Influenza and other respiratory viruses
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Jul 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialFindings from a household randomized controlled trial of hand washing and face masks to reduce influenza transmission in Bangkok, Thailand.
Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce influenza transmission. ⋯ Influenza transmission was not reduced by interventions to promote hand washing and face mask use. This may be attributable to transmission that occurred before the intervention, poor facemask compliance, little difference in hand-washing frequency between study groups, and shared sleeping arrangements. A prospective study design and a careful analysis of sociocultural factors could improve future NPI studies.
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Sep 2013
Mortality burden of the 2009-10 influenza pandemic in the United States: improving the timeliness of influenza severity estimates using inpatient mortality records.
Delays in the release of national vital statistics hinder timely assessment of influenza severity, especially during pandemics. Inpatient mortality records could provide timelier estimates of influenza-associated mortality. ⋯ Modeling inpatient mortality records provides useful estimates of influenza severity in advance of national vital statistics release, capturing both the magnitude and the age distribution of pandemic and epidemic deaths. We provide the first age- and cause-specific estimates of the 2009 pandemic mortality burden using traditional 'excess mortality' methods, confirming the unusual burden of this virus in young populations. Our inpatient-based approach could help monitor mortality trends in other infectious diseases.
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · May 2012
No evidence of a link between influenza vaccines and Guillain-Barre syndrome-associated antiganglioside antibodies.
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by acute, progressive peripheral neuropathy and is commonly associated with the presence of antiganglioside antibodies. Previously, influenza vaccination was linked with the increased incidence of GBS; however, whether antiganglioside antibodies are subsequently induced remains unresolved. ⋯ Although the correlation between antiganglioside antibody cross-reactivity and glycosylation of viruses suggests the role of shared carbohydrate epitopes, no correlation was observed between hemagglutinin-inhibition titers and the induction of antiganglioside antibodies after influenza vaccination.