Flu Cases Research Articles

Diseases, drugs and dust

From 1 January to 20 June 2024, there were 186,900 reported flu cases resulting in 14 deaths in various regions of Thailand and on 21 August 2024 Thailand confirmed the first case of a new lethal variant of mpox. Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has announced plans to reclassify cannabis and hemp as illegal narcotics starting 1 January 2025. Vaping bans were emphasized on 31 May, the World No Tobacco Day. The organized Lung Cancer Screening program was started in the Northern Thailand where the prevalence of lung cancer and the level of PM 2.5 were high.

GAMBARAN PENGETAHUAN IBU DALAM PENCEGAHAN PENULARAN FLU SINGAPURA PADA ANAK BALITA

The Singapore’s flu is a viral infection that occurs in children especially toddlers and is often caused by Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) and Enterovirus 71 (EV-71). Most Singaporean flu cases can be cured by themselves with an incubation period of 3-6 days. Delays in providing proper diagnosis and treatment will cause serious complications and can be fatal to the point of death. This can be a warning to the public, especially mothers, to increase their alertness, and to be able to perform good and correct precautions so that children do not contract and do not transmit Singaporean flu disease to others. The purpose of this study is to find a description of mother's knowledge in the prevention of Singaporean flu transmission in toddlers. Methods: Quantitative research used a descriptive method with a sample of 100 mothers who had toddlers taken with purposive sampling techniques with several inclusion criteria. This study used univariate analysis with descriptive statistics. Results: Most respondents were between the ages of 26-35 years (54%), and had children of more than 1 person (66%), senior high school educated respondents (51%), unemployed respondents (84%) and low family economic status (67%), and the majority of mothers had less knowledge in preventing Singaporean flu transmission in children under five (54%). Conclusion: Mother's knowledge in the prevention of transmission of the Singapore flu in children under five is still low, so mothers are expected to be more alert and to find information about the Singapore’s flu.

Treatment of cat flu uses a single supplement based on colostrum, probiotics and prebiotics (Felostrum)

Flu in cats is an upper respiratory tract infection caused by viruses and bacteria of various ages. Prevention and control of vaccinations are still not widely practiced. One alternative is to provide a single supplement of colostrum, probiotics, and prebiotics. This paper reports the handling of flu cases in 2 cats aged six months (Cio) and eight months (Kaori) at the Depok Pet Center Clinic using colostrum-based supplements, probiotics, and prebiotics. A single supplementation of colostrum, pro-biotics, and prebiotics was carried out for seven days, and the condition of both cats showed changes. The condition of Cio's cat improved on the third day, while Kaori's cat showed less frequent sneezing and reduced concentration and volume. On the seventh day, both cats were in good condition.

Early warning of potential epidemics: A pilot application of an early warning tool to data from the pulmonary clinic of the university hospital of Thessaly, Greece

Background & methodsThis paper describes a pilot application of the Epidemic Volatility Index (EVI) to data from the pulmonary clinic of the University Hospital of Thessaly, Greece, for monitoring respiratory infections, COVID-19, and flu cases. EVI, a simple and easily implemented early warning method based on the volatility of newly reported cases, exhibited consistent and stable performance in detecting new waves of epidemics. The study highlights the importance of implementing early warning tools to address the effects of epidemics, including containment of outbreaks, timely intervention strategies, and resource allocation within real-world clinical settings as part of a broader public health strategy. ResultsThe results presented in the figures demonstrate the association between successive early warnings and the onset of new waves, providing valuable insights for proactive decision-making. A web-based application enabling real-time monitoring and informed decision-making by healthcare professionals, public health officials, and policymakers was developed. ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the significant role of early warning methods in managing epidemics and safeguarding public health. Future research may explore extensions and combinations of multiple warning systems for optimal outbreak interventions and application of the methods in the context of personalized medicine.

Natural History of Influenza B Virus-Current Knowledge on Treatment, Resistance and Therapeutic Options.

