Category: Flu Virus

Alexandre Le Vert, CEO and co-founder of Osivax, discusses the companys breakthrough vaccine technology, oligoDOM, and how its driving the development of new influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that attack T-cells, providing a long-lasting effect.

Currently, available vaccines for influenza and COVID-19 require yearly administration due to their makeup, as they target the outer layer of the virus. Le Vert says Osivaxs technology differs, however, as it attacks the virus T-cells, making the vaccine more effective in the long term, and that clinical trials have shown promise.

Osivax is a European-based biotech company that develops vaccines against infectious diseases. What makes us special is that we have this technology platform that allows us to target the internal parts of a virus. Therefore, were focusing our vaccines on non-mutating parts, Le Vert says.

As a virus mutates, the outer layers change more quickly than the inner layers. Attacking the non-mutating parts or the inner layers can create a more effective vaccine that will be sustainable through several viral mutations.

The technology

When exposed to a virus, ones immune system develops antibodies in response to foreign antigens, with or without a vaccine. However, a vaccine trains the immune system to recognise that familiar virus and kill it more rapidly.

Sometimes the difference between life and death is your immune system being ready within two days versus within five days. Thats really what a vaccine does: it helps your immune system be ready to fight the virus within one or two days versus five, six, or seven days without a vaccine, Le Vert states.

When training the immune system, the science becomes complicated, as different aspects of the system play different roles.

One arm of the immune system triggers antibodies, and the other triggers T-cells. Antibodies cover the pathogen of the virus and neutralise it. Theyll prevent the virus from entering the cells because they will be covered with antibodies, and the receptors will be unable to reach the cell.

On this front, the antibody works very well. But the antibody wont be able to access the internal parts of the virus, Le Vert states.

Another arm of the immune system is called the T-cell response, which destroys the cells that have been infected by the virus.

The virus has to enter into a cell to hack the cell and make the cell produce new viruses. The beauty of that T-cell response is that you can actually access the internal parts of the virus, Le Vert states.

Osivaxs technology, oligoDOM, trains the T-cell immune response to recognise the nucleoprotein.

When the virus infects a cell, it will take that cell and make it produce all the parts of the virus including the nucleoprotein. Then the virus reassembles and kind of merges out. But when a cell produces those viral particles or antigens, it will be marked with traces of each of these particles on its surface, Le Vert states.

This is how the cell, which has been infected, exposes all the parts of the virus. Thats where you can act and target these internal parts of the virus, but you have got to be very fast, very strong, because you cant wait too long after the cell has been infected. Otherwise, it will start producing all these replicate viruses.

The nucleoprotein is exposed at the cells surface and a robust T-cell response at that time can get rid of the virus. The virus cant divide and so disappears.

The company is using its oligoDOM technology to create influenza and COVID-19 vaccines which it hopes will provide long-term protection against the viruses.

Influenza

The influenza virus mutates quickly and, over the past decade, has shifted to where the vaccines available are less effective than they previously were.

The CDC analyses the effectiveness of flu vaccines yearly and has done so since the 2003/2004 flu season. Just eight years ago, the efficacy of flu vaccines was 52%. Analysis from the 2021-2022 flu season shows a vaccine effectiveness of 35%.

Everyone understands this is related to how fast the virus can mutate. So, we decided to use our approach to target an internal, non-mutating part of the virus, the nucleoprotein, and to develop a broad-spectrum vaccine against that using oligoDOM, Le Vert states.

Osivaxs influenza vaccine is in phase 2A studies. Over 800 subjects have been recruited for four clinical trials, with 72 to 300 subjects in the various trials.

We observed efficacy in our clinical trial in decreasing the confirmed symptomatic influenza by a matter of 78%. We dont have an internal comparison in this clinical trial, but the effectiveness of the current vaccines is much lower, Le Vert states.

We dont know what it will do in a head-to-head comparison because we havent done that, but were very enthusiastic about those results. Its unprecedented, according to us. And its the second time we see such a level of protection with our vaccine in our hands.

In 2019/2020, the company published an observed efficacy of 75%. Then in 2021/2022, it saw a 78% reduction in confirmed influenza symptoms.

Theres still a lot of work to be done, but we see this as a big hope for the future prevention of all these mutating strains of influenza. Itd be amazing if we could anticipate the mutations of influenza, and we wouldnt have to react every year with nine months delay, Le Vert states.

In addition to Influenza, La Vert says Osivax is testing its technology to be used against current and potentially future strains of COVID.

SARS-CoV-2

When COVID initially hit, there was a scramble within the vaccine community to cultivate an effective vaccine to help stop or lessen the detrimental effects of the virus.

In 2020, when we saw the COVID-19 wave arriving, we thought of how we could help. Even though we were hoping to get antibody vaccines, at least for the first strains, we thought itd be important to have the same approach as with our flu vaccine. What if mutation starts to appear, which is just the typical way of life, and what if mutations help the virus evade vaccine effectiveness? It would be useful to have a vaccine to anticipate these mutations, Le Vert says.

The company uses the same approach for the COVID-19 vaccine as influenza, but to train the immune system to recognise the nucleocapsid a protein that forms complexes with the positive-sense RNA genome of coronaviruses.

One difference between the current COVID vaccines, the mRNA or the Novavax subunit vaccine, is that theyre targeting the outer membrane of the COVID-19 virus the spike protein.

One can argue that mRNAs and even the Novavax vaccines also trigger T-cells, but not against the nucleocapsid. Were targeting specifically the nucleocapsid with T-cells that are going to be effective, Le Vert says.

