MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bird flu'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:04 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133973&cid=t_99408_117_f&fid=38856&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timemastermd.com%2F%3Fp%3D1236  In Case of Emergency – Borrow a Bra from the Biggest Breasted Woman you can Find! Dr. Elena Bodnar won an Ignoble (aka Stupid) Award for her invention of a bra that can be used for a dust mask for just $29.95.  The fibers on the cups might hold back large dust particles but they are not woven tight enough to prevent bacteria, colds, or the bird flu as many foolishly hoped.  And then you have to share with some other fool?  No thanks! Bras can be quite utilitarian however, and have been around for over 103 years now!  Thanks Italy! The Real Baconator Double! Move over Wendy’s – there’s a new sheriff in town!  Throw out your 980 calorie two pattie and  6 bacon strip sandwich and let’s have some real dining pleasure with this bacon bra.  I guess, if y... Timemaster MD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133973 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:38:55 +0100 4133973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416057&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FJ32Z_b55i7I%2Fducks_chickens_bits_of_dna_and.php I'm an epidemiologist, not an immunologist or a virologist but I like reading immunology and virology. It's interesting, in some ways for me it's more interesting than reading epidemiology. In an epidemiological paper I can see pretty quickly where things are going (or going wrong) and there isn't much mystery. But the sheer number of moving parts in a cellular system is amazing and confounding. Navigating through the myriad bits and pieces that appear every week in the scientific literature is tough for experts and even tougher for the rest of us who aren't experts. Vincent Racaniello over at Virology Blog is a great source of information and I read him in an effort not to fall too far behind and help me understand new papers as they come out. One appeared the other day in the Proceedings... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416057 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 20:27:33 +0100 3416057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408398&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FyLVet_GdJpo%2Fimmunity_and_the_1918_and_2009.php We continue to learn a great deal about influenza infection as researchers harvest information from the recent swine flu pandemic. The pork producers don't like to call it "swine flu" but it may well be that its long sojourn in that animal since 1918 (did we give Spanish flu to pigs or did pigs give it us?) may hold an important clue to why older people suffered less than younger ones. It seemed fairly likely that the difference was related to immunity, but since H1N1 came back in 1977 after being absent since 1957, it wasn't clear why younger people born after 1977 would be as immune as older ones born before 1957. Now two papers published in Science and Science Translational Medicine shed some light on this. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effec... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408398 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:17:21 +0100 3408398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943954&cid=t_99408_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fcranham-on-swine-flu-and-infection-control%2F This is a personal interest for me since my son was premature and is at high risk for flu and illness. We’re always on top of these things. The Swine Flu has been a little blown out of proportion by the media in my opinion, but whatever strain of flu exists, it’s good for professionals to think at a high level for infection control – from how we wash hands to always wearing gloves to covering surfaces to sterilizing handpieces and lasers. It’s a great time to review these procedures that prevent disease transmission. We don’t need to go crazy, but we need to prioritize infection control. I think staff vaccinations should be a personal decision for each individual, not mandated by the government. For me, I get the vaccine, but I haven’t yet gotten the H1N1 vaccine because it’s... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943954 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:27:17 +0100 2943954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2931130&cid=t_99408_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdentist%25e2%2580%2599s-news-lots-of-info-on-swine-flu%2F As a doctor, your patients and employees trust you with their safety. The Swine Flu (H1N1) has everyone in a panic, and with good cause. Here’s a brief overview of the facts. The Facts about Swine Flu Swine Flu is common in pigs, and this is not the first outbreak in humans. In 1918, pigs and humans became ill at the same time, which created a question as to connection. In 1930, the flu was identified in pigs. Another outbreak occurred in 1976, and the nation experienced significant turmoil over deaths and a paralyzing disorder thought to be associated with the inoculations provided by the US government’s National Influenza Immunization Program. Until recently, most Swine Flu occurrences were of the H1N1 strain. However, in 1997, new variations were identified. Humans contract the dise... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2931130 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:31:55 +0100 2931130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904998&cid=t_99408_123_f&fid=39037&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.drgreene.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F10%2F19%2Fcan-changing-our-buying-habits-reduce-the-risk-of-another-pandemic-flu%2F Even though the flu is less dangerous than many think and this vaccine less dangerous than many think, factory farming of animals may continue to promote the creation of serious viruses and bacteria that threaten human populations. Swine flu comes from pigs shoved together where the virus spreads and mutates, then escapes to spread in [...] (Source: Conversations with Dr Greene) Conversations with Dr Greene blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904998 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:01:08 +0100 2904998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751947&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Falchemist-checks-oxy-cholesterol-levels.html The Alchemist this week learns how fluorine chemistry is blooming, how to melt proteins, and how cholesterol is all about the good, the bad, and the oxy. Also this week, a technique borrowed from organic LED fabrication could lead to a new way to manufacture tiny inorganic LEDs for next generation displays, while a conductive flip has been observed with clusters of atoms close to absolute zero. Finally, the American Chemical Society announces this years previously unsung chemical heroes from across the industry. Previously on ChemWeb, we heard rumors of silicon neurons and the coming cyborg age, he discovers that a compound that leads to ovine Cyclops has now been synthesized for cancer drug research, and how chicken poop down on the shooting range could help solve the problem of lead in t... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751947 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:43 +0100 2751947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613879&cid=t_99408_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2FhBqdVLgOht0%2F Swine flu continues its rampage - and it is not flu season yet! “Although the media buzz has died down a bit, swine flu continues to affect thousands of people each week. As of July 2, the H1N1 virus has killed 170 people in the U.S. The CDC reports 33,000 confirmed cases of the virus have affected 53 U.S. states and territories. “ More on Swine Flu addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fmedicineandman.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F07%2F17%2Fswine-flu-continues-it-rampage%2F'; addthis_title = 'Swine+Flu+continues+it+rampage'; addthis_pub = ''; (Source: Medicine and Man) Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613879 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:47:16 +0100 2613879 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510789&cid=t_99408_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2FVBsRtPl37Fg%2F Since we are still in midst of the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic - here is a quick summary and useful links: “In this video, Dr. Joe Bresee with the CDC Influenza Division describes swine flu - its signs and symptoms, how it’s transmitted, medicines to treat it, steps people can take to protect themselves from it, and what people should do if they become ill.” Map: Weekly Influenza Activity Estimates Reported by State and Territorial Epidemiologists Swine Flu Cases per million population by country: (Data taken from The Guardian - Data Blog) Useful Links: Center of Disease Control Swine Flu update RSS feed from CDC WHO - Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response New England Journal of Medicine H1N1 Influenza Center Lancet - H... Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510789 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:46:47 +0100 2510789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510792&cid=t_99408_105_f&fid=35048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FMedicineAndMan%2F%7E3%2FQ4DypJowUUo%2F Guest Post: The word pandemic has been thrown around in recent years because of the prevalence of many major illnesses that have occurred throughout the third world nations as well as even many Western nations. However, the recent Swine Flu outbreak has caused much deliberation as to the proper terminology of the word itself. There have been generations of widespread epidemics in the past that have included influenza, cholera, and a multitude of other diseases. However, the World Health Organization has come up with a six-tiered level in which to determine when to implement specific disease control efforts around the world, which has successfully led to many countries quarantining illnesses which could be easily spread abroad. However, the true definition of a pandemic is not delivered by ... Medicine and Man blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510792 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:52:19 +0100 2510792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389850&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fswine-flu-update.html Swine flu (H1N1) information leaflets are being delivered to households across the UK today. I suspect they do nothing but increase fear and confuse people, especially as the WHO/UN are about to lower the swine flu alert level. In the UK, 27 people now have the virus, with 23 in England and four in Scotland and the first P2P transmission in the UK has been reported. But, what happened to the thousands, if not millions, affected we were warned of by the media and government and WHO and UN over the last few weeks? It just hasn’t happened, thankfully. The leaflets will, of course, explain exactly what is swine flu (I wonder whether they will explain why we now have to call it H1N1 though), who is most at risk, what are the symptoms, and what people can do to reduce their risk of catchin... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389850 Thu, 07 May 2009 07:04:39 +0100 2389850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376119&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fraspberry-ripple-galaxy.html Recently, an innocuous-seeming press release was released by German astronomers announcing that they had found two of the most complex molecules ever in space - n-propyl cyanide, more commonly known to chemists as butyronitrile, and ethyl formate. Now, butyronitrile is a nasty poison with a characteristic odour and I’m sure you’d get a whiff of bitter almonds as you lay dying should you breathe it in too deep or get a mouthful of the stuff. Ethyl formate is altogether different. Ethyl formate, The Guardian’s science correspondent Ian Sample found out (I think already knew) is the fragrant ester molecule that gives raspberries their distinct flavour. It also smells vaguely of rum. Having latched on to this fact, Sample went to town on his galactic press release suggesting,... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376119 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:25:49 +0100 2376119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2357134&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F3EDTFh-gs98%2Fthe_california_swine_flu_cases.php Late yesterday afternoon a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Dispatch appeared on CDC's website that is unique in my experience. MMWR is usually heavily vetted and edited and nothing gets out of there fast. Indeed, in recent years, nothing at all got out of CDC very fast. And yet here is this Dispatch, with text referring to the same day of issue (April 21), reporting on two young patients with febrile respiratory illnesses, one of whose cases CDC only learned about on April 13, 8 days earlier. April 17 CDC determined that the two children, both from the San Diego, California area, were infected with a swine flu virus of a novel kind. That was five days ago. The extremely rapid publication of this MMWR is apparently a consequence of the new International Health Regulations. It's... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2357134 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:48:22 +0100 2357134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353832&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F4KeBgnzxEEw%2Fimportant_flu_paper_on_immune.php Every day, it seems, we find out that what we thought we knew about flu isn't the case. As one noted flu expert said to me once, "I knew much more about flu 20 years ago than I do now." So it's good to remember that we are also finding out a lot about flu that we never knew or even thought we knew. A case in point is an extremely important new paper in PLoS Medicine ( Khurana S, Suguitan AL Jr., Rivera Y, Simmons CP, Lanzavecchia A, et al.(2009) Antigenic Fingerprinting of H5N1 Avian Influenza Using Convalescent Sera and Monoclonal Antibodies Reveals Potential Vaccine and Diagnostic Targets. PLoS Med 6(4): e1000049; online as of last night). This work makes a major advance in the science of antibody response to avian influenza/H5N1 ("bird flu"). The advance has two aspects. One is the info... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353832 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:16:13 +0100 2353832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2348177&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FSprFotzOohs%2Fthe_egyptian_toddle_case_conun.php A tantalizing Reuters story yesterday called attention to the uptick in human bird flu cases in Egypt, the African country with more cases than any other (although far behind Asian countries like Indonesia). The observation prompting renewed expressions of concern are that new cases seem to be in the very young (toddlers) but adult cases have almost disappeared. So where are these toddlers picking up the virus? A possibility that is consistent with the observations is that adults are giving it to the toddlers but are themselves symptomless carriers. It's not impossible, because we know that flu affects different age groups differently (most existing cases of bird flu are under the age of 40, with new among the elderly, unlike seasonal influenza); and a large proportion (possibly as many as... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2348177 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:52:23 +0100 2348177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2310021&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FrPzUfqpVB-k%2Fmore_on_the_science_of_the_inf.php If you had a prowler at your house you'd call the police. You'd want them to come. But what if they sent a SWAT Team, surrounded the house and blasted it from all sides. Not good. That seems to be something like the scenario for a response to a class of virulent influenza viruses. They trip the alarm and the army descends and levels the house. The prowler is taken care of. So are you. The phenomenon has acquired the name "cytokine storm," although a better description might be immune system dysregulation. Your immune system has a lot of powerful weapons to protect you, but like a police force you want them used lawfully and appropriately. This week scientists at the St. Judes flu group in Memphis published an intriguing paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences with the ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2310021 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:36:37 +0100 2310021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2271230&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fu63y7O8P9s8%2Fsomething_to_fear_from_fear_of.php There is an attitude toward the prospects of an influenza pandemic and what, or what not, to do about it that I have little patience with. We saw examples a couple of years ago with the writings of Wendy Orent and Marc Siegel and now it is surfacing again from Philip Alcabes, in an op ed in the Washington Post over the weekend. All three are smart and well informed -- but that doesn't prevent them from being wrong headed. The Alcabes piece, ironically entitled "5 Myths About Pandemic Panic" is either built on myths or strawmen, take your pick. Here is my commentary on the "5 Myths": Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2271230 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:20:33 +0100 2271230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2272388&cid=t_99408_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FSm23WPzaGzY%2F Caught an interesting article recently that wondered what happened to all of our fears about disease outbreaks. You remember the hoopla over SARS, West Nile, and the Avian flu? For a while, that’s all anyone could talk about. We were watching the crows in our backyard closely because if you saw one dead it could mean the West Nile virus had killed it. People were buying surgical masks and staying away from standing water. But now, just a few years later, talk of these diseases is almost nonexistent. The article questioned where this was due to an actual decline in these diseases, or less media attention. Given the state of the economy and healthcare status in the U.S., it seems that the attention has simply shifted. We can only worry about so many things at one time, and when you do... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2272388 Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:23:10 +0100 2272388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240677&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fn1RjG_EFNG4%2Fhow_much_human_bird_flu_in_ind.php Flu season is in full swing and cases of bird flu seem to follow the same kind of seasonal pattern as "ordinary" flu. Last year more than half the reported human bird flu cases were in Indoesia. But the Indonesian health minister has already warned the world she was only going to tell us what was happening with human bird flu in her country when she felt like it, and apparently she doesn't feel like telling anyone. In December of 2007 (last flu season) Indonesia officially reported 4 cases of bird flu and the following month, January 2008, 9 more. February 2008 brought another 3. This flu season Indonesia has reported only four cases (2 in November, 2 in December). Nothing at all for calendar year 2009, while 14 cases have occurred elsewhwere. We know from local press reports and the assid... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240677 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:38:25 +0100 2240677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240681&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F4hQvGw9ddhQ%2Fpiggy-backing_flu_on_smallpox.php There is as yet no pandemic bird flu vaccine but there are a lot of potential vaccines. The recent fiasco involving Baxter International (here, here) involved one in development. There are many more. They employ old and new technologies and are in various stages, a few in early clinical trials. Many more are in the pre-clinical (animal or test tube) phase, although they are frequently reported in the news because the company developing it wants to attract support or publicity. I often don't pay attention to announcements of "breakthroughs" that are successful in mice. Many vaccines work in mice but not in humans or work in mice and can't be used in humans because of side effects. This weekend we are brought news of yet another of these. It was also announced at a press conference, but no c... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240681 Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:33:56 +0100 2240681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240686&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fd9JvK095Lpw%2Fquestions_about_bird_flu_conta.php As I write this the story is still hazy [see Addendum] but it sounds like the kind of colossal screw-up we had four years ago when the American College of Pathology sent a pandemic flu strain (H2N2) to thousands of clinical and hospital laboratories as part of routine competency testing (see here, here, here). That was inattention by CDC, whose Director was mesmerized by the bioterrorism phantom and couldn't see beyond them. This time it's a vaccine maker and the cock-up sounds pretty horrendous, although it is hard to figure out exactly what has happened given the incomplete descriptions and lack of information from the parties involved: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240686 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:42:42 +0100 2240686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2240687&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FSYR-DOxFqPw%2Fis_the_pandemic_flu_vaccine_gl.php A just released report on world wide vaccine production capacity says . . . if you don't have access to the report (and I don't, as yet), what it says depends on which news source you want to read. For example you can read Reuters (the glass half full wire service stroy) or Agence France Presse (the glass half empty wire service study). Here are the ledes in each: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2240687 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:50:51 +0100 2240687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2163529&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F2a2hczqa66c%2Fflu_and_the_news_business.php The question of reporting on flu comes up here from time to time and one of those times was a few days ago. In a post on the low path bird flu outbreaks in British Columbia's Fraser Valley we raised a number of questions we thought should have been asked by the Canadian Press's reporter. We drew a comparison with the exemplary reporting for the same wire service (Canadian Press) by Helen Branswell, generally regarded by flu folks as the best reporter on the subject (there are also other extremely good reporters, among them Maggie Fox at Reuters and John Lauerman at Bloomberg, to name just two). Ms. Branswell took the time to comment on that post, and lest her words get lost in the comment thread, here they are again: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2163529 Thu, 05 Feb 2009 12:24:22 +0100 2163529 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2152862&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fv6lq6vWt1_I%2Fthe_mystery_of_fraser_valley_c.php Yesterday there was a fairly long story from the wire service Canadian Press that wasn't written by their ace flu reporter, Helen Branswell. It carried the byline of Greg Joyce. I'll come back to why I mention this at the end of this post, but first, here's what it was about: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2152862 Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:15:47 +0100 2152862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2125248&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2Fzf1T_1yhI2g%2Fchina_syndrome.php Readers want to know what I think about the bird flu situation in China, where four human cases have been reported in the last couple of weeks. I haven't said anything about it so far, which is normal for me. I usually like to wait for more information. There are dedicated and smart flu bloggers out there who spend more time collecting scraps of information than I do. Check out fluwiki forum and CureEvents, for the latest word, all accurately reported by top rank flu bloggers like crof and Mike and a number of others (it is dangerous to start naming people because you inevitably leave out high quality sources; the blog roll on the side bar has more). I can't improve on what these folks do and I see my role as different: taking a step back and adding some perspective. Not everyone agrees wi... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2125248 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:06:23 +0100 2125248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2113372&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2FrrNuUiu_Jws%2Fdemfromcts_flu_and_you_part_ii.php DemFromCT has Flu and You, Part II up over at DailyKos. As with Part I, it is well worth reading. It implicitly raises an extraordinarily important issue -- the crucial value of the public health infrastructure -- and explicitly lays out a vital part of it, the public health laboratory network. Next week Dem plans Part III, where he will interview us on this. It is an opportunity for us to get our thoughts together on a subject we have often promoted but haven't spelled out. I'll keep you posted on the plans. Meanwhile, pop over to DailyKos and have a read. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2113372 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:21:11 +0100 2113372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077704&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F499435836%2Fanother_flu_paper_that_unlocks.php Every couple of months a major flu paper appears purporting to reveal why the 1918 H1N1 virus was so horrifically virulent in comparison to the other pandemic viruses of the last century, H2N2 (1957 pandemic) and H3N2 (1968 pandemic). It's not just the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus that made it so deadly. There's still lots of H1N1 around, even as I tap this keyboard, but it isn't as virulent as the 1918 variety. Why not? If we knew the answer we might be able to spot a genetic change in circulating viruses indicating a turn toward virulence or find a drug or vaccine solution to treating its worst effects. And we would understand more about flu, a major public health virus. This week we were treated to another paper of this variety. Typical headline: Researchers unlock secrets of 1... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077704 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:47:46 +0100 2077704 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077707&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F497235710%2Ftoday_is_bird_flus_birthday.php As far as the world is concerned, if any day can be said to be bird flu's birthday, it's today. The disease of birds doctors call influenza A subtype H5N1 may have had a long gestation period, but we're not sure how long. A form of the virus deadly to poultry was isolated from a goose in southern China (Guangdong province) in 1996, marking the first time the highly pathogenic form of the H5 bird virus poked its head above water for us to see. How long it had "been around" before that we don't know. Then in May, 1997, a three year old tot in Hong Kong came down with a flu-like illness that got worse and worse. He died a hard and painful death 12 days after onset. Tests showed it was an influenza A virus, but not the kind that usually infected humans (H1, H2 or H3). It was an unidentified su... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077707 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:24:54 +0100 2077707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2078998&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Falchemy-under-the-spotlight.html This week, The Alchemist is digging in the dirt to find out about the carbon cycle and climate change, taking his whisky (or is it whiskey) with or without water, and discovering how to juggle molecules, on the other hand. Also in biochemical news this week, the crystal structure of a plant hormone receptor is revealed while researchers in Israel focus on blocking the protein misfolding that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. And, under the December physical sciences Spotlight It’s all in the marine mix - Mixing of surface waters in the Atlantic Ocean seems to have reverted in the winter of 2007/2008 to “normal” levels for the first time in almost a decade… Well, wooden you know? - New materials that look and behave like plastics can be produced from a renewable r... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2078998 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:00:05 +0100 2078998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2052605&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F489625651%2Fbird_flu_tis_the_season.php It should surprise no one that bird flu is back in Asia, not just in poultry but in people. That's because it's flu season and the bird flu virus, has been "out there" all along, simmering in the rich broth of aquatic and landbased birds. There are new outbreaks in India, China, Cambodia, and Hong Kong and deaths in humans in Cambodia, Indonesia and Egypt. India: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2052605 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:32:38 +0100 2052605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2011870&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fneon-signs.html As regular readers know, I like to keep a fairly close eye on what Sciencebase visitors are searching for so that I can put together new posts that provide answers to the questions readers want answering. Recently, there has been a spate of search queries related to neon signs. Perhaps not the most exciting of subjects, but there is some nice chemistry to be learned from all the different colours available, so I thought I’d shed some light on the subject of noble gas illumination. Incidentally, for those unaware of the history of noble gases, they were at one time known as inert gases because chemists though their full outer shell of electrons made them unreactive. As more and more reactions for these so-called inert gases were discovered, it became necessary to give them another lab... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2011870 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:18:34 +0100 2011870 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1998862&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F469302115%2Fbird_flu_resistant_gm_chickens.php Genetically modified crops is not a special interest of mine, which is a good thing because once you get into that controversy you are like the worker who gets his sleeve caught in the machine: before long you are dragged into the gears and badly mauled. I'm not reflexively against it. I recognize that what GM advocates have been saying has more than a grain of truth: we've been engaged in genetic engineering of crops since agriculture was domesticated. Modern genetic techniques have amplified that ability by orders of magnitude, but the result is the same. We are purposely altering the genetic make-up of an organism to serve human purposes. But of course it isn't as simple as that. I am broaching the subject, with some trepidation, because now the subject of GM chickens designed to be res... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1998862 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:47:51 +0100 1998862 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1984741&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F463843434%2Fpoultry_monoculture.php Public health scientists and professionals have human health and welfare at the center of our concerns. But we have learned that the human species is part of a tightly connected web of other living species and we are all roaming around in a common environment, the surface of the earth. Avian influenza is a good case in point. The influenza virus is mainly a parasite of birds but some forms also infect humans and some infect both. The influenza/A subtype designated H5N1 ("bird flu") is a case in point. It devastates terrestrial birds, like poultry, and when it infects humans it has a truly horrific case fatality ratio, Ebola-like in magnitude and effect. But it's not just the effect of the virus on us that is of public health concern. Poultry is one of the major sources of affordable protei... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1984741 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:31:22 +0100 1984741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1963903&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F453958686%2Fmore_on_the_human_trials_of_a.php One of the good things about the pandemic flu threat (if you'll let me put it that way) is the stimulus it has provided for vaccine technology. While current flu vaccines are still mired in horse and buggy technology of egg-based production, all sorts of alternative ways of making antigen or stimulating an immune response are being worked on. Most of them involve the major antigens of the flu virus, hemagglutinin (the H part of subtype designation) and neuriminidase (the N part). They are on the viral surface and easily "seen" by the immune system. There is also a little bit of another surface protein, called M2 that is visible on the surface. M2 is an ion-channel protein that is involved in the uncoating of the virus once it is engulfed by the cell. In the more acid environment of the lit... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1963903 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:24:24 +0100 1963903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961655&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fvitamin-d-dilemma.html Radiological health expert Daniel Hayes who works at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recent published on the subject of low dose radiation and the possibility that a form of vitamin D could be the key to protecting us from background radiation and perhaps save lives following a nuclear incident or terrorist attack involving a so-called dirty bomb. Hayes explains that calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, could be the oral agent, that medics have been searching for to provide a quick, simple, and inexpensive way to protect us when the warning sirens sound. Having spoken to various researchers with markedly different views on vitamin D, its benefits and its its potentially detrimental effects on health, I wasn’t too sure about how adding yet another dietar... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961655 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:37 +0100 1961655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960554&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F452888933%2Fputting_flu_virus_on_the_no_fl.php The idea of stopping flu "at the border" has received almost uniformly bad reviews from public health experts. Once human to human transmission starts we won't be able to stop it by closing our borders, although we likely will cause the usual unintended consequences, like preventing vital personnel and supplies from getting to where we need them. At least if we do it in the usual ham handed way this administration is famous for. We learn via CIDRAP News that federal officials are still willing to give a "risk-based border strategy" (RBBS) a go, at least in the form of an exercise. Now, at least, the objective is vastly scaled down. It is just to slow spread enough to give a little extra time to prepare and "educate" the public: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960554 Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:13:42 +0100 1960554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1960555&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F452196611%2Ftamiflu_down_the_drain_1.php If there's an influenza pandemic in the near future all bets are off when it comes to unplanned for consequences. Well, maybe not all bets. Right now the only oral antiviral likely to have any effectiveness in a pandemic is oseltamivir (Tamiflu), although how effective and how long it would retain any effectiveness is in question. But there's a lot of it out there and it will be taken in high volume and, either in its capsule form [oseltamivir ethylester-phosphate (OE-P)] or its active form [oseltamivir carboxylate (OC)], excreted into the sewer system in massive quantities (discussed here and here in previous posts). The UK has already stockpiled almost 15 million courses of treatment (10 capsules), amounting to 11 metric tons of OE-P. In a pandemic almost all of this could be used in a 9... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1960555 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:51:15 +0100 1960555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1947064&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F446463624%2Fbird_flu_and_blood_cells.php One nasty (and usually fatal) consequence of infection with bird flu (influenza A/H5N1) in humans is that the virus doesn't just infect the lungs but becomes disseminated to many different organs. We know that a bird-like receptor that the virus can use to get into cells is found in several other organs, including the lining of blood vessels and neural tissues. Central nervous system involvement is frequently a hallmark of fatal bird flu cases. The virus probably gets to a lot of other organs, as well. But how? An examination of the blood of a fatal case in a pregnant woman suggests answer -- white blood cells: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1947064 Sat, 08 Nov 2008 12:03:06 +0100 1947064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1945168&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F445450402%2Fbird_flu_virus_interfering_wit.php The virulent influenza A subtype H5N1, known colloquially as bird flu, has caused sporadic cases of human disease but has not yet become a pandemic strain. There are several things which still separate H5N11 from the kind of seasonal influenza infections that are a serious periodic public health threat to humans. A significant population immunity to the seasonal virus subtypes is probably a major factor preventing seasonal flu from being the pandemic monster that the 1918 flu became. But there are other differences, too. H5N1 currently seems to prefer birds to humans, a second difference. We are only just beginning to unravel the reasons for species preference in influenza viruses. Even when the occasional person becomes infected with H5N1, there seems to be much less chance to transmit t... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1945168 Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:40:34 +0100 1945168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1908042&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fopen-access-in-africa.html There is much talk about Open Access. There are those in academia who argue the pros extensively in all fields, biology, chemistry, computing. Protagonists are making massive efforts to convert users to this essentially non-commercial form of information and knowledge. Conversely, there are those in the commercial world who ask, who will pay for OA endeavours and how can growth (current recession and credit crunch aside) continue in a capitalist, democratic society, without the opportunity to profit from one’s intellectual property. Those for and against weigh up both sides of the argument repeatedly. However, they often neglect one aspect of the concept of Open Access: how they might extend it to the developing nations, to what ends, and with what benefits. Writing in a forthcoming ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1908042 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:05:43 +0100 1908042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905813&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F429546762%2Fbird_flu_reminder.php With the advent of flu season the perennial question of the "next pandemic" is again making an appearance, although I think it is more of a cameo appearance than a substantive one. WHO, CDC and numerous state health departments are warning citizens about seasonal flu, still a major public health problem, and the continuing threat of emergence of a novel flu virus to which the earth's population has little or no immunity. There is something both plaintive and formulaic about these warnings. Seasonal flu is with us every flu season (hence its name) and the feared pandemic of bird flu has yet to materialize. Meanwhile there are great many "important things" claiming our attention, not the least of which is a global financial system in meltdown. People have been warning of a potential financia... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905813 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:05:35 +0100 1905813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873000&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F418844720%2Fbird_flu_bird_brains_and_bush.php I am still trying to retrieve my lower jaw from the floor, where it fell after reading this: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873000 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:40:16 +0100 1873000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859425&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F412723284%2Fred_flag_on_the_flu_vaccine_fr.php A story in CIDRAP News by the always excellent science journalist Maryn McKenna provides food for thought:. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859425 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:35:12 +0100 1859425 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1855978&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F412121677%2Fwho_behaving_badly_again.php An article in The Straits Times from newswire Associated Press (AP) drew my attention to a festering disagreement between proponents of an innovative global sharing initiative for influenza information and the World Health Organization, the official UN Agency that has run the global influenza surveillance system for more than a half century. The new system, The Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID), began midway through 2006 and has made rapid progress. It came into being to deal with dissatisfaction with the existing system wherein WHO allowed influenza gene sequence information to be deposited in a restricted access database at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This was an improvement over the conventional practices of many leading flu scientists who kept their ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1855978 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:29:10 +0100 1855978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1785833&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F388588595%2Findonesia_reports_two_bird_flu.php We're well into September and flu season is approaching. Seasonal likely won't peak for another four or five months in the US and Europe but we should expect to start seeing cases in the northern hemisphere soon. A pandemic strain could happen at any time. The 1918 flu's second wave started in late August, so the timing of the start of a pandemic is not so predictable. At least one things seems certain, however. We shouldn't expect to see it starting in the current hot spot for human bird flu, Indonesia. Because the Indonesian government, in the person of Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, is batching their bird flu death reports to 6 month intervals. This is a violation of the International Health Regulations but Indonesia doesn't seem to care. They just decide on their own which intern... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1785833 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:20:14 +0100 1785833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1768816&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F384132021%2Fthe_complexity_of_the_spread_o.php When influenza viruses with different genetic make-up co-infect a cell there is the possibility that they will mix their genetic endowments. The influenza virus is designed to do only one thing: make a copy of itself. It does this by tricking the host's protein manufacturing machinery to use the virus's genetic blueprint to make a viral copy. Influenza genes come in eight discrete packages and at some point these genetic segments are naked in the cell. If the segments of two viruses are in the cell at the same time the segments can mix and match, with some of the segments of one virus being packaged in the progeny viruses with segments from the other virus. This is called reassortment of gene segments. It is a major mechanism of genetic variation in flu viruses. Two of the segments have co... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1768816 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:48:11 +0100 1768816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1738997&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F376105593%2Fcdc_and_st_judes_worse_than_in.php I have been severely critical (many posts among those here) of the Indonesian government's irresponsible assertions of ownership of potentially pandemic pathogenic viruses isolated from their citizens. The question of Intellectual Property is a difficult one in many instances but when it comes to a public good involving a global scourge, some of the gray areas become more black and white. The world has been struggling with the issue regarding the global influenza surveillance system for two years now, precipitated by Indonesia's refusal to cooperate any longer, resulting in a significant gap in scientific knowledge about the genetics and biology of avian influenza in humans. Indonesia is now the world's hotspot for the disease so its non-cooperation is a potentially serious problem. Henc... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1738997 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0100 1738997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1676933&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F354631307%2Fbird_flu_test_saves_australian.php We have numerous examples of basic science that becomes unexpectedly useful and other examples of how veterinary science is useful to human health. Once you begin to understand how the world works it gives you tools that can be extended. The first stick used to knock a banana off a tree proved useful for lots of other things as well -- for example, whacking another monkey trying to poach on your personal banana patch (the Second Amendment of the Monkey Constitution gives all primates the Right to carry a club). So it's not such a big surprise that work on bird flu to save humans might have had its first success in saving horses:. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1676933 Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:25:29 +0100 1676933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1671452&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F351460741%2Fbird_flu_virus_in_the_environm.php There's a tremendous amount of influenza A/H5N1 ("bird flu" virus) all over southeast asia and other areas where the virus is endemic in poultry. Where is this virus, exactly? We know it's in the infected birds and in their respiratory secretions and feces. We know it occasionally infects mammals (including humans). Is it found in the environment? We know very little about this, although there is good evidence it is in water where aquatic birds like ducks spend time and likely one way the virus is spread from bird to bird. In lab experiments, the virus remains intact on inanimate surfaces for many days. What about in the "real world"? A paper just published in CDC's journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, makes a small beginning to find out by examining mud, pond water, water plants, and so... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1671452 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:28:48 +0100 1671452 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652259&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F344476389%2Fwhy_should_the_military_get_a.php The headline said, "Vaccination plan puts health care workers first," but you had to read the article to find out who goes next: the military. This according to the Guidance on allocating and targeting pandemic influenza vaccine released yesterday by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The guidance is premised on the assumption that in the early phases of a pandemic, any vaccine will be in short supply and will need to be rationed. The document gives "strong advice" on how DHHS thinks this rationing should take place, although much is left unexplained. Since the allocation to states will come from a national stockpile, the strong advice will have some weight. Moreover, some of the vaccine will be taken "off the top" for federal government use and this will not be subject... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652259 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:44:39 +0100 1652259 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649079&cid=t_99408_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fhnblog.pl%3Fhnblog%3D722081 The UK's House of Lords has warned that a bird flu pandemic could kill 75,000 Britons and as many as 50 million people worldwide. A new and potentially deadly infectious disease emerges somewhere in the world every year, threatening "devastating consequences" across the globe, warns the Lords intergovernmental organisations committee. Its report, published today, criticises Britain's "poorly coordinated" disease control systems. Reform of the World Health Organisation (WHO) is "essential", as the global health agency is "dysfunctional" and lacking the organisation and resources to curb a major outbreak, it says. The committee calls for new international disease surveillance systems in developing countries. The report says peers were given the following "sobering" advice by government ... HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649079 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1649079 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1605833&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F331694463%2Fnature_looks_at_the_status_of.php I always cringe when I see headlines that say, "Whatever happened to bird flu?" Usually what comes next is a recital of other "scares" that never materialized, the poster child being Y2K (although it has been strongly argued that the reason Y2K didn't happen was precisely because the business world prevented it with a sustained and intense effort). The article in question, however, just appearing in Nature magazine, still the world's pre-eminent science journal, is authored by one of Nature's senior correspondents, Declan Butler, the same journalist writing in the same journal who helped put avian influenza on the public map as a top public health worry back in 2005 (see our post on that event, here). So it's interesting to see his take on the problem better than three years after Nature's... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1605833 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:03:07 +0100 1605833 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1593752&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F328796209%2Ftamiflu_and_1984_newspeak.php So Roche Pharmaceuticals now has sufficient productive capacity to make their influenza antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir) meet demand. More than enough, it appears, since they now have come up with a new scheme to unload some of their inventory before its 3 year shelf life expires and to keep turning over the inventory year after year, whether or not there is a demand in any particular year: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1593752 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:09:49 +0100 1593752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1546980&cid=t_99408_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F320732557%2F The bird flu pandemic has failed to materialize, which is putting a damper on Roche’s hope for huge sales of its Tamiflu med. So the drugmaker is offering the equivalent of a blue-light special to corporate America - pay an annual fee and reserve enough Tamiflu to protect every worker if a pandemic strikes. The fee will be $6 for each course of treatment. The plan comes as Washington tries to convince businesses to stockpile drugs in the event of a pandemic and to supplement national stockpiles that can treat only part of the population. Of course, stockpiling is expensive, because it requires rotating in new supplies whenever doses expire. Roche argues its plan makes it easier to invest in Tamiflu. If and when a company decides to take possession of the medicine – for example, i... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1546980 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:57:29 +0100 1546980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543042&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F319650483%2Fwhy_fever_screening_at_airport.php In our earlier discussion of the science behind greenhouse gases we pointed out that all objects radiate electromagnetic radiation, doing so at a peak wavelength dependent upon their surface temperatures. That means two things. One is that things at the usual temperatures in our world are radiating EM radiation at wavelengths characteristic of the far infrared region. The other is that by measuring the intensity of infrared you can also measure the surface temperature of the body without touching it. Commercial devices are touted as highly accurate. Clinicians use them to measure body "core temperatures" by sticking an infrared sensor in your ear and measuring the infrared (IR) coming off your eardrum. Public health officials have talked about using the same technique at airports or other ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543042 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:35:28 +0100 1543042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1544490&cid=t_99408_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fbird-flu-flap.html I’m not entirely convinced that bird flu (avian influenza) is going to be the next big emergent disease that will wipe out thousands, if not millions, of people across the globe. SARS, after all, had nothing to do with avians, nor does HIV, and certainly not malaria, tuberculosis, MRSA, Escherichia coli O157, or any of dozens of virulent strains of disease that have and are killing millions of people. There are just so many different types of host within which novel microbial organisms and parasites might be lurking, just waiting for humans to impinge on their marginal domains, to chop down that last tree, to hunt their predators to extinction, and to wreak all-round environmental habitat on their ecosystems, that it is actually only a matter of time before something far worse than a... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1544490 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:51 +0100 1544490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1537852&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F318052933%2Fthe_problem_of_testing_the_eff.php There is a great deal of activity on the bird flu vaccine front. Several different new techniques to make vaccines are being tested and so are additives to vaccines, called adjuvants, that boost the ability of the preparation to induce the body to make sufficient antibodies to protect us against infection. The smaller the dose needed for protection, the more people can be vaccinated for a given amount of production. Since we are talking about enough productive capacity to vaccinate a significant proportion of the world's population in the event of a catastrophic pandemic, this is obviously a critical issue. When it comes to bird flu, the subtype of influenza A in birds designated H5N1, there is a special problem in determining whether the vaccine is effective or not and at what dose. Since... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1537852 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:39:17 +0100 1537852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1535681&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F316883653%2Fnot_even_national_lampoon_woul.php The beach in Indonesia may look nice, but don't let that distract you: There is an English word for deliberately neglecting to tell people something they have asked you about. It's called lying. On that basis, the Indonesian government, primarily in the person of their Minister of Health, Siti Fadillah Supari, are liars. They have publicly declared their intention to lie by announcing they will no longer notify the world promptly about new human cases of bird flu. The acknowledged motive is to improve the reputation of Indonesia in the eyes of the world. Currently the country is the world's hotspot for human bird flu. Whether they announce new cases or not, it will continue to be the world's hot spot for bird flu. And frankly, anyone who doesn't absolutely have to travel there would be ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1535681 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:02:58 +0100 1535681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1512085&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F310369801%2Findonesias_public_health_apost.php Crof, over at H5N1, has an important piece on Indonesia that is worth thinking about. He observes something that lots of us haven't paid attention to: Indonesia hasn't been notifying the UN agency on animal health, the OIE, about bird flu outbreaks in poultry for almost two years: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1512085 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:22:01 +0100 1512085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1499855&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F306052255%2Fbeware_indonesian_health_minis.php The Indonesian Health Minister, Siti Fadilah Supari, has figured out how to deal with her country's reputation as being the bird flu capital of the world. She isn't going to announce deaths from the disease as they happen: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1499855 Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:29:47 +0100 1499855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1475089&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F299930150%2Fmore_about_the_adapting_bird_f.php Stories on the wires this weekend highlight a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggesting that some bird flu viruses are adapting to the human respiratory tract, thought to be a prelude to increased transmissibility and possibly ushering in a pandemic of influenza in humans. We need to sort out a number of things here, beginning with the idea that "avian influenza viruses" are mutating in a way woy to make humans more vulnerable. Let's take it apart. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1475089 Wed, 28 May 2008 16:31:12 +0100 1475089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1465982&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F297199889%2Fbangladeshs_used_car.php Bangladesh now has its first confirmed human case of avian influenza. That's news. Maybe: Bangladesh announced its first human case of bird flu on Friday in a 16-month-old baby boy, bringing the number of countries which have recorded human infections to 15. Avian Influenza has already spread through 47 of Bangladesh's 64 districts and concerned Indian authorities say when the disease is so widespread in poultry, it is really a matter of time before humans start getting infected. (Times of India) Specimens from the case had been sent to CDC in the US and the diagnosis confirmed by WHO. So why is it news "maybe"? This case goes back to January. The virus has been devastating poultry in the country since March 2007. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1465982 Sat, 24 May 2008 13:53:13 +0100 1465982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1451726&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F293000197%2Fwhere_in_the_world_is_the_h5n1_1.php Almost all stories in the news about H5N1 (bird flu) have some obligatory line in them, "It is believed that all or almost all human cases come from contact with infected poultry." This is like a mantra of many public health officials and I suspect some reporters have the requisite disclaimer as a cut and paste text they mechanically insert into their stories. But it isn't true. There are an awful lot of human cases for which no poultry source has ever been located and we have yet another example in the latest Indonesia cases: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1451726 Sun, 18 May 2008 20:03:45 +0100 1451726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1445924&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F291161814%2Fbad_behavior_in_the_world_of_f.php Last week WHO's flu maven, Keiji Fukuda, said what we and others have been saying for a long time. Flu scientists need to change their research ethics. The world of flu virology has developed a mandarinate that is impeding progress for its own benefit. And their bad behavior is enabled and imitated by some public health agencies, like CDC. Researchers and CDC are sitting on H5N1 genetic and other flu sequences of public health importance. They treat their data as proprietary, to be used for their own benefit in scientific publications. This isn't unusual. It is the normal way of doing academic science. But when it comes to research on one of the major global public health problems this is no longer acceptable. And WHO is saying so, gently but clearly: Read the rest of this post... | Read... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1445924 Thu, 15 May 2008 20:26:02 +0100 1445924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1423066&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F284600457%2Fpandemic_doctors_dilemma.php The AP has a story that a task force composed of medical and other experts from academia, professional groups, the military and government executive branches and agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services has been considering how to ration scarce medical resources in the event of a pandemic. Before I give you their suggested answer I want to consider the underlying problem. This may be too abstract a way for some to think about this, but it is the logical bare bones of the matter. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1423066 Tue, 06 May 2008 12:56:19 +0100 1423066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1399109&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F277571395%2Fnaming_a_bird_flu_virus.php For years we have been naming flu viruses in a particular way. Now Declan Butler has a news article in Nature observing that the system is being modified for bird flu to be more "politically correct." What is the system that's being modified (still in use for seasonal flu)? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1399109 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:07:31 +0100 1399109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1396136&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F276845604%2Fimportant_new_flu_paper_in_cel_2.php In the previous two posts (here and here) we laid out some new results that dissect what might be happening at the molecular level when a patient infected with SARS or bird flu descends into Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) from Acute Lung Injury (ALI) in a just published paper in the journal Cell (Imai et al., "Identification of Oxidative Stress and Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling as a Key Pathway of Acute Lung Injury", Cell, Vol 133, 235-249, 18 April 2008). We have already discussed their experiments showing that TLR4, a receptor that is part of the innate immune system, was needed for ALI caused by an acid mist; and that a locally released cytokine, IL-6, was connected with whatever was going on. We left off at the point where we were presenting the evidence connecting activat... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1396136 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:21:42 +0100 1396136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1390976&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F275338181%2Fimportant_new_flu_paper_in_cel.php The cells of your body don't just sit there, unmindful of what is going on around them. They have to respond to things, even cooperate with other cells to get things done for the common good. Humans do the same thing. We've developed a system of signaling to each other using an intricate vocal system, a complex grammar, ears, eyes and smell detecting systems. It's a very complicated package with a lot of moving parts. It's not so surprising, then, that cells also have complex signaling systems with a lot of parts that they use to respond to their environment. Just as we sometimes make a coordinated response to something in our lives (I touch a hot stove or I have a fight or flight response to a threatening situation), so do cells respond to their environment (there is a virus touching my c... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1390976 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:13:36 +0100 1390976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379348&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F272117855%2Fpandemic_flu_no_worse_than_sea.php Peter Doshi has a bone to pick with CDC . His particular idée fixe is that CDC is cooking the books on their estimates of excess mortality attributable to influenza and he aims to set the record straight. He's done it before. Doshi is not the kind of critic CDC is used to. He is a graduate student, not an established public health figure. But he's no shrinking violet and is getting in CDC's face again in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health. This time Doshi extends his criticism to imply CDC is pandemic fear mongering, perhaps in collusion with Big Pharma. This has been interpreted in the press as saying "a new study" suggests we don't have much to fear even if a pandemic materializes because a pandemic is no worse than seasonal influenza. Read the rest of this po... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379348 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:34:49 +0100 1379348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373384&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F270643641%2Findonesia_bird_flu_viruses_and.php US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt, is in Indonesia to discuss matters of mutual interest with the Indonesian government. Topic number one was the Indonesian government's opt out of the international influenza surveillance system which has been in place for almost 60 years and provides vital information on what flu strains to include in the next year's seasonal flu shots. But the system is not limited to seasonal influenza and is an important part of the global surveillance of all influenza viruses that might be of human health concern, chiefly among the non-seasonal subtypes, the avian influenza virus H5N1 (bird flu). The Indonesians in the person of Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari refused to provide clinical specimens from humans and poultry, beginning at the ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373384 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:04:09 +0100 1373384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1370706&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F269974100%2Fpandemic_model_paper_is_not_mo.php I'm a supporter of mathematical modeling as another way to get a handle on what might happen in an influenza pandemic. But a recent paper by the group at London's Imperial College, published in Nature, shows what can happen when modelers allow their work to bear more weight than it can sustain. When a prestigious scientific journal, Nature, publishes such a paper, it also gets attention it wouldn't get if published in a more appropriate place -- meaning a place where its scientific contribution could be judged in the usual way, not under the glare of global publicity. I'm not blaming the wire services. The reporting on this paper is pretty high quality. I am blaming the scientists and the journal. But first, a sketch of the findings: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on thi... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1370706 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:47:09 +0100 1370706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1366612&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F268327696%2Fvagrant_birds_and_bird_flu.php I have professional colleagues who are dedicated birders but it has never interested me, and their interests are mainly independent of their lives as epidemiologists, toxicologists or whatever else they do at work. But the biosphere is truly interconnected in strange ways and sometimes what seems an unrelated realm intrudes itself front and center in a different context. Bird migration is a good example. How is bird flu spread? Is it human enabled movements of infected poultry or the rare bird trade? Or is it the "natural" movements of wild, migratory birds, the natural reservoir for the avian influenza virus? This question has stimulated increased attention to bird migration, something that many of us thought was well-known and well-mapped out, but in reality seems to be only crudely know... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1366612 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:45:47 +0100 1366612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1360528&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F266957227%2Fbird_flu_staying_calm_about_pa.php If you pay attention to the latest news about bird flu I will not be telling you anything new that there is a detailed description in The Lancet (a British medical journal) of a case in China of probable person to person transmission of bird flu. You can get details from the incomparable reporting of Helen Branswell (Canadian Press), James Macintyre (The Independent), Deborah MacKenzie (New Scientist) or your favorite wire service. You don't need this blog for the facts, although we also try to provide you with some of those, too. What we try to do is always add some value. Usually it's just an observation or our own twist or sometimes just a related observation. That will be the case, here, too. But first we'll give you the facts: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1360528 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:08:41 +0100 1360528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391078&cid=t_99408_87_f&fid=35060&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthnewsblog.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Fhnblog.pl%3Fhnblog%3D405081 Indonesia has been the hardest hit country in the battle against bird flu. They recently suffered their 100th fatality from the deadly H5N1 virus. Containment is the best method we have to keep bird flu from mutating into a form that spreads easily from human-to-human. The BBC reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) says Indonesia will need more help in its battle against the disease. The virus is endemic in Java, Sumatra, Bali and southern Sulawesi with sporadic outbreaks reported from other areas, the FAO said. By June 2008, more than 2,000 surveillance and response teams will be active in more than 300 districts in areas of the country where the disease is endemic, Mr Domenech said. But that may not be enough. "Indonesia is facing an uphill battle against a virus that is d... HealthNewsBlog.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391078 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:00:00 +0100 1391078 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349457&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F263888760%2Fflu_preparedness_and_pregnancy.php One of the least talked about problems in pandemic preparedness planning is that even if there is flu all around us and the health care system is struggling (and almost certainly failing) to handle the resulting demand of patients, people will still be getting sick from the usual things (heart attacks, strokes, etc.), having accidents, and yes, getting pregnant. There is pretty good reason to think that getting the flu when pregnant is even worse than getting the flu otherwise. A pregnant woman's immune system reacts differently because of the special circumstance of accommodating the foreign antigens represented by the fetus. Evidence from past pandemics suggests that the risk is not only higher but very high for pregnant women during a pandemic. And this has CDC worried. Helen Branswel... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349457 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:07:05 +0100 1349457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347300&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F263284680%2Fflu_in_dogs_again_but_not_h5n1.php The index case was a 5 year old Miniature Schnauzer with 5 days of nasal discharge and sneezing. The dog recovered but the next case, a 3 year old Cocker Spaniel wasn't so lucky, nor were the 2 Korean hunting dogs (Jindos) or a 3 year old Yorkshire terrier. Then 13 dogs in a shelter started to show signs of nasal discharge, cough and high fever. Antibody studies showed that they had all been suffering from influenza infection, subtype H3N2. These cases happened in the spring and summer of 2007 (NB: this is not flu season). H3N2 is the most common subtype involved in human seasonal influenza. Is that where the virus came from? A team of Korean researchers got specimens from the schnauzer, the cocker spaniel and the Yorkshire terrier and have just reported their findings in the CDC journal, ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347300 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:17:16 +0100 1347300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344145&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F262600561%2Fpenalties_for_health_care_work.php If a worker refused to report for work because it was a demonstrably dangerous workplace they would be within their rights, with a few exceptions. One of the exceptions in some states seems to be health care workers (HCW) who refuse to work during a pandemic. A HCW, like any other worker, might not report for work for a variety of reasons: fear for their own safety, fear for the safety of their families should they bring home an infectious disease like influenza, need to care for their family if one is sick or has not caretaker (say, because the schools are closed). In at least two states, Maryland and South Carolina, those HCWs can be ordered to work. The two states in question took as their starting point a Model State Emergency Health Powers Act (MSEHPA), which, if enacted at the State ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344145 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:01:40 +0100 1344145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1337884&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F261209171%2Fyi_guan_on_stopping_a_pandemic.php Trust is not transitive, as someone recently pointed out, when reporting on the airline pilot who carried a gun into the cockpit and then accidentally or negligently discharged it and blew a hole in the plane. We had every reason to trust the pilot to be able to fly a 747, but not necessarily to handle a firearm properly. Trust isn't transitive. There is no doubt that Yi Guan, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, is an expert on H5N1 virus, its genetic lineages and surveillance for the virus in wild birds. He has reportedly screened, via cloacal swabs and fecal specimens, more than 200,000 wild and free ranging aquatic birds and poultry in China since 2000. So if he has an opinion about whether proper surveillance can stop a pandemic it is reasonable to listen to what he says and ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1337884 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:54:02 +0100 1337884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1332434&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F259548284%2Fdead_ducks_live_ducks_and_bird.php Hard on the heels of my semi-facetious prediction that bird flu would return to Germany because Germany had declared itself bird flu free, the Swiss announced an infected wild duck on the shores of Lake Sempach. Since this duck didn't have a passport on him I am sure he never strayed over the nearby border with Germany. We don't know what kind of duck this was [see update, below], a question that is of surprising interest in light of a new paper. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1332434 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:07:49 +0100 1332434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1331332&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F258933236%2Fegypt_chickens_and_indonesia.php Bird flu is a viral disease but its effects go beyond viral infection. An obvious but important fact. Consider Egypt. The first poultry cases in Egypt were only a little over two years ago, but the virus quickly took root there. The poultry infections were a harbinger of human infections, 18 that year (2006), 25 the next year, 4 so far this yar. Egypt now has more human cases of the disease than any other country outside of Asia (47 cases, 20 deaths). Like other countries with bird flu problems they also have a large population who lives in close contact with birds. Many people keep poultry in their backyards and houses and depend upon them for eggs and protein. Or at least they used to. Effective public education and the perception of risk have changed in two years a lifestyle that prob... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1331332 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:36:38 +0100 1331332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329092&cid=t_99408_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F258590308%2F  VereFluanalyser A joint venture between a microelectronics company and a medical diagnostics company has produced the world’s first “lab-on-chip” portable device for detecting various types of flu, including bird flu, at the point of need. The launch of VereFlu, described as a “breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity”, was announced on Monday by its makers, STMicroelectronics of Switzerland and Veredus Laboratories of Singapore. The device was successfully trialled at the National University Hospital of Singapore. Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity, within two hours providing genetic inf... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329092 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:22:25 +0100 1329092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329025&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F258267287%2Fgermany_free_of_bird_flu_oh_oh.php Germany has been free of bird flu in poultry for three months. I predict they are about to have another outbreak. How do I know? Because every time I see something like this it's like a signal to whatever fickle gods control these things: The German government declared on Tuesday the country is free of bird flu, with no cases of deadly H5N1 avian influenza discovered in wild birds or domestic poultry for the past three months. According to German Agriculture Ministry, the last outbreak of bird flu was in poultry in rural areas west of Berlin in December. Germany had its first brush with bird flu in February 2006. The three-month rule is applied by the World Organization for Animal Health OIE. Gerd Mueller, state secretary at the Agriculture Ministry, who has just returned from a trip ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329025 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:38:37 +0100 1329025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1324984&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F257628488%2Findonesia_and_collateral_damag.php We've covered the Indonesian refusal to cooperate with international influenza surveillance system to a fare thee well (see posts posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and links therein), so this is just an update with some additional observations how Indonesia's deplorable behavior isn't that different than the US's deplorable behavior in the Middle East. First, Indonesia. When last we checked in Indonesia had sent off half a dozen flu specimens from the period after the end of January 2007 when it started its boycott. The hope was that the influence of batshit crazy Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari was waning after the publication of her equally batshit crazy book. Apparently the problem is not yet solved: Read the rest of this post... | R... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1324984 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:51:16 +0100 1324984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1319294&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F255447768%2Fa_patch_for_flu_vaccine_produc.php While we are all waiting for the other shoe to drop and a nasty, rip roaring flu pandemic to come rushing down the tracks at us, lots of companies have jumped into the pandemic vaccine sweepstakes. Reuters reports that at least 16 companies are testing flu vaccines and probably even more are involved in some technical aspect of vaccine production. That's good, although whether it will make any significant difference except around the margins remains to be seen. Timing is everything. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1319294 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:41:37 +0100 1319294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316793&cid=t_99408_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F255062240%2F A nosh, for those of you deficient in culinary indulgences, is another way of saying snack. And nosh, we must. You will, of course, relate to the analogy that there is much to chew on, yes? So grab a cup of something hot, or a bottle of something cold, and take a bite… The widower of a New Jersey woman who died while using the Nuvaring contraceptive is suing Schering-Plough and Organon Biosciences, which made the device. Robert Bozicev claims Nuvaring, which his wife used for six months, says she collapsed, had trouble breathing and died of a blood clot. His lawyer says she had no risk factors and was in good health. The suit charges known health risks were concealed. Pfizer is closing its Groton manufacturing facility and laying off 80 workers. “The facility has ceased operati... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316793 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:12:03 +0100 1316793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1316602&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F254854864%2Fhow_not_to_deny_a_rumor_about.php I rarely report about suspected bird flu cases here, preferring to wait a couple of days to let things sort out. In the early years of this blog I did report about them in the course of time, experience and some reflection we have come to our present position. Besides, it's not necessary. There are plenty of reputable, reliable and thorough places in flublogia to get up to the minute news. Given all that, it isn't surprising we didn't say anything here about a couple of suspect imported cases in Toronto. In fact, like crof, I hadn't heard about them. Now, thanks the the denials streaming out of Toronto East General Hospital I have. And now I want to say something about the denials: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1316602 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:07 +0100 1316602 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1314045&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F254230445%2Findonesia_bird_flu_still_criti.php The chief veterinary officer of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reaffirmed what everyone paying attention already knows: the bird flu situation in Indonesia is critical. The archipelago nation is the fourth most populous country in the world fragmented geographically on 17,000 islands and politically by a disastrously decentralized government. Of its 31 provinces, FAO says 31 have reported infected poultry, and on some of the largest -- Java, Sumatra, Bali and southern Sulawesi -- it is endemic and solidly entrenched. There are an estimated 30 million poultry smallholdings in backyards everywhere. There is little control over the commercial poultry operations. As a result of a particularly egregious powerplay by the Indonesian Minister of Health, we are missing a great dea... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1314045 Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:20:14 +0100 1314045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1310965&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F253581498%2Fpandemic_flu_and_the_best_laid.php Last week The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a comprehensive pandemic flu guidance document for states, accompanying it with a web presentation, the first of three. I haven't seen the Web Seminar and only quickly perused the document, so I am commenting on the basis of a description in CIDRAP News, a reliable source. You can find the Web presentation and document at pandemicflu.gov. It is always best to see the original, so this is my take from a second hand source. Even so, I don't think our take is likely to be wildly off kilter (assuming you don't think we are always off kilter on this subject; if you do, you'll probably think so again). The federal government role is to tell the states that they are on their own -- sort of. It is clear the federal government... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1310965 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:15:04 +0100 1310965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1307644&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F252949206%2Fpandemic_on_a_table_top_at_cdc.php There are all sorts of ways to prepare for an emergency. One is to simulate it inside a computer (a computer model). But you don't have to simulate inside a computer. You can also do it in "meatspace" (aka, the real world). Dungeons and Dragons using books is one example of this. Another is to do a pandemic version of D&D. It's called a table top exercise, although the size of the table can be pretty big. Recently our wiki partner, DemFromCT (if you can call someone a partner who does all the work), observed a CDC exercise which he has described in detail over at the FluWiki Forum (here, here). Yesterday he but up a shorter but still pretty detailed version at DailyKos. Here's the scence in CDC's Emergency Operations Center (pic at DailyKos link), a room filled with operations personnel se... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1307644 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:39:26 +0100 1307644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1306508&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F252598023%2Fbiotech_wants_more_money_for_f.php The headline seemed to say it all: "Funding Issues Stymie Pandemic Preparation." Right, I thought. All the money is going in to procurement, too little into shoring up a failing public health system. Little did I know: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1306508 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:10:27 +0100 1306508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1303167&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F251332294%2Ffried_rat_its_whats_for_lunch.php There are a lot of rats in this world and they have meat on them. I always wondered why they weren't more commonly used as a human food source. Bird flu has taken care of that. Enjoy: Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1303167 Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:54:54 +0100 1303167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1300260&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F250724774%2Fwhats_up_with_h5n1_in_civets_i.php Few of us had heard of palm civets before SARS. Then these small nocturnal animals came under suspicion as the source of the human SARS virus. Civet cats were a wild animal delicacy in the area where SARS broke out and it was discovered that they were infected with the same virus as humans. Did humans give it to the civet or the other way around? Or is their some third source? Bats have been discussed for SARS. Now Vietnam is reporting, for the second time, the deaths of civets from H5N1: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1300260 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:43:54 +0100 1300260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296014&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F249747549%2Fpandemic_flu_lockdown_nonsense.php I'm an advocate of using computer models to help us think about what might or could happen during various pandemic flu scenarios, but it is a technique with drawbacks. For one, it can suggest that some things might be possible that are either very difficult to do or aren't feasible. This happened in 2005 when some models were published in Science and Nature that suggested a pandemic could be nipped in the bud before it started. Most people thought that what was required was unrealistic but it put WHO in a bind. They had to marshal their resources to show they were willing to try or go down valiantly. These models can also be misunderstood or some results taken out of a very nuanced context for a good headline. That's what has happened for a really interesting modeling exercise that was jus... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296014 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:09:57 +0100 1296014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1286168&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F247375387%2Fhow_to_test_for_counterfeit_ta.php There are a lot of open questions about the influenza antiviral drug oseltamivir ("Tamiflu"), among them whether it works at all for bird flu (highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1), and if it does, whether resistance will develop making it ineffective. But all the questions have a common assumption: that the patient is actually taking Tamiflu. How would you know if you were or not? Because the bottle says so? Not necessarily. In December 2005 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers seized 51 shipments they said were counterfeit Tamiflu pills at their air mail facility in San Francisco. These were ordered by individuals over the internet and each had a treatment course of 10 to 15 pills. I'm not sure how it was determined these were counterfeit, but it is obvious this could happen i... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1286168 Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:43:58 +0100 1286168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283391&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F246726668%2Fthe_heart_of_bird_flu_season_c.php If you look at the bar chart below you will see that this year's bird flu season is shaping up to look pretty much like last year. In the first two months of the year there are a few more cases but essentially the picture looks much the same. If that is indeed true, then also expect a spike of cases this month (March) since you can also see that is the past pattern. Already cases are being reported in Egypt, and of course, Indonesia. The countries involved this season have been Vietnam, China, Egypt and Indonesia, just like last year. Whether you consider that reassuring or worrying probably depends on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. We tend to be cautious pessimists. Your mileage might vary. Here is the chart, uptdated to the end of February and courtesy WHO's Western Pacific ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283391 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 12:15:33 +0100 1283391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1280684&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F246119731%2Fgood_bird_flu_primer.php Every once in a while we run across introductory presentations of basic bird flu-ology we think are particularly good. This is one. If you follow this area you won't learn anything new, but I think you'll be impressed by how concise and well chosen this material is. I have a few quibbles with the material but on the whole it is accurate and informative. If you are new to the subject of flu science, this is a very quick and efficient starter kit. You can find more detailed explanations in a number of our posts (here, here, here, here, here): Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1280684 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:52:36 +0100 1280684 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1277779&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F245475358%2Fdoes_tamiflu_work_for_bird_flu.php Press releases are the way a lot of scientific information is released today. Straight to the public, no peer review. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are speed and directness. No filtering through reviewers, journal editors, colleagues. And of course that's the disadvantage, too, especially when the news comes from an interested party as it usually does in a press release. This is part of the interpretation of data these days. All that being said, the maker of Tamiflu, Hoffman - La Roche, has released data they have gathered from physicians treating cases of H5N1 in various countries that seem to support the antiviral drug's efficacy. It was reported at the International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections (ISRVI) in Singapore: Read the rest of this post... | Re... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1277779 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 12:52:39 +0100 1277779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1274802&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F244836678%2Fanother_h5n1_seroprevalence_st.php Highly pathogenic variant of avian influenza A of the subtype H5N1 is here to stay, at least in the world's poultry population. While it's around it continues to cause sporadic but deadly human infections, some 369 of them of whom 234 have died (official WHO figures as of 28 February 2008). So this virus can infect humans and make them seriously or fatally ill. There is truly massive exposure because people live in close contact with infected domestic poultry in many countries. And the human population has not seen this subtype of virus before so there is little natural immunity. All that's necessary for a really catastrophic pandemic is for this virulent virus to move easily from poultry to humans and then from human to human. These may require different changes in the virus but since it ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1274802 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:41:29 +0100 1274802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271803&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F244465115%2Findonesian_virus_sharing_and_g.php The Indonesian virus sharing impasse is said to be over, and with the dénouement comes some fascinating new information. Many will remember the row started when an Australian vaccine maker took an Indonesian viral isolate and made an experimental vaccine from it (see many posts among those here). At the time it was said the Indonesian Health Minister objected that her country would never be able to afford the vaccine and she therefore stopped making the virus available to WHO. WHO was the source of the seed strain used by the Australian company to make a prototype vaccine. It turns out, however, there was more to it than affordability: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271803 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:15:35 +0100 1271803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1265091&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F242707998%2Fno_bigger_bird_flu_problem_in.php When WHO tells us that there is no bigger bird flu problem in China I guess it's all relative. Like the old joke where one old man asks the other how he feels, the answer is "compared to what"? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1265091 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:50:34 +0100 1265091 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1251724&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F239915283%2Findonesian_virus_sharing_by_th.php Indonesia is providing bird flu specimens to WHO again. And Indonesian Health Minister Dr Siti Fadilah Supari has just published a book declaring the 50 year plus history of global influenza surveillance is part of a conspiracy by the developed world to control the rest of the world: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1251724 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 12:19:25 +0100 1251724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1247829&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F238779334%2Fbird_flu_mosquitoes_and_blowfl.php A notice from ProMed yesterday alerted many of us to a new published report [subscription firewall] about H5N1 influenza detection in an arthropod species in the vicinity of an infected poultry farm. The arthropods were mosquitoes (Culex tritaeniorhynchus) in Thailand. Two years ago a similar report implicated blowflies (Calliphora nigribarbis and Aldrichina grahami) near some infected farms in Kyoto, Japan. Both papers suggested using arthropods near infected farms as surveillance tools. But both, especially the Japanese paper, raised the open question whether arthropods might play a part in transmission. I took at look at both papers. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1247829 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:03:24 +0100 1247829 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1245012&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F238163759%2Fvirus_preference_for_humans_an.php A paper published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) extends the work of a group of glycobiologists at MIT on unravelling why some flu virus likes bird cells and others like human cells. Glycobiology is the science that investigates the sugar studded proteins on the outside of cells. Like a suit of clothes, a cell's glycoprotein cover plays important functions in protecting the cell, identifying it and as a signal to interact with things outside of itself, such as hormones or immune cells. But other organisms have learned to use the same signals and can use glycoproteins as docking locaitons ("receptors") to gain access to the cell. The influenza virus does this with a specific kind of glycan (sugar) tip on the protein hairs that stick up from the cell ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1245012 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:35:35 +0100 1245012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241836&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F237549762%2Fnew_bird_flu_cases_reading_the.php There's bird flu in poultry all over Bangladesh and new human cases reported in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Is this the sound of the other shoe dropping? Or is it just this: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241836 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:07:33 +0100 1241836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1229190&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F234336759%2Fusda_bird_flu_program_not_grad.php If avian influenza comes to North America one likely route is through importation or smuggling of infected birds. To protect ourselves, we need good border controls and to do that the US Department of Agriculture needs to know where in the world outbreaks are occurring. A USDA Inspector General's Report says that isn't happening: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1229190 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:08:40 +0100 1229190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1222294&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F233120632%2Fbird_flu_and_the_fifth_estate.php I clipped something from AP Pakistan last week but didn't use it because of interruptions. It turns out that Crof at H5N1 noted it at the time but I have a few observations to add, even at this late date. First, here's the gist: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1222294 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:33:07 +0100 1222294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212014&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F230268494%2Fbird_flu_and_arsenic.php Bird flu is all over the Indian state of West Bengal and the country that borders it on the east, Bangladesh. The Ganges River flows through West Bengal, dividing in two, with one branch headed into Bangladesh. The Gangetic alluvium and delta region also has another unhappy claim to fame: it is the site of an enormous chronic poisoning from groundwater containing naturally occurring arsenic. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212014 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:03:58 +0100 1212014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207256&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F229571854%2Fbird_flu_bangladesh_behaving_b.php Bangladesh is a country with more than its share of woes. Now there is H5N1 galloping through its poultry. Bangladesh needs all the help it can get. Which also means it needs to help others, too. How can a resource poor country like Bangladesh help other nations? They can start by sharing the genetic sequences of the viruses isolated from their poultry: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207256 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:23:41 +0100 1207256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1199803&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F228871344%2Fpreparedness_and_predicaments.php Blogging can be exhausting. A blogger who wants to be read (not all do) has a hungry mouth, a mouth best fed daily. This one gets fed twice (once on Saturday), seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Reveres have been shoveling stuff into this ravenous maw for over three years. So we sympathize and understand the plight of the excellent flu blogger Sophia Zoe who has been missing of late. She explains where she's been in A Lesson in Real Life (hat tip Avian Flu Diary). Characteristic of her excellent blogging, she also draws a pandemic preparedness lesson from it worth pondering. Here's the essence: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1199803 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:37:11 +0100 1199803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1194721&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F227186288%2Ffailure_of_pandemic_preparedne.php The AP's Margie Mason is a pretty good flu reporter and she has a story on the wires today whose title encapsulates the bird flu history of the last four years: Bird flu continues march 4 years later. The number of human deaths is still not large -- a few hundred -- just a day at the office in Iraq. But the virus just keeps extending its geographic range in poultry stocks and wherever it does it there is a risk of human infections. Fourteen countries so far have officially confirmed influenza A/H5N1 cases. The number of birds killed by infection or slaughtered to prevent the spread of infection numbers in the hundreds of millions. While there was a period when officials believed (hoped?) that vigorous control measures like those instituted in Vietnam would be effective in snuffing out the ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1194721 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:22:45 +0100 1194721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1191320&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F226509662%2Fthe_indian_peoples_lying_eyes.php The number of deaths in Indonesia from bird flu just shot past the 100 mark without even pausing -- 101 was recorded right afterward. Tibet announced an outbreak and the disease continued to march through the Indian subcontinent, although the UN flu czar, Dr. David Nabarro said he thought the Indian/West Bengal outbreak was "coming under control." The use of the progressive tense here ("coming under control") suggests this is a mix of hope and belief and in any case indicates the outbreak is still not under control. Which won't come as a surprise to the residents of Kolkata (neé Calcutta): Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1191320 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:20:22 +0100 1191320 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1185705&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F225216840%2Ftamiflu_resistance_in_seasonal.php Since the antiviral agent oseltamivir (Tamiflu) has been touted as the global savior should a bird flu pandemic materialize the idea has been haunted by the specter of Tamiflu resistance. What if H5N1 becomes resistant to the drug? Is all lost? Now it is being reported in the media that the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the predominant circulating seasonal flu virus in Europe this year, H1N1, is showing an unexpectedly high rate of Tamiflu resistance (19/148 isolates tested). This is much more than what has been seen in the past and was from patients not treated with the drug, leading to the fear that a mutation conferring resistance also has some survival advantage leading to this sudden emergence and spread. US CDC data reported in the same news articl... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1185705 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:26:53 +0100 1185705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1182747&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F224550030%2Fflu_season.php Everyone knows it's flu season. We see the evidence in birds and people with H5N1. The Indian subcontinent is awash in birds with H5N1. Sometimes here we forget to remind people it is also flu season with the regular circulating subtypes, H1 and H3 and this is shaping up to be a predominantly H1 season in Europe and the US. In the US: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1182747 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:45:01 +0100 1182747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1181613&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F224176138%2Fencouraging_critical_employees.php There's no vaccine for the influenza subtype, H5N1, of most concern as the agent of the next pandemic but evidence exists that there is some cross-reactivity with existing seasonal vaccines (it's not clear how much if any, but it might not take much) or that previous vaccination with seasonal vaccine produces a much quicker response to an H5N1 vaccine. Moreover there remains a substantial toll in morbidity and mortality from the seasonal influenza which the current vaccines are designed for. So strategies to encourage key populations to get the existing flu vaccine are of interest to public health officials. CDC just released results of a survey they did in 2004 about the different ways nursing homes (where influenza can spread rapidly with lethal effect) used to get their employees vaccin... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1181613 Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:02:04 +0100 1181613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1177635&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F222870361%2Ftheres_more_bird_flu_than_we_t.php You'd think finding that there were some bird flu infections that went undetected would be bad news but it is actually good news. Not tremendous good news but better than no news, and that's unusual in the bird flu world. For some time the absence of mild or inapparent infections has been worrying. It means that the current case fatality ratio of over 60% is the real CFR, not one based on just the most serious cases coming to the attention of the surveillance system. Now scientists gathered in Bangkok at one of the many gatherings of those studying the disease have heard some new data involving 674 people in two Cambodian villages exposed to influenza H5N1 ("bird flu") by infected poultry in their households. Seven children were found to have been infected using a test of their blood for a... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1177635 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:45:10 +0100 1177635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1174856&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F222258714%2Fmarketing_preparedness_effect.php Predictable as clockwork, no sooner does the Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), M. Bernard Vallat tell us that things are looking up for bird flu then we have a massive outbreak threatening to devastate the poultry industry of India. So the poultry problem is neither stable nor under control, whatever M. Vallat says (and I daresay he probably regrets saying it). The Indian problem is a big deal, with reports of villagers eating birds that died of the virus and violent resistance to culling efforts. Clearly India was unprepared for this poultry outbreak, despite ample warning and plenty of examples elsewhere. Nor is their health care system -- even their best hospitals -- prepared. Last year India dumped its plans to train health professionals midway throu... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1174856 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:06:09 +0100 1174856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173071&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F221634285%2Fwas_bird_flu_better_in_2007_ve.php In 2006 there were 115 confirmed cases (WAHO case count) of H5N1 in humans with 79 deaths. In 2007 the figures are 86 cases and 59 deaths. Some have taken this as evidence H5N1 is less of a problem (latest data here). That's not how I read it, however. Seasonal flu numbers bounce around from year to year, too, and if this year is better than last year it isn't because flu is disappearing. Still, let's take a look at the numbers a little more closely and see where the differences are. Here's the WHO Table: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173071 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:51:34 +0100 1173071 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1167163&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F220866653%2Fwho_releases_information_on_vi.php A report late last night by Helen Branswell alerted me to a tabulation from a new tracking system WHO is putting into place to answer demands from a number of member states in the developing world that there be more transparency in how isolates of avian influenza (bird flu) submitted to WHO are used and by whom. About a third of confirmed cases have been registered in Indonesia, although that country has provided less than a quarter of the isolates, a reflection of the refusal by the country's health minister, Dr. Siti Fadilah Supari, to provide any more specimens until matters of vaccine rights have been settled (see links to some of the posts here): Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1167163 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:09:08 +0100 1167163 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1166330&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F220380443%2Fbird_flu_good_news_is_always_b.php We've complained enough about the unwise words of M. Vallat, Director General of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE; see here and here). Nor was it the first time (May 2007). What I didn't say was that whenever I hear an official like M. Vallat assure us that everything is stable, a chill runs down my spine. Invariably shortly afterward things start to come apart. These folks have an uncanny sense of timing. So now we have bird flu in Iran again for the first time since 2006 and the virus is marching relentlessly across India (things have gotten messy with culling teams attacked by locals; see crof's blog for excellent coverage). India. You know, the place that declared itself bird flu free in August 2006: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Sour... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1166330 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:38:57 +0100 1166330 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1162495&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F219382272%2Ffeverish_preps_for_bird_flu.php I saw a small news article about what seems to me a fairly silly piece in a bulletin called Communicable Diseases Intelligence: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1162495 Sat, 19 Jan 2008 12:36:53 +0100 1162495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1160956&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F218853661%2Fthe_clinical_bird_flu_picture.php In 2005 the world's bird flu doctors got together and pooled their meager knowledge about the epidemiology and clinical features of this zoonotic disase that has so far infected 350 people and killed 217 of them (latest "official" figures via WHO). In March of 2007 they got together again in Turkey and the New England Journal of Medicine (January 17, 2008 issue) has just published a joint report summarizing their discussion. Helen Branswell sets the stage: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1160956 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:45:41 +0100 1160956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1158151&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F218217777%2Fdirector_of_oie_tries_to_recov.php When we complained the other day about World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) Director General Bernard Vallat's ill-considered remarks about how stable H5N1 was and that earlier fears were "overblown" we were not alone. Mike Osterholm at CIDRAP issued a similar remonstrance and the latter was publicized by the folks at Avian Flu Trackers on a press release that was picked up by a number of papers. Now DG Vallat is busy trying to extricate his foot from his mouth (or wherever he lodged it): Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1158151 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:17:24 +0100 1158151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155796&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F217628407%2Fdoes_h5n1_spread_from_cats_to.php The host range of H5N1 is impressive: birds, of course; but also many mammals, including dogs, cats, stone martens, ferrets, mice, rats, humans. There are undoubtedly others. Cats are probably infected when they eat infected birds. Dogs? Not clear. Humans? Birds, other people on rare occasions. What else? In fact we know incredibly little about how various hosts are infected. Do cats spread it from cat to cat and dogs, dog to dog? How about cats spreading it to dogs and vice versa? Of course dogs to humans or cats to humans is an important topic. So it's good to see some studies looking at the various combinations. A team at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut in Germany recently published a small study about dog to cat or cat to dog transmission using a highly pathogenic H5N1 isolated from a ... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155796 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:50:26 +0100 1155796 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152460&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F217022186%2Fwill_the_bush_administration_l.php Most of us read the Federal Government pandemic flu plan as having two components: the first is procurement of vaccines and antivirals for stockpiles and sale to states at a discount; the second is to leave everything to the locals. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sees it differently and they may well be right. They see the federal pandemic flu plan as containing a covert but not subtle command and control law enforcement core. Whatever you think of the ACLU (and I confess to be ambivalent because they caved in to McCarthyite enemies of civil liberties in the 1950s; they have since redeemed themselves as relikable defenders of personal liberty), these days when they complain I listen to them [full disclosure; I know the authors of the report]: Read the rest of this post... | Read... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152460 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:53:09 +0100 1152460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147237&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F216080940%2Fwhy_trust_the_government_about.php I'm not sure who Professor David Alexander, the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland is (he's identified as an adviser to NAOA and the UK Government on pandemic flu) but I think he's got it right: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147237 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:37:07 +0100 1147237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146186&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F214968644%2Fdirector_general_of_oie_speaks.php An AP report in The Daily Star (Egypt) says the head of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is complaining that fears of a flu pandemic caused by H5N1 are overblown. He's talking to the press so presumably he understands that he has to be careful how he says things. So we also have to assume that when Bernard Vallat said that he meant to send a message. But what is the message? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146186 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:47:54 +0100 1146186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142317&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F214371248%2Fbird_flu_testing_testing.php Whenever confirmed human cases of bird flu appear in an area there usually follows heightened sensitivity to new cases of severe pneumonia. Are they bird flu too? Severe pneumonia is pretty common, so you can't automatically assume that "if it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck it must be a duck." It turns out there are a lot of birds that look like ducks that aren't ducks, at least when it comes to influenza-like illnesses. On the other hand, "testing negative" with PCR, which on its own is a pretty sensitive and specific test is also not foolproof. "On its own" means under the best conditions. But the conditions in the field aren't usually the best. Specimens can be taken too late, taken improperly, masked by antiviral treatment, stored improperly, analyzed improperly, etc. So fals... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142317 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:05:39 +0100 1142317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1139711&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F213755057%2Fnew_test_approved_for_influenz.php Every year "flu season" comes during which there is a marked uptick in influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) in the community. An ILI is defined to be cough or sore throat together with a fever of over 100 degrees F. (37.8 degrees C.) or self-reported fever and chills as well as no other obvious cause (e.g., strep throat). But are all ILIs influenza? No. They are ILIs. In the absence of lab work (and since most are thought to be of viral origin, only non-specific symptomatic and supportive therapy is recommended and no diagnostic lab work is usually done), an ILI could be from influenza virus or any of a number of other respiratory viruses that circulate at the same time. Now the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new test that differentiates 12 different respiratory viruses, i... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1139711 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:08:24 +0100 1139711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1136778&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F213167709%2Fbird_flu_umbrellas_and_cones.php A new study from a glycobiology laboratory at MIT is creating a buzz in the flu community (see the MIT Press Release here). A great deal of molecular biology and virology studies what happens when the virus gets into a cell to use the cell's own machinery to make copies of itself. Glycobiology is a relatively new area, concentrating on the straight and branched chains of sugar units that make up a great deal of the "stuff" one finds outside of a cell. What do these sugars have to do with influenza? