AllAfrica.com
Two swans found with bird flu H5N8 in Switzerland
Two new cases of bird flu H5N8 have been reported in western Switzerland, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office said on Tuesday
15th Aug 2017 - Reuters
2 poultry workers being monitored
Two poultry workers in Pampanga in the Philippines are being monitored for showing symptoms of avian flu, a health official said; the DOH expects the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to release imminently the results of the laboratory tests on the swab and blood samples collected from the workers
16th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Amid bird flu outbreak, 2 farm workers isolated after showing symptoms
15th Aug 2017 - GMA News Online
Two suspected cases of avian flu monitored, says health official
15th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
DOH isolates 2 persons with flu-like symptoms amid bird flu outbreak
15th Aug 2017 - ABS-CBN
SoCot to reactivate avian influenza task force
The provincial government of South Cotabato in the Philippines is working on the reactivation of its special task force against avian influenza to coordinate efforts in preventing the entry of the disease in any part of the province
15th Aug 2017 - Northbound Asia.com
Agriculture department exec dispels avian flu ‘scare’
Philippines Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol on Tuesday informed the public that the avian influenza in the province is “not harmful to humans”
15th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 15th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullWestern Cape Department of Agriculture on possible incidence of bird flu in Western Cape
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is investigating possible incidences of Highly Pathogenic Avian influenza (HPAI), type H5N8, on two ostrich farms in the Heidelberg area
14th Aug 2017 - BizCommunity.com
Two farms under quarantine over ostriches' avian flu
14th Aug 2017 - IOL.co.za
Flu vaccine for poultry industry workers
In the Philippines, the Health Department is providing free flu vaccine to poultry owners, workers and their relatives to avoid infection in response to the recent outbreak of the Avian Influenza Type A Subtype H5
14th Aug 2017 - ABS-CBN
Government moves to prevent bird flu jump to humans
Three days after confirming an avian flu outbreak in the Philippines, government agencies are scrambling to keep the virus from spreading and especially from jumping to humans, starting with a nationwide inspection of poultry farms
15th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Natco to unveil 8-10 branded formulations
Natco plans to extend the Tamiflu franchise with the launch of the suspension version
14th Aug 2017 - The Hindu
Natco Pharma rated ‘Buy’ Q1 shows better than expected
14th Aug 2017 - The Financial Express
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 14th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullAvian influenza (H5N1) story
Various strains of avian flu have been active in the past few years, with 859 reported cases of human H5N1 virus infection from 16 countries from 2003 to 2017, H7N9 infecting people in China, H5N8 circulating among birds in many parts of Europe as well as in Kuwait, Egypt and elsewhere, and H5N1 in Bangladesh and India
12th Aug 2017 - Inquirer.net
Philippines declares first ever H5 bird flu outbreak
The Philippines declared its first ever outbreak of the H5 strain of bird flu on Friday, but said there had been no cases of humans infected; hospitals have been put on alert however
11th Aug 2017 - Phys.org
PH reports first avian flu outbreak, to cull 400,000 birds
12th Aug 2017 - Newsbits.mb.ph
Govt declares bird flu outbreak
12th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
Bird flu strikes Pampanga town
12th Aug 2017 - Inquirer.net
Bird flu outbreak: DOH alerts hospitals in Pampanga
12th Aug 2017 - Philippines Sun Star
Pampanga under state of calamity due to bird flu outbreak
12th Aug 2017 - CNN Philippines
Philippines reports first H5 outbreak
11th Aug 2017 - CIDRAP
Palace calls for calm, vigilance amid bird flu
13th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Nothing less than our utmost in fighting bird flu
13th Aug 2017 - Manila Times
DOH warns public vs bird flu
12th Aug 2017 - Cebu Daily News
DA: Pampanga bird flu strain may not be transmissible to humans
The bird flu strain that infected hundreds of thousands of fowls in Pampanga, Philippines may not be the strain that transmits to humans, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Saturday; the strain may be A-H5N6, a subtype that supposedly does not infect humans
12th Aug 2017 - Inquirer.net
EDITORIAL: A dire warning