The vaccine candidate is in the preclinical phase today, but has shown promising results in animal trials. The company is looking to begin human trials next year.

If we manage to have protection against one strain, it should protect against all the other variants, and then potentially beyond COVID-19, in other coronaviruses. Also, the mutation rate of the nucleocapsid is just orders of magnitudes below the one with the spike. So, the level of mutations you get with a spike in one year is what you would get in a nucleocapsid in probably many years, Le Vert states.

Vaccine developers have done an amazing job with COVID-19, but now were seeing that these vaccines have their limitations. Why on earth do we need to change the vaccines every year? Its not the case with measles or polio; with these child infectious diseases. It just takes a lot of work and a lot of good science, but were ready for that.

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Reconfiguring COVID and influenza vaccines for long-term effectiveness - - pharmaphorum

New Delhi: Cases of common cold and flu (influenza) are on the rise. However, because both viral respiratory illnesses cause similar, often overlapping symptoms, distinguishing between them can be difficult.

Dr Agam Vora, Chest Physician, Advanced Multi Specialty Hospitals, Vile Parle (West). Assoc. Hon. & In-Charge, Department of Chest & TB, Dr R.N. Cooper Municipal General Hospital said, "With seasonal changes and sudden shifts in the weather during the monsoon season, we witness a rise of various viral infections ranging from the flu to common cold. It is especially important to recognizethe differences across conditions to effectively treat them and speed up the process of recovery. Further, to avoid these seasonal infections, understanding and adopting preventive measures are also important to keep people healthyand protected."

It is critical for individuals to be able to quickly determine whether they are suffering from a cold or the flu so that they can seek the appropriate medical attention. To distinguish the two, there are a few notable differences to keep in mind.

Here are four key differences between a cold and the flu:While both spread easily from person to person through the air, personal contact and bodily discharge (like saliva or from fluids from coughing or sneezing), they are caused by different viruses. The flu is caused by different strains or types of the influenza virus specifically, while a common cold can be derived from multiple viruses, the most common one being rhinovirus. To understand if an individual is experiencing the flu, consulting a doctor is recommended. They will assess one's symptoms and might recommend getting tested to determine the nature of the virus.

Symptoms common to both conditions include body aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, cough and nasal congestion or a runny or stuffy nose. However, the flu typically involves high grade fever as well (often 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), unlike a cold. Another distinguishing symptom is chills (shaking or shivering), which are common with influenza but not with colds. And overall, cold symptoms are usually milder than flu symptoms.

There are also differences in the onset of conditions, with a cold's symptoms starting more gradually, while the flu's symptoms begin more abruptly and rapidly escalate. Cold symptoms tend to improve after a week. In the case of the flu, it can gradually improve over two to five days, but effects can also last over a week.

The flu can also lead to more serious complications when compared to a cold. Influenza can become a serious condition leading to hospitalization, especially amongst at-risk individuals with comorbidities, including lung or heart problems, diabetes or hypertension. Lung infections or pneumonia are also associated complications.

Understanding these distinctions is critical for guiding needed care. At the same time, as the flu season begins this year, it is critical to remember that there are preventive measures that can be taken. As a result, recognising the steps to avoid these conditions this season can be beneficial.

As per the WHO, vaccination is one of the key steps to prevent flu infections. This is recommended annually as immune protection from the flu shot can decline over time. Annual shots, in accordance with WHO recommendations, enhance protection against the evolving influenza virus, which changes its structure every year. Meanwhile, there is no vaccine against the common cold, but maintaining good hygiene is key to avoid it.

Dr. Jejoe Karan Kumar, Director, Medical Affairs at Abbott said, "By educating the population on the need for a range of preventive measures against respiratory illnesses, including vaccination, we can empower people to protect themselves and others from such conditions. This can prevent unnecessary complications down the line, particularly for children, the elderly and individuals with underlying conditions."

Other common preventive measures for both the flu and the common cold, in addition to influenza vaccination, include washing hands more frequently (for at least 20 seconds), limiting close contact with anyone who has cold or flu symptoms, and avoiding touching one's eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands. Take precautions to avoid infection this season, but also be aware of the warning signs so you can seek appropriate care in a timely manner.

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Is it a Cold or the Flu? - Onmanorama

For fans of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the teams 54-20 drubbing at the hands of the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers during Saturdays Banjo Bowl was a hellish nightmare.

That result didnt hold a candle to the horror taking place behind closed doors in the Riders dressing room.

It started with walking into the locker room and it looked like a triage in there, quarterback Cody Fajardo told the Regina media post-game. The amount of guys that were sick, throwing up, coming out both ends; it was pretty ridiculous.

Shortly before warm-ups, word broke that the Riders were experiencing what was believed to be an outbreak of stomach flu, placing the status of several players in jeopardy. The effect the illness would have on the game was not known at that time but as the exhausted and dehydrated team left the field, there was no downplaying the ravages of the virus.

For head coach Craig Dickenson, the first sign of trouble began shortly after dinner on Friday night. Having just enjoyed a delicious burrito, something felt off.

I walked home at about nine oclock, I knew something was not right. So I thought maybe I got something bad and I went to the bathroom and threw up, he recalled at the podium. But then once I did that for the fourth and fifth times in the evening, I knew it was a little more than just food poisoning.

