Category: Flu Virus

As the leaves turn and temperatures drop, its important to remember that fall brings with it another chilly visitor: the annual flu season.

Influenza activity will begin increasing this month before peaking later around December. To combat the spread of the sometimes-fatal virus, Student Health Services is giving out flu vaccinations on the University of North Georgias Gainesville and Dahlonega campuses.

Students who have paid the health fee (typically included with tuition) are eligible to receive the shot for free, while those who havent paid the fee will have $15 charged to their banner account. Vaccinations are available by appointment or walk-in during regular clinic hours.

Student Health Services encourages everyone eligible to receive a flu vaccination, especially as other viruses such as COVID-19 and the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are still circulating

Jennifer Cook, Student Health Services Assistant Director

For students who believe they may have already contracted the flu, the clinic offers in-house testing for the virus. Treatment will vary between patients, but Cook says most people will just need over-the-counter cold medications to start feeling better. Those with asthma or other vulnerable conditions may need a prescription for anti-viral medications.

These need to be started fairly quickly after becoming symptomatic to be effective, Cook said.

The severity of the 2023-2024 flu season will depend on which strains are circulating and how well they match up with the current vaccine. This year, the clinic is offering the FluLaval injection, a Quadrivalent vaccine that protects against four different forms of the virus: two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains.

Data from the CDC suggests that the vaccine can reduce the risk of contracting the flu by approximately 40 to 60 percent. For those who do become ill, the shot will decrease the severity of flu symptoms.

Vaccination rates may be a factor in theflus mobility on campus this semester. In response to lower than anticipated turnout last fall, Student Health Services ordered fewer doses of the vaccine this year.

Data shows the Gainesville and Dahlonega clinics administered 670 flu shots in the fall of 2021, only for that number to drop to 389 in the fall of 2022.

So far, the two clinics have administered 363 of the 1,000 vaccines they ordered this fall.

If by chance we do use up our supply, we can order more, Cook said.

The COVID-19 vaccine saw a similar decrease in demand, ultimately prompting Student Health Services to stop ordering new doses. In the past, the clinic was required to order the shots in large quantities and would be unable to administer them all before they expired.

Unfortunately, the clinic cannot order only a handful of the COVID-19 vaccination, Cook said. Student Health cannot justify ordering the vaccine especially as it can be obtained easily through local pharmacies and the Health Department.

Like with the COVID-19 boosters, students may be getting flu shots from local providers and pharmacies. There is no data to confirm the actual rate of flu-vaccinated UNG students.

Regardless of where they get it, Student Health Services encourages students to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Influenza will rapidly gain pace as the months turn colder and students travel for the holidays.

More:

Flu Season is Coming Vanguard - Vanguard

SUSAN JOHNSON Special to the Daily Sun

1923: Emory Kolb, chief boatman for the survey party who successfully navigated the Colorado River, accompanied by Mrs. Kolb, were in the city from the Grand Canyon Monday. In speaking of the expedition down the river, Mr. Kolb said: The trip down the river this time was much easier than when my brother and myself went down before owing to the fact that the river was at just about the right height to cover many of the big rocks and let us through and not high enough to make the passage over exceedingly dangerous. Of course, the big flood down the river laid us up, but luckily we happened to be at a point I was sure I remembered from a previous trip. Down about a half mile there was a canyon opening out where I felt sure we could land our boats and get away from the big rush of floodwaters. I proved to be right about it and we succeeded in getting the boats out of the way of the main floods, but the big waves came down lashing the boats against the canyon walls, keeping us up all night to save them from being broken up. It was lucky that some of the party happened to be awake when the first of the floodwaters came down, as we were on a narrow strip and up against a canyon wall, which was flooded deep with water.

Editor Chris Etling takes you behind the scenes of just one example of how we look through archives for information used in the Flagstaff History column.

1948: When a Spokane housewife told the judge her husband thought the height of entertainment was listening to the Lone Ranger she was granted a divorce. If every wife in the country who considers her husband's favorite amusements downright juvenile would ask for a divorce, the courts would be really crowded. Think of the number of non-funny paper readers married to men who read the funnies before they read the front page of their newspapers. Look at all the women who cant understand how a grown man can get so much enjoyment out of detective stories and Western magazines.