A pandemic occurs, on average, three to four times a century. It’s one of the reasons why public health officials are increasingly adamant each year in urging Canadians to get a flu vaccine shot
11th Aug 2017 - The Guardian Prince Edward Island
DA chief: Bird flu strain in Pampanga cannot be transmitted to humans
The Philippines Agriculture chief said the bird flu strain that has affected poultry in a town in Pampanga cannot be transmitted to humans; it has tested negative for H5N6. He said even Agriculture officials working with quarantine officers exposed to the contaminated chickens were not affected
13th Aug 2017 - The Philippines Star
Pangilinan warns vs fowl profiteers amid bird flu outbreak
Senator Francis Pangilinan warned against profiteering in the wake of an outbreak of bird flu in Pampanga, in the Philippines, as he also pushed for a massive information drive on the H5 avian flu virus
12th Aug 2017 - Rappler.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 11th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullH9N2 avian influenza case reported in Chinese baby
A 2-month old girl who lives in Guangdong Province, China was confirmed positive for A(H9N2) influenza in June, according to the World Health Organization, becoming the third case in China this year
10th Aug 2017 - Outbreak News Today
Eritrea, Tanzania: Only African countries ready to face global pandemics
Only two African countries, Eritrea and Tanzania, are fully prepared to face a global pandemic according to a World Bank sponsored report; bird flu is giving economies especially in southern Africa region some tough time
10th Aug 2017 - Africa News.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 8th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullHuman infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
Three more cases of human infection with A(H7N9) virus in China have been reported; the Chinese government has assessed that it is still likely that sporadic cases will occur in China taking into consideration the previous epidemic situation and risk assessment
7th Aug 2017 - World Health Organization
Only 6 nations have evaluated readiness for global pandemic
Only six countries around the world — three rich ones and three poor ones — have taken the steps they should have to evaluate their ability to withstand a global pandemic, according to a report sponsored by the World Bank
7th Aug 2017 - Post and Courier.com
Only Six Nations Have Evaluated Readiness for Global Pandemic
31st Jul 2017 - The New York Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 7th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullSwine flu paranoia: Mumbai doctors warn against self-medicating, say it is harmful
Mumbai doctors have warned against the irrational use of preventive medication, such as Tamiflu, against swine flu. They said the irrational use of medicines could lead to drug resistance
4th Aug 2017 - Hindustan Times
Flu rates three times higher than last year as dominant virus mutates
New Zealanders are catching the flu at three times the rate of last year; hospital emergency departments have seen a spike in admissions for influenza-like illnesses during July, with scientists hoping it is not related to a mutation in the Influenza A virus
4th Aug 2017 - Stuff.co.nz
Swine flu toll in Mumbai now 7, drugs in short supply
A month after Oseltamivir was taken off the Schedule X list of drugs to make it easily accessible, it is in short supply in Mumbai; the main reason for the delay is the Drug Controller General of India’s failure to provide fresh permissions to one of the two pharmaceutical companies, which had to stop production after the drug was removed from the Schedule X list, to start manufacturing the drug again
6th Aug 2017 - Hindustan Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 4th Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullSix more test positive for swine flu
Swine flu cases in the Vadodara region are steadily on the rise, and pharmacies are low on Tamiflu
3rd Aug 2017 - Express Newsline
Australia's winter flu outbreak spikes early in season
The winter spike in flu-like symptoms is occurring earlier than usual across Australia this year: the Flutracking Project has recorded increases in flu-like symptoms at a much earlier point than the five-year average
3rd Aug 2017 - The Guardian
Flutracking: citizen science charts flu cases across Australia
4th Aug 2017 - ABC.net.au
Peak flu season arrives and they’re triple the 2016 statistics
Flu cases across NSW, Australia, have tripled for the last two months. If that staggering figure continues, the new flu cases reported will be more than the entire flu cases for all of 2016
3rd Aug 2017 - The Telegraph
INFECTED: Northern Rivers flu cases at an all-time high
