Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

Research Article: Simmons CP, et al. Prophylactic and Therapeutic Efficacy of Human Monoclonal Antibodies against H5N1 Influenza. PLoS Med 4(5): e178.

Notice to Readers: Availability of FluWorkLoss 1.0 Software to Estimate Loss of Work Days During an Influenza Pandemic. MMWR Mar. 23, 2007; 56(11);256. Also see: Link to tool and Instruction Manual (Blood donor model example is at the end of the document).

Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States - Early, Targeted, Layered Use of Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (US DHHS & CDC, February 2007)

Human cases of influenza A(H5N1) infection in eastern Turkey, December 2005–January 2006. 27 October 2006, Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) vol. 81, 43 (p 410).

Letter: de Jong, MD et al. Fatal outcome of human influenza A (H5N1) is associated with high viral load and hypercytokinemia Nature Medicine 12, 1203 - 1207 (2006). Also see Scientists reveal how H5N1 kills Scientists have discovered a potential reason to explain why the H5N1 strain of bird flu is so much more deadly to people than standard human flus(BBC News)

World Health Organization (WHO) EPR:

• Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO and Situation in Indonesia - Update 43 (June 19, 2008)
• Recommendations and laboratory procedures for detection of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in specimens from suspected human cases (Revised August 2007)
• Timeline of Major Events (June 17, 2008)
• Influenza Virus Tracking System (Jan 22, 2008)

CDC webpages providing background information about avian influenza, including recent outbreaks, the viruses, and the risk to human health

CDC Traveler's Health Outbreak Notice Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus: Advice for Travelers (Feb 2, 2007)

From the Cover: Germann TC et al. Mitigation strategies for pandemic influenza in the United States. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 11;103(15):5935-40.

Letter: Chutinimitkul S et al. H5N1 Influenza A Virus and Infected Human Plasma. Emerg Infect Dis 2006 June, 12(6). E-pub ahead of print

PandemicFlu.gov - Official U.S. government Web site for information on pandemic flu and avian influenza; contains map of Nations With Confirmed Cases H5N1 Avian Influenza (Jan. 18, 2007)

January 2006 Issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases is a special issue on influenza

US DHHS Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability: Presentations - January 2006. Devoted to avian flu. Of particular interest: Blood Community Preparedness for an Influenza Pandemic (PDF file) by Louis Katz, M.D. on behalf of the AABB Interorg Task Force for Pandemic Flu Planning (Jan. 15, 2006)

Early Release: New Laboratory Assay for Diagnostic Testing of Avian Influenza A/H5 (Asian Lineage) (CDC/MMWR, Feb. 6, 2006)

Dispatch: Roellig DM, et al. Molecular Typing of Trypanosoma cruzi Isolates, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2008 Jul; [Epub ahead of print] June 11, 2008.

AABB Chagas' Biovigilance Network: records screening and confirmatory results from the testing of donors for antibodies to T. cruzi. Also includes a map showing the latest confirmed positive cases by ZIP code (updated June 23, 2008)

Dispatch: Dorn PL, et al. Autochthonous Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, Louisiana. Emerg Infec Dis. 13(4) April 2007.

Blood Donor Screening for Chagas Disease: United States, 2006-2007. MMWR February 23, 2007. 56(07);141-143.

Original Article: Young C, et al. Transfusion-acquired Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Transfusion (OnlineEarly Articles). doi:10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.01147.x

FDA News: FDA Approves First Test to Screen Blood Donors for Chagas Disease (FDA/CBER) also see AABB PulsePoint No. 760 Association Bulletin #06-08: Chagas' Disease and Questions and Answers: Chagas Disease and Blood Screening and Chagas Disease Fact Sheet (CDC) Dec. 14, 2006

Science Magazine publishes an exploration of the genome sequences of the three so-called Tritryp parasites - Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania major - as well as additional studies and articles shedding further light on the biology of these three notorious parasites. (July 15, 2005)

Chagas Disease After Organ Transplantation - Los Angeles, California, 2006 (MMWR Weekly, 55(29);798-800. Aug. 3, 2006)

Since West Nile Virus screening of blood donors was implemented in 2003, this agent no longer qualifies as an 'emerging infectious disease'. The long list of links has therefore been removed from this page. Visitors interested in such links are advised to check the CDC/WNV Statistics, Surveillance and Control. This page includes links to maps of latest 2008 human cases, viremic blood donors and more (updated June 24, 2008)

West Nile Virus Activity - United States, 2007. MMWR. July 4, 2008 / 57(26);720-723.