On the other hand, there are just as many husbands who dont understand why a woman will spend her leisure time reading trashy love stories and listening to soap operas or how she can play bridge all afternoon. What seems juvenile entertainment to a woman and what seems juvenile entertainment to a man are two entirely different matters. And fortunately that fact is accepted matter-of-factly in most families, rather than being regarded as incompatibility and grounds for divorce.

Cornelius J. Schaap, DAILY SUN typesetting machine operator, and his best friend, Annie, the crippled dog, constant companions, will no longer be a familiar sight on the SUN office steps, where they spent many happy hours together during the past two years. Mr. Schaap, the friendly, congenial old-timer, died Saturday afternoon of a heart attack. The old printer, one of the most skilled of his trade in the nation, travelled more or less regularly between print shops in Prescott, Las Vegas and Flagstaff. He is survived by a sister and brother.

1973: Flagstaff residents might be warned that a new type of bug will be sweeping the nation as the winter season approaches the flu bug. And if its as complicated as its name B Hong Kong 572 look out. Two types of virus, A and B, will make their miseries known across the United States, but a nationwide epidemic is not expected, say officials at the Center of Disease Control. Hong Kong flu Type A struck in the winter of 1968-69 and was blamed for killing 27,900 Americans and leaving countless thousands memorably ill. The new Type B flue has been reported in Japan, Australia and England. There are two theories as to how the new strain appears. One is that it simply is a variation in an existing virus. The other is that it results from a recombination or genetic interchange between a human type of virus and one that affects animals or birds. When a new flu virus comes along, previous vaccines usually do not work against it. As a result, it is likely two vaccines will be available this winter.

1998: With a bandana wrapped around his forehead and a granite expression on his stony face, Navajo medicine man John Yazzie conducts a healing ceremony for one of his extended family members. Helping him conduct the ceremony that involves bathing, prayer and songs is his grandson, Cedric Yazzie. Through an interpreter, Yazzie explains how Cedrics presence and his willingness to learn the ways of the Navajo medicine man is reassuring to the 74-year-old grandfather, who yearns to see the traditional Navajo way of life preserved. I sincerely believe that we can keep the traditional ways, that Cedric can pass it on to his sons and grandsons, Yazzie said. Theres some rituals you have to go through. We have to make Mother Earth an offering, pray for her. Thats how we have to do it. To walk in beauty.

With a sharp eye and strong gait, Yazzie ambles across his field of blue corn, explaining how many of his children and grandchildren still live at least part time at his camp, providing hope that traditional rural living will continue in at least his neck of the reservation. Using strong fingers, Yazzie breaks loose hard-packed soil around the stalks of a clump of corn, pulling out invasive weeds. Not tall at all, the corn is stout much like Yazzie, who holds his smallish frame strongly erect as he moves from corn to melons to squash to tomatoes, all with careful grace. Life breathes into Yazzie as he explains that a coyote ate a watermelon only the night before, and that the crows are forever pecking on his honeydew. The way I was raised, we mainly subsisted off the land, Yazzie said. Yazzies family helps him plant the fields and keep up the irrigation system. They help at harvest time too.

Susan Johnson has lived in Flagstaff for over 30 years and loves to delve into her adopted hometowns past. She has written two books for the History Press, Haunted Flagstaff and Flagstaffs Walkup Family Murders, and, with her son Nick, manages Freaky Foot Tours. Youll find her hiking the trails with her corgi, Shimmer.

All events were taken from issues of the Arizona Daily Sun and its predecessors, the Coconino Weekly Sun and the Coconino Sun.

Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.

Read the original:

Flagstaff History: Hong Kong flu wreaked havoc across the world - Arizona Daily Sun

Flu shots and stickers rest on a table during a drive-through flu shot clinic at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Flu and cold season has arrived early in Alaska this year, prompting reminders from public health officials about the importance of getting yearly influenza vaccines, and soon.

Were definitely having a busier, earlier flu season than we have in recent years, said Anna Frick, an epidemiologist with the Alaska Department of Health.

Its here, its in multiple parts of the state, and seems to be on the rise. So now is a great time to go get that shot, she said.

The flu typically peaks in the state around December and January. This year, cases have been steadily rising since late September.