A call to the teams training staff revealed that he was far from the only Rider in gastrointestinal distress. While Dickenson managed to recover somewhat overnight, others were not so lucky, including backup quarterback Mason Fine.

Mason was my roommate and they had to move me rooms, Fajardo said. He was down pretty bad and I got to watch it firsthand and it did not look pleasant.

Fine was the first player to be officially ruled out for Saturdays game and the Riders were able to arrange for third-stringer Jake Dolegala to fly in last-minute as a replacement. As the situation grew more dire, other reinforcements were not so lucky.

Team president Craig Reynolds was enlisted to drive defensive back Blace Brown and offensive lineman Diego Alatorre-Montoya nearly six hours from Regina to Winnipeg in his personal vehicle. The group arrived late to the stadium, reportedly nine minutes after kickoff, but were spared from some of the worst of the situation as a result.

There was about 20 guys that were not feeling right and the bathroom in there, there was only two stalls and it was filled up for every second of the pregame, Fajardo noted, painting a disturbing picture of the locker room.

Dickenson said that roughly 15 Riders players were down with the illness, as well as seven or eight coaches. Along with Fine, the team scratched defensive back Jeremy Clark and fullback James Tuck prior to kickoff but other players were forced to dress to meet roster requirements despite being violently sick.

Four players were simply unable to play from the opening snap, including star receiver Kian Schaffer-Baker, while two more were ruled out by half-time. The offensive line, in particular, was struggling to keep themselves upright.

They were in big trouble. They had like two or three guys out and [right tackle] Kooper Richardson was sick the whole time, he was throwing up in the bus on the drive over and played the whole game, Dickenson acknowledged.

I have a lot of heart for those guys, Fajardo said, grateful to have only been sacked four times. Our entire offensive line was sick and they went out there. They were giving them IVs just to get them on the field. We didnt have anything else to do. There are a lot of guys that gutted that game out for us to perform as well as we did.

The situation affected the Riders game plan right from the beginning. With some players still in the locker room hooked up to fluids, Dickenson wasnt even certain which offensive players would be available to his team at kickoff. He chose to defer the coin toss as a result and the Bombers got off to a hot start on the opening drive, one that never seemed to dissipate.

The defence allowed 415 yards of total offence and 54 points on the evening, while Fajardos group mustered a respectable 251 yards considering the circumstances. Even though he was not one of those making heavy use of IG Fields limited restroom facilities, the quarterback does believe his play was affected by the bug.

I just felt kind of weak out there. My stomach was okay, I didnt puke or anything, but just didnt feel like I quite had the energy and I know a lot of guys felt the same way, Fajardo said. If you guys had seen what the locker room looked like before kickoff, I think you would be proud of how this team fought.

The team believes that the virus was contracted back in Regina, as several practice roster players still at home have reported similar symptoms. The illness is expected to pass through the team in the next 24 to 48 hours and Dickenson is ordering much-needed rest and hydration for his players once they get home, before preparations will begin for next Fridays game against Edmonton.

He credits athletic therapists Ryan Raftis and Trevor Len, along with team physician Dr. Mike Nicholls, for somehow pulling the team through the unprecedented situation.

They did a great job, short staffed and they were up all night to try to take care of all of these guys, including myself, with some pills and just some stuff to try to get us through the night, Dickenson said. They did a great job and we appreciate it.

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'It looked like a triage in there': Riders ravaged by stomach flu in Banjo Bowl blowout - 3downnation.com

The latest loosened COVID guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the advent of Omicron boosters make it exceedingly clear: Employers that want workers to return to the office can demand it, and will.

Social-distancing is no longer recommendednor is quarantining if youve been in close contact with someone with the sometimes deadly virus. The suggested quarantine length was lowered to five daysa time at which many people still spread the virus, according to researchers. Protection from Omicron boosters seemingly serves as further permission for employers to compel workers to return. Boosters are expected to provide good protection against severe disease and death from dominant circulating strains BA.4, BA.5, and their offspring. A point often missed: Theyre not expected to provide protection from infection and arent known to prevent long COVID (though they may reduce the likelihood of it).

If it wasnt clear before, it is now: Working from home is no longer a veritable right for those eligible, but a privilege.

In the workplace, at least, COVID seems over this fall.

Even before the August revision to CDCs COVID guidance and the September deployment of Omicron boosters, remote-eligible jobs were on the decline, according to a summer report from Coresignal, a business that compiles data for investment intelligence, lead generation, and trend forecasting, among other purposes.

U.S. remote working peaked during the summer of 2021, when the Delta variant became dominant in the U.S., scuttling the return-to-office plans of many businesses. The percent of jobs available for remote work increased by nearly 67% from June through August of last year, according to the report, which examined more than 40 million public job postings from August 2020 through March of this year.

But remote jobs, as a share of overall jobs, have been on a downward trend this year. As of February, only 10% to 15% of job offerings allowed remote work, the study found. Return-to-work mandates and hybrid policies are on the rise, though some workers are still defying them. As of this summer, slightly less than half of workers whose employers expected them to return to the office were going in five days a week.

But most of those workers arent sheltering at home because theyre concerned about COVID, according to a February Pew Research Center report. They say they prefer to work from homeand some say theyve relocated away from the office altogether.

Those working from home at least some of the time told Pew that doing so allows them to better balance work with their personal lives, and that its made finishing work and meeting deadlines easier, not harder. And nearly 75% say they dont feel the move home has affected their ability to work their way up the ladder.

Plus, pajamas.

