Accurate and rapid diagnosis of Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 2009 virus (H1N1 2009) infection is important for the prevention and control of influenza epidemics and the timely initiation of antiviral treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of several diagnostic tools for the detection of H1N1 2009. Flocked nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 254 outpatients of suspecte...

There is uncertainty whether the 2009 seasonal influenza vaccination influences the risk of infection with the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus. This issue was investigated in 548 healthcare workers from Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand, presenting with influenza-like illness during the influenza pandemic between June and August 2009. All workers completed a...

Influenza A (H1N1) viruses of swine origin were introduced into the human population in 2009 and caused a pandemic. The disease burden in the elderly was relatively low, which was attributed to the presence of cross-reacting serum antibodies in this age group, which were raised against seasonal influenza A (H1N1) viruses that circulated before 1957. It has also been described how infection with...

During May 19-September 28, 2013,* the United States experienced low levels of seasonal influenza activity overall. Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1), influenza A (H3N2), and influenza B viruses were detected worldwide and were identified sporadically in the United States. In June, influenza A (H3N2) variant(†) viruses (H3N2)v were first detected in Indiana, and between June 18 and September 28,...

BACKGROUND Standard epidemiological theory claims that in structured populations competition between multiple pathogen strains is a deterministic process which is mediated by the basic reproduction number (R0) of the individual strains. A new theory based on analysis, simulation and empirical study challenges this predictor of success. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We show that the quantity R0 is a vali...

The 1918 influenza A virus caused the most devastating pandemic, killing approximately 50 million people worldwide. Immunization with 1918-like and classical swine H1N1 virus vaccines results in cross-protective antibodies against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza, indicating antigenic similarities among these viruses. In this study, we demonstrate that vaccination with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 va...

OBJECTIVE The study aimed to determine the willingness to receive the Influenza A(H1N1) vaccine and its determinants in a large group of university students. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a self-administered questionnairre based cross-sectional study. Students being educated at health and non-health faculties were invited to participate in this attitude survey. RESULTS A total of 974 studen...

The world has suffered the pandemics due to swine flu in the past. The present epidemic in India has claimed many lives. Even, after the first outbreak of swine flu in 2009 no concrete efforts are done to prevent this infection. There is an urgent need to take radical steps to prevent such epidemics.

UK pandemic influenza strategy focused on vaccination of high risk groups, although evidence shows that school-age children have the highest infection rates. Vaccination of children might be an additional strategy. We undertook a cross-sectional study amongst 149 parents of primary school children aged 4-7 years in Birmingham, UK to quantify intention to accept pandemic influenza vaccine and id...

Very little is known about swine influenza in northwestern China. Here, we report the complete genomic sequences of six avian-like H1N1 swine influenza viruses (SIVs) isolated in pigs in northwestern China. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of eight genomic segments demonstrated that they are avian-like H1N1 SIVs.