Last week, there were 380 lab-confirmed influenza cases in the state, compared to 259 the previous week, and 205 the week before, according to a weekly respiratory virus bulletin put out by the state.

The trend appears to be unique to Alaska; flu seasons in the Lower 48 do not appear to have taken off yet, Frick said.

She said that it was hard to know why the flu came earlier this year to Alaska, but it might have to do with the cold, wet weather in recent weeks that kept people inside more than they might otherwise be.

[COVID deaths in Alaska down significantly in 2022 but still the 4th leading cause of death]

Similar spikes have not yet been seen in the state involving other respiratory illnesses that tend to also take off in the cooler months, including respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, or COVID-19, Frick said.

Influenza is a viral infection that attacks the respiratory system, the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. Anyone can get the flu, but young children, older adults and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable.

For the first two years of the pandemic, exceptionally mild flu seasons were recorded in Alaska and nationwide. In 2020 Alaska reported less than 100 total influenza cases, fewer than any season in recent history. There was a slight uptick in 2021, but it was still below pre-pandemic averages.

Frick said social distancing, masking and other pandemic precautions likely contributed to those mild seasons.

During the pandemic, the flu season behaved kind of oddly, and thats probably due to the changing package of measures we had in place to try to mitigate the spread of COVID, she said.

A lot of the things we were doing to disrupt the spread of COVID would have also disrupted the spread of flu, she said.

Last years flu and RSV season was particularly bad nationwide and in Alaska, where hospitals reported full pediatric units while the contagious illnesses made rounds through the fall and winter.

[Where to get a free flu shot in Anchorage this season]

RSV is is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms. It can sometimes be serious, especially for infants and older adults, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This year, two new RSV vaccines for older adults, and a new monoclonal antibody treatment that protects infants and young children from the illness, are available as an added form of protection.

State health officials have said theyre hopeful the newly approved RSV protections could mean significantly fewer hospitalizations in Alaska this year, and have encouraged higher-risk Alaskans to talk to their doctors about their options.

The CDC recommends that most Americans older than 6 months get their flu shot by the end of October, which is typically when the flu season begins to take off.

Around Alaska, private-sector doses of the vaccine are available in pharmacies around the state and are available for free with insurance. You can visit the state health departments website to find a nearby public health center thats distributing the flu vaccine.

See the original post:

Alaska's flu season arrived early this year and with a bang - Anchorage Daily News

Influenza and other respiratory viruses are starting to circulate but so far remain lower than this time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of Oct. 7, CDC's FluView weekly report showed that the percent of flu cases were relatively unchanged, rising about 1% compared to the week prior.

In that same timeframe, 1,127 people were hospitalized with influenza, up from 1,050 people the week prior. About 35% of all flu hospitalizations were reported in the southeast of the U.S., which experts say is a typical trend at the start of the flu season.

Most of the flu cases detected were Influenza A and the most common subtype was Influenza A(H1N1), which is the strain of the virus that the flu vaccine usually offers better protection from, according to the CDC.

The percent of all reported respiratory viruses circulating over the past week have been relatively unchanged nationally, but there is regional variability. Region 9 -- made up of Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada -- was the only region that saw an increase.

Still, the numbers in all regions of the U.S. remain below their baseline and outpatient respiratory illness activity is either minimal or low throughout most of the U.S., according to the CDC.

Alaska is the only state that is currently experiencing moderate respiratory illness activity. Influenza typically circulates this time of year and peaks between December and February for most of the U.S., according to the CDC.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) numbers are on the rise and are projected to increase further, according to the CDC's weekly surveillance. RSV typically circulates from October to April, according to the CDC.

This time last year, the U.S. was bracing for a "tripledemic" amid rising cases of COVID-19, influenza and RSV after the seasons became more unpredictable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said these early cases are behaving in a more predictable pattern.

"The data is pointing to something a little bit more par for the course. We're seeing the early rise of RSV and flu at a time when you'd expect it," Brownstein said.

Brownstein, however, cautioned that cases of respiratory viruses are expected to increase further and higher levels still have potential to strain health systems and cause severe illnesses, Brownstein said.

"I think there's still concern around the threat of all three respiratory viruses plus, of course, the rest of the seasonal mix [of viral illnesses], wreaking havoc on our health systems," he said.

