H1N1 Influenza Public Health Emergency Determination to Expire on June 23

A test developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to diagnose human infections with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (formerly known as swine flu or pandemic H1N1 flu) was authorized for use today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Per the FDA-issued advance notice letters listed below, the declaration of Public Health Emergency determination for 2009 H1N1 Influenza expires on June 23, 2010.

As of 13 June, worldwide more than 214 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 18172 deaths.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as Generic Tamiflu sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu’s active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention document that summarizes key events of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and CDC’s response activities.

Mice injected with a 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza vaccine and then exposed to high levels of the virus responsible for the 1918 influenza pandemic do not get sick or die, report scientists funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

A global update was provided to the Committee on the pandemic situation, including a particular focus on developments in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an uncommon peripheral neuropathy causing paralysis and in severe cases respiratory failure and death.