Health Research: Pioneering artificial pancreas to undergo final tests ♦ Could bug-busting viruses control food poisoning? ♦ Minor flu strains pack bigger punch

Could bug-busting viruses control food poisoning? Viruses that can seek and destroy food poisoning bugs in the gut are currently being investigated by researchers. The work could offer the potential for treating and preventing intestinal illnesses in children in developing countries including those caused by Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli.

Pioneering artificial pancreas to undergo final tests A device to automatically monitor and regulate blood-sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes will undergo final testing in two clinical trials beginning early this year.

Racial bias may be conveyed by doctors' body language Physicians give less compassionate non verbal cues when treating seriously ill black patients compared with their white counterparts, a small trial revealed. It is the first to look at such interactions in a time-pressured, end-of-life situation.

Minor flu strains pack bigger punch Minor variants of flu strains, which are not typically targeted in vaccines, carry a bigger viral punch than previously realized, a team of scientists has found. Its research, which examined samples from the 2009 flu pandemic in Hong Kong, shows that these minor strains are transmitted along with the major strains and can replicate and elude immunizations.

Health Research: Pesticide found in milk decades ago may be associated with signs of Parkinson’s ♦ Using 'big data' to fight flu ♦ Preventing diabetes at the office

Pesticide found in milk decades ago may be associated with signs of Parkinson’s A pesticide used prior to the early 1980s and found in milk at that time may be associated with signs of Parkinson's disease in the brain.

Using 'big data' to fight flu Thanks to 'big data', researchers have identified new molecules that are instrumental in the replication of the flu virus. If these host proteins are blocked, influenza viruses are unable to multiply as effectively. The international study therefore makes a significant contribution towards the development of new treatments and flu drugs.

Preventing diabetes at the office For people who already have high blood sugar, preventing diabetes could amount to just another day at the office. Employees enrolled in a workplace intervention program as a group lost more weight, showed greater reductions in fasting blood sugar and ate less fat than employees who received only written health guidelines for diabetes prevention.

Potential treatment for cirrhosis discovered by scientists Cirrhosis is the main risk factor for liver cancer. The same target may be the key to preventing and treating this condition, suggests researchers at the conclusion of a recent study. Cirrhosis is among the top 20 causes of death from disease worldwide.

Health News:Privatized meat inspection jeopardizes food safety ♦ Lab-grown 3D intestine regenerates gut lining in dogs ♦ Major flu drug report underway

Privatized meat inspection experiment jeopardizes food safety An analysis based on inspection documents and non-compliance reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveals large numbers of defects being missed in the USDA's controversial pilot project for privatized poultry inspection. In the name of budget-cutting, more defective and unsanitary poultry contaminated

Lab-grown 3D intestine regenerates gut lining in dogs Working with gut stem cells from humans and mice, scientists have successfully grown healthy intestine atop a 3-D scaffold made of a substance used in surgical sutures

Major flu drug report underway A new landmark report reveals that antiviral drugs called NAIs (like Tamiflu) have been successful in reducing deaths in flu patients in hospital. The report also reveals that preventative use of the same drugs helps fight flu infection in the home.

Women and men react differently to infidelity A recent Norwegian study shows that men and women react differently to various types of infidelity. Whereas men are most jealous of sexual infidelity, so-called emotional infidelity is what makes women the most jealous. Evolutionary psychology provides an explanation for why this can be

Dying at home leads to more peace, less grief, but requires wider support Dying at home could be beneficial for terminally ill cancer patients and their relatives, according to research. The study shows that, according to questionnaires completed by their relatives, those who die at home experience more peace and a similar amount of pain compared to those who die in hospital, and their relatives also experience less grief. However, this requires discussion of preferences, access to a comprehensive home care package and facilitation of family caregiving.

Children's Health:Colds, flu may temporarily increase stroke risk in kids ♦ Children with severe obesity may be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes

Early intervention improves preschoolers' heart healthy habits Introducing healthy lifestyle behaviors to children in preschool improves their knowledge, attitude and habits toward healthy diet and exercise and can lead to reduced levels of body fat, according to a study. Researchers predict early intervention in children will not only translate to a lifelong understanding of healthy habits but will also serve to encourage their parents to adopt healthier lifestyles.

