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Swine Flu

News, opinions and meeting coverage in infectious disease.

WHO Declares End to H1N1 Pandemic

Director-General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, has declared an end to the H1N1 influenza pandemic, following the advice of an emergency committee convened to address the issue.

CDC Watching H1N1 Mutation, but No Cause for Alarm

The CDC is keeping a careful eye on a mutation in some strains of the pandemic H1N1 flu that Norwegian researchers isolated from three patients with severe disease.

IDSA: Retracted Mask Study Adds to H1N1 Confusion

PHILADELPHIA -- For workers on the front lines of the H1N1 pandemic flu, the retraction of a study on protective masks adds to the confusion over how to guard against infection, experts said.

Obama Declares H1N1 a National Emergency

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has upped the ante in the battle to control the H1N1 flu by declaring it a national emergency, the second such declaration since the flu first emerged last spring.

Unmasking the Surgical Mask: Does It Really Work?

For a century, the surgical mask has been the symbol of a safe and sanitary medical environment. The problem is that researchers don't really know if that's true.

ICAAC: Surgical Masks Don't Prevent Infection

SAN FRANCISCO -- Consistent use of N95 respirator masks prevents 75% of respiratory infections for high-risk healthcare workers regardless of whether seal against the skin is confirmed, according to the first randomized clinical trial of their efficacy.

Rapid Tests Miss Mark for Pandemic H1N1 Flu

Rapid tests for the H1N1 pandemic flu are at least 89% accurate -- but only if a tested specimen has a high level of the virus, the CDC said.

IVW: 'High Risk' of Resistant Swine Flu, Researcher Says

CANNES, France -- Using single antiviral drugs to treat the current outbreak of swine influenza could result in the development of a resistant strain, a leading flu researcher said here.