Of those who are working at home all or most of the time, only a fifth say theyd be very comfortable returning to the office if they were compelled to, and only a third say theyd be somewhat comfortable. This is likely because most employees who work solely from home are not fully satisfied with coronavirus-prevention measures put in place by their employers, according to Pew.

Its the conclusion weve all been seeking: an end to the nearly three-year scourge called COVID, which has caused nearly 1 billion illnesses and more than 1 million deaths in the U.S. alone.

But theres not a lot ofor anypartying in the streets to be witnessedcertainly not among workers. More than 60% who are employed outside of the home and have a choice do not go into the office, according to Pew.

To be fair, its hard to celebrate a manufactured ending.

The pandemic is far from overeven if, as presidential physician Dr. Anthony Fauci declared earlier this year, its acute phase is. While cases appear to have plateaued to a persistent, endemic level in the U.S., more than 70,000 cases are being diagnosed each dayand this while testing reported to public health authorities is at an all-time low. Deaths still sit around 310 a day, a number society has collectively numbed to over the months and years, or flat-out chosen to ignore.

Wastewater levels of COVIDperhaps the best tell we currently have of the diseases spread in a communitywere recently at or around all-time highs in many U.S. locations, belying testing data.

And were still unsure of whats to come.

The White House this spring warned that the U.S. could see 100 million COVID infections this fall and winter, and potentially a sizable wave of deaths.

Its currently unknown what might fuel this wave, as the current surge of BA.4 and BA.5 and spawns appears to be leveling off. Possible contenders include Omicron spinoffs BA.4.6 and BA.2.75, Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and professor at the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said Thursday.

Both variants are able to partially evade vaccine immunity but should be recognized by the new booster. Still, more variants are expected this fall, he said.

Pekosz expects a moderate fall/winter surge. When asked about the CDCs projections, a spokesman this week told Fortune that most scenarios indicate that hospitalization rates from COVID-19 infection will be similar to current rates or decline slowly over the next few weeks, though there is, of course, a high level of uncertainty.

As of press time, a White House spokesperson had not replied to a request for an updated fall/winter COVID forecast.

Annual COVID vaccines, much like annual flu shots, will likely be a thing of the near future, White House officials including Fauci and COVID czar Dr. Ashish declared this week. The announcement further bolstered the case that the pandemic has (kind of) drawn to a close, or at least reached a more manageable point.

While the hope is that the vaccines hold up to variants this fall and perhaps even as long as a year, some experts are already warning that the duos expectations are unrealisticif only because vaccine immunity currently only lasts four to six months.

I dont see any evidence for how an annual COVID shot will provide durable protection without better vaccines, Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research and founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, said this week in a tweet.

To give a false impression of year-long protection ([against] severe disease and death) with the data in hand is not acceptable, he later added.

Even the flu vaccine doesnt offer year-long protection, Dr. Lee Altenberg, a theoretical biologist and professor at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa, pointed out via tweet, citing a 2019 article from Clinical Infectious Diseases that says the flu shots protection lasts only 90 to 160 days at most.

Such a length of protection may generally work with a seasonal virus like the flu. But COVID isnt seasonal, Altenberg and other experts say, with surges primarily driven by new variants.

This annual COVID shot is more urgency-of-normal denial of the pandemics realityan attempt to pretend it is like the fluto gaslight people [that] its the flu, Altenberg tweeted.

China aside, most countries have shifted to an approach of learning to live with the virus and, thus, letting it spread freely. Demands that workers return to the office are a natural extension of this approach in the workplace.

But employers might be careful what they wish for.

Vaccinations dont prevent the spread of COVIDand while they may help reduce the chances of getting long COVID, the jury is still out.

Up to one in five American adults whove lived through COVID-19 are living with long COVID, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis said this summer. Its a condition defined by symptoms that persist or appear long after the initial COVID infection is gone. An estimated 1 million Americans have been forced to leave the labor force because of medical complications from the nascent condition.

I have treated many nurses and physicianssome have not been able to return to the operating room or to the front line or the patient bedside, Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, a physiatrist from the University of Texas Health Science Center, testified before the committee this summer.

Marathon runners who cannot even walk a mile. A young mother who cant run after her children without her heart rate going to 180 and getting short of breath.

Overseas, labor force participation in the U.K. has dropped by around 1.3% for the population aged 16 to 64, a Bank of England representative reportedly said this summer. Similar trends are being seen in the U.S. and abroad.

Employers can learn to live with the virus at the officebut the impact of long COVID on the workforce may come back to haunt them.

This fall and forevermore, one thing is certain. In the words of Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease specialist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, COVID isnt going anywhere.

The virus can never be eradicated, never be eliminated, he recently told Fortune.

But, welcome back.

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The great RTO/WFH war means COVID is really over this fall - Fortune

No less than 220 commercial poultry farms in the Netherlands were hit by prevention measures to stop the spread of avian influenza. Bird flu was again diagnosed at a poultry farm in Barneveld end of August, in a time the virus usually recedes during summer.

This is a hard blow, says Bart-Jan Oplaat of the Dutch Union of Poultry Farmers. He points out that there are companies in the region that have had no birds since an earlier infection in April. That means no income for more than 6 months.

The most recent outbreak (at one farm) had grave consequences. A transport ban applies to poultry farms within a radius of 10 km around the company to prevent further contamination. Thus far, 220 companies in the heart of the poultry sector are affected as a result.

There are no other poultry farms in the immediate vicinity of the now affected company. The Dutch authorities will, however, keep a close eye on 34 farms within a radius of 3 km over the next 2 weeks.

