A team from the Scripps Research Institute found that endothelial cells may act as a regulator in how the body reacts to the flu virus.
The scientists were looking at the S1P pathway (molecular control circuit) and gave rodents a substance to stimulate the S1P1 receptor. They learned that the treatment lessened severe cytokine response.
Details available on SCIENCE NOW:
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/09/surprising-cells-rein-in-killer-.html
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Thousands get flu in Australia, but few require medical care.
Thousands get the flu in Australia, but few require medical care.
Influenza monitoring systems are reporting nearly 8,000 cases, early in the Australia flu season.
Recent flooding and bad weather may be to blame, but it is not clear that this is either the main or sole reason for the high reported numbers. One theory is that there is simply more testing going on, another that fewer people are being vaccinated due to concerns about the safety of the flu shot.
Report in Brisbane Times: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/warnings-as-flu-cases-surge-20110719-1hn5m.html#ixzz1SeuevxIe
Report on “The Conversation”: http://theconversation.edu.au/flu-is-on-the-rise-australia-and-thats-not-to-be-sniffed-at-2414
Influenza monitoring systems are reporting nearly 8,000 cases, early in the Australia flu season.
Recent flooding and bad weather may be to blame, but it is not clear that this is either the main or sole reason for the high reported numbers. One theory is that there is simply more testing going on, another that fewer people are being vaccinated due to concerns about the safety of the flu shot.
Report in Brisbane Times: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/warnings-as-flu-cases-surge-20110719-1hn5m.html#ixzz1SeuevxIe
Report on “The Conversation”: http://theconversation.edu.au/flu-is-on-the-rise-australia-and-thats-not-to-be-sniffed-at-2414
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Reuters reports potential tripling of flu vaccine production by 2015
Reuters is reporting that the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced 11 new producers of flu vaccine. The manufacturers could potentially provide up to 1.7 billion doses of season flu vaccine by 2015.
According to Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general, "what we are continuing to do is to make sure that not only will there be more pandemic vaccine if need be, but also that the sites where these vaccines will be produced will be more diverse geographically and more populations of the world will have earlier access to pandemic vaccine."
"We have to take influenza vaccine as a tool to combat influenza pandemic, not just a tool to maximise profit," said Dr. Pathom Sawanpanyalert, Thailand's chair of the WHO's Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines, the experts group that met. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/health-flu-vaccine-idUSLDE76D0XD20110714
According to Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO assistant director-general, "what we are continuing to do is to make sure that not only will there be more pandemic vaccine if need be, but also that the sites where these vaccines will be produced will be more diverse geographically and more populations of the world will have earlier access to pandemic vaccine."
"We have to take influenza vaccine as a tool to combat influenza pandemic, not just a tool to maximise profit," said Dr. Pathom Sawanpanyalert, Thailand's chair of the WHO's Global Action Plan for Influenza Vaccines, the experts group that met. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/14/health-flu-vaccine-idUSLDE76D0XD20110714
Thursday, May 19, 2011
CDC offers Zombie Apocalypse preparedness plan
If you previously took everything the CDC said with a grain of salt, their latest pronouncement is not likely to change your mind.
A tongue-in-cheek blog post describes what to do in case zombies strike.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
Excerpt:
"Zombie Apocalypse
There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.
A Brief History of Zombies
We’ve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident EvilExternal Web Site Icon.), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born."
Full blog post is here:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
A tongue-in-cheek blog post describes what to do in case zombies strike.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
Excerpt:
"Zombie Apocalypse
There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That’s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you’ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you’ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.
A Brief History of Zombies
We’ve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident EvilExternal Web Site Icon.), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born."
Full blog post is here:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
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