Doctors hope to harness this power to make a universal flu vaccine that would protect against any type of influenza. Ultimately this could replace the "best guess" flu vaccines currently used. Such a vaccine is the "holy grail" for flu researchers. Many scientists are already testing different prototypes to put an end to the yearly race to predict coming flu strains and quickly mass produce a new vaccine each flu season.
The H1N1 swine flu virus that reached pandemic levels infecting an estimated 60 million people last year, provided a unique opportunity for researchers. "It demonstrates how to make a single vaccine that could potentially provide immunity to all influenza. The surprise was that such a very different influenza strain, as opposed to the most common strains, could lead us to something so widely applicable."
It will take many years for a product to go through the necessary tests and trials. "It will take at least five years before anything like this could be widely available." The number of deaths this winter in Britain from flu currently is 50, with 45 of these due to swine flu.
Friedrich Nietzsche
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.6 MYANMAR-CHINA BORDER REGION
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Yesterday -
3/9/11 -
5.2 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
6.5 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G
5.0 LUZON, PHILIPPINES
5.1 TONGA
5.0 CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA
5.5 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
6.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
6.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
6.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.6 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.5 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
7.2 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
JAPAN - A series of powerful aftershocks shook the eastern coast of Japan early Thursday, briefly triggering a tsunami alert, in the wake of a strong earthquake that hit a day earlier. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quakes. Thursday's quakes were likely aftershocks from a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit in the same area Wednesday, shaking buildings hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in Tokyo and triggering a small tsunami.
The series of aftershocks included a magnitude 6.8 temblor that struck at 6:24 a.m. local time, and a magnitude 6.1 earthquake about three hours earlier. A tsunami alert was issued after the stronger of the two in Fukushima Prefecture in central Japan, but it was lifted a short time later. All of the earthquakes were centered in an area about 90 miles (150 kilometers) off Japan's northeastern coast, about 270 miles (440 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo. They struck at depths of between 5 and 6 miles (8 and 10 kilometers).
NEW ZEALAND - 'Serious' risk of landslides in quake zone. GNS Science says there is still a real risk of landslides in Christchurch's hillside suburbs. Experts are examining a number of issues in the hills - including horizontal and vertical cracks. The restoration of water to some areas is also causing problems. "Because the water mains are broken, water has been leaking into landslides and further destabilising them. We've already come across this situation, we're asking for the water to be turned off again because it's increasing the risk of a landslide falling catastrophically." Properties in the Port Hills area were being inspected yesterday after around 200 houses were evacuated following the earthquake. Some residents could be out of their homes for months.
Meanwhile, the government said it is confident there is enough safe land for Christchurch residents to be housed on temporarily. "We believe so at this stage to meet what we foresee the demand to be in the next month, but demand will increase over time, we know that. And then it will peak as people move in and use the accommodation and move out and free it up for others."
ARKANSAS - Geologists say a fault in central Arkansas where hundreds of earthquakes have been recorded in recent months is LONGER AND POTENTIALLY MORE DESTRUCTIVE than initially believed. Scientists had thought the fault is 3.7 miles long. Now they estimate it to be 6 to 7.5 miles long. The length is a concern because a longer fault could trigger bigger earthquakes. More than 800 earthquakes have been recorded in the area in the past six months — including a 4.7 magnitude quake on Feb. 27 that was the largest earthquake recorded in Arkansas in 35 years. Injection wells used by companies drilling for natural gas and thought to be connected to the quakes have been temporarily shut down.
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
AUSTRALIA - More floods likely in cyclone-hit towns. Torrential rain is continuing to pound cyclone-ravaged north Queensland. The massive rain band began soaking Cardwell, Mission Beach and Tully on Monday and it won't leave until Saturday. An upper level trough will possibly move into the area today and work with the rain band to worsen rainfalls and increase the risk of flash flooding. The situation is expected to get worse before it gets better. "Today and tomorrow will be the worst for those townships. Because the catchment is saturated, flooding is very easy and when we have heavy rain, flooding is more likely." In the 24 hours since 9am (AEST) yesterday, South Mission Beach received 241mm of rain, Euramo 102mm and Cardwell Gap 58mm. About 20 homes were known to be flooded in Cardwell and the township is cut off to the north and south.
The massive monsoon trough that's causing the torrential rain is almost stationary, and spans from the Gulf Country to the northeast tropical coast. Fast rises are likely in the areas of heaviest rainfall, with major flooding expected in the Tully, Murray and Herbert Rivers and minor flooding expected in the Barron River.
Tully could face BIGGEST-EVER FLOOD. Continued rain in Tully in Queensland could see a repeat of the 1967 floods. Monsoonal rain in Tully is adding to damage done by Cyclone Yasi as well as halting the recovery process. "If it keeps raining like this it'll be compared to '67. The ground's been saturated that much that now that we've got this monsoon trough here the water's got nowhere to go but up. The town's isolated just about. You can't get to the beach but you can get through to Cairns with four wheel drive." In 1967 the Tully River at Euramo peaked at 9.37m. During the 2009 flood the river peaked at 9.04m. "We took a bashing in Yasi, and now this bloody rain - it's a bit hard to take actually." But cyclone victims in Tully Heads and Cardwell were much worse off.
