NEW YORK (PRWEB) October 21, 2006

Scientists agree it’s only a matter of time before the next flu pandemic strikes. In 1918, a particularly lethal strain of the flu killed at least 50 million people worldwide in less than a year, including approximately 675,000 in the U.S. Experts say the current H5N1 virus, or Avian flu, has some similar genetic traits to the 1918 virus, a finding that has generated concerns over whether we are adequately prepared for dealing with the consequences of another global flu pandemic.

To discuss the latest in vaccine development strategies, pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical approaches, public preparedness planning, and clinical experience with H5N1 Avian flu-infected individuals, the New York Academy of Sciences’ Emerging Infectious Diseases Discussion Group will host a half-day meeting, “Flu Preparedness,” on Oct. 23 from 1 to 5 p.m. at its headquarters at 7 World Trade Center, 40th Floor, 250 Greenwich St., New York, NY.

Among the expert speakers:

Peter Palese and Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Stephen Morse, Columbia University

Isaac B. Weisfuse, New York City Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene

David Nabarro, United Nations

Menno D. de Jong, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Vietnam.

Highlights include:

“Influenza and Influenza Viruses: An Introduction.” Dr. Palese will discuss how the reconstruction of the genes of the 1918 pandemic virus and studies on their contribution to virulence are important steps toward understanding the biological capabilities of this lethal virus.

“Can Vaccines Stop the next Influenza Virus Pandemic? A Virologist’s Perspective.”

The most efficient way to prevent disease caused by influenza virus is vaccination. However, there are important limitations with respect to how to apply the existing influenza virus vaccine technologies to stop a pandemic. Dr. Garcia-Sastre will discuss several approaches to improve existing influenza virus vaccines and develop novel vaccines.

“Waiting for the Vaccine to Arrive: Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions.” In a pandemic, it likely will take months for a new influenza vaccine to be manufactured and distributed. In the early stages of a pandemic, other measures will likely be necessary to help control the pandemic until vaccines or drugs become available. These range from hand washing and “respiratory etiquette” to a voluntary quarantine and avoiding large gatherings. Dr. Morse will discuss the options available and how they might be used.

“Pandemic Flu Planning in New York City.” New York has long been vulnerable to infectious disease threats. During an influenza pandemic, Dr. Weisfuse, in partnership with federal, state, state and local agencies, will focus on strategies to limit severe illness and death from influenza; working with health care partners to support care; maintaining essential medical services, and communicating rapidly, accurately and frequently with all affected populations.

“Human Infections with avian influenza H5N1 virus: Observations from Vietnam.” Human infections with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, associated with severe and often fatal disease, continue to occur in Asia and Africa, igniting fears of an imminent flu pandemic. While only time will tell whether these fears are justified, lessons learned from current sporadic human H5N1 infections may help to prepare for the worst. During this talk, Dr. de Jong will summarize his group’s clinical, virological and immunological observations in H5N1-infected patients in southern Vietnam and discuss the potential relevance of these observations for pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human H5N1 disease.

Reporters are invited to attend this meeting; pre-registration is required. To register, please contact Alyssa Zahorcak at 212-298-8616 or via email.

For more information, visit http://www.nyas.org/events/eventDetail.asp?eventID=7622&date=10/23/2006%201:00:00%20PM

ABOUT THE EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES GROUP

Emerging infectious diseases are those that have newly appeared in a population or have existed but are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range. Recent examples include HIV/AIDS, Lyme disease, and hepatitis C. NYAS is proud to host the Emerging Infectious Diseases Discussion Group, part of our continuing lecture series. This discussion group features keynote presentations by principal investigators, along with short presentations by promising graduate students and postdocs.

Founded in 1817, the New York Academy of Sciences is an independent, non-profit organization of more than 24,000 members serving science, technology and society worldwide.

–www.nyas.org–

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Denver, CO, and Muscatine, IA (PRWEB) July 2, 2007

Outskirts Press, Inc. has published Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Step-by-Step Guide For Businesses and Local Governments by Vernon Dorisson, which is the author’s most recent book to date. The 6 x 9 paperback in the Diseases – Contagious category is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a suggested retail price of $ 29.95. The webpage at www.outskirtspress.com/pandemicplan was launched simultaneously with the book’s publication.

About the Book (Excerpts & Info)

The world’s leading health authorities are united in their concerns about the potential for a global influenza pandemic. Thousands of pages have been written about the threat of an influenza pandemic spreading around the world. The missing piece of the planning puzzle is how to convert all of that information into a practical, useable plan for dealing with the effects of a pandemic. This guide reduces the volumes of information available to that which is most pertinent to the needs of businesses and local governments.

The planning guidelines in this book are presented in a logical series of steps to be taken to create a pandemic plan tailored to the specific needs of your organization. They are flexible enough to meet your specific planning needs yet concrete enough to provide clear direction during a time of turmoil as each wave of influenza sweeps the country.

If you have any interest in or responsibility for creating or executing a pandemic influenza plan, you need this book.

Deftly constructed at 168 pages, Pandemic Influenza Planning: A Step-by-Step Guide For Businesses and Local Governments is being aggressively promoted to appropriate markets with a focus on the Diseases – Contagious category. With U.S. wholesale distribution through Ingram and Baker & Taylor, and pervasive online availability through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and elsewhere, Pandemic Influenza Planning meets consumer demand through both retail and library markets with a suggested retail price of $ 29.95.