Influenza B virus (IBV) significantly impacts the health and the economy of the global population. WHO global health estimates project 1 billion flu cases annually, with 3 to 5 million resulting in severe disease and 0.3 to 0.5 million influenza-related deaths worldwide. Influenza B virus epidemics result in significant economic losses due to healthcare expenses, reduced workforce productivity, and strain on healthcare systems. Influenza B virus epidemics, such as the 1987-1988 Yamagata lineage outbreak and the 2001-2002 Victoria lineage outbreak, had a significant global impact. IBV's fast mutation and replication rates facilitate rapid adaptation to the environment, enabling the evasion of existing immunity and the development of resistance to virus-targeting treatments. This leads to annual outbreaks and necessitates the development of new vaccination formulations. This review aims to elucidate IBV's evolutionary genomic organization and life cycle and provide an overview of anti-IBV drugs, resistance, treatment options, and prospects for IBV biology, emphasizing challenges in preventing and treating IBV infection.

Tomato flu: need to look beyond the frame

Tomato flu: need to look beyond the frame

The Spanish Flu of 1918: A Historical Reflection and Lessons from Masonic Lodges.

A catastrophic Spanish flu pandemic spread throughout the world during 1918-1919. In the spring of 1918, an army training center at the Fort Riley Kansas reported the first cases of Spanish flu in the United States. The first reported cases of the Spanish Flu of the virus in Kansas were quite moderate. The Spanish flu took an ominous turn in the fall of 1918 when injured soldiers who contracted the Spanish flu returned to the United States, spreading the illness across urban and rural communities. During this period of the Spanish flu, the freemason lodges served as accessory hospitals to help manage the growing Spanish flu cases across the United States. In this paper, we explore the experiences, challenges, and lessons from Freemason lodges during the Spanish flu to provide context and historical insights into the overlaps between the Spanish Flu and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Outbreak of tomato flu in India raising concerns: is it a false alarm or are we welcoming a new pandemic?

Outbreak of tomato flu in India raising concerns: is it a false alarm or are we welcoming a new pandemic?

Amid COVID-19 and monkeypox: tomato flu outbreak in India

Amid COVID-19 and monkeypox: tomato flu outbreak in India

Epidemiological study on the impact of influenza vaccination on the clinical course of patients with COVID-19 and co-infection by both viruses in Gran Canaria, Spain

To analyze the frequency of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, as well as the differences in the course of disease (risk of mortality, hospital and intensive care admissions) in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in relation to flu vaccination status in the 2021-2022 season. Population-based observational retrospective study in a cohort of 19,850 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022 on the island of Gran Canaria. A total of 1,789 patients (9%) diagnosed with COVID-19 had received flu vaccinations. 13,676 people (68.9%) had a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations. In the period between June 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, 8 cases of flu and COVID-19 coinfection were recorded. Hypertension (18.5%), asthma (12.8%) and diabetes (7.2%) were the most frequent comorbidities. There were 147 deaths (0.7%). Older patients ([OR] 1.11 95% CI 1.09-1.13) and people with cancer ([OR] 4.21 95% CI 2.58-6.89) had a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 (p<0.05). Female sex was noted as a protective factor ([OR] 0.61 95% CI 0.40-0.92). Old age, male sex and cancer were independent prognostic factors for mortality. Three doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and influenza vaccines were highly effective in preventing COVID-19-related deaths and hospital admissions. These findings suggest that flu vaccination can help control the pandemic.

Swine flu (H1N1) pandemic strain-09 PDM: A recent outbreak in northern India

Objective: To Identify molecular characterization of swine flu (H1N1) pdm 09 and seasonal flu (influenza A). Materials and methods: NP/OP Swab specimen of 142 patients were collected aseptically in VTM. Nucleic Acid was extracted manually and was processed in Real-Time PCR for identification of swine flu (H1N1) 09 pdm and seasonal flu (inf A). Results: In this study, 142 patients presented with signs and symptoms of Flu like illness patients and were tested by Real-time PCR. Out of total 32 (22.53%) positive specimens, 18(56.25%) were positive swine flu(H1N1) 09 pdm and 14(43.73%) were positive seasonal flu (inf A). Conclusion: We report a tiny outbreak of 18 swine flu (H1N1) 09 pdm and 14 seasonal flu cases in our hospital, from Jan 2022 to June 2022. The outbreak involved persons of all age groups, but it mostly affected paediatric age group.