Experts are hopeful that new and updated immunizations that protect against COVID-19, influenza and RSV will stave off the strain on health care systems.

These viruses may only cause mild illness for many people, but young babies, pregnant women, people who are immunocompromised and the elderly are at highest risk for severe disease.

Everyone 6 months and older is eligible for an updated COVID-19 shot and the annual flu vaccine.

The Department of Health and Human Services told ABC News that, so far, more than 7 million updated COVID-19 shots have been administered. The CDC recommends getting the COVID-19 and flu vaccines by the end of October and encourages both to be given at the same time.

Adults who are 60 years and older can get an RSV vaccine and pregnant women who are in their third trimester can get an RSV shot that provides protection against RSV to their baby for the first 6 months of life.

Babies less than 8 months old who are born to mothers who did not get an RSV vaccine during pregnancy can get a protective shot called nirsevimab that offers about five months of protection against RSV.

Nirsevimab is a one-dose shot made of monoclonal antibodies, which are proteins manufactured in a lab and mimic the antibodies the body naturally creates when fighting an infection. This is different than a vaccine, which activates the immune system.

Brownstein said the pandemic has helped make many health systems better prepared for seasonal spikes in respiratory viruses and is hopeful that people are more motivated to stay up to date on shots that are available for protection and prevention this respiratory virus season.

"Now is really the time to get the protection advanced of the seasons really heating up," Brownstein said.

Dr. Jade A Cobern, M.D., M.P.H, a licensed and practicing physician, is a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

Go here to see the original:

Flu, RSV starting to circulate but cases remain lower than last year ... - WLS-TV

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has returned to the Upper Midwest of the United States with a vengeance.After a break from spring through early fall, new case reports are stacking up for commercial flocks.

The new bird flu reports include the following:

The discovery of bird flu in a commercial flock usually results in depopulation, meaning the impacted birds must all be euthanized

With the states first case since March 2023, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation on Oct. 20 for the new bird flu cases.Her action permits the state to track, monitor, detect, contain, dispose and disinfect the virus.

Iowa lost 15 million birds to bird flu in 2022 through March 2023.

The resumption of cases has agriculture officials again educating people on the HPAI warning signs. They include:

Scientists say some wild birds have developed immunity to bird flu, which is seen as an encouraging sign. Since wild birds have spread flu around the globe, immunity might lessen the spread in the future.

HPAI has infected commercial poultry, totaling more than 59 million in 47 states since 2022. In April 2022, just one person who recovered was inflected with HPAI.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)

View original post here:

Bird flu resumes in the Upper Midwest - Food Safety News

Dr Hilary believes flu is 'more of a risk' than Covid this winter

While Covid seems to be getting all the spotlight, Dr Hilary Jones warned that flu is the real worry this winter.

Speaking on ITVs show Lorraine, the TV doctor shared he thinks that flu is "more of a risk" than Covid this winter.

While the respiratory illness can spell life-threatening complications for some, most people who get flu will recover in a few days.

However, that doesnt make the condition that causes high fever, sore throat, and aching body any more pleasant.

The good news is that an effective supplement could speed up your recovery from the culprit.

Packed with antioxidants with immunostimulant qualities, elderberry, sometimes known as Sambucus, is a flowering plant in the Adoxaceae family.

Supplements made out of this plant could help lessen the duration and severity of the symptoms brought on by the influenza virus, according to research, published in the journal Nutrients.

The research team decided to put the effects of the potent berries to a test by looking at 312 air traveller participants.

The study explained that theres an added risk of spreading respiratory diseases, like the flu, aboard commercial flights.

The study participants were instructed to take either 300-milligram elderberry extract capsules or a placebo.

The elderberry supplements also contained several minerals, trace elements and vitamins including relatively high levels of magnesium.

The travellers started taking the elderberry supplements or placebo from 10 days before travel and continued for four to five days after arriving at their destination.

Interestingly, the findings revealed that the participants on the supplement who got sick only experienced mild symptoms and recovered from their illness sooner than expected.

Travellers who took the elderberry pills 10 days before travel and until four to five days after arriving overseas on average experienced a two-day shorter duration of their illness.

