H1N1 discovery paves way for universal flu vaccine

University of British Columbia researchers have found a potential way to develop universal flu vaccines and eliminate the need for seasonal flu vaccinations. Led by Prof. John Schrader, Canada Research Chair in Immunology and Director of UBC’s Biomedical Research Centre, the research team found that the 2009 H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine triggers antibodies that protect against many influenza viruses, including the lethal avian H5N1 “bird flu” strain. “The flu virus has a protein called hemagglutinin, or HA for short. This protein is like a flower with a head and a stem,” says Schrader. “The flu virus binds to human cells via the head of the HA, much like a socket and plug. Current flu vaccines target the head of the HA to prevent infections, but because the flu virus mutates very quickly, this part of the HA changes rapidly, hence the need for different vaccines every flu season.” 


Vaccines contain bits of weak or dead germs that prompt the human immune system to produce antibodies that circulate in the blood to kill those specific germs. However, the research team found that the 2009 pandemic H1N1 vaccine induced broadly protective antibodies capable of fighting different variants of the flu virus. “This is because, rather than attacking the variable head of the HA, the antibodies attacked the stem of the HA, neutralizing the flu virus,” says Schrader. “The stem plays such an integral role in penetrating the cell that it cannot change between different variants of the flu virus.” 


The new discovery could pave the way to developing universal flu vaccines. 


Source: The University of British Columbia Media Release, 8 May 2012

Sixty-fifth World Health Assembly

The Sixty-fifth session of the World Health Assembly will take place in Geneva during 21-26 May 2012. At this session, the Health Assembly will discuss a number of public health issues such as universal health coverage, Millennium Development Goals, noncommunicable diseases, mental disorders, nutrition and adolescent pregnancy.

Source: WHO

A giant leap towards One Health indeed

On April 26 - 28, 2012, the Past President of the World Veterinary Association, Dr Tjeerd Jorna, was invited to the meeting of the Council of the World Medical Association, which was held in Prague. The meeting, was attended by more than 100 WMA-Councillors coming from all corners of the world. Dr Jorna gave a presentation about WVA and also highlighted the need for close cooperation between medical doctors and veterinarians for achieving the "One Health" objectives. WVA and WMA are preparing a Memorandum of Understanding to underline the importance of their collaboration.

Source: World Veterinary Association

Detection of BSE in the United States

On April 24, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the nation's 4th case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal that was sampled for the disease at a rendering facility in central California. It is important that this animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, did not enter food supply channels, and at no time presented any risk to human health. The positive animal was tested as part of targeted BSE surveillance at rendering facilities. The United States has a longstanding system of three interlocking safeguards against BSE that protects public and animal health in the country, the most important of which is the removal of specified risk materials - or the parts of an animal that would contain BSE should an animal have the disease - from all animals presented for slaughter in the United States. The second safeguard is a strong feed ban that protects cattle from the disease. The third safeguard - which led to this detection - is the country’s ongoing BSE surveillance programme that allows USDA to detect the disease if it exists at very low levels in the U.S. cattle population.

Source: United States Department of Agriculture