Flu has long been associated with death in younger adults: it is known
A very short post just to highlight that younger adults have been linked to Flu deaths for many years. This is still far less often than occurs among the elderly Read More …
Author: Ian M Mackay, PhD (EIC)
A cold virus in the blood…
Sometimes, viruses jump – or leak – from where we think they belong, turning up in an unexpected body compartment. We saw it with Ebola virus – it’s now known Read More …
Severe parechovirus infection in infants: adding to the case for a role in later neurodevelopmental issues…
Human parechovirus (HPeV) infections favour the warmer weather and while we can all be infected, we usually note more severe disease in children.[2] Most infections are mild or probably not Read More …
The MERS CoV receptor and areas for new research….
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a respiratory disease of humans. The receptor for the causative coronavirus (CoV) is called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4). DPP4 has a wide tissue distribution and Read More …
MERS CoV accessory proteins interfere with interferon…
This concept (see the paper adjacent and others [6,7]) is not news in the world of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but it’s interesting to remember in light of Read More …
A look at public reporting of Flu in Australia…
I’ve spent a bit more time on Flu reports this year than in past years, so I thought I might compare the data that the public can see. There are Read More …
Queensland Flu season gives us the cold shoulder…
The latest Flu data, fresh from the excellent Epidemiology Research Unit, Communicable Diseases Branch, Queensland Health, shows the usual post-winter spike (shoulder) in Flu cases and the subsequent plunge thanks Read More …
Influenza on the brain….
Influenza (Flu), caused by influenza viruses, is what we all think of as a respiratory disease. It can cause acute mild upper respiratory tract illness. It can cause acute severe Read More …
Flu is bad…in many ways…
A Mum gives birth to a baby but she is too ill with influenza to know it.[1] As we read another tragic story of the severe impact from disease (in Read More …
MERS-CoV detection but not disease…
Infection but not sickness Asymptomatic infections are those where we can detect the virus using reliable laboratory methods, but the infected person doesn’t show any signs or symptoms of a Read More …
The found113….
Back in May of 2016 I received a surprise set of deidentified Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) data. It was a list of the “found113”. This is a very delayed Read More …
MERS & the Hajj – watch out for the Flu!
The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (CoV) has now been known of for 6 consecutive Hajj mass gatherings (see the bar graphs). To date, there has not been a Read More …
Talking Flu to a wider audience: some measures of impact
We keyboard warriors love to talk into our echo chambers, shill our bigPharma ideas to pay the rent on our Bell 429WLG and generally hear ourselves think out loud. So Read More …
Flu outbreak and concurrent deaths in Tasmania…
Okay I don’t want to follow up the last post with another to try and paint a picture that the sky is falling. Influenza (Flu) can kill. That’s my point. Read More …