Whereas in Europe and North America most of the influenza cases are reported between December and March, in tropical and subtropical regions such as in Brazil [1] or in Hong Kong [2] cases are seen throughout the year. Epidemic peaks in the tropical areas mostly occur in between those found in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. A recent survey over 7 years in Brazil showed that annual peaks...

PURPOSE A new strain of H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu was confirmed in the UK in May 2009 and has spread to over 100 countries around the world causing the World Health Organization to declare a global flu pandemic. The primary objectives of this review are to identify the key demographic and attitudinal determinants of three types of protective behaviour during a pandemic: preventive...

Underlying this innocent perception of the contaminated and uncontaminated segments of the world, between the “them” (the teeming masses infested with communicable disease) and the “us”, essentially disease-free but now needlessly threatened by the unclean world beyond our borders, rests a subtle form of racism which simplistically divides the world by ethnicity and is prompted by the inchoate ...

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicted a resurgence of Swine-origin Influenza A (novel 2009 H1N1) pneumonia, hospitalizations and deaths during the 2009-2010 flu season. Immunocompromised patients are at higher risk to contract it and may present (atypically) with greater morbidity and mortality. We report the first radiographic description of CDC-confirmed swine-origin influenza A (no...

The world is witnessing ever fastest growing pandemic with high morbidity and mortality that excessive volume of airline travels spread influenza infection; so physicians with various specialties should know and consider the impact of current pandemic on their daily practice. Among influenza A viruses that infect humans, an influenza A virus emerged that had shifted to H1N1. Primarily, the resu...

Influenza virus outbreaks occur with regularity, but the severity of outbreaks is not consistent. The recent flu epidemic caused by an H1N1 swine influenza virus presents an opportunity to examine what is known about virulence factors and the spread of infection to better prepare for major influenza outbreaks in the future.

Influenza A viruses, the pathogens responsible for the recent swine flu outbreak and many historical pandemics, remain a threat to the public health. We report herein the fabrication of self-disinfecting surfaces from photoactive building nanocrystals, which can inactivate influenza viruses rapidly, spontaneously and continuously under visible light illumination.

In April this year, a new influenza virus of swine origin emerged in Mexico and spread rapidly around the world. As the Northern hemisphere winter flu season kicks off, Laura Vargas-Parada reports on the measures that Mexico is taking to combat the H1N1 pandemic.

accused Labour of exploiting the virus for political ends,” said the Daily Mail (31 December). “He rejected claims by Shadow Health Secretary John Healey that the government had cancelled a flu jab plan for under-fives to save money.” Meanwhile, as The Guardian reported on the same day, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley had reinstated a “Catch It, Bin It, Kill It” advertising campaign. “It had be...

Vaccine development usually takes around 7 y to come the market after getting necessary regulatory approvals. But recent pandemics like Covid, Ebola, Swine Flu, have resulted in collaboration of efforts between government doing investments vaccine development, academia, bodies, and industry. This has shortened timelines for approval vaccines. In 2009, HINI, flu vaccines took 93 d identifying ca...