New predictor of health complications can identify high-risk preemies Premature infants have heightened risks of deadly diseases because their organs and immune systems are not fully developed. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a major gastrointestinal disease that causes the intestines to die, is a leading cause of death among these infants and is the most the common disease for babies born before 32 weeks. Now, researchers have found that the early and persistent presence of white blood cells during NEC, known as blood eosinophilia, is a predictor of life-threatening complications for preemies

Cognitive-behavioral prevention program for teens at-risk of depression shows benefit A cognitive-behavioral prevention program for depression among at-risk youth showed benefit more than 6 years after the implementation of the intervention, according to a new article

Colds, flu may temporarily increase stroke risk in kids Stroke is very rare in children, but colds, flu and other minor infections may temporarily increase stroke risk in children The study also found routine childhood vaccines may decrease the risk of stroke

Children with severe obesity may be at higher risk for heart disease and diabetes A direct correlation has been found between more severe forms of obesity in children and related risk factors for developing heart disease and diabetes--particularly in boys. It is estimated that there are more than 3 million children in the United States who are severely obese.

Health Research: Man walks again after years of paralysis ♦ How flu viruses gain the ability to spread ♦ Health care or diagnostic errors will likely worsen

Urgent change needed to improve diagnosis in health care or diagnostic errors will likely worsen, Most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences.

CPAP therapy reduces symptoms of depression in adults with sleep apnea Depressive symptoms are extremely common in people who have obstructive sleep apnea, and these symptoms improve significantly when sleep apnea is treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy .

New pathway to regenerate insulin-producing cells discovered A new pathway that triggers regeneration of beta cells in the pancreas, a key development that may aid in the development of diabetes treatments, has been discovered by scientists.

Man walks again after years of paralysis The ability to walk has been restored following a spinal cord injury, using one's own brain power, according to research. The preliminary proof-of-concept study shows that it is possible to use direct brain control to get a person's legs to walk again.

How flu viruses gain the ability to spread A new study reveals the soft palate is a key site for evolution of airborne transmissibility. Scientists made the surprising finding while examining the H1N1 flu strain, which caused a 2009 pandemic that killed more than 250,000 people

Health Research: How language shapes our ability to process information ♦ Advance toward more effective, long-lasting flu vaccine ♦ Antibiotic use linked to type 2 diabetes diagnosis

Bilingualism and the brain: How language shapes our ability to process information In an increasingly globalised world, there are many practical benefits to speaking two languages rather than one. Even in the US, which is largely monolingual, more than 20 percent of the population is now thought to speak a second language

Major advance toward more effective, long-lasting flu vaccine Medical researchers have found a way to induce antibodies to fight a wide range of influenza subtypes -- work that could one day eliminate the need for repeated seasonal flu shots.

Flu vaccinations make sense for elderly, study suggests Amid debate about whether flu vaccination really helps the elderly, a new study provides fresh evidence that it does. Researchers found vaccines well matched to the year's flu strain significantly reduce deaths and hospitalizations compared to when the match is poor, suggesting that vaccination indeed makes a difference. They project that well-matched vaccines saves thousands of lives every flu season.

Blood vessel cells help tumors evade the immune system A new study is the first to suggest that cells in the tumor blood vessels contribute to a local environment that protects the cancer cells from tumor-killing immune cells. The results can contribute to the development of better immune-based cancer therapies.

Antibiotic use linked to type 2 diabetes diagnosis People who developed type 2 diabetes tended to take more antibiotics in the years leading up to the diagnosis than people who did not have the condition.

Health News: Intractable pain may find relief in tiny gold rods ♦ Millions of lives blighted by smokeless tobacco ♦ US hospitals flout CDC recommendations that prevent infections

Intractable pain may find relief in tiny gold rods Scientists have developed a technique that could lead to therapies for pain relief in people with intractable pain, potentially including cancer-related pain. The team coated gold nanorods with a special type of protein that transports fat within the body known as a lipoprotein. This allowed the nanorods to bind efficiently to nerve cell membranes bearing a pain receptor. Gold nanorods are tiny rods that are 1-100 nanometers wide and long. In comparison, a human hair is 100,000 nanometers wide.