In Australia, NSW Department of Health has reported the worst seven months on record for the Northern Rivers with 707 confirmed influenza cases - more than three times the same period last year
4th Aug 2017 - The Northern Star
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 3rd Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullSwine flu in monsoon alarms city doctors
The first pandemic of H1N1 appeared in 2009 in India; but what has alarmed doctors is that the virus that used to spread in winter has started infecting people during monsoon this year
3rd Aug 2017 - The Times of India
H3N2 flu strain in Hong Kong—a cause for concern, say Singapore health experts
General practitioners in Singapore have reported that they have been treating more flu patients with some more serious cases of flu over the past week
2nd Aug 2017 - MIMS
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 2nd Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullMyanmar faces two influenza attacks in rainy season
Myanmar is facing two influenza attacks, A/H1N1-2009 (swine flu) and H5N1 (bird flu), with the former claiming the lives of 10 people and the latter leaving 5,000 chickens culled
1st Aug 2017 - Xinhuanet.com
Alert: there has been an increase of 25% in the number of flu cases in Colombia this year
According to data from PAHO, Colombia has seen an increase of 25% in flu cases compared to the same period last year
31st Jul 2017 - Noticias rcn.com
UN: Urgent Action Needed to Contain Avian Flu in Southern Africa
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has called an emergency meeting in South Africa of all countries in the Southern Africa Development Community following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza
1st Aug 2017 - Voice of America
3 deaths due to swine flu take toll in capital to 7
New Delhi - Three patients have died due to swine flu at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in the past month; enough medicine is available to treat patients as well as isolation wards
2nd Aug 2017 - The Times of India
Record rates of flu cases inundate NSW emergency departments and nursing homes
In Australia, NSW is in the midst of its worst flu season on record after more than 8000 influenza cases were confirmed in the past week alone
1st Aug 2017 - The Sydney Morning Herald
Vaccination best way to deal with flu
Flu season has started in Australia and more than 10,000 Queenslanders have already been affected by the illness, prompting authorities to urge people to have vaccinations
2nd Aug 2017 - SBS.com.au
More than 10,000 struck down by flu in Queensland
1st Aug 2017 - Brisbane Times
Health authorities warn a ‘large number’ of flu cases likely in coming weeks
1st Aug 2017 - The Courier-Mail
Health security is as important to America’s future as border security
Additional research funding for the NIH and product development funding for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority could help develop more effective and universal flu vaccines as well as cutting edge research to better identify these new strains before they cause pandemics
1st Aug 2017 - Quartz
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 1st Aug 2017
View this newsletter in fullResurgence of swine flu in India
At least 600 people have died and over 12,500 people have been affected by swine flu in India as of 28th July, 2017. The rising cases have put the nation on red alert, with health officials struggling to contain the virus
31st Jul 2017 - BioSpectrum Asia
WHO: H1N1 outbreak not alarming
The World Health Organization said the H1N1 outbreak in Myanmar has not reached an alarming state as the government has taken proactive steps to contain the spread of the disease
31st Jul 2017 - Myanmar Times
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 31st Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullHealth minister orders new H1N1 strain vaccines
The rising number of swine flu deaths has prompted the state health minister to order the procurement of the A/Michigan/ 45/2015 vaccine, for the new strain of the virus
29th Jul 2017 - Pune Mirror
H1N1 rises to six, peaks during monsoon period
Myanmar has sought the help of the WHO due to the worsening H1N1 influenza outbreak sweeping the country and which has killed six people
28th Jul 2017 - Myanmar Times
Swine flu: At PGI, precautions only for docs, not patients
In Chandigarh, the PGI has started vaccinating its doctors and staff to contain the spread of swine flu, but patients visiting outpatient departments continue to be at risk from the virus
30th Jul 2017 - Tribune India
Overcrowding in Hong Kong hospitals eases with 1,000 fewer patients daily in past week