1454. Describing the Epidemiology of Nosocomial Respiratory Viral Infections (RVIs) at an Academic Medical Center

Abstract Background Nosocomial respiratory viral infections (NRVI), transmitted from infected visitors or healthcare providers to patients, lead to significant morbidity and mortality. This study describes the epidemiology of nosocomial Influenza (flu) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at an academic medical center from 2009 to 2018. Methods After institutional review board (IRB) approval, data on NRVI was collected from our Enterprise Data Warehouse and primary chart review. A nosocomial infection was defined as a positive result of flu or RSV collected ≥ 72 hours after admission between April 2009 and March 2018. Results There were 93/1,317 (7.1%) nosocomial flu cases and 76/617 (12.3%) nosocomial RSV cases detected during the study period (see Table 1). Flu and RSV were first detected at a median of 6.8 and 8.4 days, respectively, after admission. Patients with nosocomial flu and RSV were more likely to have a cancer diagnosis, be a stem cell transplant recipient within one year, and have undergone chemotherapy in the past 30 days (see Table 2). Few nosocomial transmissions (15%) occurred outside the usual winter respiratory viral season (December through March, see Figure 1). Table 1Distribution of Nosocomial RVIsTable 2Underlying Medical Conditions Among Patients with Nosocomial and Community-Acquired RVIFigure 1Distribution of nosocomial RVIs over time assessing for transmission seasonality Conclusion Nosocomial infections account for 7% of hospitalized flu cases and 12% of hospitalized RSV cases. Infection is more common among patients at high risk of complications. Effort needs to be directed at approaches to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission of RVI. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of interventions, such as universal masking, on the rate of nosocomial infections. Disclosures Michael G. Ison, MD MS, GlaxoSmithKlein: Grant/Research Support|Pulmocide: Grant/Research Support|Viracor Eurfins: Advisor/Consultant.

Leveraging machine learning to assess market-level food safety and zoonotic disease risks in China

While many have advocated for widespread closure of Chinese wet and wholesale markets due to numerous zoonotic disease outbreaks (e.g., SARS) and food safety risks, this is impractical due to their central role in China’s food system. This first-of-its-kind work offers a data science enabled approach to identify market-level risks. Using a massive, self-constructed dataset of food safety tests, market-level adulteration risk scores are created through machine learning techniques. Analysis shows that provinces with more high-risk markets also have more human cases of zoonotic flu, and specific markets associated with zoonotic disease have higher risk scores. Furthermore, it is shown that high-risk markets have management deficiencies (e.g., illegal wild animal sales), potentially indicating that increased and integrated regulation targeting high-risk markets could mitigate these risks.

Influenza vaccines: an introduction

Seasonal influenza is a leading cause of severe respiratory infections and deaths. Type A influenza can cause severe respiratory disease, death and pandemics. Influenza B accounts for about a quarter of the annual number of seasonal flu cases, but does not cause pandemics. Influenza C viruses cause mild symptoms in humans. Evidence suggests Influenza D does not cause disease in humans. During an influenza infection, the immune system produces inflammatory mediators, which are largely responsible for the systemic symptoms and complications. Vaccines remain the most effective way to prevent influenza-related respiratory disease and non-respiratory complications despite antivirals. Numerous studies support the benefits of influenza vaccination, especially in high-risk groups. However, the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine varies markedly depending on the match between the circulating strains and those in the vaccine, and the recipient's characteristics. Influenza vaccines are, in general, well-tolerated. Research could lead to more effective and, potentially, universal influenza vaccines.

