Asia is considered an important source of influenza A virus (IAV) pandemics, owing to large, diverse viral reservoirs in poultry and swine. However, the zoonotic origins of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic virus (pdmH1N1) remain unclear, due to conflicting evidence from swine and humans. There is strong evidence that the first human outbreak of pdmH1N1 occurred in Mexico in early 2009. Howeve...

In 2009, a new influenza A (H1N1) virus affected many persons around the world. There is an urgent need for finding biomarkers to distinguish between influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and seasonal influenza virus. We investigated these possible biomarkers in the lung of fatal cases of confirmed influenza A (H1N1)pdm09. Cytokines (inflammatory and anti-inflammatory) and cellular markers (macrophages and l...

As of May 19, 2009, a total of 5,469 confirmed or probable cases of human infection with a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus had been documented in 47 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, the virus had spread to 41 countries, with a total of 4,774 cases reported in countries outside the United States. Because producing a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus vaccine will take several months,...

BACKGROUND An age bias toward children and young adults has been reported for infection and hospitalizations with pandemic H1N1 influenza (A[H1N1]pdm) in the 2009 and 2010 influenza seasons in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Serological analysis of prepandemic samples has shown a higher incidence of cross-reactive antibodies to A(H1N1)pdm virus in older populations; conserved T cell epit...

A remarkable feature of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus is its efficient transmissibility in humans compared to that of precursor strains from the triple-reassortant swine influenza virus lineage, which cause only sporadic infections in humans. The viral components essential for this phenotype have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to determine the viral factors critical...

OBJECTIVES The pandemic of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus has required decision-makers to act in the face of the substantial uncertainties. In this study, we evaluated the potential impact of the pandemic response strategies in the Republic of Korea using a mathematical model. METHODS We developed a deterministic model of a pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in a structured population using the demographic...

BACKGROUND. The world is facing a novel H1N1 influenza pandemic. A pandemic scare with a similar influenza virus in 1976 resulted in the vaccination of nearly 45 million persons. We hypothesized that prior receipt of the 1976 "swine flu" vaccine would enhance immune responses to the 2009 novel H1N1 influenza strain. METHODS. A prospective, volunteer sample of employees aged > or = 55 years at a...

BACKGROUND The population-based impact of infection with swine origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection was not clear in the early days of the epidemic towards the end of May 2009. Australia had seven confirmed cases by 22 May 2009. We aimed to compare available data on swine origin influenza A (H1N1) virus infection overseas with seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in Australia to ass...