Overcrowding at emergency wards in public hospitals in Hong Kong has eased in the past week, but a respiratory expert said it was still too early to reach a conclusion and urged the public to remain vigilant over a new dominant flu virus
29th Jul 2017 - South China Morning Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 28th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullRomania to pass vaccination law to deal with immunization gaps
Romania needs to pass a vaccination law and overhaul medical services to prevent the spread of a measles outbreak that has already claimed 32 deaths, the most of any European country, the health ministry said
27th Jul 2017 - Reuters
Romania to pass vaccination law to deal with immunisation gaps
27th Jul 2017 - The Straits Times
Rumänien kämpft gegen Masern-Ausbruch
27th Jul 2017 - Der Spiegel
OIE Reports H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak in Myanmar Poultry Farm
The Chief Veterinary Officer Director General at the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department in Myanmar has reported an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza at a poultry farm in the Tanintharyi region
27th Jul 2017 - The Poultry Site
Swine flu toll hits 338 this year
The number of swine flu deaths across Maharashtra has reached 338 this year, setting alarm bells ringing. Public Health Department Minister Dr Deepak Sawant has reviewed the action plan to combat the scourge
27th Jul 2017 - The Indian Express
State sees 165 swine flu deaths in four months
27th Jul 2017 - The Asian Age
Maha to form panel in each municipal area to probe H1N1 deaths
26th Jul 2017 - India.com
Report: More than 220,000 children in Romania are not vaccinated
A total of 224,202 children aged between 9 months and 9 years old are behind with their vaccines, according to a report by the Romanian Health Ministry concerning the national vaccination program
27th Jul 2017 - Romania-Insider.com
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 27th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullHealth Ministry of New Zealand using social media and unconventional data to track infectious disease outbreaks
The Health Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Jonathan Coleman revealed that a new project is seeking to establish if tracking trends on social media and unconventional data can help predict outbreaks and further improve our responses to epidemics
25th Jul 2017 - OpenGovAsia.com
Flu outbreak hits HK, 205 adults and 3 kids dead
Hong Kong public hospitals are struggling with a long flu outbreak that has killed more than 200 people since May
26th Jul 2017 - tnp.sg
Myanmar calls for calm after three die of swine flu
The recent outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Myanmar is no cause for alarm, authorities said in a statement released after three people lost their lives to the virus and a further 13 were confirmed to have contracted it
26th Jul 2017 - South East Asia Globe
3 cases of swine flu confirmed in Swaziland
In Swaziland, the ministry of health has confirmed three cases of Influenza A H1N1, also known as swine flu
26th Jul 2017 - Swaziland Observer
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 26th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullH1N1 virus infects 13 in Myanmar, suspected of killing one
Myanmar called for calm on Monday after 13 people were confirmed to have contracted H1N1 influenza and a boy had died with flu-like symptoms, raising fears of a new outbreak of the virus
24th Jul 2017 - Reuters
H1N1 Virus Infects 13 in Myanmar As Boy Dies of Flu-Like Symptoms
25th Jul 2017 - The Wire.in
Health Ministry warns of bird flu
Cambodian Ministry of Health warned people to be aware of the new avian influenza strain H7N9, which has spread to poultry in China and neighbouring countries
25th Jul 2017 - Khmer Times
Cambodia’s Health Ministry Cautions Public About Latest ‘Bird Flu’ Strain
25th Jul 2017 - Radio Free Asia
Myanmar reports outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on poultry farm: OIE
Myanmar has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu on a farm in the southern Tanintharyi Region, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said
25th Jul 2017 - Reuters
H5N6 avian flu outbreak in Taiwan ends
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has officially confirmed that the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N6 virus -- which can be transmitted from birds to humans -- in Taiwan has ended
26th Jul 2017 - Tapei Times
Advancing toward a universal flu vaccine: BiondVax reports positive phase 2
With financial backing from the Israeli government and the European Investment Bank, BiondVax is pushing forward in its quest for a universal flu vaccine; its candidate showed positive T-cell and antibody responses in a phase 2b trial
