New technique for detecting ability of flu viruses to infect humans
...that efficiently infect humans, including those of avian origin. The technology was developed by the Consortium for Functional Glycomics, a "glue grant" project sponsored by NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases also funded t...Avian influenza virus in mammals spreads beyond the site of infection to other organ systems
...edical Center have demonstrated systemic spread of avian influenza virus in cats infected by respiratory, d...y by Brown for more information). While spread of avian influenza from bird to man is known to occur, as first reported during the 1997 Hong Kong outbreak, ...'Bird flu' infections in humans prompt new investigation at Saint Louis University
...the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is testing avian influenza vaccines." The National Institute of All...es (NIAID), part of the NIH, has tested a new H5N1 avian influenza vaccine in healthy adults at clinical sites across the country. Now that safety data are ...Mute swan population helps explain longstanding evolutionary question
... directional selection?" Many long-term studies of avian clutch size have looked for--but not seen-- an increase in the number of eggs laid. However, this 25-year study of the selection, inheritance, and evolution in the mute swan population of Abbotsbury, England, yielded data on clutch size consistent wi...Bird flu poses threat to international security, Illinois scholar says
...with regard to international security, may well be avian influenza," or bird flu, as it's commonly called. ...al security implications that would result from an avian influenza pandemic. "Natural disasters, especially pandemics, can and do affect international securi...UW scientists unravel critical genetic puzzle for flu virus replication
...develop strategies to cope with the prospect of an avian influenza pandemic. "We've found that the influenza virus has a specific mechanism that permits it to package its genetic materials" as it creates its infectious particles, says Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterina...Vaccine provides 100 percent protection against avian flu virus in animal study
...hers announced they have genetically engineered an avian flu vaccine from the critical components of the de... live virus, it may be more immune-activating than avian flu vaccines prepared by traditional methods, say the researchers. Furthermore, because it is grown ...Contagious obesity? Identifying the human adenoviruses that may make us fat
..., noticed that chickens in India infected with the avian adenovirus SMAM-1 had significantly more fat than non-infected chickens. The discovery was intriguing because the explosion of human obesity, even in poor countries, has led to suspicions that overeating and lack of exercise weren't the only culprits...New influenza vaccine takes weeks to mass produce
...of a virus' designation, like H5N1 for the current avian influenza) to elicit an immune response to a specific strain of influenza. The protein is produced by first extracting the genes responsible for the production of hemagglutinin from the influenza virus and inserting them into a baculovirus. Specific...Marine mammals are on the frontline of failing ocean health
...as a source of infection, as we have seen with the avian bird flu, but they can also be sentinels of pathogen pollution. They are often the first victims of these diseases," says Pat Conrad from the University of California at Davis. "By paying attention to them, it will tell us about our own health and t...Grants put ANU in bird flu fight frontline
...irus that it hasn't encountered before, especially avian flu, the immune system goes into overdrive and creates what is know as a cytokine storm, which leads to death. Professor Clark will screen for agents that can prevent or halt a cytokine storm, with and without Tamiflu. Leader of the study into how GP...UQ researchers help lead the way in bird flu research
...an $455,000 to look at two very different areas of avian influenza. The funding, from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), will go to 33 projects around the country and is expected to help prepare Australia for any potential outbreak of bird flu in the event of a global pandemic. The ...Surprising genetic differences id-ed in southern house mosquito
...isease), West Nile virus and other encephalitides, avian malaria and poxvirus. "The surprising thing is that there is actually structure in this mosquito. Researchers had thought that all populations of this mosquito were the same," explained Fonseca, who was the first to examine the genetic makeup of this...Most Americans do not expect widespread human cases of avian flu in US in the next year
...e American public is concerned about the threat of avian flu, but only a small proportion is very concerned. However, should cases of avian flu emerge in poultry or humans in this country, the public reaction could lead to significant disru...Falcon decoys and simulated rifle fire keep birds from oil
...on deterrent systems offer the potential of better avian deterrence at industrial sites."...Evolution in action: Why some viruses jump species
...could be helpful in assessing how much of a threat avian influenza is to humans. In advance online publicat...us usually infects. This is what has happened with avian flu. Once in a new species, the virus either dies out or is preserved and adds mutations that enable...Avian Influenza: Breaking News, Public Health and Surveillance Readiness
...um providing breaking news on the global spread of avian influenza and assessing public health and surveill...sessions examining the current state of the global avian influenza threat and U.S. and international vulnerability to this and other infectious diseases. Sub...Emerging disease risks prompt scientists to call
...onal movements of livestock or wildlife, including avian 'flu across the globe, and diseases of pets through movements associated with the UK PET travel Scheme. These animal movements can also spread diseases to humans. "The movements of domestic and wild animals are complex and profitable but are extreme...Minor mutations in avian flu virus increase chances of human infection
The H5N1 avian influenza virus, commonly known as "bird flu," is ...lt in switching the binding site preference of the avian virus from receptors in the intestinal tract of birds to the respiratory tract of humans. These muta...... the immune defence system combats viruses such as avian influenza. The white spot is also attractive to female birds searching for a mate. Evolutionary biologists have long attempted to explain why individuals of a species differ in appearance and why the choice of a mate is influenced by behaviour and a...