News Reports for June 8, 2012

New study shows why swine flu virus develops drug resistance

Computer chips of a type more commonly found in games consoles have been used by scientists at the University of Bristol to reveal how the flu virus resists anti-flu drugs such as Relenza and Tamiflu.

Professor Adrian Mulholland and Dr Christopher Woods from Bristol's School of Chemistry, together with colleagues in Thailand, used graphics processing units (GPUs) to simulate the molecular processes that take place when these drugs are used to treat the H1N1-2009 strain of influenza - commonly known as 'swine flu'. Their results, published in Biochemistry, provide new insight that could lead to the development of the next generation of antiviral treatments for flu.

H1N1-2009 is a new, highly adaptive virus derived from different gene segments of swine, avian, and human influenza. Within a few months of its appearance in early 2009, the H1N1-2009 strain caused the first flu pandemic of the 21st-century.

The antiviral drugs Relenza and Tamiflu, which target the neuraminidase (NA) enzyme, successfully treated the infection but widespread use of these drugs has led to a series of mutations in NA that reduce the drugs' effectiveness. (Snip) the double mutant of swine flu NA known as IRHY2 reduced the effectiveness of Relenza by 21 times and Tamiflu by 12,374 times - that is, to the point where it has become an ineffective treatment.

To understand why the effectiveness of Relenza and Tamiflu is so seriously reduced by the occurrence of this mutation, the researchers performed long-timescale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using GPUs. (Snip) "Our simulations showed that IRHY became resistant to Tamiflu due to the loss of key hydrogen bonds between the drug and residues in a part of the NA's structure known as the '150-loop'.

"This allowed NA to change from a closed to an open conformation. Tamiflu binds weakly with the open conformation due to poor electrostatic interactions between the drug and the active site, thus rendering the drug ineffective." Continued: http://www.terradaily.com/repo...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 06:13:53 AM UTC

Sri Lanka: Respiratory disease identified as Influenza A (H1N1 pdm)

The respiratory disease which affected some staff members at the Angoda National Institute of Mental Health has been identified as Influenza A (H1N1 pdm) following investigations carried out by the MRI, the Health Ministry said in a release yesterday.
(Snip)
The normal symptoms of the disease are fever and cold. But it could lead to pneumonia if proper care is not taken, the ministry said.

The ministry has provided advise to control the disease to all hospitals including the Angoda Mental Health Institute. The Health Supplies Division has adequate stocks of drugs to treat the disease and the MRI has facilities to conduct medical tests (Snip) http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/0...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 06:30:12 AM UTC

Sri Lanka: Four nurses diagnosed with Swine flu

Four Nurses at the Angoda National Institute of Mental Health were diagnosed with the influenza AH1N1 virus (Snip)

Director of the Angoda Mental Hospital Dr. Jayan Mendis speaking to Ceylon Today said that none of the patients are suffering from Swine flu at the hospital (Snip).

"One patient died at the hospital due to a heart attack and the media misinterpreted the cause of this death as Swine flu, which is not correct. No patients are suffering from Swine flu at the Angoda hospital. Nevertheless, four nurses were diagnosed with Swine flu and currently are receiving treatment," he said.

(Snip) Dr. Jayan Mendis said that chances are likely that these four nurses must have contracted the virus from some other place other than the Angoda Hospital. (Snip) Dr. Mendis said that it is curable, and that the virus would only become deadly if the patients neglect getting treatment. http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-7...

(Note: Sounds a little "fishy" to me that 4 nurses working in the same hospital contracted swine flu but none of the patients have it. Also, none of the patients have caught it from the nurses either? Hmmm....)

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 16:33:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Swine flu alert in Sri Lanka after hospital staffers infected

Jun 08, Colombo: The Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka's Health Ministry has requested the general public to be alert for the spread of influenza A H1N1 (Snip) swine flu after four staffers at a government hospital found to have been infected with the influenza A H1N1 virus.

The authorities evacuated a ward of the Mental Health Institute in Angoda, near Colombo after the four staffers who fell ill confirmed to have been infected with swine flu.

The director of the Mental Health Institute in Angoda Dr. Jayan Mendis has told media that the four patients are being treated and that their condition is improving.

(Snip) 40 patients have been transferred from the ward and none of the patients have contracted the disease.

