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  • Name: Bernardo Oliveira
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H1N1 Virus Can Be Killed by Acidic Ozone Water

This is great!
But with so many supposed alternative “cures” that we’ve seen around, it’s a little hard to trust this new one. Sounds good though and it’s always good to keep the hopes up, right?

Amplify’d from www.physorg.com
Scientists have found that acidic ozone water can effectively kill H1N1 viruses, with the advantages that it leaves no environmentally harmful residue and is inexpensive to prepare.
H1N1 Virus Can Be Killed by Acidic Ozone Water
Scientists have found that acidic ozone water can deactivate H1N1 viruses very effectively, offering a promising disinfectant for the millions of people trying to avoid the disease. Acidic ozone water (AOW) is made from regular tap water mixed with a small amount of acid such as hydrochloric acid, along with an ozonized gas that can be produced in the lab. After deactivating the virus, the substance eventually decays into plain water, leaving no residue or harmful materials in the environment.
AOW also has the advantage that it may cost significantly less to prepare compared with chemical disinfectants.Read more at www.physorg.com
 

Expert says swine flu ‘hid’ for decade

Amplify’d from www.theglobeandmail.com

‘This virus most likely has been circulating under the radar in pigs for the better part of 10 years,’ Michael Worobey of the University of Arizona revealed at a meeting

Pigs are seen at the Mober SENC farm in Saint Hughes, Que. south of Montreal in this file photo from Thursday, April 30, 2009.

“Once it jumped into humans it probably circulated for months under the radar. There is lots of room for improvement of our surveillance of swine flu in pigs.”

H1N1 was first detected in April and declared a pandemic in June. It has spread quickly around the world but so far causes moderate illness, to the relief of public health experts. The institute, an independent organization that advises the U.S. government and other bodies on health matters, called the meeting to examine the pandemic and look for ways to better prepare for the next one.

Influenza viruses mutate regularly and are easy to trace using their rate of change, Mr. Worobey said
“We could do more for surveillance in humans,” Mr. Worobey said
If we had been doing that kind of thing, we may have picked up on this new strain a month or two or three before we didRead more at www.theglobeandmail.com
 

The new H1N1 strain was only identified in April, from two children in California. By then it had been spreading in Mexico and the United States for months. It has since also been found among pig herds. Pigs regularly get influenza, much like people, and usually are isolated until they recover before being slaughtered for food.

Right now, the version of pandemic H1N1 circulating is not mutating — a relief to doctors and companies preparing for a global vaccination campaign. But experts expect it eventually will begin to change.

Building a Better Flu Vaccine - And Giving Chickens a Rest

Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com
Biotech company Novavax, Inc., says the most recent trial testing its seasonal flu vaccine–made using virus-like particles rather than fertilized chicken eggs–was encouraging in that the vaccine significantly boosted antibody titers in the majority of participants.
vaccine, influenza, flu
Novavax says that during Phase IIa of seasonal flu vaccine testing, which began in May, it was able in the majority of people tested to surpass the FDA’s requirements for producing enough antibodies to protect the body from the H3N2, H1N1 and B viruses—all of which were common enough a year ago to be used to develop flu vaccines for the 2008 to 2009 flu season.Read more at www.scientificamerican.com
Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com
“The success of this trial gives us the support that we need for Phase III,” says Penny Heaton, Novavax’s chief medical officer and vice president of development. “It’s very encouraging.”
The advantage of Novavax’s approach is that a vaccine can be made rapidly and in high volume, compared with the egg-based approach that’s used today, says Ted RossRead more at www.scientificamerican.com
 

Even though it’s still on Phase II and the vaccine isn’t 100% efficient against H1N1, these are great news! Let’s wait for the Phase III results and see how close we really are. The chickens might be expressing their gratitude by now.