Furthermore, the incidence of adverse side events was low with no adverse effects being directly attributed to the supplement.

However, its important to note that the study was funded by a company that produces elderberry supplements.

Plus, the researchers added that while physical health may stabilise during air travel due to elderberry, further studies are needed to confirm this.

See the article here:

Study finds supplement that could speed up recovery from virus that is 'real worry' - Express

Special to the Banner-News

At a two-day summit hosted in one of the nation's top poultry states, researchers and educators from across the Americas discussed efforts to find ways to manage the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a disease that has cost the poultry industry millions of birds across five continents.

The International Avian Influenza Summit was hosted Monday and Tuesday by the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The summit drew 1,842 registrations from 81 countries. The wide-ranging agenda featured presenters from Mexico, Chile, Scotland, the United States and other countries.

Since 2021, a very deadly strain of avian influenza called H5N1, has been circulating and affecting millions of birds and mammals around the world.

"We are experiencing one of the most deadly bird flu outbreaks ever," said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. "This outbreak has cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states. There was a tremendous economic impact from this outbreak. We saw extremely high egg prices and also turkey prices.

"It's important to come together now and be proactive in discussing the strategies that we can look to, to mitigate further spread of this terrible disease."

"We can make a global impact on avian influenza," organizer Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, a research professor at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, said on Monday. "Your contributions will mean a more resilient future."

Sampling to monitor spread

Among the first day's presenters was Julianna Lenoch, national coordinator wildlife services for National Wildlife Disease Program at APHIS -- the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Lenoch described efforts to monitor movement of the disease through migratory birds and other means.

The APHIS surveillance team restarted its efforts in May after a pause during the breeding period of the sampled birds.

"We're about four months into the surveillance right now. Our team, as of last week, had already collected about 13,000 samples," she said. "Our target this year will be to get to almost 42,000 samples."

She said that in the birds sampled in spring of 2022, "around 7 percent of them were coming positive. We were running just shy of 1.9 percent in the winter of 2023 so a pretty dramatic drop in the apparent prevalence.

She said that samples collected from May-August of 2022 showed a 3 percent prevalence of avian influenza. During the same period in 2023, she said there was a "much lower prevalence" despite getting more than 7,000 samples.

"We only found H5N1 in a total of 10 birds during that period," Lenoch said. "So, either we were sampling in different regions, or there's simply not as much avian influenza circulating, or we may be looking at a little bit of a tipping point where some of our wild bird species -- at least the dabbling ducks -- may be developing some immunity."

"Unfortunately, we are starting to see pickup both in our surveillance samples and our domestic side," Lenoch said. "So avian influenza is starting to trickle in again here in the United States."

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed this year in commercial and/or small flocks in Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

AI in mammals

The sampling has found avian influenza in mammals as well, despite the U.S. lacking a national surveillance system for mammals. Currently, mammalian samples are "opportunistic," coming from wildlife rehabilitation centers or state wildlife and natural resource agencies.

"Many of these animals have been neurologically affected, and a good portion of them are juveniles or young of the year," Lenoch. "In the US we're approaching almost 200 individual detections and mammals we have had a wide breadth of species affected.

These include coyotes, foxes, skunks and raccoons. Avian influenza has also appeared in marine mammals such as seals and a bottlenose dolphin.

"The leading theory is that likely many of these terrestrial mammals are likely eating sick or dead birds in the environment," she said.

Vaccinating poultry for HPAI

Some countries, such as France, have begun vaccinating poultry against HPAI. On Sept. 29, APHIS placed restrictions on importation of poultry from France including ducks, duck eggs and other duck products.

"The restrictions are based on the World Organisation for Animal Health's definition of poultry and are the result of France's decision to vaccinate commercial meat ducks against HPAI," APHIS said. "France's decision to vaccinate presents a risk of introducing HPAI into the United States."

However, Brian Umberson of the microbial security company Ancera, said attitudes about HPAI vaccination may be changing.

"We're starting to see the development of a positive view of using vaccinations because of the size of these outbreaks and the shock to the food supply," he said.

Risk factors for HPAI on the farm

On Day 2, Alice Green, veterinary epidemiology officer for USDA, discussed a study that identified factors that increased the risk of infection on turkey farms.