Bird flu has been diagnosed several times this year in the region, where many poultry farms are traditionally located. For example, a transport ban had been in force in the area since mid-August.

The Dutch farmers Union foreman finds it worrying that the infections persist in the summer. That is very worrying. Every virus disappears due to the sun and heat, but we are dealing with a virus that remains. That has never happened before.

Current avian influenza prevention zones in the Netherlands can be found here.

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Avian influenza in major production hub in the Netherlands - Poultry World

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was confirmed in a Meeker County, Minnesota, commercial turkey flock in August, according to the states board of animal health.

While the timing of this detection is a bit sooner than we anticipated, we have been preparing for a resurgence of the avian influenza we dealt with this spring, Senior Veterinarian Dr. Shauna Voss said in a statement.

Health officials said the current outbreak was detected after a Meeker County turkey flock showed increased bird deaths in late August, confirming HPAI infection by testing.

The flock was immediately quarantined and euthanized to prevent disease transmission. Officials confirmed that poultry from the infected flock did not enter the food system.

The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) emphasized that biosecurity is paramount to stopping the spread of HPAI.

Flock owners large and small, from commercial operations to backyard flocks, should review their biosecurity measures to maintain the health of their birds, the MBAH said in a statement.

They confirmed that a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) control area was established around the HPAI-infected flock, and animal health officials are identifying all premises with commercial or backyard poultry in that area.

These commercial flocks will be quarantined and go through routine disease surveillance to ensure HPAI isnt spreading.

While previous U.S. outbreaks of HPAI in wild bird species and poultry usually ended with warmer weather, this years outbreak continued in parts of North America over the summer.

Science reported that while a 2015 outbreak primarily affected Midwest poultry farms, the disease has now spread to practically the entire continental United States and infected a record 99 wild bird species.

If migratory birds will cause further disease spread this fall is the million-dollar question, Bryan Richards, emerging disease coordinator at the U.S. Geological Surveys National Wildlife Health Center, told Science.

Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum, Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, told Healthline that Bird flu or Avian Influenza is a variant known as the H5N1 Influenza strain.

It has resulted in rare outbreaks in humans, most notably in the late 1990s in China, he said. One outbreak affected more than 800 persons with a case fatality rate of 50 percent.

One person in Colorado in late August 2022 was detected with an H5N1 strain or bird flu, though it was different than the strain in China from years ago, he added.

Dr. Charles Bailey, medical director for infection prevention at Providence Mission Hospital and Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Southern California, confirmed that there had been one human case in a person who was working on culling birds suspected of harboring bird flu in Colorado.

There has been no evidence of human-to-human spread; the main current risk is among those having direct contact with potentially infected birds, he added.

Bailey pointed out that HPAI outbreaks in birds over the past 25 years have failed to result in sustained spread among humans, which in most instances affected only a handful of people who had come into contact with infected poultry workers.

Fichtenbaum said the strain circulating in animals would first need to adapt to circulate more frequently in humans.

It is really suited to animals/birds, he said, adding that in the past, human infections can be quite serious.

The [people] highest at risk would be those in close contact with birds, said Anjali Bharati, DO, an ER physician at Lenox Health Greenwich Village, New York.

Bharati noted that there is some concern that this virus can be passed to humans through feces in their backyard.

From my understanding, that is very rare, she continued.

Asked what the symptoms of bird flu in people are, Bharati explained that they are very similar to cold or flu and may include:

There has never been a reported case of bird flu connected to consuming or handling store-bought poultry, said Hanna Newman, MPH, director of infection prevention at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

She explained that the risk of transmission occurs only when the virus is breathed in or contacts mucous membranes through droplets or dust in the air.

Store-bought poultry is not a concern for bird flu spread in humans, said Newman. However proper food handling is important to prevent food poisoning in general.

She said this includes washing your hands before and after handling, using a separate cutting board for raw chicken, keeping it separate from fresh foods, cooking to at least 165F, and washing all dishes, utensils, and countertops after preparation.

In late August, an outbreak of bird flu was detected in a Minnesota turkey flock. Health officials say this is sooner than they anticipated, but they were prepared.

Experts say while the disease can spread to humans, this is rare, and symptoms are similar to a cold or flu.

Store-bought poultry remains safe to eat if you follow safe handling and preparation guidelines.

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Bird Flu Has Arrived in the U.S. Earlier Than Expected - Healthline

H1N1 is simply one of the strains of the influenza virus, that causes H1N1 flu, also commonly called swine flu as it was originally found in pigs. The virus is quite contagious and spreads between humans quickly and effectively, causing symptoms similar to those of the regular human flu.

Symptoms and warning signs:

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Vikram Vora, Medical Director, India Subcontinent International SOS, shared, The symptoms and warning signs of H1N1 flu are very similar to regular human flu and are caused by the growth of the virus in the cells of the nose, throat and lungs. These include fever (with or without chills), sore throat, cough, runny nose/stuffy nose, watering of the eyes, headache or heaviness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and at times, diarrhoea. Children may sometimes experience difficulty in breathing, chest pain, dehydration and rarely, seizures. These symptoms improve within a few days after infection.