A Study to assess the knowledge of youths regarding Swine Flu and it’s prevention in selected urban area of Bengaluru south with a view to develop an information booklet

Swine flu one of the communicable diseases which affected large portion of the general public, it can be treated and it is a vaccine preventable disease. WHO says that youths are at risk of swine and it is an urban youth syndrome. As studies shown that swine flu cases are found more in urban youths. Education plays a vital role in development of the human potential, through which we can achieve control and prevention of swine flu. Methods: Descriptive approach which is an non-experimental design was adopted. The target population for the study were selected from Kenchanahally area, Bangarappa Nagar PHC, Bengaluru South. This population was selected by non probability purposive sampling technique. The total samples under the study were 100 youths (male and female). The data was collected by structured questionnaire schedule which was designed to assess the knowledge of youths regarding swine flu and it’s prevention. The results were described by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The respondent’s mean knowledge score was 55.2 % in the aspect of mode of transmission of swine flu, 52 % in treatment and prevention aspect, 51% in meaning and causes, and 48.8 % in signs and symptoms. Overall mean knowledge score was 51.9%. Among the demographic variables analyzed in the study, age, gender, education, marital status, per capita income, were found to have significant association with knowledge scores. And there was no significant association found between occupational status, type of family, source of information with knowledge scores. Conclusion: The study concluded that, if the youths are provided with some sort of educational interventions such as information booklets, modules on swine flu and it’s prevention will definitely beef up their knowledge, which in turn contributes to improve the total quality of one’s health.

Efectividad de la vacuna antigripal en la prevención de la gripe en personas mayores de 65 años

IntroductionInfluenza is one of the diseases with the greatest epidemiological impact and of maximum relevance in the management of health services. The flu vaccine can have great variability each season, so our objective was to find out the effectiveness of the flu vaccine for the 2017/2018 season for the prevention of severe cases of flu in people over 65 years of age in a 385-bed acute general hospital. Material and methodStudy of cases and controls. All hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza older than 65 years during the 2017/2018 season were included. Those who met the criteria for a severe case of influenza were considered cases. Those who did not meet the severity criteria were considered controls. Factors associated with the development of severe influenza were calculated. ResultsThe median age was 68 years (SD 91.87). The attack rate was 0.23 per hundred inhabitants and the vaccine effectiveness was 38%. The vaccinated and unvaccinated groups were different in terms of age (p < 0.0481). Vaccination status against severe influenza was found to be an independent protective factor (OR = 0.840; 0.746-0.913). ConclusionsThe effectiveness of influenza vaccination provided greater protection against infection and reduced the severity of influenza in older hospitalized patients. These findings should be taken into account to improve vaccination strategies and achieve better vaccination coverage in the population at risk.

Can a Two-Dose Influenza Vaccine Regimen Better Protect Older Adults? An Agent-Based Modeling Study.

Older adults (age ≥ 65) are at high risk of influenza morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the impact of a hypothetical two-dose influenza vaccine regimen per season to reduce symptomatic flu cases by providing preseason (first dose) and mid-season (second dose) protection to offset waning vaccine effectiveness (VE). The Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics (FRED), an agent-based modeling platform, was used to compare typical one-dose vaccination to a two-dose vaccination strategy. Primary models incorporated waning VE of 10% per month and varied influenza season timing (December through March) to estimate cases and hospitalizations in older adults. Additional scenarios modeled reductions in uptake and VE of the second dose, and overall waning. In seasons with later peaks, two vaccine doses had the largest potential to reduce cases (14.4% with February peak, 18.7% with March peak) and hospitalizations (13.1% with February peak, 16.8% with March peak). Reductions in cases and hospitalizations still resulted but decreased when 30% of individuals failed to receive a second dose, second dose VE was reduced, or overall waning was reduced to 7% per month. Agent-based modeling indicates that two influenza vaccine doses could decrease cases and hospitalizations in older individuals. The highest impact occurred in the more frequently observed late-peak seasons. The beneficial impact of the two-dose regimen persisted despite model scenarios of reduced uptake of the second dose, decreased VE of the second dose, or overall VE waning.

Exploring the drop in flu cases during the 2020–2021 season: The Italian case study

To explore the 2020-2021 influenza season by describing the case of Italy. FluNet was searched for Italian data on virological samples. French, German, and Spanish data were collected for comparison. InfluNet was used for Italian epidemiological data on influenza-like illness (ILI). Data were extracted for the period from the 42nd week of 2020 to the 16th week of 2021 and for the previous 5-year period. The Containment and Health Index were used to describe the containment measures. Among 6818 samples, 0% were positive in Italy in the 2020-2021 season (28.8% in the previous 5-year period; the percentage change in the total number of tested specimens was -51.3%). In France, Germany, and Spain, the percentage change was -23%, -7%, and -61%, respectively. The Italian ILI incidence remained below the baseline levels (mean 0.0144/100,000 inhabitants; range 0.0085-0.0204). In the previous 5-year period, the mean incidence was 0.041/100,000 inhabitants. With the increase in containment measures, a deflection of ILI incidence was described (P=.015). Despite the reduced number of collected specimens compared to previous seasons and a slight rise in influenza vaccination rates, containment measures represent the most likely factor that helped to reduce cases in the 2020-2021 influenza season in Italy.

