Influenza and other respiratory viruses
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Jan 2011
Attitudes of influenza-vaccinated health care workers toward masks to prevent nosocomial transmission of influenza.
Influenza viruses are highly contagious. Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk of occupational exposure to influenza and may transmit the infection to their patients and coworkers. ⋯ Appropriate interventions ought to be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to influenza viruses among HCWs. Adherence to recommendations for the use of masks among HCWs needs to be evaluated. Further work is required to highlight the informational needs of HCWs to gain an appreciation of infection control measures.
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Jan 2011
Pandemic influenza 1918 H1N1 and 1968 H3N2 DNA vaccines induce cross-reactive immunity in ferrets against infection with viruses drifted for decades.
Alternative influenza vaccines and vaccine production forms are needed as the conventional protein vaccines do not induce broad cross-reactivity against drifted strains. Furthermore, fast vaccine production is especially important in a pandemic situation, and broader vaccine reactivity would diminish the need for frequent change in the vaccine formulations. ⋯ DNA vaccines based on pandemic or recent seasonal influenza genes induced cross-reactive immunity against contemporary virus challenge as good as or superior to contemporary conventional trivalent protein vaccines. This suggests a unique ability of influenza DNA to induce cross-protective immunity against both contemporary and long-time drifted viruses.