#H5N1 influenza research moratorium ends

By Tina Hesman Saey

Web edition: January 23, 2013 

A self-imposed moratorium by researchers on certain kinds of avian influenza experiments is lifting January 23.

In January 2012, influenza researchers imposed a halt on work that would make bird flu viruses that are easily transmissible in mammals. The moratorium came after controversy surrounded two scientific papers describing mutations in the H5N1 avian influenza virus; the mutations made the virus spread among ferrets via airborne droplets. The scientists chose to stop work until they could explain its benefits and safety to the public, and to give governments and funding agencies a chance to review policies surrounding the research. The halt was supposed to last 60 days, but has extended for a year due to the complicated issues surrounding the research.

Now, the same group of 40 researchers is declaring in a letter published online by both Nature and Science that the goals of the moratorium have been met and that work on the viruses may resume in countries with appropriate policies in place. The United States is not among those countries.

Continued:  http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347712/description/H5N1_influenza_research_moratorium_ends

Egypt: Study Reveals One in Five Available Vaccines for #H5N1 in Poultry are Effective

January 23, 2013
Excerpt:
In light of their findings, Ghazi Kayali of St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis in the US and colleagues there and at Egypt's National Research Center in Giza recommend that the H5N1 prevention and control strategy in Egypt be updated and reinforced. Special consideration should be given to the vaccination strategy, they say, and the use of vaccines based on currently circulating viruses is advisable. 
-snip-
The group studied the cross-reactivity of six commercially available H5 poultry vaccines against recent H5N1 Egyptian isolates in a field setting in Egypt. Only one vaccine based on an Egyptian H5N1 virus induced high cross-reactive antibody titres.

The scientists suggest their results may be explained by the fact that the seed viruses in these vaccines are genetically distinct from H5N1 viruses currently circulating in Egypt.

Full article:  http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/27711/study-reveals-reduced-efficacy-of-h5n1-vaccines-in-egypt

Baylor College of Medicine to lead NIH study on H3N2v influenza vaccine

HOUSTON – (Jan. 22, 2013) – Baylor College of Medicine is the lead site on a study launched by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, that will measure the safety and the antibody responses among healthy adults immunized with an H3N2v vaccine, also known as H3N2 variant.

Online Subscription required:  http://www.thecherokeean.com/news/2013-01-23/Health/

Researchers at Univ. of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics taking part in clinical trial to test a new vaccine for H3N2 Variant flu virus

Jan 22, 2013  
UIHC Tests New Flu Vaccine
By Jill Kasparie, Reporter

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Doctors are waging a battle against a new flu virus. Researchers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are taking part in a clinical trial to test a new vaccine for the H3N2 Variant flu virus. It’s a virus that’s similar to the H1N1 virus from 2009. In the past two years, some people have come down with this strain of the flu who were exposured to pig displays at agricultural fairs. Doctors mostly saw the cases in the summer. Health experts are working on this vaccine because this virus seemingly spreads more easily to people from swine than other viruses like it.

Continued: http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/UIHC-Tests-New-Flu-Vaccine-187982961.html

CDC: Flu deaths increase "sharply" as epidemic continues

1/19/13
Excerpt:

Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told reporters during the conference call that some areas of the country are experiencing shortages of liquid Tamiflu, shortages that may persist for the remainder of the flu season. The liquid formulation is most often given to children.

Because of these shortages, Hamburg reported that Tamiflu-maker Genenetech has received permission to release 2 million more units of Tamiflu pills, which pharmacists can then use to create liquid formulations for children. She said the FDA will continue to update the public on antiviral supply through its website.

The CDC and FDA also reported spot shortages of vaccines during Friday's conference call. Companies that provide the vaccine were projected to give out 135 million doses of vaccine for this flu season, and to date 129 million doses have been distributed. Hamburg said another 10 million doses will be distributed, raising the total to 145 million flu vaccines; however, some formulations of the vaccine may be harder to come by. Doctors will be able to order more flu vaccines, she said, and people looking for shots should use the interactive map on Flu.gov to find available doses.