Something to chew on: Millions of lives blighted by smokeless tobacco More than a quarter of a million people die each year from using smokeless tobacco, researchers have concluded. The study estimates that in 2010 alone smokeless tobacco resulted in more than 62,000 deaths due to cancers of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus and accounted for more than 200,00 deaths from heart disease.

US hospitals flout CDC recommendations that prevent infections There is significant variability regarding how clinicians manage catheters placed in the arteries of patients in intensive care units, research shows. Some practices may increase risk of infection associated with these catheters. Fewer than half of those surveyed complied with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention infection prevention guidelines for arterial catheter insertions.

Influenza vaccines provide moderate protection throughout the entire flu season Individuals who received the flu vaccine were protected for up to 6 months post-vaccination, the duration of most flu seasons.

Childrens Health: Strategy found for safely prescribing antidepressants to children ♦ High fever: Is it measles or flu? ♦ Childhood maltreatment linked to sleep problems

Researchers hope to improve dental health by changing caregiver's behavior Studies have long associated low-income areas with poor oral health. But dental researchers have sensed that other factors related to income may be at work -- in particular, education level. So they recently investigated how a parent or other caregiver's education level and dental habits affect children's dental health

High fever: Is it measles or flu? A pathologist and infectious disease expert offers symptoms parents should watch for if they suspect their child has the measles.

'Herd immunity' threatened in measles outbreak, pathologist says Spending time with other people is a cure for loneliness. But being a member of a vaccinated community has an important added benefit: preventing the spread of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. The current concern over outbreaks of measles in the United States provides valuable lessons about how vaccinations are effective across a broad community.

Childhood maltreatment linked to sleep problems among adults Adults who experienced multiple incidents of childhood maltreatment were more than two times as likely to have trouble sleeping than their counterparts who were not maltreated during childhood.

Strategy found for safely prescribing antidepressants to children and adolescents Two new strategies to treat depression in young people have been developed for the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of medications. These strategies incorporate a new understanding of how to mitigate the risk of suicide while on SSRI treatment

Health News: Bird Flu Outbreak Spreads ♦ Eels Covered in toxic dye ♦ Home canned potatoes probably caused botulism outbreak ♦ Alcohol use disorders

.Increase human protections offered as H5N2 Flu Outbreak Spreads  Federal public health officials reported that about 300 farm workers exposed to the H5N2 strain of bird flu were offered Tamiflu, an antiviral medication, as a precaution due to an ongoing outbreak that is affecting Midwestern poultry farms. Investigators have heightened biosecurity measures on infected farms and protective equipment has been issued for responders to the scene of an outbreak

.National Guard called up to deliver water in Minnesota bird flu fight  The Minnesota State Emergency Operations Center reported April 26 that 30 National Guard soldiers and 15 military water trucks will be deployed April 27 – 29 in an effort to contain the rapidly spreading H5N2 strain of bird flu.

Eels Covered in toxic dye Ming Chuan International bought 3,000 kg of live eels from the Yunlin fishery earlier in the year, then sold them to Hong Yi Ltd. , a frozen food manufacturer in Pingtung, which originally planned to export the processed eels to Japan. However, Hong Yi made some of the live eels into grilled eels before test results from SGS Taiwan became available

Home canned potatoes served at potluck probably caused botulism outbreak Ohio public health officials announced Monday that potato salad containing home-canned potatoes was the likely cause of a recent botulism outbreak following a potluck luncheon at the Crosspoint Free Will Baptist Church in Lancaster, OH. They said that their conclusion was based on lab tests and interviews with those who attended the potluck on

Alcohol use disorders - stronger predictor of mortality than chronic hepatitis C virus infection Scientists show that alcohol use disorders have a serious, negative prognostic outcome with higher mortality risks in the general population and patients with hepatitis C virus

Health Research: College athletes may have low vitamin D levels ♦ C. difficile doubles hospital readmission rates♦ Mutation explain why flu can kill + more

More than one-third of Division I college athletes may have low vitamin D levels A new study found that more than one-third of elite, Division I college athletes may have low levels of vitamin D, which is critical in helping the body to absorb calcium needed to maintain bone mass, and to minimize injury risk.

C. difficile doubles hospital readmission rates, Patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) are twice as likely to be readmitted to the hospital as patients without the deadly diarrheal infection, according to a new study.

