Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 01, 2014 •
On Monday I was asked to go on the radio and comment on an article that appeared in the NZ Herald (syndicated from The Independent) entitled “What’s the world’s biggest health risk?”. The article lists an infectious diseases ‘Top Ten’ which looks like this: 1. Ebola – as of 23 July 2014, there … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 16, 2013 •
This week’s Monday Micro is all about microbial adaptation, with two interesting new papers just out. The first relates to the H7N9 strain of bird flu that appeared in China earlier this year; as of the most recent WHO report there have been 137 lab confirmed cases with 45 deaths. There is currently no vaccine available against H7N9, … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 12, 2013 •
While all has gone a little quiet on the Fonterra botulism scare, here is something likely to get everyone in a lather. Flu experts Ron Fouchier and Yoshihiro Kawaoka*, along with 20 other scientists from all over the world, have announced studies they say are needed to better understand the pandemic threat posed by influenza a subtype H7N9 viruses. Since … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Jun 03, 2013 •
I’ve recently returned from Denver, Colorado where I was attending the American Society of Microbiology’s (ASM) annual conference. It was one of the biggest conferences I’ve ever been to: approximately 7,100 attendees, nearly 230 sessions, 19 workshops, and over 2,500 posters. All in just 4 days. Exhausting! With such a huge amount going on, the organisors had developed a smart … Read More
John Pickering • May 24, 2013 •
27% of patients with H7N9 Influenza A died. This is the finding of a report just released in the New England Journal of Medicine is a study of 111 of the 132 confirmed cases of H7N9 Influenza A*. Acute Kidney Injury or “Kidney Attack” was amongst the most common complications. Of the 111 patients we … Continue reading » … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Apr 15, 2013 •
A new strain of bird flu (H7N9*) has appeared in China. Since the first report two weeks ago, 51 people are known to have been infected of which 11 have died. Transmission seems to be from close contact with poultry and many birds are being culled as a precaution. Cases started in Shanghai and the eastern provinces of … Read More