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Waiting times peak as budgets are squeezed
The King’s Fund gives a snapshot of the state of the NHSRelated items from OnMedicaGPs say PCTs are slow to make decisions’Ditch’ private management consultants from the NHSGovernment failing on dementia care Government announces swine flu reviewBudget may lead to ‘slash and burn’ cuts for NHS (Source: OnMedica Latest News)
Obese mice have increased morbidity and mortality compared to non‐obese mice during infection with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus
Conclusions Together, these data support epidemiologic reports that obesity may be a risk factor for severe 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza infection, but the role of obesity in seasonal or highly virulent pandemic influenza infection remains unclear. (Source: Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses)
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for 2009 Influenza A (H1N1)-Associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2011; 32: 188-194DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1275531ABSTRACTThe 2009 novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus was identified in April 2009 in Mexico, and the World Health Organization declared the first phase 6 global influenza pandemic of the century on June 11, 2009. The pandemic spread worldwide in just a few weeks. Most patients diagnosed with H1N1-2009 virus had a self-limited respiratory illness. However, among patients admitted to hospitals, 20 to 33% were hospitalized in intensive care units (ICUs) because of influenza-associated pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mortality in patients admitted to the ICU with respiratory failure varied between 17 and 28% and was associated with greater illness severity scores and the need for mechanical…
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Development of monoclonal antibodies to highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus and their application to diagnostics, prophylaxis, and therapy.
Authors: Masalova OV, Klimova RR, Chichev EV, Fediakina IT, Loginova SY, Borisevich SV, Bondarev VP, Deryabin PG, Lvov DK, Kushch AA
A panel of 17 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) A/Duck/Novosibirsk/56/05 A/H5N1 (subclade 2.2) isolated in Russian Federation was developed. Immunoblot analysis showed that 12 MAbs were specific for the hemagglutinin (HA) and 5 MAbs for nucleoprotein (NP). All anti-HA MAbs were reactive in ELISA and immunofluorescence (IF) test and 10 of them were reactive in hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) and neutralization tests. Quantitative competitive ELISA revealed that anti-HA MAbs recognized at least 4 non-overlapping antigenic determinants and anti-NP MAbs recognized at least 3 non-overlapping antigenic dete…
Missing my swine flu jab nearly killed me… and my unborn baby
A mother’s heart-stopping account of how the late arrival of a routine doctor’s letter almost cost her everything. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Deal in Reach on Flu Virus-Sharing, Vaccine Access
A global deal is tantalizingly close under which countries would share flu virus samples in exchange for access to affordable vaccines derived from them, thus saving lives in a pandemic, senior diplomats said
Onset of a pandemic: characterizing the initial phase of the swine flu (H1N1) epidemic in Israel
Conclusions:
Analysis of high quality data holds much promise in reducing uncertainty regarding fundamental aspects of the initial phase of an outbreak. Our finding of a low Re (close to unity threshold), combined with identification of social groups with high transmission rates would have enabled the containment of swine flu during the summer in Israel. Our unique use of contact data provided new insights into the differential dynamics of influenza in different ages and sexes, and should be promoted in future epidemiological studies. Altogether, our attempts to study the disease dynamics comprehensively, as it spread in space and time in different sects of the society, enabled us to illuminate interesting and important features of the initial phase of the swine flu pandemic. (Source: BMC …
Countries Close to Deal on Flu Virus-Sharing, Vaccines
Countries are close to a deal to speed up their response to the next flu pandemic by sharing virus samples in return for access to affordable vaccines, diplomats at the World Health Organization said on Tuesday
Hospital staff in England denied bank holiday wedding pay
Hospitals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland agree to pay enhanced ratesRelated items from OnMedica’Invest more in consultants’ urges BMA Scotland Doctors slam ‘disappointing’ pay award Doctors’ concerns over care are often ignored BMA denies GP swine flu ‘strike’ claimsPractice managers slam extended opening hours (Source: OnMedica Latest News)
Influenza 2009 pandemic: Cellular immunemediated surveillance modulated by TH17 & Tregs.
Authors: Barkhordarian A, Iyer N, Shapshak P, Somboonwit C, Sinnott J, Chiappelli F
Influenza A virus is a serious public health threat. Most recently the 2009/H1N1 pandemic virus had an inherent ability to evade the host’s immune surveillance through genetic drift, shift, and genomic reassortment. Immune characterization of 2009/H1N1 utilized monoclonal antibodies, neutralizing sera, and proteomics. Increased age may have provided some degree of immunity, but vaccines against seasonal influenza viruses seldom yield cross-reactive immunity, exemplified by 2009/H1N1. Nonetheless, about 33% of individuals, over the age of 60, had cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies against 2009/H1N1, whereas only 6-9% young adults had these antibodies. Children characteristically had no detectable imm…
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