Fracture liaison services prevent fractures and save lives Using a simulation model, researchers have shown that the implementation of Fracture Liaison Services could considerably reduce the human associated with osteoporotic fractures.

What to do with kidneys from older deceased donors? For older patients in need of a kidney transplant, rapid transplantation from an older deceased donor is superior to delayed transplantation from a younger donor. Kidneys from older donors do not have sufficient longevity to provide younger patients with a lifetime of kidney function, but they do have sufficient longevity to provide older patients

Genetic mutation helps explain why, in rare cases, flu can kill A small number of children who catch the influenza virus fall so ill they end up in the hospital even while their family and friends recover easily. New research helps explain why: a rare genetic mutation that prevents the production of a critical protein, interferon, that is needed to fight off the virus.

2/12/15 Health News: Mad Cow Case in Canada -- STORE STOPS SELLING FROZEN RACCOONS -- Combat Illnesses During Flu Season-- Placenta accreta -- Women with type 1 diabetes at significantly higher risk of dying early

Mad cow case detected in Canada Food authorities on Friday confirmed a case of mad cow disease in Canada's Alberta province, this nation's first outbreak of the illness since 2011. Veterinary officials at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said that the infected cow was diagnosed before being slaughtered Continue Reading

CA STORE STOPS SELLING FROZEN RACCOONS AFTER HEALTH DEPARTMENT VISIT Inspectors from the Los Angeles County Health Department reportedly visited the Metro Supermarket in Temple City, CA, on Tuesday after being informed that the store was selling raccoons as food. Store employees indicated they had entire frozen and bagged raccoons selling for $9.99 per pound.Continue Reading

Cleaning, Sanitizing And Disinfecting To Combat Illnesses During Flu Season Eliminating illness causing germs from reaching our families is a focus during cold and flu season. To accomplish this, the use of chlorine bleach to sanitize surfaces is a common practice. “Chlorine bleach is a very effective sanitizer and disinfectant on disease causing germs Continue Reading

Pregnant woman with placenta accreta saved When Patricia Perich, 41, was 24 weeks pregnant with her fourth child, she was diagnosed with a potentially fatal condition called placenta accreta. This condition occurs when blood vessels from the placenta grow too deeply into the uterus Continue Reading

Women with type 1 diabetes at significantly higher risk of dying early compared with men Women with type 1 diabetes face a 40% increased excess risk of early death from all causes, and have more than twice the risk of dying from heart disease, compared to men with type 1 diabetes. Continue Reading

1/15/15 Health News:One punch to knock out flu ♦ Contracting human muscle grown in lab ♦ Head & neck cancer screening ♦ Space station worms help battle muscle & bone loss

One punch to knock out flu

When comparing the potency of an isolated strain-specific flu antibody (the type that current vaccines generate) with an isolated broadly-neutralizing flu antibody (the type generated by universal vaccines) in a lab setting, the latter have much weaker neutralization activity than the strain-specific antibodies, researchers report. Continue Reading

First contracting human muscle grown in laboratory

Researchers have grown human skeletal muscle in the laboratory that, for the first time, contracts and responds just like native tissue to external stimuli such as electrical pulses, biochemical signals and pharmaceuticals. The development should soon allow researchers to test new drugs and study diseases in functioning human muscle outside of the human body. Continue Reading

Coupling head and neck cancer screening, lung cancer scans could improve survival

Adding head and neck cancer screenings to newly recommended lung cancer screenings would likely improve early detection and survival, according to a multidisciplinary team led by scientists. Head and neck cancer is the world's sixth-most common type of cancer. Worldwide every year, 600,000 people are diagnosed with it and about 350,000 die. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption are the major risk factors for developing the cancer. Continue Reading

Nothing to squirm about: Space station worms help battle muscle, bone loss

Two investigations on the space station help researchers seek clues to physiological problems found in astronauts by studying C. elegans -- a millimeter-long roundworm that is widely used as a model organism. This simple, tiny roundworm could lead to a cure for symptoms affecting millions of the aging and infirm population of Earth, and the astronauts orbiting it, potentially offering a solution to a major problem in an extremely small package, scientists say. Continue reading

1/9/15 Health News: Baby food with cricket contamination ♦ Avocados Reduce Bad Cholesterol ♦ 43 states hit with ‘widespread’ flu ♦ Food poisoning scare at farmers' markets

