influenza

There has been a grand total of zero confirmed cases of the seasonal flu, known as H3N2, in Niagara this season. The public health department reports 115 confirmed cases of human influenza-A this season, of which there are several subtypes, including H3N2. Overworked labs still coping with the fall swine flu outbreak have not subtyped these cases. However, Niagara's acting associate medical officer of health, Dr. Val Jaeger, said there has been only one confirmed H3N2 case in all of Ontario.

What is happening now is what we thought might be happening then, that H1N1 is replacing seasonal flu   -Val Jaeger

 

Cessnock council looks set to approve the expansion of a poultry farm at Bishops Bridge which would see the operation more than double in size. The farm, which was originally approved in 1979, breeds turkeys for meat production. The owners are seeking to expand the existing facility of two sheds, by adding two more and installing ventilation in all four sheds.  

Vaccination before vacation. Before you go abroad, it is important to find out about vaccines and any health concerns that pose a risk to you at your destination. Check with the local health department or a travel medicine specialist six to eight weeks before you are scheduled to leave the United States.  

Southern Travel Holdings, a travel and tourism services company, posted a first-half loss as swine flu, the global financial crisis and unfavourable foreign exchange movements hampered sales. The net loss was $538,000, or 2.49 cents a share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from a profit of $503,000, or 2.73 cents a year earlier, the company said in a statement today. Revenue fell 27% to about $10 million.  

She later revealed she felt "achey" and was worried she had come down with the virus because one of her pals had fallen ill. Lohan wrote, "Achey? My friend had it and I am sick and I'm now concerned!!!!" The actress played down fears for her health after receiving a barrage of messages from concerned fans, but admitted she had asked a doctor for a check-up just in case.  

Local and state health departments along with the Winnebago County Coroner are investigating the death of an Oshkosh West High School girl Thursday. The death has been attributed to natural causes but the specific cause is still undetermined. Authorities are not releasing the girl's name.

We're doing multiple tests on her blood but we have yet to determine what caused her death   -Seth Boffeli

 

Our work suggests that obese people should be considered at high risk for infection   -Erik Karlsson

 

A single dose of an experimental drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza than the preferred drug Tamiflu and can also protect against infection, according to researchers. The tests of Daiichi Sankyo Company's CS 8958 or laninamivir show one inhaled dose worked better than Tamiflu to keep mice alive when infected with a normally deadly dose. The report in the Public Library of Science Journal PLoS Pathogens covers one of the dozens of ongoing studies of a new batch of influenza drugs being devel

Importantly, a single dose of CS-8958 conferred a more potent and long-lasting protective effect to mice against H5N1 influenza viruses than that of oseltamivir phosphate   -Yoshihiro Kawaoka

 

Expectant mothers who catch the flu are more likely to have children who develop schizophrenia, The Sun reported Monday. American researchers gave pregnant monkeys a mild flu virus and later scanned their babies' brains. The results showed "a significant effect" which mirrored brain changes in schizophrenic humans.