February 18, 2014
Study Revives Bird Origin for 1918 Flu Pandemic
A new analysis showed that the genes of the deadly 1918 pandemic are of avian origin, not from the mixing of human and swine viruses
Influenza
February 5, 2014
Germs, Microbes Compete With Athletes in Sochi Olympics
The Olympics are not just a chance for countries to bring home the gold. They also provide a perfect chance to spread infections all over the world.
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HealthJanuary 30, 2014
H1N-What? Wading Through the Alphabet Soup of Flu Names
Muddled about all the new flu viruses? Its hard to keep up with the changing names in the news. H1Nwhat? Bird flu. Pig flu. MERS. SARS. Here is a quick overview of this dizzying, dyslexia inducing array, with what you need to worry about, even if some arent yet in your backyard.
January 8, 2014
What do you need to know to survive this years flu?
I spent a year filtering spit and nasal washings, growing influenza in tissue cultures in a minimalist lab, and trying to develop an oral flu vaccine, all as part of my Infectious Diseases fellowship thirty years ago.
HealthDecember 3, 2013
Real-Time Flu Forecast Predicts Outbreaks in Each U.S. City
A system based on weather forecasting predicts the peak of seasonal flu weeks in advance, enabling health officials to prevent new infections
HealthNovember 11, 2013
Influenza: Trying to Catch a Moving Target
Despite decades of research decoding the influenza virus—and great advances in treating and vaccinating against the disease—this infectious pathogen continues both to surprise and confound us
HealthSeptember 17, 2013
Pandemic Flu Plan Predicts 30 Percent of U.S. Could Fall Ill
A newly declassified government plan for a flu pandemic suggests a challenging scenario, as vaccine production could take months and basic services could be disrupted
September 3, 2013
Standard Vaccines Can Offer Protection against H5N1 Pandemic Avian Flu
A test vaccine has been found to be protective against a synthetic version of the H5N1 virus, but the result might not predict performance on real pandemic H5N1
HealthJuly 18, 2013
Risk of Human-to-Human Spread of Deadly New Bird Flu Virus Higher Than Previously Thought
Mounting evidence suggests lethal H7N9 bird flu poses “worrisome” threat
April 24, 2013
Will the H7N9 Avian Flu Spread to People Outside Mainland China?
High-risk areas might include Shandong province (where the first case of 104 among humans was reported April 23) and a belt extending around the Bohai sea to Liaoning province in the north. But cases beyond China might be just a matter of time
April 16, 2013
Ill-Advised: Researchers Agree Puzzling New Bird Flu Should Be Taken Seriously
It's time to commit to memory a new combination of H and N influenza numbers. Since it arrived on the scene H7N9 has vexed researchers and shown it can be deadly to humans
April 9, 2013
Source of Novel Avian Flu Outbreak Urgently Sought
Researchers suspect the H7N9 virus originates in bird markets as human cases rise to 24, including 8 deaths, as of April 9