An avocado a day may help keep bad cholesterol at bay

Individuals on a moderate-fat diet who ate an avocado every day had lower bad cholesterol than those on a similar diet without an avocado a day or on a lower-fat diet, researchers report  Continue Reading

43 states hit with ‘widespread’ flu

activity, CDC reports. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 43 States experienced “widespread” flu activity and 6 others reported “regional” flu activity due to influenza viruses that caused 8,893 deaths in 2014. Continue Reading

Food poisoning scare from farmers' markets

Farmers’ markets are becoming increasingly popular, providing opportunities for people to purchase fresh produce as opposed to pre-packaged supermarket fare. A study in the U.S. warns about the presence of pathogens. The new research has looked for the presence of bacterial pathogens like Salmonella and Escherichia coli on herbs sold at farmers' markets. The study sampled 133 …Continue Reading

Japan recalls baby food over cricket contamination in latest food scare

A Japanese firm said Thursday it was recalling tens of thousands of pouches of baby food after an insect was discovered in one package, the latest food scare to rock consumers. Asahi Holdings said its subsidiary would be calling back an estimated 120,000 bags of the meat-and-potatoes mix after one was found to contain a cricket, a small grasshopper-like insect. Baby brand Wakodo … Continue Reading

Tips for Avoiding Winter Colds & Flu

While contagious viruses are active year-round, fall and winter are when we're most vulnerable to them. This is due in large part to people spending more time indoors with others when the weather gets cold.

Fortunately, we can fight back with several FDA-approved medicines and vaccines.

Colds and Flu

Most respiratory bugs come and go within a few days, with no lasting effects. However, some cause serious health problems. People who use tobacco or who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more prone to respiratory illnesses and more severe complications than nonsmokers.

Colds usually cause stuffy or runny nose and sneezing. Other symptoms include coughing, a scratchy throat, and watery eyes. There is no vaccine against colds, which come on gradually and often spread through contact with infected mucus.

Flu comes on suddenly, and lasts longer than colds. Flu symptoms include fever, headache, chills, dry cough, body aches, fatigue, and general misery. Like colds, flu can cause a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. Young children may also experience nausea and vomiting with flu. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. A person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it.

Flu season in the United States may begin as early as October and can last as late as May, and generally peaks between December and February. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• More than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized from flu-related complications each year, including 20,000 children younger than age 5.
• Between 1976 and 2006, the estimated number of flu-related deaths every year ranged from about 3,000 to about 49,000.
• In the 2013 – 2014 season, there were in the U.S. 35.4 million influenza-associated illnesses, 14.6 medically attended flu illnesses, and 314,000 flu hospitalizations.

Get vaccinated against flu.

With rare exceptions, everyone 6 months of age and older should be vaccinated against flu. Flu vaccination, available as a shot or a nasal spray, can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, missed work and school, and prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.

It’s ideal to be vaccinated by October, although vaccination into January and beyond can still offer protection. Annual vaccination is needed because flu viruses are constantly changing, flu vaccines may need to be updated, and because a person’s immune protection from the vaccine declines over time. Annual vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for developing serious complications from flu. These people include:

• young children under 5 years, but especially those younger than 2.
• pregnant women
• people with certain chronic health conditions (like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease)
• people age 65 years and older

Vaccination also is especially important for health care workers, and others who live with or care for people at high risk for serious flu-related complications. Since babies under 6 months of age are too young to get a flu vaccine, their mother should get a flu shot during her pregnancy to protect them throughout pregnancy and up to 6 months after birth. Additionally, all of the baby’s caregivers and close contacts should be vaccinated as well.

Wash your hands often. Teach children to do the same. Both colds and flu can be passed through contaminated surfaces, including the hands. FDA says that while soap and water are best for hand hygiene, alcohol-based hand rubs may also be used. However, dirt or blood on hands can render the hand rubs unable to kill bacteria.

Try to limit exposure to infected people. Keep infants away from crowds for the first few months of life.

Practice healthy habits.

• Eat a balanced diet.
• Get enough sleep.
• Exercise.
• Do your best to keep stress in check.

Already Sick?