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1136778 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 12:43:49 +0100 1136778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1132120&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F212219625%2Fthe_egyptian_bird_flu_conundru.php The big newswires and health agencies are relatively quiet, but word keeps leaking out of Egypt that there are a lot of suspect bird flu cases: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1132120 Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:44:24 +0100 1132120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1129348&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F211095583%2Fthe_rumsfeld_school_of_plannin.php With the turn of the calendar there is always both hope and anxiety about the year ahead. This is nice because it gives pundits and bloggers something to write about. Just before Christmas The Times of London published\ a "leading article" (unsigned), Black Swans and Bird Flu, which was about the anxiety part, assessing the threats, and planning for them in advance: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1129348 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:56:50 +0100 1129348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1127301&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F210480414%2Fblogs_bad_reporting_and_who.php The back and forth about WHO over the weekend generated plenty of comment. I am still of the mind that WHO is an important part of the pandemic flu picture and we should try to help it do better. After defending them on Friday of last week I turned around and slammed them for poor risk communication on Sunday. A commenter observed that this may have been bad reporting, and while I allowed the possibility, I thought it too similar to past examples to accept this as the first explanation. However yesterday I received the following email from Mr. John Rainsford, the WHO spokesman I took to task in my post. Mr. Rainsford did not ask I post his email, and in fact said it was not necessary from his point of view, but I am doing it anyway because I want to make several points about it. First, h... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1127301 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:13:59 +0100 1127301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124836&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F209883498%2Fbird_flu_in_egypt.php Egypt continues to be the country outside of Asia with the highest case total of H5N1 disease. Last year there were 23 cases, 18 the year before. A year ago there were 3 confirmed cases each in December and January, with the big month being later, March (7 cases). Flu season (including bird flu) is starting again there with four deaths at the end of December, the first since July. The flu sites newshounds are doing their usually diligent job and they report an additional confirmed but still living case. In addition there are the usual spate of "suspect" cases, a fluctuating number that can run into the dozens. What to make of this? Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124836 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:49:29 +0100 1124836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122507&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F208933105%2Fpandemic_influenza_subtypes_en.php Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether bird flu will be the next terrible global pandemic. In current parlance "bird flu" means human infection with the highly pathogenic avian influenza/A subtype H5N1. There is no doubt that this is the 800 pound gorilla in the global health room at the moment, but not because it is more likely to become a pandemic (NB: pandemic by definition is a globally dispersed sudden increase in infection among humans; the same situation for animals is called a panzootic, and it is plausible to say we have an H5N1 panzootic for birds now). On the basis of biology humans are potentially susceptible to influenza viruses, although only the H1, H2 and H3 subtypes circulate or have circulated in human populations. But a handful of human infections have also been... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122507 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:45:46 +0100 1122507 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1122111&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F208632348%2Fnow_im_the_one_complaining_abo.php After spending more time than I wished "defending" WHO against what I considered a particular kind of scurrilous attack (it also seemed to raise the hackles of some unintended as targets, but the dialog with them was at least rational) -- after all that, I now have to turn around and complain about WHO (again). Let me be constructive and offer their spokesperson, John Rainford (or whoever writes the statements he mouths), a little biology lesson. A mutation of a virus is a technical term that describes a replicable change in the sequence of bases that constitute the virus's genetic blueprint and its heritable material (for influenza, RNA). The genetic blueprint is one of the main (but not only) determinants of how the virus behaves and spreads in a population of potential hosts -- like bir... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1122111 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:03:45 +0100 1122111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119819&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F207528582%2Fbhutto_birdflu_and_who_bashing.php Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, despite a bevy of bodyguards, was assassinated yesterday. Pakistan is a dangerous place, especially for pro-American politicians or those thought to be pro-Western officials. It's something to think about when you read that WHO and the US reference laboratory NAMRU-3 each sent teams to the politically unstable and hostile-to-the-West northern regions of Pakistan to gather information about the recent cluster of bird flu cases. WHO's team was in Peshawar, north of Islamabad. Here's what Middle East expert Juan Cole said about Peshawar the other day: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119819 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:53:08 +0100 1119819 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1118179&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F207005272%2Fbird_flu_betting_insuring_or_i.php Bird flu is still flu and one expects an uptick of cases during "flu season" which usually gets underway in earnest in December. So from that perspective it isn't a surprise that December has seen human fatalities from bird flu in six countries: Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Burma and, of course, Indonesia. Once the Pakistani cases are officially confirmed and added to the December tally for this flu season it will make it the worst December yet, but we shouldn't read too much into this. Flu seasons are notoriously variable and the numbers bounce around a lot from year to year. But . . . Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1118179 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:29:56 +0100 1118179 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116671&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F206514257%2Fuseless_advice_for_public_heal.php The Toronto Sun has another one of the "such and such a city/state/country isn't prepared for a pandemic" stories. The judgment comes from the 2007 Auditor General of Ontario's annual report. Yawn. Like it's so easy to know what to do, right? Maybe not. So the Report has some recommendations: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116671 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:49:04 +0100 1116671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1115318&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F206056699%2Fbird_flu_the_common_cold_and_t.php In my Christmas stocking this morning I found a Season's greeting from the excellent down-under medical/public health blog impactEDnurse. Here's the card and the link to the little present that goes with it: I offer you up a nurses public service video on the best way to detect avian influenza: http://impactednurse.com/?p=428 Merry Christmas. And Gesundheit. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1115318 Tue, 25 Dec 2007 12:18:39 +0100 1115318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1113869&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F205295470%2Fthe_mutated_influenza_pig_viru.php The recent report of a novel influenza virus in pigs, the H2N3 subtype, has been raised some alarm in certain quarters. I just read the paper itself (doi: 10.1073/pnas.0710286104) and then the account in CIDRAP News, which is both accurate and complete. I recommend it highly as a summary of this work. I have a bit to add, but first their concise summary of events leading to the investigation: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1113869 Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:06:13 +0100 1113869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1112640&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F204598241%2Fwhos_new_spin_on_human_to_huma.php WHO [World Health Organization] is now saying that human to human (H2H) transmission has not been ruled out in China or Pakistan: China: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1112640 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:23:50 +0100 1112640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1109774&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F204020159%2Fbird_flu_in_pakistan_after_a_w.php It's been less than a week since the first reports out of Pakistan that cases of bird flu were appearing there. At the time we warned that the coming of flu season meant these kinds of reports were to be expected, but by the weekend concern increased as a family cluster appeared. As common in the early days of an outbreak news reports were contradictory and confusing. We elected to wait. By Sunday, some excellent reporting by Helen Branswell and diligent combing of the news by flusites allowed us to make a preliminary summary. We fully expected more surprises. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1109774 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:22:17 +0100 1109774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1108785&cid=t_99408_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F203542386%2F We would love to do so. But that will have to wait for another day. Perhaps, however, you can indulge. Before you do, you may want to peek at a few of these tidbits, which make for wonderful table banter…. Bayer Discontinues Prostate Cancer Drug (Yahoo/AP) Consort Medical Feels The Loss Of Exubera (In-PharmaTechnologist) Novavax Bird Flu Vaccine Shows Promise (Yahoo/AP) Rite-Aid Loss Is Bigger Than Expected (Yahoo/Reuters) Keata Pharma Buys Pfizer’s Ontario Plant (CBC.ca) Romania Sets Sale Price For State-Owned Drugmaker (Reuters) Share / E-mail (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1108785 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:57:10 +0100 1108785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106956&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F203378231%2Fdeclan_butlers_interview_with.php Nature's senior correspondent, Declan Butler, was one of the first to raise the profile of a pandemic threat in the scientific community and has had done some superb reporting since, including several stories on sharing gene sequences. The problematic actors in his earlier stories were respected scientists and the business-as-usual way they were approaching release of genetic sequences even as the world worried that the virus they were studying, influenza A, was inexorably searching for the right recipe to enhance its own raison d'etre, to make still more copies of itself, potentially with the help of the 6 billion bioreactors called human beings. That was then. Now the problematic character is Indonesia's health minister, Siti Fadilah Supari, an erratic, obstreperous, often ignorant sound... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106956 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:06:44 +0100 1106956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106155&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F202758078%2Fspinning_bird_flu_clockwise_or.php We have occasion to comment often here about how the same bird flu story is spun different ways. A case in point is reporting on statements made by the head of Indonesia's National Avian Influenza Committee, Bayu Krisnamurthi and the two different directions Agence France Presse and Reuters took the story. Here's AFP: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106155 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:27:02 +0100 1106155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1101348&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F202168524%2Fbenin_voodoo_and_what_i_am_afr.php I don't know much about the West African state of Benin, but the newswires have made sure to alert me to the fact it is the home of ritual Voodoo sacrifice. Which, it turns out, is relevant to bird flu because Benin is having a poultry outbreak with H5N1. This is not much of a surprise, as it is surrounded by neighbors that already have reported infected poultry: Nigeria, Togo, Niger and Burkina Faso. A bit farther afield but still in the region are Ghana, Ivory Coast and Cameroon, all with reported poultry. Nigeria has also had a human fatality. But back to Voodoo. In the US we associate Voodoo with using surrogate dolls as stand-ins for your enemies. You know, like the George Bush doll three quarters of Americans stick pins in nightly. We also think of it as a Caribbean religious cult.... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1101348 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:01:57 +0100 1101348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1098771&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F201617763%2Fwhos_pep_talk_and_fighting_bir.php With everyone on tenterhooks over the confusing outbreak of human bird flu cases in Pakistan and the first reported case in Burma (aka Myanmar), WHO is taking the opportunity to give its member nations a pep talk about swift reporting. Since there is evidence the reporting might not have been so terribly swift in that case, one must assume they consider this a "teachable moment" rather than an exemplar: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1098771 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:14:16 +0100 1098771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097622&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F201304451%2Fbird_flu_in_pakistan_the_pictu.php If I knew for sure what was going on with the reported human bird flu outbreak in Pakistan's northwest border region I'd tell you. At this point it appears no one knows for sure -- not WHO, not CDC, not even the Pakistani authorities. The region where the cases are reported is near the Afghan border and is not under firm government control. The unsettled political situation merely adds to the usual confusion inevitable in the early days of any outbreak. We are all looking for a pandemic signal embedded in a lot of noise, difficult enough, but we don't even know what the signal sounds or looks like. It is now Sunday evening in Geneva and after midnight in Pakistan, so this is as good a time as any for a summary. I doubt more information will be available before tomorrow (Monday, December 17... Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097622 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:48:16 +0100 1097622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097192&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F200864836%2Fpakiston_the_waiting_game.php Since this is not a breaking news site, I am waiting to see what is going on in Pakistan. I'll likely sum up tomorrow afternoon what I find by then (I hope with some value added). Here are some places you can keep checking for breaking news. They are the usual suspects: Helen Branswell's reports (natch). Latest here. Flu Wiki Forum Crof's Blog Avian Flu Diary Scott McPherson Sophia Zoe Flu Trackers CurEvents Recombinomics There are plenty of others, most accessible from one of the above sites. I'll be checking along with you. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097192 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 18:31:31 +0100 1097192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096653&cid=t_99408_99_f&fid=34593&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2FAyaJ%2F%7E3%2F200750675%2Fhuman_bird_flu_cases_another_c.php As noted yesterday, it's flu season. That includes bird flu. So we are seeing cases pop up. Yet another in Indonesia and the father-son cases in China. Then reports out of Pakistan of the first human cases on the Indian sub-continent. Those case are as yet unconfirmed. Now WHO is confirming cases in Burma (aka Myanmar), the first in that military dictatorship not known for being open about what goes on there: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post... (Source: Effect Measure) Effect Measure blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096653 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:22:53 +0100 1096653