http://http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/worldbirdflunews.php/ News on bird flu/avian flu from around the world http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24935THE US is holding off approval of this year's flu shot as it probes Australia's ban on the fever-inducing vaccine for young children. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24935Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24940AstraZeneca Canada Inc. announced today that Health Canada has approved FluMist (Influenza Vaccine, Live, Attenuated) for the prevention of seasonal influenza. FluMist is the first vaccine in Canada that is administered as a gentle mist sprayed into the nose. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24940Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:03:57 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24905 USAID Program To Prevent Spread Of Bird Flu In Bangladesh Expands All Headline News reports on a USAID-funded initiative to prevent the spread of bird flu in Bangladesh... http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24905Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24904Reuters - Songbirds such as sparrows and thrushes carry various forms of bird flu and could potentially spread the viruses to pigs and poultry, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24904Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:39:26 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24906Intercell AG (VSE: ICLL) announced the results of a Phase II clinical trial of its investigational Vaccine Enhancement Patch (VEP) system for avian H5N1 influenza. In this development program, Intercell is working under a contract with the U.S... http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24906Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24901The Ministry of Health of Indonesia has announced a new case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza. A 34-year-old female from South Jakarta District, DKI Jakarta Province developed symptoms on 25 May, was hospitalized on 27 May and died on 1 June. Laboratory tests were positive for H5N1 virus infection. The case was possibly infected from environmental exposure to manure in her plant nursery. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24901Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24924 Swine flu gives influenza a good name - and health protection a bad one, writes Geoffrey Lean. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24924Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:06:55 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24934This blog is no longer called Fergus on Flu, but I'm still happy to talk about pandemics. Boiling down nearly 200 pages to two words, the Hine review's verdict on the UK response to H1N1 can be summed up as "highly satisfactory". Dame Deidre Hine repeatedly praises the planning and the response to the pandemic last year. That said, there is a series of lessons to be learned, in particular about contract negotiations with vaccine manufacturers. She says the failure, in 2007, to negotiate get-out clauses in the vaccine contract "exposed the Exchequer to some risk". In other words, it cost the tax-payer money and we were left with lots of unused doses of vaccine. What Dame Deirdre does not tell us, because of commercial confidentiality, is how much that cost us. Before condemning ministers and officials for poor planning, it's worth pointing out that no country in the world managed to negotiate a break clause with GlaxoSmithKline for its Pandemrix H1N1 vaccine. Furthermore, had the pandemic been as bad as everyone originally feared, those extra doses of vaccine might have saved tens of thousands of lives. Once last point. Given how mild the H1N1 pandemic was, how on earth are health officials and virologists ever going to interest the public in the potential dangers of the next pandemic? The next one may be a lot more serious. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24934Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:14:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24926 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24926Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:01:09 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24925 Official report into the outbreak said that the death toll could have been much higher but for the swift response and mild nature of the disease. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24925Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:35:54 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24927 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24927Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:29:28 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24894Scientists have identified a new, highly conserved molecular target on the influenza A virus and demonstrated that human antibodies against this target are protective in animal models of seasonal and highly-pathogenic avian influenza. The work was conducted by researchers at Theraclone Sciences, with collaborators at University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Tokyo and Johns Hopkins University; and is reported this week in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24894Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:20:21 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24871H1N1 Influenza Public Health Emergency Determination to Expire on June 23 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24871Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24856This document announces a new influenza diagnostic test developed by CDC that was FDA authorized today for use in detecting human infections with the 2009 H1N1 virus. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24856Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24857Proposed updated guidance for seasonal influenza and the Interim Guidance on Infection Control Measures for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Healthcare Settings, Including Protection of Healthcare Personnel has been published in the Federal Register, along with a Request for Comments. The comment period began on June 22, and will end on July 22. All comments received during the comment period will be considered, following which final guidance will posted on the CDC web site. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24857Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:09:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24768The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as Generic Tamiflu sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24768Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:30:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24769Mice injected with a 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine and then exposed to high levels of the virus responsible for the 1918 influenza pandemic do not get sick or die, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24769Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:40:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24784Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 11, 2010 / 59(22);682-686 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24784Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:05:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24830On Friday 4 June 2010, the BMJ, formerly British Medical Journal, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) simultaneously released reports critical of the World Health Organization's handling of the H1N1 pandemic. WHO takes the issues and concerns that were raised seriously and wishes to set the record straight on several points. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24830Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24761AFP - A young pregnant woman has died of bird flu, China's Health Ministry said, the first reported fatality from the virus since early last year. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24761Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:58:05 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24823Trio of scientists who urged stockpiling had previously been paid, says reportScientists who drew up the key World Health Organisation guidelines advising governments to stockpile drugs in the event of a flu pandemic had previously been paid by drug companies which stood to profit, according to a report out today.An investigation by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the not-for-profit reporting unit, shows that WHO guidance issued in 2004 was authored by three scientists who had previously received payment for other work from Roche, which makes Tamiflu, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), manufacturer of Relenza.City analysts say that pharmaceutical companies banked more than $7bn (£4.8bn) as governments stockpiled drugs. The issue of transparency has risen to the forefront of public health debate after dramatic predictions last year about a swine flu pandemic did not come true.Some countries, notably Poland, declined to join the panic-buying of vaccines and antivirals triggered when the WHO declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic a year ago this week. The UK, which warned that 65,000 could die as a result of the virus, spent an estimated £1bn stockpiling drugs and vaccines; officials are now attempting to unpick expensive drug contracts.The cabinet office has launched an inquiry into the cost to the taxpayer of the panic-buying of drugs.Today, the Council of Europe, produces a damning report into how a lack of openness around "decision making" has bedevilled planning for pandemics."The tentacles of drug company influence are in all levels in the decision-making process," said Paul Flynn, the Labour MP who sits on the council's health committee. "It must be right that the WHO is transparent because there has been distortion of priorities of public health services all over Europe, waste of huge sums of public money and provocation of unjustified fear."Although the experts consulted made no secret of industry ties in other settings, declaring them in research papers and at universities, the WHO itself did not publicly disclose any of these in its seminal 2004 guidance. In its note, the WHO advised: "Countries that are considering the use of antivirals as part of their pandemic response will need to stockpile in advance."Many nations would adopt this guidance, including Britain. In 2005, the government said it had begun bulk-buying the drug Tamiflu, initially ordering 14.6m doses after bird flu killed 40 in Asia.The specific guidance on antivirals was written by Professor Fred Hayden. He has confirmed in an email that he was being paid by Roche for lectures and consultancy work at the time the guidance was produced and published. He received payments from GSK for consultancy and lecturing until 2002. He said "[declaration of interest] forms were filled out for the 2002 consultation".The previous year Hayden was also one of the main authors of a Roche-sponsored study that asserted what was to become a main Tamiflu selling point – its claim of a 60% reduction in flu hospitalisations.Dr Arnold Monto was the author of the WHO annex dealing with vaccine usage in pandemics. Between 2000 and 2004, and at the time of writing the annex, Monto had openly declared consultancy fees and research support from Roche and GSK. No conflict of interest statement was included in the annex published by the WHO.When asked if he had signed a declaration of interest form for WHO, Dr Monto said "conflict of interest forms are requested before participation in any WHO meeting".The third scientist, Professor Karl Nicholson, is credited with the WHO's influential work Pandemic Influenza. According to declarations he made in the BMJ and Lancet in 2003, he had received sponsorship from GSK and Roche.Even though the previous year these declarations had been openly made, no conflict of interest statement was included in the annex. Nicholson said he last had "financial relations" with Roche in 2001.When asked if he had signed a declaration of interest form for WHO, he replied: "The WHO does require attendees of meetings, such as those held in 2002 and 2004, to complete declarations of interest."A WHO official told the BMJ it had to balance an individual's privacy with the robustness of guidelines, which were subject to a wide external review process.Swine fluPharmaceuticals industryDrugsHealth policyWorld Health OrganisationControversies in scienceRandeep Rameshguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24823Fri, 04 Jun 2010 11:14:15 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24785Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) June 2, 2010 / 59(Early Release);1-5 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24785Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:25:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24771Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an uncommon peripheral neuropathy causing paralysis and in severe cases respiratory failure and death. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24771Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:30:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24762Reuters - Scientists have identified a chemical compound that can stop the H5N1 bird flu virus as well as seasonal human flu viruses from replicating. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24762Mon, 31 May 2010 03:05:15 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24788This is the final report of the 2009-2010 season. During week 20 ( May 16-22, 2010), influenza activity decreased in the U.S. Two (0.2%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24788Fri, 28 May 2010 22:15:00 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24803A trial of swine flu vaccines given to more than 900 children showed the jabs provided good protection against the virus. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24803Fri, 28 May 2010 22:10:39 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24824 http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24824Fri, 28 May 2010 10:53:33 GMThttp://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24790During week 19 ( May 9 - 15, 2010), influenza activity decreased in the U.S. 14 (0.9%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza. http://www.ukbirdflunews.com/News/article.php?itemid=24790Fri, 21 May 2010 22:50:00 GMT