High Levels Of Influenze-Like Illness In Georgia

Flu Activity Across Georgia On The Rise by Helena Oliviero.  AJC.  December 26, 2018. 

Over 80,000 Americans Died Of Flu Last Winter, Highest Toll In Years

Over 80,000 Americans Died Of Flu Last Winter, Highest Toll In Years by Donald G. McNeil Jr.  New York Times.  October 1, 2018. 

New Method of Treatment for Flu and Bacterial Co-infections Suggested

Flu And Bacteria:  Better Prognosis For This Potentially Fatal Combination.  Science Daily.  April 26, 2013.

A main cause of flu deaths is secondary infection with bacteria.  This article describes an approach that activates repair pathways as a method to improve outcomes.

Link Of H7N9 Virus To Humans Possibly Identified

Poultry Wet Market Likely Source Of Virus Of H7N9 Human Infection:  Research.  Xinhau.  April 26, 2013.

Chinese scientists have found a link between the patient's virus and the chicken virus isolated from a wet poultry market.

Graphic On The Spread Of H7N9 Bird Flu

Concerns Mount As Chinese Bird Flu Spreads To Beijing by David Ingold.  Bloomberg Visual Data.  April 18, 2013.

Public health officials are concerned since the method of transmission is unknown.   Additionally H7N9 had not been reported in people before February.

Worries, Uncertainty About Transmission Of Bird Flu H7N9

Investigators Look Beyond Birds For Origin Of H7N9 Flu Strain by Jane Perlez.  The New York Times.  April 18, 2013.

While it is generally agreed that H7N9 carries no "continuous infecting power," there is much uncertainty about how the disease is transmitted since many of the people with the disease report no contact with poultry.  A team of international experts are visiting China to investigate.

Flu Among The Fashionistas

Illness Walks The Runway by Tim Murphy.  The New York Times.  January 30, 2013.

Fashion Week come to New York on February 7 accompanied by the flu and norovirus. The Editor at large for Harper's Bazaar said it well:  "Fashion Week season is a nonstop assault on the immune system."  Coping strategies among the runway set.

Researchers Aim To Use Lasers To Identify Flu

UGA Wins Grant To Study Flu With Lasers by Melissa Abbey.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  January 24, 2013.

The technique for fingerprinting flu could facilitate the early identifying  of the type of flu virus, potentially saving lives by determining the necessity of countermeasures such as quarantine or isolation.

Required Flu Shot For Health Care Workers A Source of Controversy

Mandatory Flu Shots Opposed by Some Health Care Workers by Janice Lloyd.  USA Today,  January 16, 2013.

It is increasingly common for health care employers to require a flu vaccination.  This has lead to resistance for a variety of reasons including medical and religious reasons as well as doubts about effectiveness.  Employers cite the obligation not to spread the flu to patients.  As of November 63% of health care workers had obtained the vaccine.  Some workers who have refused have lost their jobs.

Flu Epidemic Impacts Flow and Volume of Patients In ERs.

Emergency Departments Are On The Frontline Of the Flu by Jenny Gold.  Kaiser Health News.  January 15, 2013.

While Mondays are typically the highest volume day in the ER, during a flu epidemic every day is Monday.  In addition this year's strain H3N2 has proven to be particularly virulent, increasing admissions from the emergency room and make-shift adaptations to increased volume.

Predicting a Pandemic

Article: Anticipating the Next Pandemic by David Quammen Sunday Review New York Times September 23, 2012   Key Ideas: The recent third death of visitors to Yosemite National Park from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome raises the question of how virologists, molecular geneticists, epidemiologists, and disease ecologists are attempting to spot the next big pandemic. There is broad consensus on what will cause the next event: (1) The source will likely be a virus, not a bacterium. Specifically it is likely to be an RNA virus as opposed to a DNA virus. (2) The virus will be zoonotic, spread from nonhuman animals to humans. While the virus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is common it is not easy to spread and therefore is not likely to evolve into a pandemic. The same is true of Ebola. However a variant of H1N2 flu bug could be an example of an influenza that is "protean and explosive." Among the personal precautions mentioned to avoid zoonotic infection is wearing a mask when you sweep out an old shed.