Scientists develop new basis for H5N1 vaccine: WHO

Bird Flu Update 053109

Hey folks,

We're back and talking about the Bird Flu. Yes, the Bird Flu. Not the infamous Swine Flu that we have been following so closely, that HAS Avian influenza as part of it's make up, but Bird Flu itself. In today's Health and Science Segment, we learn that there may be a new Hope in our battle against H5N1. According to Reuters - Scientists develop new basis for H5N1 vaccine: WHO By Laura MacInnis Laura Macinnis – Thu May 28, 10:04 am ET

GENEVA (Reuters) – Scientists have used bird flu virus samples from Egypt to develop a new basis for a vaccine against the toxic H5N1 strain that continues to circulate, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

Avian influenza kills about half the people it infects, but unlike the quickly circulating H1N1 flu virus has not been shown to pass easily between humans to date.

The WHO said the candidate virus was developed at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta "thanks to the ministry of health and population of Egypt, for providing virus specimens,"

"This recombinant vaccine virus is available for distribution," it said in a statement on its website.

"Institutions, companies and others interested in pandemic vaccine development who wish to receive these candidate vaccine viruses should contact either the WHO Global Influenza Program ... or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Pharmaceutical companies including Novartis are already working on vaccines against H5N1 bird flu, which has killed or forced the culling of more than 300 million birds since 2003 as it spread to 61 countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

While eclipsed on the headlines by the highly contagious H1N1 strain, which proved deadly in its North American epicenter but has caused mild symptoms as it spread, the WHO stressed it was important to remember the risks posed by avian influenza.

The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization reported 250 outbreaks of H5N1 in birds in February alone -- in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam.

Avian influenza has killed 261 people out of 424 infected since 2003. By contrast, the H1N1 strain, commonly known as swine flu and which has put the world on pandemic alert, has infected more than 13,000 people but killed just 95, according to WHO figures.

Its statement on Thursday said flu experts were continuing to monitor the evolution of avian influenza and other flu viruses and stressed the need for countries to keep providing samples of identified strains.

"Countries are encouraged to share with WHO their specimens and/or isolates, both from humans and animals, for their inclusion in the WHO H5N1 vaccine virus development and selection process, in addition to other activities of public health significance," it said.

Virus sharing is a sensitive topic for developing countries such as Indonesia, who have bristled at the idea of companies using their biological material to manufacture and patent vaccines that are then sold at unaffordable prices.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, who raised the United Nations agency's pandemic alert to 5 out of 6 in response to the fast spread of swine flu, is trying to broker an international agreement on the sharing of virus samples by January 2010.

She has called on countries to do all they can to ensure fresh samples of both H5N1 and the new H1N1 strains reach the pharmaceutical community so that their vaccines can offer immunity against the latest forms of the viruses.

The WHO's statement did not include new guidance on the H1N1 virus or vaccines to fight it. WHO officials have said they would offer recommendations "during the summer" about how many pandemic vaccines focused on that strain may needed, depending on whether it continues to cause mild effects as its spreads.

British scientists have produced a strain of H1N1 flu virus which could be used for large-scale production of a vaccine, should it go ahead.

That strain is being made available to the pharmaceutical industry and other flu laboratories, Britain's Health Protection Agency said on Thursday, describing it as "a crucial step toward large scale production of a vaccine against swine flu."

So not only may we have some good news on the Bird Flu front, but also the Swine as well. For those of you who wonder why I focus on following these things so closely it's because the more informed we are, the better prepared to deal with anything that arises we will be. I'm not fearful of these things. I am not advocating you lock yourselves away or buy one of those stupid and useless masks. I am keeping you informed of what IS out there and keeping an eye on it so we have no surprises.

I will continue to post updates when necessary of this and Swine Flu. Rest assured, any information that pops up that you need to know about, like this vaccine, you can feel confident that you will find it here.
Peter

Sources:
Reuters - Scientists develop new basis for H5N1 vaccine: WHO

Swine Flu Update 042909

Update: Swine Flu, Money, Vaccines, and Fear.

Hey folks,

Yes, I'm aware there is more news out there. Yes I am aware that some would like to dismiss this, or even ignore it. I will get to so of the other news and answer some of your questions in just a second. But first, sorry, I do find this very important to keep an eye on with all the MIS-information out there. Here is your Swine Flu Update, for Wednesday 042909. When you read this, you make your own judgements on the money, Vaccines, and fear aspect of all this. Right after this, I will be talking about Obama's first one hundred days, and my honest feelings on Arlen Specter switching Parties.

Bloomberg - Swine Flu Extends Reach to Countries Outside Mexico (Update2) By Tom Randall

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said hundreds of students in his city are sick with suspected cases of swine flu, an indication the disease may be taking root in countries outside Mexico.

President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion in new funding to brace for an outbreak, a White House spokesman said. New York accounts for 45 of the 65 confirmed U.S. cases in six states. New Zealand today confirmed 14 people have swine flu in Auckland city, the first cases in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mexico, where the virus toll is highest, said 159 people may have died from the malady, with seven of those verified by laboratory tests. Seven countries have confirmed swine flu, including the U.K., Canada, Israel, New Zealand and Spain, laying the seeds for a possible global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. Officials in Bavaria said Germany confirmed its first case today.

“The zillion-dollar question is how long will this transmission activity last and what will be the evolving picture of disease severity,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “If transmission continues and severe illness is documented, WHO will have to raise its pandemic alert level further.”

The WHO, a United Nations agency based in Geneva, said it’s watching New York to see whether the virus has become rooted in a second country, a finding that would boost the level of the pandemic alert system.

Hospitalization, Deaths

The U.S. can expect hospitalizations and deaths, and businesses and schools should plan for a pandemic, Richard Besser, acting head of the Atlanta-based CDC, said yesterday.