Full article:  http://www.kbzk.com/news/cdc-flu-deaths-increase-sharply-as-epidemic-continues/

Insight: U.S. government investment gives flu vaccines a shot in the arm

1/19/13
Excerpt:

Interest in vaccines spiked after a particularly deadly strain of bird flu known as H5N1 re-emerged in 2003, raising the threat of a global pandemic that could kill millions. At the time, there were just two vaccine manufacturers located on U.S. soil.

A year later, U.S. flu vaccine supplies were devastated by contamination at a plant in Liverpool, England. That helped underscore the need for America to have its own manufacturing capabilities, said Robin Robinson, director of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Part of the fear was that in a pandemic, countries might be tempted to commandeer all flu vaccines made within their borders, leaving the U.S. exposed. "We needed to develop new vaccines using modern technologies that would make not only more vaccine available sooner, but also make it more effective," Robinson said.

http://news.yahoo.com/insight-u-government-investment-gives-flu-vaccines-shot-130443370--finance.html

CDC Urges Tamiflu Rx to Curb Flu Death Rate

January 16, 2013
Excerpt:

A sharp increase in both hospitalization and death rates as of January 12 underlines the need to administer the antiviral drugs oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Genentech) or zanamivir (Relenza, GlaxoSmithKline) within 48 hours of influenza symptoms surfacing, said CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, at a press briefing today. This immediate treatment is especially important for high-risk patients such as the elderly, young children, and those with serious underlying conditions such asthma and heart disease.

"When given promptly, they work," said Dr. Frieden. "They can reduce symptoms, shorten the duration of illness, and prevent serious complications including hospitalization and death.
"What we're seeing is not as many people getting treated with Tamiflu."

Zanamivir, administered through oral inhalation, is not recommended in individuals with underlying airways disease, thereby limiting its use.

The rate of oseltamivir treatment has dipped this year compared with the 2009-2010 pandemic influenza season, when "people were a little more attuned to this," Dr. Frieden said.
He advised clinicians to immediately prescribe antiviral medications for patients reporting influenza symptoms even if they test negative with a rapid flu test. The test, he said, can have false negatives.

In response to spot shortages of oseltamivir, Genentech is releasing a reserve stock of 75-mg capsules with the blessing of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Full article:  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/777890

Seasonal Flu: Illinois 23 Deaths In One Week

I previously posted on Illinois back on January 9th, here:

January 8, 2013

...In Illinois alone, 147 people have been admitted to intensive care units at hospitals, six of whom have died, Illinois Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck told CBS Chicago. 

 3 days later, on January 11th, the State Health Dept. posted this:

... The number of flu-related intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalizations so far this year is 368, with 27 flu-related ICU deaths.

On January 18th, the media, has this.  From CBS:

...Illinois Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said Friday that 476 people have been admitted to hospital intensive care units with the flu this season and 50 have died.

FluView: 2012-2013 Influenza Season Week 2 ending January 12, 2013

[Last weeks statistics will be in brackets in green, for comparison purposes.  This report can be found under Worldwide Update on Influenza Activity, located on the right side-bar of the blog "CDC:  Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report FluView".  ]

 

Synopsis:

During week 2 (January 6-12), influenza activity remained elevated in the United States, but decreased in some areas.

• Viral Surveillance: Of 12,360 [ 12,876 ] specimens tested and reported by collaborating laboratories, 3,638 (29.4%) [ 4,222 (32.8%) ] were positive for influenza.
• Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality: The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above [ slightly above ]  the epidemic threshold.
• Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths: Nine [ Two ] influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported.
• Influenza-Associated Hospitalizations: A cumulative rate for the season of 18.8 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations per 100,000 population was reported. Among all cases, 49.6% were in adults 65 years and older.
• Outpatient Illness Surveillance: The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was 4.6% [ 4.3% ]; this is above the national baseline of 2.2%. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels. Thirty states [ Twenty-four ] and New York City experienced high ILI activity; 10 states experienced moderate activity; 7 states experienced low activity; 3 states experienced minimal activity, and the District of Columbia had insufficient data.