Other factors "associated with increased odds of H5N1 HPI infection included having both brooder and grower turkey production on the farm," Green said. Having tom turkeys on the farm and "seeing wild waterfowl or shorebirds in the closest field was also associated with increased odds

"Proximity to water and wild bird habitat, as well as presence of high densities of migratory wild waterfowl, have been identified as risk factors in previous outbreaks concentrations of domestic poultry in combination with high densities of wild birds provides a potential interface for viral transmission and spillover events," Green said.

There are human factors as well. The study found that having a restroom -- even a portable one and having access to a shower -- were found to be protective factors.

Surveillance as an early warning system

Pedro Jimenez-Bluhm, assistant professor, Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Chile, discussed wild bird sampling efforts in Chile, at the southern end of the Pacific Flyway.

Starting in August 2022, "we discovered some low-pathogenic viruses, but then we had this huge peak at the end of the year," he said. "That's where we started seeing H5N1-positive samples.

"Through this environmental sampling, in this case, we were actually able to get the positive (confirmation) one week before people were announcing mortalities," Jimenez-Bluhm said, adding that this makes a lot of sense because "there needs to be a certain viral load in the environment for animals to actually efficiently transmit this virus. So, this is a very sensitive way to actually detect the pathogen in the environment."

Closing out the second day were presentations on strategies for developing vaccines for this virus strain, genome editing to examine avian influenza resistance in chickens and a presentation from Tellez-Isaias on "CRISPR and Quorum Sensing as strategic control measurements for Avian Influenza Virus."

See more here:

Researchers, educators at summit share efforts to corral highly ... - Magnolia Banner News

Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir) are common prescription treatments for short, noncomplicated influenza (flu).

Both have similar purposes: they can treat an influenza infection or prevent one from occurring if you've been exposed to a sick person. However, they differ in their dosing and uses in different populations.

This article will cover the similarities and differences between Xofluza and Tamiflu, including who can take it, dosage, side effects, interactions, and which is more effective.

Getty Images / Hannah Peters/Stringer

An antiviral medication, Xofluza is used to treat short and noncomplicated influenza or flu in adults and adolescents 12 and older. It can also help prevent the flu in adults and children 5 and older who have been exposed to another sick person.

It's best used when flu-like symptoms of fever, fatigue, or other symptoms are present for no more than 48 hours. This medication and others similar to it are used to treat the flu and should not be used in replacement for annual flu vaccines.

Tamiflu is an older medication than Xofluza. Like Xofluza, it can be used to treat acute flu infections, but unlike Tamiflu, it can be given to children as young as 2 weeks old, making it a better option for young children. Like Xofluza, it's most effective in treating the flu within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

Tamiflu can also be used to prevent influenza in children as young as 1 year who have been in contact with someone who is sick.

Xofluza is an influenza virus polymerase acidic endonuclease inhibitor.

Xofluza's active ingredient, baloxavir marboxil, is considered a prodrug, defined as an inactive product that develops into its active form once it is processed in the body to reach a therapeutic effect.

This happens because of the high amount of water in human bodies. The water in your body helps break up this medication into an active drug form. Once the drug becomes active, it begins to attack and break down the virus by blocking the proteins that help the flu multiply in the body. This slows the progression of the illness, reducing your time being sick, and eventually eliminates the virus quicker and more efficiently.

Tamiflu is an influenza neuraminidase inhibitor (NAI). It binds to and blocks neuraminidase enzymes, which are present in influenza viruses. By doing this, Tamiflu reduces the viral load and the length of time infected.

Its active ingredient or generic version (oseltamivir phosphate) is also a prodrug. It works by undergoing a chemical breakdown similar to Xofluza. Once this medication is released into the body, it converts to its active form and blocks the influenza virus from releasing more viral particles into your system.

Research has shown that Xofluza, compared to Tamiflu, can be more effective in reducing household influenza transmission.

More clinical information has shown that Xofluza may be a more effective antiviral than Tamiflu in treating influenza and interfering with the progression of a pandemic or severe flu season. For one, Xofluza is a simple onetime dose, which is easier to complete than Tamiflu's five-day course of treatment or a 10-day course for prevention. Xofluza prevents the virus's spread more efficiently.