Echoing the same, Dr Kishor Sathe, Specialist Emergency Medicine at PD Hinduja Hospital and MRC in Mumbai said that the warning signs to look out for if someone has caught swine flu or H1N1 are itching in the throat, running nose, fever, body ache, high-grade fever myalgia, cough with expectoration and breathlessness as they are some of the key symptoms. Adding to the list, Dr Anant Pandhare, Medical Director at Dr Hedgewar Hospital in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, mentioned, Some of the most common symptoms are chills, fever, cough, diarrhoea, vomiting, headache, throat pain, body ache, running nose, breathlessness and requirement of O2 in some cases who are having comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. Severe symptoms of swine flu in young kids and infants include dyspnea, apnea, tachypnea, dehydration etc. In some cases, acute respiratory failure can occur.

Treatments:

While Dr Kishor Sathe revealed that Oselatamivir is the drug to treat H1N1, Dr Vikram Vora said, Most people who get infected will require only supportive treatment, primarily aimed at providing symptomatic relief. Staying hydrated, taking fever and pain medication and resting usually help. There are antiviral drugs available that may be prescribed in the early days of the infection to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms.

He added, Drugs like Oseltamivir are used but there is a possibility of the virus becoming resistant to it of not correctly used. Hence, the usage must be medically directed and restricted to those at high risk for complications (hospitalized/institutionalized patients, pregnant women, young children with respiratory illnesses, adults with obesity or chronic diseases, those undergoing immunosuppression and older individuals above 60 years of age).

Key precautions to avoid swine flu or H1N1:

Insisting that prevention is possible, Dr Vikram Vora asserted that it rests on the adoption of basic measures like:

1. Being informed it is critical to rely on credible medical information for awareness, when it comes to infectious diseases

2. Covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when one coughs or sneezes. Be sure to dispose the tissue immediately after use, in a safe manner

3. Frequent handwashing with soap and water or use of hand sanitizers

4. Avoiding close contact with those who are obviously or suspected to be sick

5. Isolation to prevent spreading it to others

6. Most importantly, getting an annual influenza vaccine helps reduce the risk and severity of H1N1.

Dr Kishor Sathe suggested, Avoid crowded and closed places; if you have symptoms use a face mask. Dont sneeze in open; if you are not wearing a mask then sneeze on your elbow. Keep a healthy diet and keep your diabetes in control.

According to Dr Anant Pandhare, Despite the contagious nature and severity of this disease, there are several ways to prevent it. To prevent swine flu frequently wash hands with soaps or hand sanitisers, do not touch your nose, mouth, and eyes as the virus can survive out in the open on any surface, stay at home and isolate yourself if you are ill and avoid large gatherings when swine flu is in season.

Special precautions and care required specifically for children and the elderly:

Dr Kishor Sathe advised, Children are required to have good sleep and a healthy diet. If they are having symptoms then do gargling and wear masks, the same thing applies to elderly people as well.

Highlighting that children and the elderly are especially prone to developing complications of influenza (regardless of whether it is caused by H1N1 or other flu virus strains), Dr Vikram Vora pointed out, Young children, especially those with other respiratory illnesses may face an exacerbation of lung disease when infected with H1N1, manifesting as chest pain, fever and rarely seizures. Elderly individuals may also develop complications and must be protected.

He recommended some essential protective measures for these vulnerable groups:

1. Keeping them away from other sick or apparently sick individuals

2. Initiation of prompt treatment under competent medical supervision

3. Avoidance of aspirin (in children and adolescents) for pain and fever relief

4. Yearly administration of Influenza vaccine to young children and the elderly

More:

Swine flu: Warning signs and symptoms, treatments, key precautions to avoid H1N1 - Hindustan Times

Americans are paying more than ever for turkey as a contagious virus leads to the destruction ofmillions of birds.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus is helping drive the price of turkey specifically white boneless breast meat to record highs, even as the hottest inflation in 40 years has cooled some in recent months. That may make the Thanksgiving meal even pricier this year.

"We've seen record prices for turkeys in recent days, and the spotlight is on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and its effect on the market," American Farm Bureau economist Bernt Nelson told CBS MoneyWatch.

Seven years after the last U.S. outbreak, HPAI has been hitting U.S. commercial poultry flocks all year, with the latest wave particularly disruptive to turkey suppliers.

This year, HPAI has been confirmed in 430 commercial and backyard poultry flocks across 39 states. The virus has wiped out nearly 44 million turkeys, chickens, ducks and other birds,accordingto the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The latest outbreak was confirmed Wednesday at a commercial turkey meat facility in Minnesota's Morrison County, with 50,000 birds lost.

Minnesota the nation's biggest turkey producer in late August detected its first outbreak of bird flu in three months at a turkey operation in Meeker County, resulting in the culling of 129,000 birds. Another outbreak was confirmed in the county the next day, claiming another 46,000 turkeys.

HPAI has so far reduced U.S. turkey production by about 3% versus year-ago levels, according to Nelson. "If we keep seeing these outbreaks, that's going to be a driver of prices," he said.

Egg prices have nearly tripled and turkey breast meat has jumped 60% to record levels this year, according to recently releasedanalysis from CoBank.

"Coinciding with widespread outbreaks in U.S. turkey flocks during 2022, wholesale spot market values for fresh tom breast meat has eclipsed $6.50 per pound in recent weeks, a level previously deemed unattainable," writes CoBank economist Brian Earnest.

In another nod to HPAI's impact, Hormel Foods' CEO listed the company's "limited turkey supply" as among the challenges facing the company as it last week lowered its yearly profit forecast.