Full Report:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

Effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine

Virology Blog:
January 18, 2013
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released early estimates of the effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine in preventing influenza infection.
Influenza vaccine effectiveness is assessed each year by the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. Patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) are enrolled in the study; respiratory samples are taken and the presence of influenza virus is determined by polymerase chain reaction.

Data from 1,155 children and adults with ARI during December 3, 2012–January 2, 2013 were collected at five study sites and used to determine that the estimated vaccine effectiveness is 62% (95% confidence intervals = 51%–71%). This number represents the overall effectiveness of seasonal influenza vaccine for preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection associated with acute respiratory infection.

Continued:  http://www.virology.ws/

Flu season worsens, 29 children die

By Maggie Fox Senior Writer, NBC News

updated 13 minutes ago

An already bad flu season is getting worse across the United States, federal health officials said Friday, and it’s hitting the elderly hardest. But 29 children have also died from influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. 

Continued:  http://www.today.com/id/50506640/ns/health-cold_and_flu/#.UPlqlLblX_s

Seasonal Flu: 33 Died in Minnesota Last Week

January 17, 2013
The Minnesota Department of Health released new case numbers Thursday showing that 33 people died from flu-related complications during the week of Jan. 6-12. That brings the state's influenza death toll to 60 so far this flu season. Hospitalizations also remained high with 476 people admitted for influenza care.
 -snip-
With 1,842 people hospitalized for flu so far this season, hospitalizations have already surpassed the total number of flu admissions that occurred during the H1N1 flu pandemic season in 2009.
And there are no signs yet that the flu outbreak is peaking.
-snip-
"The majority of deaths are occurring in individuals who are 80 years of age and older. And the majority, meaning 60 percent or greater, of our hospitalizations are in persons 65 and older," said Ehresmann. "That breakdown really reflects what we would expect to see with typical seasonal influenza." 
-snip-
Full article:  http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/01/17/health/more-deaths-in-minnesota-flu-outbreak

Vietnam: #H5N1 in 7 Households in 5 Communes in Khanh Hoa

17-1, Department of Agriculture Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa said that the H5N1 avian influenza has appeared on the flock of seven households in five communes in the province. Test results of Khanh Hoa provincial Department of Animal Health said many ducks of disease models households positive for H5N1. Van Ninh District Agriculture Department is currently focused destroyed nearly 15,000 children infected poultry; spraying to prevent the spread of disease, outbreaks. The district also has support for households with poultry destroyed.

http://tinyurl.com/a4h3zq5

Indonesian bird flu outbreak “has only infected ducks”

January 17, 2013
Excerpt:

The Health Ministry’s Aditama said many countries had reported the presence of clade 2.3 and there had been eight known bird flu cases in humans caused by the strain - three in Bangladesh and five in China.

“So far Indonesia has not seen infection from ducks to humans or bird flu cases in humans caused by clade 2.3, but I expect that generally the medium of infection is similar to that of clade 2.1,” he said.

Health officials have advised that control activities in humans had not changed with the new clade, he said.

“Data on antiviral sensitivity is limited from the human cases, but there is no reason to expect a change.”

http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97268/Indonesian-bird-flu-outbreak-has-only-infected-ducks

Egypt: #H5N1 in Poultry Farm in Luxor

January 17, 2013
The Directorate of Veterinary Medicine Governorate Luxor state of emergency after the appearance of the bird flu virus "H5N1" farm Salah Hashem small district describing center Esna Governorate Luxor, which told the Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine of death of 2000 birds at once from his ranch's 5,000 bird in 14 January.

