The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 5.
Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths by Country (as of 8 AM PST, May 25th)
Local/National News
- On May 25th, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced that no new cases of influenza A (H1N1) had been confirmed in the country. PHAC releases revised case totals Monday , Wednesday, and Friday.
International News
- The World Health Organization said on Monday the H1N1 flu strain has spread to Taiwan, Kuwait, Iceland, Switzerland, and Honduras. The WHO said that the airborne virus has been detected in 46 countries around the world, in all regions except for Africa. Reuters
- Eighteen US soldiers have tested positive for swine flu at an American military base in Kuwait and have left the Gulf emirate, a Kuwaiti health official said on Sunday. According to Yussef Mendkar, the deputy chief of Kuwait's public health department, "All the 18 soldiers have left Kuwait. They had normal symptoms of the disease and were given the necessary medication." AP
Vaccine News
- Sanofi Pasteur, the world's largest vaccine maker, said Monday it has won a US$190-million order from the United States government to make an influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. The company said in a statement that it is "the first of what is expected to be a series of orders" from the U.S. government for a vaccine to help protect against the new virus. The company said it is awaiting receipt of the seed virus to be used in vaccine production from the U.S. CDC and could begin commercial production in June, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has certified the working seed. AP
Guidance from the WHO, US CDC, PHAC, and the BCCDC
- The U.S. CDC has released Interim Guidance for Correctional and Detention Facilities regarding the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus. This document provides interim guidance specific for correctional facilities during the outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus to ensure continuation of essential public services and protection of the health and safety of inmates, staff and visitors.
Today’s Key Question
Where did Influenza A (H1N1) come from?
According to a report recently published in the journal Science, genes in the novel influenza A (H1N1) genome have been circulating undetected for an extended period of time, and several scenarios exist for the events leading to the origin of the virus.
In this study, researchers sequenced full or partial genomes of viral samples obtained in Mexico and the U.S., and found that combinations of the eight influenza gene sequences in this new strain of influenza had never before been described in human or swine flu viruses. The scientists found that all of the segments had originated in avian hosts, and had then entered into the swine population at various points between 1918 and 1998. The study did not reveal sequences of genes which have in the past been responsible for the high transmissibility and virulence of other influenza viruses, suggesting that newer, to-be-discovered sequences are responsible for influenza A H1N1’s ability to replicate and spread in humans. According to a senior author of the paper, and chief of Influenza Division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “This study reinforces the fact that swine are an important reservoir for influenza viruses with the potential to cause significant respiratory outbreaks or even a possible pandemic in humans.”
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