Americans paid an average of $23.99 for a 16-pound bird last Thanksgiving, with the cost up about $1.50 a pound, or 24% higher than in 2020, the AFB estimated last November. While the bureau isn't out with its annual price forecast for 2022 yet, recent turkey prices signal the upcoming holiday could be a costly one.

A fresh 16-pound tom turkey now runs about $29.92, while a frozen version is going for about $26.24, and that is before the bird hits retail, as the figures are based on trading prices from the USDA. Consumers typically pay higher prices because grocers add on the costs of packaging, shipping and labor costs.

An eight-to-16-pound fresh whole young tom turkey averaged nearly $1.80 a pound in August and this week averaged $1.87 a pound, according to the agency. Frozen tom turkeys recently traded at $1.64 a pound, up two cents from $1.62 in August.

The good news? There should still be ample supplies of the meat for Thanksgiving, with the frozen birds most Americans buy for the annual holiday meal already in warehouses, according to the National Turkey Federation's Beth Breeding.

"We are still expecting the traditional holiday deals that you might see at the grocery stores," she told CBS MoneyWatch.

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Turkey prices are surging ahead of Thanksgiving due to disease - CBS News

Hantavirus is a disease caused by one of several types of hantaviruses. Hantaviruses can cause a range of flu-like symptoms that progress over days and weeks. In the later stages of the disease, hantavirus can cause difficulty breathing as fluid builds up in your lungs.

Wild rodents, including mice and rats, can carry hantaviruses. People are most commonly exposed to hantaviruses when they come into contact with rodents and their urine, droppings, or saliva. This can be through food, contaminated air, or, rarely, a rodent bite.

In the United States, most people with hantavirus live west of the Mississippi River, though there have been reports of some people with it to the east of the river.

In North and South America, some hantaviruses can progress into a rare but severe lung disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). HPS may begin with mild flu-like symptoms but can rapidly progress in a few days.

In other parts of the world, several strains of hantavirus are known to cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

This article will review the effects of HPS and HFRS, how doctors or other healthcare professionals manage these conditions, and what you can do to protect yourself against hantavirus infections.

Hantavirus is mainly an airborne virus. That means you come in contact from breathing in air that the virus has contaminated. The virus gets into the air when forces, such as the elements or other animal or human activity, stir up rodent urine, droppings, or nests.

But experts believe you can also contract the virus in other ways, including:

A person with a hantavirus infection, including those that may cause HPS and HFRS, may develop symptoms anywhere between 1 to 3 weeks after exposure.

Symptoms often begin as mild and progress over a matter of days and weeks. As the disease progresses, the defining signs are:

The two most common diseases associated with hantavirus infections are HPS and HFRS. Lets take a look at their symptoms.

While many people experience a mild hantavirus infection, some hantavirus infections progress into HPS. HPS can eventually lead to fluid buildup, causing severe lung issues.

At first, a person with HPS may experience flu-like symptoms such as:

Later, a person with HPS may develop coughing and shortness of breath caused by fluid buildup in the lungs. Such symptoms tend to develop 4 to 10 days after the earliest symptoms.

For some people, HPS can progress to respiratory failure and death. The mortality rate for HPS is high but can depend on the virus you have and where you are. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is fatal in about 38% of people who contract it.

HFRS is a serious disease with early symptoms that resemble those of HPS. Symptoms usually develop in 2 to 4 weeks, but they can take up to 8 weeks to appear.

Once they appear, early flu-like symptoms last for 1 to 7 days. After that, more serious symptoms can develop. These include:

Some of the hantavirus strains known to cause HFRS can be fatal in up to 15% of people who contract it.

Even after recovering from the most serious symptoms, you may still experience mild symptoms for another 3 to 6 months.

People who come into contact with rodents carrying hantavirus are at risk of infection. Because different hantaviruses exist worldwide, the risk of infection exists for most people, though infections tend to be sporadic. But some people may be more prone than others.

You may be at higher risk of hantavirus infection if:

Overall, males appear to be more at risk. This is likely due to a higher percentage of males being involved in at-risk activities.

People 70 years old and older seem to be at greater risk of more serious disease and death.

Its important for a doctor to diagnose a hantavirus infection early. Early diagnosis can help ensure the best possible treatment and outcome.

But it can be challenging to diagnose early hantavirus. The early symptoms tend to resemble symptoms of the flu or coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). If you have a fever and shortness of breath, along with a history of potential rodent exposure, you may have a hantavirus infection.

If youre experiencing flu-like symptoms and think youve recently been exposed to rodents, its important to bring this up with a doctor. They can order an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to confirm hantavirus.

A doctor may also order the following tests to look for other symptoms:

Hantavirus infection can progress into severe disease. The goal of treatment for hantavirus is to manage your symptoms to lower the risk of damage to your lungs and heart.

Due to severe pulmonary (lung) symptoms, many people will need help breathing. About 40% of people who go to the hospital with hantavirus symptoms require mechanical ventilation. If your symptoms dont improve, your medical team might try extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

People who develop HFRS may require hemodialysis. This is a way to filter your blood until your kidneys recover.

A doctor may consider prescribing antiviral medication to help remove the virus from your system. No large human trial has shown any antiviral to be effective at treating various hantavirus strains. But some studies have seen positive results.

Note that these treatments are still being investigated. Theres no FDA-approved treatment for hantavirus.

The best way to prevent hantavirus infection is to lower your risk of exposure to rodents and the various ways they spread disease. Some tips include:

About half of all infections stem from exposure to the virus around your home. There are steps you can take to protect your home as well.