Because of Tamiflu's favorable safety profile in pregnant people, it is generally the preferred antiviral to treat flu during pregnancy. There is limited data on Xofluza's use during pregnancy.

Just a single dose of Xofluza is usually needed compared to Tamiflu, which requires 10 or more doses. This makes Xofluza a more appealing option overall.

Below is the recommended dosing for Xofluza and Tamiflu referred to in milligrams (mg), mg per milliliters (mg/mL), and mg per kilograms of body weight (mg/kg).

As with most medications, Xofluza and Tamiflu come with potential side effects. You may or may not experience side effects when taking either of these drugs.

Common side effects associated Xofluza include:

Tamiflus common side effects include:

These are the most commonly reported side effects associated with these medications.However, this list does not include all possible side effects that could occur.

Side effects can make it difficult to continue taking your full treatment course. Over-the-counter (OTC) therapies can help you manage some of these milder side effects. For example, you can take Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) for headaches.

It's recommended not to use these medications if you are allergic to any of their components.

Xofluza may interact with the following:

It is essential to avoid these interactions as this is a onetime dose medication. Taking any of the above could reduce how well Xofluza works.

One interaction that can affect both Xofluza and Tamiflu is with live vaccines. These may lose effectiveness if given two weeks before or 48 hours after administration of an antiviral.

Talk to your healthcare provider when prescribed an antiviral if you are potentially getting a new vaccine.

Both Xofluza and Tamiflu are effective and commonly prescribed medications for the flu. Which medication you take may depend on different factors, such as age or pregnancy status.

It is important that you notify your primary healthcare provider of the duration of your illness to maximize this medication's effectiveness in reducing your fever, symptoms, and the amount of time you will be ill. You'll need to start treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset for the most optimal results.

Because Xofluza is given as a onetime dose, this medication may work more quickly than Tamiflu. Tamiflu is a 10-pill regimen and can take five to 10 days for treatment and any sign of improvement. Xofluza has shown improvement and flu relief in a little over four days (50 to 54 hours) after the onetime dose.

These medications are approved for use specifically for the influenza virus and should not be used with other COVID-19 antiviral medications, as this may do more harm than good. Some common COVID-19 medications include:

Both of these medications can be taken with or without food.

The author would like to recognize and thank Jaycob Mathew Pea for contributing to this article.

See original here:

Xofluza vs. Tamiflu: Differences and Similarities - Verywell Health

Flu activity in the United States is low and remains well below baselines, but some parts of the country are experiencing slight rises, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest weekly update.

The percentage of respiratory specimens that tested positive for flu at clinical labs rose last week in region 8, which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Levels remained stable in other parts of the country.

Hospitalizations for flu also remain low but increased slightly in four regions that include states in roughly the southeast and west.

Of the few samples that were positive for flu at public health labs last week, 78% were influenza A, and of subtyped samples, nearly 94% were the 2009 H1N1 virus.

No pediatric flu deaths have been reported for the current season, but the CDC reported one more for the 2022-2023 season, which was reported during the week ending September 30 and involved H1N1, putting that total at 179.

See the original post:

CDC reports slight flu rise | CIDRAP - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. At a two-day summit hosted in one of the nations top poultry states, researchers and educators from across the Americas discussed efforts to find ways to manage the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a disease that has cost the poultry industry millions of birds across five continents.

The International Avian Influenza Summit was hosted Monday and Tuesday by the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The summit drew 1,842 registrations from 81 countries. The wide-ranging agenda featured presenters from Mexico, Chile, Scotland, the United States and other countries.

Since 2021, a very deadly strain of avian influenza called H5N1, has been circulating and affecting millions of birds and mammals around the world.

We are experiencing one of the most deadly bird flu outbreaks ever, said Deacue Fields, head of the Division of Agriculture. This outbreak has cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states. There was a tremendous economic impact from this outbreak. We saw extremely high egg prices and also turkey prices.

Its important to come together now and be proactive in discussing the strategies that we can look to, to mitigate further spread of this terrible disease.

We can make a global impact on avian influenza, organizer Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, a research professor at the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, said on Monday. Your contributions will mean a more resilient future.