(Snip) all the hospitals in the island have been instructed to treat suspected swine flu victims. Dr. Palihawadana has asked the public to watch for influenza A H1N1 symptoms such as cold and fever which could develop into pneumonia and other serious conditions and seek medical treatment promptly if any present. http://www.colombopage.com/arc...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 20:08:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thailand: HHS Support Results in International Influenza Vaccine Milestone

Thailand today became one of the first countries in the world to test an H5N1 avian, or bird, influenza vaccine in a needle-free, nasal spray formulation. This Phase I clinical trial of a live attenuated influenza vaccine, known as LAIV, to protect people from the H5N1 virus, resulted from international collaboration with health agencies around the world, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). A Phase I clinical trial is the first step in testing new vaccines in humans.

"Influenza vaccines remain a critical component of public health preparedness worldwide," explained BARDA Director Robin Robinson, Ph.D. "By enhancing the capacity of developing countries to develop, manufacture and test their own influenza vaccines, we are improving pandemic preparedness globally."

(Snip)

On behalf of the Thai government, the World Health Organization (WHO) negotiated rights to the license for LAIV for avian influenza from Biodiem Ltd., headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The vaccine was developed initially at the Institute for Experimental Medicine (IEM) in St. Petersburg, Russia; IEM sold the vaccine license to Biodiem. Russian scientists have provided technical assistance to Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) to develop the vaccine in Thailand under this license.

Through a grant to the WHO, BARDA has provided funding and technical assistance to support Thailand's GPO as well as other developing countries. The grant supported building pilot scale manufacturing facilities to produce the vaccine, devising a clinical trial process to study the vaccine's effectiveness in protecting people against avian influenza and a regulatory process to evaluate the vaccine, as well as conducting clinical trials in humans.

Thailand's GPO sent a dozen scientists to the United States for training in advanced biomanufacturing skills and good manufacturing practices. BARDA established the training program and continues to sponsor the program at the North Carolina State University and Utah State University.

The new vaccine developed and being tested in Thailand is part of the National Strategy Plan for Pandemic Preparedness that the Thai government released in 2005 in response to highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in Thailand. Avian influenza viruses such as H5N1 can be passed from infected birds to humans and hold potential to become a pandemic if the virus changes in a way that makes it spread easily among humans. The study and data analysis for this clinical trial are expected to be completed by May 2013. Continued: http://www.khozradio.com/13874...

 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 06:39:27 AM UTC

Cambodia: H5N1 investigation

CIDRAP News June 4, 2012 - An investigation into the recent H5N1 avian flu death of a 10-year-old Cambodian girl led to the identification of the virus in chickens and ducks in her Kampong Speu province village (Snip) Samples obtained from local chicken and ducks were positive for the virus. The outbreak killed 564 of 1,304 susceptible birds. Authorities culled the remaining 740 poultry (Snip) http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 06:54:30 AM UTC

CIDRAP: H5N1 strikes farm in northern China

H5N1 avian flu struck a farm in northern China's Gansu province last week, leading to the culling of more than 18,000 chickens (Snip) 6,200 chickens showed signs of illness on Jun 1, and 260 died. The remaining 18,200 chickens in the flock were destroyed. (Snip) China's national avian flu reference lab, tested samples from the farm and confirmed the presence of H5N1 on Jun 5. The farm is in the village of Dongguan in Jingtai county. Authorities said they quarantined and disinfected the farm.  http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...

Jun 6 OIE report: http://web.oie.int/wahis/publi...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 07:18:34 AM UTC

China: Cluster of Influenza A cases in Kowloon Hospital

The spokesperson for Kowloon Hospital made the following announcement today (June 8):

Four male patients (aged 61 to 79) and two staff members in a Rehabilitation Ward presented with respiratory symptoms and fever since May 31. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and their test results were positive for Influenza A. The patients concerned are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition, while the staff members have recovered.

Admission to the ward has been suspended and restricted visiting has been imposed.

Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward concerned are under close surveillance. (Snip) http://7thspace.com/headlines/...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 20:03:43 PM UTC

Bronco Bill, it's Friday joke time!

Your jokes are here: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/dia...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Fri Jun 08, 2012 at 20:58:44 PM UTC

Egypt reports H5N1 case in 4-year-old girl

Egypt's health ministry reported an H5N1 avian influenza infection in a 4-year-old girl from Kafr el Sheikh governorate, (Snip)

She got sick on Apr 25 and was hospitalized the next day, where she was immediately treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu). She was released from the hospital on May 7. An investigation (Snip) found that she had been exposed to backyard poultry. The girl's infection pushes Egypt's H5N1 total to 168, which includes 60 deaths. The latest case raises the global case total to 606, of which 357 were fatal.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidr...
 

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Sat Jun 09, 2012 at 00:41:10 AM UTC

Please post new news stories to...

News Reports for June 9, 2012

Thank you!

---

by: AlohaOR @ Sat Jun 09, 2012 at 04:33:16 AM UTC