New York, America’s largest city, has about 45 confirmed cases, most originating at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, Bloomberg said yesterday. At P.S. 177, a public school for autistic children, 82 students have called in sick and six students are being tested at Ascension school in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, , he said. Most family and staff suspected of having the flu haven’t been tested, the mayor said.

Two other people, a woman in Brooklyn and a boy in the Bronx, were hospitalized with suspected cases associated with travel to Mexico, Bloomberg said. Five patients with confirmed swine flu cases have been hospitalized in the U.S., Besser said.

Alert Raised

WHO raised its global pandemic alert this week, saying the disease is no longer containable and health authorities need to prepare for outbreaks. It’s the first time the warning has been raised to a 4 since the six-step system was adopted in 2005. It had been at 3 since 2007, when it was elevated for an outbreak of avian flu.

A pandemic, rated 6 on WHO’s alert system, is an unexpected outbreak of a new contagious disease that spreads from person to person across borders. In such cases, almost no one has natural immunity.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama requested more money yesterday to help build stockpiles of anti- viral drugs, work on vaccines and coordinate the U.S. response with other governments.

The money is meant “to ensure we have the resources available” at federal, state and local levels to deal with any wider spread of the virus, Gibbs said.

The biggest concern is whether the virus is establishing itself outside Mexico, Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s assistant director- general for health security and environment, said on a conference call yesterday with reporters.

Speed, Ferocity

WHO is tracking the speed and ferocity of the New York- based transmissions with U.S. and state health officials to determine how the flu may spread in the future, Fukuda said.

“There is definitely the possibility that this virus can establish that kind of community-wide outbreak capacity in multiple countries,” Fukuda said. “It’s a very serious possibility, but it’s still too early to say that it’s inevitable.”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to help the most populous U.S. state with 37 million people prepare for an outbreak. Health officials said yesterday they had confirmed an 11th case, though the added instance wasn’t reflected in the CDC data. The state also has seven more “probable” cases, said Bonnie Sorensen, chief deputy director of the California Department of Public Health.

Travel Advisories

Schwarzenegger ordered state agencies to use whatever government personnel, equipment and facilities needed to help the health department. He also authorized the agency, along with the state’s Emergency Medical Services Authority, to enter contracts with private companies without competitive bids.

The outbreak in Mexico City prompted the local government yesterday to order all 35,000 restaurants shut.

U.S. officials recommended that nonessential travel to Mexico be avoided and the European Union told travelers to avoid outbreak areas. Malaysia today asked the WHO to ban outbound travel from Mexico.

Japan suspended visa-free entry for Mexican nationals, countries including Australia, Singapore and South Korea are screening air passengers, and Taiwan advised against visiting Mexico.

Australia is testing 90 people for swine flu, and authorities are searching for 15 people who were on a plane from Mexico two days ago, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said.

Trade Curbs

South Korea will suspend imports of live hogs from North America starting today, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said. Indonesia said April 27 it will destroy all imported pork and swine products and fumigate agricultural goods bought from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico as a precaution.

China, the world’s top pork consumer, banned imports of swine products from Mexico and parts of the U.S.

The WHO isn’t recommending travel restrictions and has said people can’t get swine flu from eating properly handled pork.

“We’re in a pre-pandemic phase and it’s going to be hard to know until we’re much further along what this is going to progress to,” Besser said in an interview.

Scientists are trying to determine why swine flu, a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type-A influenza virus, has been more severe in Mexico. The disease results in symptoms similar to those of seasonal influenza, such as fever, lethargy and coughing, and may also cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

Pandemic Alert

“In terms of defining a pandemic, there is no requirement that it cause severe disease,” said Arnold Monto, a scientist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It doesn’t have to be killing millions. The virus may be bad in terms of the likelihood of getting infected, but not necessarily in terms of severity.”

The Mexican government requested that bars, movie theaters and churches close in Mexico City. It also extended its school closure to May 6 and may shut down more activities.

The World Bank, in a worst-case scenario published in October, said a flu pandemic that’s similar in scope to the 1918 outbreak known as the Spanish flu could kill 71 million people worldwide and push the economy into a “major global recession” costing more than $3 trillion.

Flu Treatments

Production of influenza vaccine for seasonal outbreaks, which U.S. health officials have said is ineffective against the new flu, should continue, Fukuda said. The WHO is working with companies to prepare for a swine-flu vaccine, and would help produce it if the outbreak becomes a pandemic, he said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration signed emergency authorizations April 27 that will permit the CDC to use an unapproved lab test for swine flu and more dosing options than currently recommended for influenza treatments Tamiflu, sold by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG, and Relenza, from London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

If the world is facing a pandemic, “this is a nice, gentle pandemic,” said John Oxford, a virologist at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine in London. “Virulence seems low.”

The New York City mayor is founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Randall in New York at trandall6@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 29, 2009 03:50 EDT

CDC Update:

The human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional cases of confirmed swine influenza and a number of hospitalizations of swine flu patients. Internationally, the situation is more serious too, with additional countries reporting confirmed cases of swine flu. In response to the intensifying outbreak, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4. A Phase 4 alert is characterized by confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks.” The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

CDC has activated its emergency operations center to coordinate the agency’s emergency response. CDC ’s goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this swine influenza virus. Yesterday, CDC issued a travel warning recommending that people avoid non-essential travel to Mexico. CDC continues to issue interim guidance daily on the website and through health alert network notices. CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

AS of 11 AM yesterday, the CDC breaks it down like this.

California 10 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 45 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 6 cases
TOTAL COUNT 64 cases

There is an investigation of two deaths in LA to see if they died of this. More updates to follow.
Peter

Sources:
Bloomberg - Swine Flu Extends Reach to Countries Outside Mexico (Update2)
CDC - Website