Officials of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine notified Supervisor General Development Sector livestock and poultry, and veterinary medicine that preview and debate that took place at the farm infested sinful, which has the participation of agriculture Esna, and Veterinary Medicine, and the Department of Agriculture, and Environmental Affairs, and police bodies, and lab Regional Veterinary province Luxor, The regional lab proved that the sample is positive for H. Fyfe said that "bird flu.

Said Engineer Mahmoud Zoghby agent cultivation Luxor that the committee has to execute all fowl and's 5,000 bird, and buried landfills health, and work precautionary measures even not taken transmission to other farms, or to humans, stressing that the virus does not go to anyone, did not extend to areas other.

For his part, Alhaji Saad al-Jaafari, said the emergence of the virus status and extermination of these birds after the death of 2000 birds at one caused horror births public place for fear of transmission of the virus to their homes or to other farms, or injury one of the sons center of bird flu, adding the committee has shut down farm to complete the cleansing procedures, which are currently in the village vaccinate around the well, which was hit, and the closure of the farm for the completion of cleansing.

http://tinyurl.com/azdorz5

FDA approves new seasonal influenza vaccine made using novel technology

For Immediate Release: Jan. 16, 2013
Media Inquiries: Rita Chappelle, 301-796-4672, rita.chappelle@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA, OCOD@fda.hhs.gov

FDA approves new seasonal influenza vaccine made using novel technology

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that it has approved Flublok, the first trivalent influenza vaccine made using an insect virus (baculovirus) expression system and recombinant DNA technology. Flublok is approved for the prevention of seasonal influenza in people 18 through 49 years of age.
Unlike current flu vaccines, Flublok does not use the influenza virus or eggs in its production. Flublok’s novel manufacturing technology allows for production of large quantities of the influenza virus protein, hemagglutinin (HA) – the active ingredient in all inactivated influenza vaccines that is essential for entry of the virus into cells in the body. The majority of antibodies that prevent influenza virus infection are directed against HA. While the technology is new to flu vaccine production, it is used to make vaccines that have been approved by the FDA to prevent other infectious diseases.
“This approval represents a technological advance in the manufacturing of an influenza vaccine,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “The new technology offers the potential for faster start-up of the vaccine manufacturing process in the event of a pandemic, because it is not dependent on an egg supply or on availability of the influenza virus.”
Each year, the FDA, World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health experts collaborate on the review of influenza disease surveillance and laboratory data collected from around the world in an effort to identify strains that may cause the most illness in the upcoming season. Based on that information and on the recommendations of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, the FDA selects the different influenza strains each year that manufacturers should include in their vaccines for the U.S. population for the upcoming influenza season. The closer the match between the circulating strains causing disease and the strains in the vaccine, the better the protection against influenza.
Flublok contains three, full-length, recombinant HA proteins to help protect against two influenza virus A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and one influenza virus B strain.
As it does with all influenza vaccines, the FDA will evaluate Flublok annually prior to use by the public each flu season. The recombinant HA proteins produced in the baculovirus expression system and included in Flublok will be assessed by the FDA.
The effectiveness of Flublok was evaluated in a study conducted at various sites in the United States that compared the use of Flublok in about 2,300 people to a placebo that was given to a control group of similar size. Flublok was about 44.6 percent effective against all circulating influenza strains, not just the strains that matched the strains included in the vaccine.
Flublok’s safety evaluation was conducted in a study of about 2,500 people who were vaccinated with Flublok. The most commonly reported adverse events included pain at the site of injection, headache, fatigue and muscle aches, events also typical for conventional egg-based, inactivated influenza vaccines.
Flublok has a shelf life of 16 weeks from the date of manufacture. Health care providers should check the expiration date before administering Flublok.
Flublok is manufactured by Protein Sciences Corp, of Meriden, Conn.
For more information:

• Flu.gov: consumer site for flu information
• FDA: Influenza Vaccine Safety & Availability
• CDC: Seasonal Influenza – Who should get vaccinated against influenza (Flu)
• Flu Vaccine Finder: http://flushot.healthmap.org