U.S. - Tornadoes hit Alabama, Louisiana as severe weather sweeps through south-eastern United States. Nasty weather, including tornadoes, tore through the Gulf coasts of Alabama and Louisiana Thursday as heavy rains and whipping winds ripped roofs from houses, overturned cars and wrought havoc among residents. At least two tornadoes touched down in the southern Alabama towns of Silverhill and Theodore. Witnesses said that the sky quickly grew black and increased winds pulled shopping trolleys "a hundred miles an hour" across parking lots. At least three tornadoes were also reported in Louisiana, and at least one injury was reported. A Tornado Watch remained in effect for several Gulf Coast municipalities, including nine counties in north-west Florida and 11 counties in Georgia. Flash flood warnings remained in effect in southeast Mississippi.
HEALTH THREATS -
Call to vaccinate against possible H2N2 flu pandemic - The H2N2 flu virus could re-emerge as a pandemic in the same way H1N1 did. Governments should launch a vaccination programme now to guard against a possible H2N2 flu pandemic, according to an article in the journal Nature. The US authors say immunity to the H2N2 flu strain is very low in people under the age of 50. But a safe vaccine already exists after an H2N2 outbreak in the 1950s and '60s. They say that vaccinating now could save billions of dollars if a pandemic does develop.
H2N2 has the ability to cause a pandemic in the same way that H1N1 did in 2009. Between 1957 and 1968, the strain is thought to have caused up to 4 million deaths in a global outbreak, during which time a vaccine was developed. When the pandemic was over the H2N2 vaccination programme was stopped in the late 1960s, although the virus is still present today among birds and swine. That means older people will have been vaccinated against the virus, but the relatively young will have missed out - what the authors call the vulnerability of youth. "Our study suggests that people under the age of 50 have little or no immunity, and resistance dramatically increases for those older than 50. This was also the case for the 2009 H1N1."
They argue that the vaccine developed in the 1950s would still work today and that governments should use this to develop a pre-emptive vaccination programme. "One approach would be to manufacture the vaccine licensed in 1957 and immunise enough of the world's population to provide 'herd immunity' to the rest. This could be achieved by a 'one-time' campaign to immunise most of the adult population worldwide - for example, as part of standard seasonal flu vaccinations - accompanied by an ongoing programme to administer the vaccine to children." The authors say this would be a much cheaper option than stockpiling the vaccine or waiting for a pandemic to strike before boosting production. "Another major influenza pandemic is likely to cost far more and create a much greater health burden than a well-planned pre-emptive programme. "The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a pandemic outbreak costs the United States between $71 billion and $167 billion."
The Chair in Influenza Virology at Imperial College says the H2 flu virus does pose a credible pandemic threat, as do other strains of bird flu. But she believes there are some big questions about whether a pre-emptive vaccination programme would be welcomed by the public. "Now we are in the calm after the storm of that swine flu pandemic, it is timely to open up the debate about pre-pandemic vaccines...we have to ask whether the public will want or accept a vaccine against a disease that does not at the moment exist. Work towards making such vaccines available is ongoing in many laboratories around the world. Scientifically we are in a position to be able to offer a good solution, the issues to be decided are of cost and of public attitude."
Mad-cow disease fears hit UK after claims of older cattle entering food chain. British meat from older cattle potentially exposed to mad-cow disease could have recently entered the food chain, according to the UK's chief veterinary officer. The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was investigating claims that traders were trying to pass off older cows as younger ones. It is illegal to slaughter cows born before August 1996 for food because there is a risk that the animals were fed the infected remains of other cattle, putting humans at risk of contracting the deadly human form of the disease. "Several lines of inquiry" suggested that cattle traders who supplied slaughterhouses were attempting to buy cows born before August 1996.
"We are looking to see how many people are involved. If you were particularly clever, it is conceivable you could have evaded all our checks. Therefore, we have to accept the possibility." Ministers banned yesterday the movement of more than 50,000 older cows from British farms. The move came after a cattle dealer from Cumbria, in northwestern England, was jailed for 10 months in February for sending an older cow to be slaughtered for human consumption. "I regret that due to what appears to be illegal activity by a few individuals, [these restrictions have] been necessary. The industry has worked hard over the years to ensure British beef regained the good reputation it deserves, both at home and abroad. We want to maintain this reputation, so it's sensible to introduce this extra safeguard."
RECALLS & ALERTS:
-RemedyTeas announced a voluntary recall of 20 lbs of Peppermint Organic Herbal Tea produced by Aromatics Inc., Basin City, WA, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
-Jones Natural Chews Co of Rockford, IL is recalling 2705 boxes of Pig Ears because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
