Monthly Archives: April 2010

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

If you ask some epidemiologists how pandemics spread, they will hem and haw but not give you a direct answer. I will. People spread the virus. If people don’t move, the virus doesn’t move. That’s the fact, Jack. For some … Continue reading

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Situation in Vietnam – April 17, 2010

The outbreak in Bac Kan continues. From SGGP, April 16, 2010 The Department of Health has confirmed two more cases of bird flu in patients from the northern province of Bac Kan’s Cho Moi District, a health official reported April … Continue reading

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Situation in Vietnam – April 11, 2010

In 2009, there were a total of 5 cases of H5N1 reported in humans in Vietnam. All of the patients died. In 2010, as of today, there have been at least 9 reported cases of H5N1 in humans in Vietnam. … Continue reading

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1918 again? – Part 3

My most recent two blogs have described the remarkable similarities between the HA protein in the 1918 pandemic flu virus and the 2009 pandemic flu virus. However, it is important to note that this similarity is not due to a … Continue reading

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1918 again? – Part 2

Yesterday, I wrote about a study that made the surprising discovery that although vaccines against recent H1N1 and H3N2 viruses offered poor protection, a vaccine against the 1918 H1N1 virus was completely effective against pandemic 2009 H1N1. Another study relating … Continue reading

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