Additionally, Pandemic Influenza Planning can be ordered by retailers or wholesalers for the maximum trade discount price set by the author in quantities of ten or more from the Outskirts Press wholesale online bookstore at www.outskirtspress.com/buybooks

ISBN: 9781598009514 Format: 6 x 9 Paperback SRP: $ 29.95

For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/pandemicplan

About the Author

The Author is a 26-year fire service veteran in a Midwest fire department. During his career he moved from the rank of fire fighter to chief along with all of the responsibilities and experiences that accompanied that rise through his department. That includes years of developing training programs, creating training materials, and the delivery of those programs to a wide group of audiences in and outside of the fire service. The development of a pandemic planning guide is a natural extension of his past experiences and current responsibilities for disaster planning, including pandemic influenza planning. State and national recognition as an instructor and for a fire safety research project are among his accomplishments.

About Outskirts Press, Inc.

Outskirts Press offers turn-key, custom book publishing services for authors seeking a cost-effective, fast, and flexible way to publish and distribute their books while retaining all their rights and full creative control. Available globally at www.outskirtspress.com and located on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado, Outskirts Press, Inc. represents the future of book publishing, today.

Outskirts Press, Inc., 10940 S. Parker Rd – 515, Parker, Colorado 80134

http://outskirtspress.com 1-888-OP-BOOKS

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(PRWEB) November 16, 2005

The latest bird flu news is a critical first line of defense against bird flu for the ordinary person on the street according to the founder of the new website http://www.latestbirdflunews.com Pamela McDowell.

At present the bird flu virus is not spread easily from human to human but if it mutates to a human to human virus health authorities predict a bird flu pandemic which could kill anywhere from 200,000 to 150 million people. With the potential for wild and domesticated birds to carry the deadly bird flu virus it’s wise to know where the bird flu has spread says McDowell.

So far most bird flu cases have been reported on a migration route between Asia and Australia. Countries inside the high bird flu danger zones include Asia and nearly the whole of Europe.

With bird flu cases suspected in birds in Canada, Northern American countries are also on high alert. The possibility of seeing cases of the bird flu in the United States very soon is, unfortunately, very high.

But McDowell says keeping informed with the new latest bird flu news site is not just limited to the spread of the virus. Latest bird flu news has revealed that the anti-viral drug Tamiflu may not be as effective as health authorities would hope.

With countries like the United States stockpiling Tamiflu as a first line of pharmaceutical bird flu protection the latest news that the H5N1 bird flu virus is showing up to 70% resistance to this drug is alarming to say the least. Latest bird flu news suggests other anti-viral drugs like Relenza seem to be more effective for bird flu prevention.

Latest bird flu news revealed an effective bird flu vaccine can’t be developed until the avian influenza virus mutates to a human to human virus. Worse still even if a vaccine was available effectively administering a bird flu vaccine to a large population like the United States would be almost impossible. And wide scale production of a bird flu vaccine would also be a logistical nightmare.

Latest bird flu news explains how health authorities across the world recommend a more sane, natural approach to bird flu prevention. Every health authority in the western world recommends hand washing as a basic precaution against the bird flu and other respiratory viruses.

Over 90% of respiratory viruses including the bird flu enter our bodies through contact between our fingernails and the mucous membranes of our eyes and nose. So effective hand washing and other hygiene measures are probably the most practical advice for people concerned about bird flu prevention.

For a full free report on how to prevent bird flu with effective hand washing and hygiene go to http://www.howtopreventbirdflu.com

For more of the latest bird flu news, free articles and resources to help protect yourself and your family from the bird flu go to http://www.latestbirdflunews.com

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H1N1 (Swine Influenza) Market Assessment (Latest Data, Company Profiles, Implications For Immunoassays And Molecular Assays)

The outbreak of H1N1 (swine flu) highlighted the public health importance of improved testing techniques and providing market opportunities for manufacturers of diagnostic tests and other products related to the disease. These conclusions and others appear in a new report released from Kalorama Information: Swine Flu Market Alert by Kalorama’s lead analyst, Shara Rosen.

Regardless of the eventual severity of the epidemic, there will be distinct market impact on both immunoassay and molecular test makers, according to the report. The makers of certain tests will benefit both in terms of sales and more broadly in recognition that their products play a vital role in making the public health community significantly better prepared for this possible pandemic than 1968 or before.

The report examines:

Market Impact likely for immunoassays and molecular testing.

Lessons from previous epidemics, likely impact on both immunoassays and molecular testing.

Overview of the H1N1 strain as compared to other.

Immunoassay and Molecular Test Products Available on the Market

Developments in the last few days of significance to the diagnostic industry.

Profiles of nearly 25 specific manufacturers active in this space.

The report focuses almost exclusively on the in vitro diagnostic industry as it applies to work being done by commercial entities and products that are either in development or have been brought to market.

The market assessment provided has been assembled based on publicly available information. Company sales data and other quantitative evaluations of the markets for flu diagnostics have been developed based on publicly available information and are expressed in US dollars, no adjustments have been made for currency exchange fluctuations.

Under normal circumstances, a report of this genre would be assembled from information derived from primary and secondary sources. However, in the short time it took to research and write this report, almost all of the major scientific and industry experts were occupied with the extraordinary task of preparing for a pandemic.

Therefore the information contained in this report has been assembled from a vast array of scientific and market publications, government sources, analyzed by a professional analyst.

To know more about this report & to buy a copy please visit :
http://www.visionshopsters.com/product/1638/H1N1-Swine-Influenza-Market-Assessment-Latest-Data-Company-Profiles-Implications-for-Immunoassays-and-Molecular-Assays-.html

Contact Us:

Visionshopsters
Emailid: marketing@visionshopsters.com
Website : www.visionshopsters.com

In this University of Michigan program, Peter Palese, professor of microbiology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, takes a historical examination into the influenza. Science has made it possible to reconstruct the virus that caused the great influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. The virus, which killed 50 million people worldwide, can be used to test current vaccines and gain insight into disease formation and transmission.
Video Rating: 5 / 5

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