25th Jul 2017 - FiercePharma
H5N6 avian flu outbreak in Taiwan ends
25th Jul 2017 - Focus Taiwan
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 25th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullSwine flu: Tamil Nadu records 3,000 cases of H1N1 virus, the highest in country; know who all are at risk
In India, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said in a written reply that the central government has been closely monitoring the seasonal flu outbreak, as 632 people have died of swine flu so far in 2017
24th Jul 2017 - Zee News.com
Swine flu threat grows; 600 deaths, 12,500 cases this year
In India, clinicians suspect the H1N1 virus, which causes swine flu, may have mutated. The disease initially spread through pigs but now transmits from human to human
24th Jul 2017 - The Times of India
Swine flu threat grows in India; 600 deaths, 12,500 cases reported this year
24th Jul 2017 - The Economic Times
Swine Flu: 600 Deaths, Nearly 12,500 Cases So Far This Year, Says Government
24th Jul 2017 - NDTV
600 Indians Killed by Swine Flu in 2017
24th Jul 2017 - Plenglish.com
Dreaded H1N1 virus strikes Delhi-NCR early this year
Delhi is facing an H1N1 infection crisis, made worse by the cyclical nature of the disease and the fact the city has already been hit by dengue and malaria
24th Jul 2017 - India Today
How worried should you be about Hong Kong’s unusual flu outbreak?
In Hong Kong, more than 300 severe flu cases have been reported since May when the Centre for Health Protection announced the start of the influenza season, and workload at public hospitals has ballooned with occupancy rates at medical wards consistently above 100 per cent
24th Jul 2017 - South China Morning Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 24th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullFewer than 10 doctors answer appeal for help from Hong Kong public hospitals struggling against flu surge
Fewer than 10 doctors from Hong Kong’s Department of Health have volunteered to work at overcrowded public hospitals on their days off to help battle a surge in summer flu patients, the city’s health minister said, three days after the government appealed for assistance
22nd Jul 2017 - South China Morning Post
One new H7N9 avian flu case reported in China
For the third week in a row, China reported just one H7N9 avian influenza case, a sign that the fifth and biggest wave of infections may be drawing to a close
21st Jul 2017 - CIDRAP
Microbiologists suggest Tamiflu vaccine to contain flu crisis
In Hong Kong, two infectious disease experts have called on the government to immediately administer Tamiflu to vulnerable elderly people to control the flu outbreak, saying that the public health care system is "on the verge of collapse" due to the summer flu cases
21st Jul 2017 - The Standard
Mutation may be behind surge in flu cases this summer, Hong Kong experts say
The surge in the number of flu cases in Hong Kong could be due to a variation in the dominant strain, which may have rendered vaccines used in the past two years ineffective
22nd Jul 2017 - South China Morning Post
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 21st Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullPMC falls short of H1N1 vaccines as swine flu cases spike in Maha
Maharashtra tops the list of most H1N1 deaths reported across India, and there haven’t been enough H1N1 vaccines at any of the 19 PMC-run hospitals for the past two weeks
20th Jul 2017 - Pune Mirror
Cheap private beds to ease public hospital crunch
There will be cheap beds in private hospitals for the first time to ease pressure of overstretched public hospitals during peak flu seasons if current negotiations are successful in Hong Kong
20th Jul 2017 - The Standard Hong Kong
White House developing comprehensive biosecurity strategy: official
The Trump administration is developing the first comprehensive strategy to defend the USA against disease pandemics and biological attacks by terrorists
20th Jul 2017 - Reuters
Pandemic Influenza News - Seqirus Media Monitoring - 20th Jul 2017
View this newsletter in fullHuman infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus – China
To date, a total of 1,554 laboratory-confirmed human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus have been reported through IHR notification since early 2013 in China
19th Jul 2017 - World Health Organization
Vaccinated patients admitted to LGH`s ward 6D
Australian health unions say the Launceston General Hospital has reached crisis point, with patients waiting up to four days to be moved to acute wards, and vaccinated patients being admitted to a ward closed to admissions because of a flu outbreak
18th Jul 2017 - Examiner Australia