Dissecting Human and Influenza Virus Interaction with qFRET Technology

Influenza viruses cause seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics around the world. During each flu season, IAV and IBV viruses are circulated widely in the community, with IAV being the dominant circulating virus and IBV accounting for 25% of all flu cases on average. Due to the significant threat posed by the flu virus, international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have risen to prominence in limiting its global effect. Despite the vaccinations and anti-flu medications that have been develop to combat influenza, drug resistance development highlights the necessity of further studies for influenzas virus pathogenesis and new therapeutic development.&nbsp;Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a technique for detecting protein interactions&nbsp;in vitro and in vivo that is widely employed in biological and biomedical research. Here we report that the IBV M1 protein has a high affinity with human SUMOylation enzymes, the conjugating enzyme UBC9 and the ligase PIAS1, and conform M1 can be SUMOylated determined with a quantitative FRET (qFRET) assay developed in our lab. Understanding the viral infection process and developing new treatment methods requires identifying and deciphering the host route of viral infection. It is critical to comprehend the viral infection process and develop new therapeutics. Blocking the host human SUMOylation pathway is particularly effective for IBV reduction. Our research provides a direct interaction of human proteins with influenza B protein, providing new insights in human-virus interactions for future therapeutics development.

Common Health Problems Among Agricultural Workers in A Selected Rural Area of Mymensingh, Bangladesh

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Churkhai village of Bhavokhali union during December 2018 to find out common health problems among 200 agricultural workers in a selected rural area of Mymensingh as a part of Residential Field Site Training by 3rd year MBBS students session 2016-17. 63 percent of population lives in rural area. Agricultural workers have illnesses common to general population. Moreover socioeconomic and work condition poses extra burden. The study was carried out on 200 agricultural workers who were selected purposively. Data were collected on a predesigned questionnaire by face to face interviewing agricultural workers. Data analysis was done by SPSS version 20.0. Age distribution of respondents ranged from 19 years to 80 years; mean age 46.53 years and standard deviation 14.891 years. Males were predominant (male: female ratio 506.06: 100. Majority of them (57.50%) were literate. Most of them (65.00%) belonged to middle class family. More than half (55.00%) of agricultural workers were suffering from illness. Respiratory illnesses 16.00% were predominant followed by skin disease 10.50%, gastrointestinal disease 6.50%, conjunctivitis 6.00%, arthritis 6.00%, hypertension 6.00%, diabetes mellitus 5.00%, anemia 4.50% and hearing loss 0.50%. In summer heat exhaustion (14.50%) was predominant followed by heat syncope (10.00%. In rainy season ARI (12.00%) was predominant followed by diarrheal diseases (10.50%). In winter mild hypothermia (27.00%) was predominant followed by ARI (4.50%). In recall of last 1 year the important events were crop loss 12.50%, damage to house 10.00%, and unemployment 2.50%. There was no case of anthrax and bird flu. Prevalence of occupational accidents was 5.00%. which includes fall from height 0.50%, heavy object fallen on body 1%, domestic fire 1%, electrocution in house 1%, electrocution by power pump 0.50%, cattle hitting by horn 0.50% and accidental insecticide poisoning 0.5%. Most of the injury occurred in the current week. Majority of the workers (66.50%) had partial tetanus toxoid immunization. Morbidity in this study was better than several studies conducted in Bangladesh and India. By knowing health problems we can give health care to agricultural workers which will prevent diseases and illnesses of them, prolong their healthy life, promote their health and efficiency.&#x0D; CBMJ 2022 July: vol. 11 no. 02 P: 125-130