U.S. spots two more human cases of flu with new swine virus but cases not linked

Helen Branswell, The Canadian Press

TORONTO - Two new cases of human infection with a flu virus that has been sporadically jumping to people from pigs have been spotted in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported Friday.

The new cases, in Maine and Indiana, bring to seven the number seen in the U.S. since July. To date Canada has seen no infections with this virus, the National Microbiology Laboratory said.

While the infections have been mainly mild, the CDC is keeping a close eye on the situation. The head of the Atlanta-based agency's influenza division said a seed strain for a vaccine that would protect against this virus has already been developed and has been given to vaccine manufacturers.

 

"We're really trying to be in front of events in terms of preparedness," Dr. Nancy Cox said in an interview.

"We're being very vigilant because we realize that there's a portion of the population ... that really has very little cross-reactive antibodies to the swine reassortant virus." More

Scientists work on flu vaccine that could last a lifetime

By Richard Gray, The Telegraph

A vaccine that could end the need for annual winter flu injections by offering lifelong protection against all strains of the virus has been developed by British scientists.

The new universal flu vaccine, which researchers say only needs to be administered once, has been found to be effective against a number of different types of influenza, including deadly avian flu and pandemic swine flu strains.

Flu viruses are highly changeable so elderly people and pregnant women, who are particularly vulnerable to the illness, are currently given new vaccinations each year to ensure they are protected.

Small-scale clinical trials on the new vaccine - known as Flu-v - have shown it can significantly reduce infection and also cut the severity of symptoms. Results of the trials will be presented at an international conference this week by the London-based drug development company behind the vaccine.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Scientists+work+vaccine+that+could+last+lifetime/5665062/story.html#ixzz1d2qskwzE

Rabobank report China pork supply the chronic disease

The Chinese pork sector is experiencing an increased incidence of disease. This brief FAR industry update states that many farmers are decreasing production and quickening the liquidation of market hogs in the midst of disease fears and price volatility. Rabobank expects the impact to worsen in the coming months as hog immunity usually decreases in winter. Production recovery and reduced inflation will depend on whether the disease can be contained. China may continue to import pork to fill the gap in the near term. More

Dairy Farmers expands drug screening program

By Susan Mann

Dairy Farmers of Ontario will be starting a broader surveillance for drug residues in milk effective Nov. 1.

Routine testing of producer samples at the lab will be discontinued. George MacNaughton, director of Dairy Farmers production division, says the routine testing program looks at drugs the industry is already screening.

All processors screen milk loads for beta lactams, the main group of drugs farmers use, and several randomly screen for sulfa-based drugs and tetracycline. In addition to beta lactams, there are seven other families of drugs in use, including sulfa-based drugs and tetracycline.

“What we’re going to do is we’re going to concentrate on the five families of drugs that are not routinely checked,” he explains, noting it’s somewhat redundant to test producer samples for drugs that were already tested in loads by processors.

The changes to the inhibitor-testing program were outlined in a discussion paper released at Dairy Farmers’ fall regional meetings for farmer delegates last week. More