Hantavirus is a rare but serious disease. Below are the answers to some common questions about hantavirus.

Symptoms of hantavirus can start emerging around 1 week following exposure. But some people may not see symptoms until up to 8 weeks after exposure.

The early stage of hantavirus symptoms can last up to 10 days. Symptoms can then progress rapidly.

If your hantavirus infection leads to HFRS and affects your kidneys, the most serious symptoms can last from 2 to 6 days. There will be another 2 weeks where you start to recover. But mild symptoms can linger for up to 1 year in some people.

Scientists havent observed human-to-human transmission of the hantaviruses that circulate in the United States. This means you cant catch the disease from being around or interacting with someone who has the virus.

The Andes virus, found in South America, is the only hantavirus known to show human-to-human transmission.

Very early research suggested a link between HPS and reduced memory or cognitive impairment. Researchers at the time thought that hantavirus might damage your brain directly.

Recent research suggests that the Puumala virus may affect your central nervous system (CNS). Researchers found that people who developed a mild form of HFRS experienced CNS symptoms such as headache, insomnia, and vertigo. This may be due to the virus damaging peoples blood-brain barrier, but this isnt clearly understood.

Theres no vaccine for hantavirus available in the United States. While there have been many vaccine candidates, none have yet to be seen as effective or to surpass early clinical trials.

Hantaviruses are rare but serious diseases carried by rodents and transmitted to humans worldwide. Hantaviruses cause a progression of flu-like symptoms followed by respiratory symptoms that can be severe or fatal.

Some peoples infections of hantavirus may progress into HPS, a serious lung-related complication. Some develop into HFRS, a kidney-related complication.

The focus of hantavirus treatment is supportive care to manage your symptoms and prevent damage to your body.

The best way to prevent hantavirus is to avoid contact with rodents and their urine, droppings, and nesting materials.

Read the rest here:

Hantavirus: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline

Are those who never had Covid-19 delusional or is their immunity due to genetic reasons?

Never had Covid? Then you are a curious case of Novid someone who has never had Covid-19 -a very rare group in the post-pandemic world, where almost everyone you know has been infected at some point.

So, are Novids special or just blessed with plain luck? Globally, experts and researchers alike are trying to decipher the phenomena. In Kerala, while public health experts from both modern medicine and alternate medicine admit that there may be around 10% of Kerala population who are still Novids, they believe that this may probably be limited to rural areas and to the elderly (very few young persons) who have been extremely careful and limited their daily interactions with the outer world.

According to them, thereare also many people who believe that they never had Covid. They might have been either infected by it but didnt get tested as they had no symptoms or simply thought that they had regular flu or allergies and therefore didnt test.

Our study on the third wave experience in India has shown that about 44% people believe that they did not have Covid. These are two categories people who actually never had Covid and those who had and did not know it, especially since a large number of those infected by Covid are asymptomatic. Those who never had Covid have been very careful and have shielded themselves better avoid indoor public gatherings, wear mask when they go out and maintain social distancing, said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, vicechairman, research cell, IMA Kerala.

Do genetic factors also play a role in protecting a person from Coronavirus? Global researchers note that certain types of gene expressions could also provide a protective effect something that is already known with other infectious diseases. But does an individuals genetic makeup really protect them from contracting Covid despite intense exposure to the virus?

We have limited knowledge about the influence of genetic factors as it is still unexplored. Itcould be incidental, said Dr Padmanabha Shenoy, who has been analysing Covid trends in India. While there is hardly any study conducted in India on this, in the West, human genetic factors are being studied in those people who appear naturally resistant to SARS-CoV-2.

Genetic components may help but then its a mild factor in Covid-19. Everyday I get three or four patients who claim that they never had Covid. Majority agree that one or more persons in the family had Covid but they were not infected. But then the healthiest of healthy is not safe and is at risk of getting infected, said diabetologist Dr Jothydev Kesavadev.So, do we really have true Novids who have managed to protect themselves either by actively shielding themselves from the virus by consistently wearing masks and maintaining social distance or just have better immunity?

Like in every epidemic there maybe around 10% of people who have been protected because of passive immunity; that is they have antibodies against Covid-19 , said Dr Krishnakumar Chempankulam, general secretary, IndianHomeopathic Medical Association (IHMA).

However, not everyone agrees with this. The possibility of such persons is very little in the state as there was a massive community spread of Covid-19 in the state, said Dr Vijayan Nangeli, president, Ayurveda Hospital and Management Association and chairman of Ayush Aikya Vedi said.

Incidentally, the odds of remaining Novid shrinks with Covid restrictions lifted and life returning to pre-Covid times resulting in reduced attention to preventive measures such as masking and physical distancing, combined with the rise of vaccine-resistant and immunity-resistant variants.

Neither I nor my family member have ever had Covid like symptoms. For two years, we took preventive medicines and followed a healthy lifestyle and that has protected us. I had fever once but it lasted for less than a day and now I have flu like symptoms but I am certain it is not Covid and never got tested, said activist and member of Forum for Health Justice, Kerala, SP Ravi, who believes that he was never infected with Covid.

So is he probably plain lucky or would a Covid test have thrown a surprise.

It is difficult to scientifically establish if a person is Novid unless tests are done to confirm infection or the antibody titre. Till scientifically established, it is difficult to accept a person as Novid, said Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) president Dr G S Vijayakrishnan.

Views expressed above are the author's own.

END OF ARTICLE

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Novid: Freaks or flu-proof? - Times of India