Usually, colds have to run their course. Gargling with salt water may relieve a sore throat. And a cool-mist humidifier may help relieve stuffy noses.

Here are other steps to consider:

• Call your healthcare professional. Start the treatment early.
• Limit your exposure to other people. Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Stay hydrated and rested. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated products which may dehydrate you.
• Talk to your healthcare professional to find out what will work best for you.

In addition to over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, there are FDA-approved prescription medications for treating flu. Cold and flu complications may include bacterial infections (e.g., bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections, and pneumonia) that could require antibiotics.

Taking OTC Products

Read medicine labels carefully and follow the directions. People with certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure, should check with a health care professional or pharmacist before taking a new cough and cold medicine.

Choose OTC medicines appropriate for your symptoms. To unclog a stuffy nose, use nasal decongestants. Cough suppressants quiet coughs; expectorants loosen mucus; antihistamines help stop a runny nose and sneezing; and pain relievers can ease fever, headaches, and minor aches.

Check the medicine's side effects. Medications can cause drowsiness and interact with food, alcohol, dietary supplements, and each other. It’s best to tell your health care professional and pharmacist about every medical product and supplement you are taking.

Check with a healthcare professional before giving medicine to children.

See a healthcare professional if you aren't getting any better. With children, be alert for high fevers and for abnormal behavior such as unusual drowsiness, refusal to eat, crying a lot, holding the ears or stomach, and wheezing.

Signs of trouble for all people can include

• a cough that disrupts sleep
• a fever that won't respond to treatment
• increased shortness of breath
• face pain caused by a sinus infection
• high fever, chest pain, or a difference in the mucus you're producing, after feeling better for a short time.

Progress Toward an H7N9 Avian Flu Vaccine

Influenza, or flu, claims thousands of lives nationwide each year. Influenza viruses constantly change, or mutate. Flu pandemics can arise when novel avian strains acquire 2 abilities—to infect humans and to spread easily between people. That’s why health experts keep a close watch on novel viruses.

The H7N9 avian influenza virus. Image by Cynthia S. Goldsmith and Thomas Rowe, CDC.

The first cases of human H7N9 avian influenza were reported in China in early 2013. Most affected people had contact with infected poultry. The virus doesn’t sicken birds, but can make people seriously ill. About 67% of reported cases have required hospitalization. As of September 4, 2014, more than 450 cases, including 166 deaths, had been reported to the World Health Organization.

The U.S. government, in coordination with researchers and vaccine manufacturers, has been working to develop an H7N9 vaccine. Previously tested vaccines have prompted little or no immune responses in volunteers. In a new study, a team led by Dr. Mark J. Mulligan of Emory University tested an experimental vaccine mixed with adjuvant—a substance that boosts the body’s response to vaccination. The candidate vaccine, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, was made from inactivated H7N9 virus grown in chicken eggs. The adjuvant, MF59, is manufactured by Novartis Vaccines. The study was funded in part by NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It appeared on October 8, 2014, in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The trial enrolled 700 healthy adults, ages 19 to 64. Volunteers were divided into 7 groups. All received 2 injections of vaccine 21 days apart. Two groups received vaccine at either 15 micrograms (µg) or 45 µg without adjuvant. Three groups received injections of vaccine at 3.75 µg, 7.5 µg, or 15 µg with MF59 adjuvant. The final 2 groups received only one dose of adjuvant with either their first or second dose of 15 µg vaccine. Adjuvant and vaccine were mixed just prior to use.

As expected, without adjuvant, even the higher dose vaccine prompted minimal immune responses. Among those who received 2 injections of the lowest vaccine dose (3.75 µg) with adjuvant, 59% showed a substantial immune response within the 42-day study period. Notably, the group that received just one dose of MF59 along with their first 15 µg injection had significant immune responses as well. This suggests that a single dose of adjuvant given with the first dose of vaccine may be enough to provide protection.

“Although this influenza virus does not currently spread easily from person to person, all novel influenza viruses have the potential to evolve to cause widespread illness or death,” says NIAID Director Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. “Therefore, it is prudent to conduct clinical trials such as this one to be prepared in the event of an H7N9 avian influenza pandemic.”

No serious vaccine-related adverse events were reported in any of the groups. Further study will be needed to test the duration of the immune response to the vaccine.