Among the first days presenters was Julianna Lenoch, national coordinator wildlife services for National Wildlife Disease Program at APHIS the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service. Lenoch described efforts to monitor movement of the disease through migratory birds and other means.

The APHIS surveillance team restarted its efforts in May after a pause during the breeding period of the sampled birds.

Were about four months into the surveillance right now. Our team, as of last week, had already collected about 13,000 samples, she said. Our target this year will be to get to almost 42,000 samples.

She said that in the birds sampled in spring of 2022, around 7 percent of them were coming positive. We were running just shy of 1.9 percent in the winter of 2023 so a pretty dramatic drop in the apparent prevalence.

She said that samples collected from May-August of 2022 showed a 3 percent prevalence of avian influenza. During the same period in 2023, she said there was a much lower prevalence despite getting more than 7,000 samples.

We only found H5N1 in a total of 10 birds during that period, Lenoch said. So, either we were sampling in different regions, or theres simply not as much avian influenza circulating, or we may be looking at a little bit of a tipping point where some of our wild bird species at least the dabbling ducks may be developing some immunity.

Unfortunately, we are starting to see pickup both in our surveillance samples and our domestic side, Lenoch said. So avian influenza is starting to trickle in again here in the United States.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed this year in commercial and/or small flocks inOklahoma, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

The sampling has found avian influenza in mammals as well, despite the U.S. lacking a national surveillance system for mammals. Currently, mammalian samples are opportunistic, coming from wildlife rehabilitation centers or state wildlife and natural resource agencies.

Many of these animals have been neurologically affected, and a good portion of them are juveniles or young of the year, Lenoch. In the US were approaching almost 200 individual detections and mammals we have had a wide breadth of species affected.

These include coyotes, foxes, skunks, and raccoons. Avian influenza has also appeared in marine mammals such as seals and a bottlenose dolphin.

The leading theory is that likely many of these terrestrial mammals are likely eating sick or dead birds in the environment, she said.

Some countries, such as France, have begun vaccinating poultry against HPAI. On Sept. 29, APHIS placed restrictions on importation of poultry from France including ducks, duck eggs and other duck products.

The restrictions are based on the World Organisation for Animal Healthsdefinition of poultryand are the result of Frances decision to vaccinate commercial meat ducks against HPAI, APHIS said. Frances decision to vaccinate presents a risk of introducing HPAI into the United States.

However, Brian Umberson of the microbial security company Ancera, said attitudes about HPAI vaccination may be changing.

Were starting to see the development of a positive view of using vaccinations because of the size of these outbreaks and the shock to the food supply, he said.

On Day 2, Alice Green, veterinary epidemiology officer for USDA, discussed a study that identified factors that increased the risk of infection on turkey farms.

Other factors associated with increased odds of H5N1 HPI infection included having both brooder and grower turkey production on the farm, Green said. Having tom turkeys on the farm and seeing wild waterfowl or shorebirds in the closest field was also associated with increased odds

Proximity to water and wild bird habitat, as well as the presence of high densities of migratory wild waterfowl, have been identified as risk factors in previous outbreaks concentrations of domestic poultry in combination with high densities of wild birds provides a potential interface for viral transmission and spillover events, Green said.

There are human factors as well. The study found that having a restroom even a portable one and having access to a shower were found to be protective factors.

Pedro Jimenez-Bluhm, assistant professor, Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Chile, discussed wild bird sampling efforts in Chile, at the southern end of the Pacific Flyway.

Starting in August 2022, we discovered some low-pathogenic viruses, but then we had this huge peak at the end of the year, he said. Thats where we started seeing H5N1-positive samples.

Through this environmental sampling, in this case, we were actually able to get the positive (confirmation) one week before people were announcing mortalities, Jimenez-Bluhm said, adding that this makes a lot of sense because there needs to be a certain viral load in the environment for animals to actually efficiently transmit this virus. So, this is a very sensitive way to actually detect the pathogen in the environment.

Closing out the second day were presentations on strategies for developing vaccines for this virus strain, genome editing to examine avian influenza resistance in chickens and a presentation from Tellez-Isaias on CRISPR and Quorum Sensing as strategic control measurements for Avian Influenza Virus.

Continued here:

Researchers, educators at summit share efforts to corral highly ... - Stuttgart Daily Leader