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm335891.htm

Seasonal Flu: Pennsylvania - Flu cases rise with 40 confirmed deaths in State

January 15, 2013

Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza increased by more than 5,000 in Pennsylvania and an additional 18 people died of flu-related complications in the past week, the state Department of Health reported Tuesday.
The updated reports, for the week that ended Saturday, bring the totals to 40 deaths and 16,511 confirmed flu cases for the season.
-snip-
"For many flu victims, staying at home, drinking fluids and taking acetaminophen is all that they need," said Ralph J. Riviello, president of the emergency physicians group. "But there will be exceptions, and those people should seek immediate assistance."
Those exceptions include people who experience signs of pneumonia, low oxygen levels or severe dehydration.
"An adult with difficulty breathing, chest or abdomen pain, dizziness, confusion or severe vomiting needs to head to the emergency room," Riviello said in the statement.
In addition, children should be taken to a doctor if they have those symptoms, or develop bluish skin, a rash with a fever or if they are not waking up or interacting, the groups said. Also, if flu symptoms appear to be improving, but then return with a fever and a cough worse than before, a person should seek treatment at an emergency department, they said.
-snip-
Full article:  http://articles.mcall.com/2013-01-15/health/mc-pennsylvania-flu-outbreak-20130115_1_flu-cases-flu-deaths-influenza

Seasonal Flu: New Hampshire flu death toll rises to 16

January 15, 2013 10:16 AM
CONCORD — The number of flu-related deaths in New Hampshire has risen to 16 adults, a state health official said Tuesday.
-snip- 

The state saw a total of 19 deaths reported in 2012.

So far this season there have been 40 institutional outbreaks; the majority occurring at nursing homes and long-term care facilities. The N.H. Public Health Laboratories has so far tested 408 specimens and 238 were positive for influenza
-snip-

Individuals younger than 12 will now be restricted from all areas of the hospital, unless they are being treated as a patient, according to Notis. The only exception are healthy siblings of newborns in the maternal child health unit.

Anyone with respiratory or flu-like illness is also asked to refrain from visiting patients at the hospital, she said.

-snip-

Full article:  http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20130115-NEWS-130119842

 

NanoViricides moves ahead with anti-flu drug program shown to be superior to Tamiflu

[NanoViricides, Inc. is a nano-biopharmaceutical company whose business goals are to discover, develop and commercialize therapeutics (nanoviricides™) to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening viral infections.]

January 17, 2013

NanoViricides (OTCBB:NNVC) provided Tuesday an update to its flu program, and said that both its oral anti-flu and related injectable drug have now shown "significantly superior" results to Tamiflu against an H1N1 strain of the flu that is the same type as the 2009 epidemic virus.

The previously reported animal study results were reiterated as the company also announced that a "highly optimized" floor plan for its cGMP production facility for its nanoviricide drugs has now been completed by its design team. The company’s cGMP (current good manufacturing practice) facility is being designed to produce sufficient quantities of the drugs needed for human clinical trials that will test various nanoviricide drug candidates as they advance into the FDA process further.

Continued: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/38336/nanoviricides-moves-ahead-with-anti-flu-drug-program-shown-to-be-superior-to-tamiflu-38336.html

Nepal: Bird flu confirmed in four poultry farms in Kaski

POKHARA, Jan 16: The government has confirmed bird flu in four poultry farms in Kaski that had recently reported sudden chicken deaths.

Dr Bansi Sharma, chief of Regional Livestock Service Directorate, Pokhara told Republica that lab tests of sample conducted in Pokhara, Kathmandu and the United Kingdom confirmed that the chicken had died of avian influenza.

“Our technicians culled 2,000 chickens and destroyed feed kept at the four farms to prevent the disease from spreading. They also sprayed chemicals in the affected farms,” he added.

The directorate had deployed six teams of technicians in the affected areas.

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=48392