Development of universal flu shot: two articles
Canadian researchers developing one-time flu vaccine from CTVNews.ca: Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. are developing a flu vaccine that would be administered only once, eliminating the need for the annual shot. Dr. Matthew Miller, an assistant professor of biochemistry at McMaster, is part of the team of researchers developing the universal vaccine. The basis of its success, he said, is that it targets an unchanging part of the flu virus. “The...
Mutations create challenges for typing Influenza A viruses
From BCCDC: Today the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN) published a paper in Eurosurveillance, entitled “Mutations acquired during cell culture isolation may affect antigenic characterization of influenza A(H3N2) clade 3C.2a viruses”. The paper is available in full here (open access). We thought you would be interested in the findings, although like influenza itself, they are complicated. We have summarized the key findings below but please consult the full paper for details...
Emerging Respiratory Virus Update: Avian flu, novel influenza, and MERS-CoV
From BCCDC: MAIN MESSAGES Human infections with avian influenza of various novel subtypes (H7N9, H5N6, H9N2, H5N1) have been reported from China recently, notably H7N9 for which a fourth wave of human cases is currently underway. As previously emphasized, avian influenza viruses, like humanized strains, show winter seasonality. Prior human infections with avian influenza H7N9 and H5N1 that were imported to Canada happened at around this time of year, underscoring the need...
New AMMI Antiviral Guidance for Influenza Outbreaks
In December 2015, the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada (AMMI) published an updated guidance document for the use of antivirals in the management of care facility influenza outbreaks for the 2015-16 season. Given the potential for low vaccine effectiveness of this season’s influenza vaccine, the AMMI guidance document states that, at the discretion of the local health authority or Medical Health Officer, antiviral prophylaxis may be extended beyond...