Latest West Nile Virus Activity in California (California WNV Website)

AABB Association Bulletin #08-03: West Nile Virus – Revised Recommendations for Triggering Individual Donation Nucleic Acid Testing and Use of Communication Plans (AABB membership required to access)

Jean CM, et al. Risk Factors for West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease, California, 2005. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Dec. [Epub ahead of print]

Patnaik JL, Juliusson L, Vogt RL. Environmental predictors of human West Nile virus infections, Colorado. CDC: Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Nov/ 13(11).

West Nile Virus Update -- United States, January 1-November 13, 2007 CDC MMWR. Nov. 16, 2007 / 56(45);1191-2.

AABB West Nile Virus Biovigilance Network (updated June 23, 2008)

Guidance for Industry: Assessing Donor Suitability and Blood and Blood Product Safety in Cases of Known or Suspected West Nile Virus Infection (FDA/CBER, June 23, 2005) Also see AABB PulsePoints No. 701: West Nile Virus Final Guidance

Federal Register: Guidance for Industry: Discontinuation of Donor Deferral Related to Recent Fever with Headache as a Symptom of West Nile Virus Infection''; Withdrawal of Guidance (PDF version) (June 30, 2005)

Reporting West Nile Virus-Positive Blood Donors to Local Health Departments, 2005- letter and report form included in MS Word; also PDF version (CA DHS)

New vCJD Case Raises Fear Of Mad Cow Disease Resurge In The UK (Medical News Today, Jan. 3, 2008)

Page Updated: Potential Risk of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) From Plasma-Derived Products which includes Potential Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) Risk From US Licensed Plasma-Derived Factor VIII (PdFVIII, Antihemophilic Factor) Products (FDA/CBER, May 31, 2007)

Press Release: First Prion-Free Cows Reported in Nature Biotechnology (Hematech) Also see Scientists Announce Mad Cow Breakthrough: Genetic Engineering Creates Cattle Without Protein That Causes Disease (Washington Post, free registration required to access Jan. 1, 2007)

Article: Wroe SJ, et al. Clinical presentation and pre-mortem diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with blood transfusion: a case report. The Lancet 2006; 368:2061-2067 (registration required to access) Also see: Patients' vCJD risk 'substantial': A study of transfusion patients given blood contaminated with the human form of mad cow disease has indicated the 24 still alive are at "substantial" risk(BBC News, Dec. 8, 2006)

Research: Dietz K, et al. Blood Transfusion and Spread of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. CDC: Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Jan. 13(1).

Perspective: Brown P, McShane LM, Zanusso G, Detwiler L. On the Question of Sporadic or Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. CDC:Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 Dec. 12(12).

Transfusion Medicine Epidemiology Review (TMER): A collaborative project between the UK NCJDSU and the UK Blood Services (Aug. 8, 2006)

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United Kingdom and elsewhere: situation at the end of 2005 (Eurosurveillance 2006: 11(1); 26 Jan 2006)

The UK Spongiform Ecephalopathy Advisory Committee epidemiology subgroup position statement on the vCJD epidemic: discusses possibility of secondary epidemic from iatrogenic exposures (self-sustaining epidemic, points 19-24) (Feb. 9, 2006)

Surveillance Summaries: Wasley A, et al. Surveillance for Acute Viral Hepatitis - United States, 2006. MMWR March 21, 2008. 57(SS02);1-24.

Research: Mbulaiteye SM, et al. Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection, Rural Egypt. Emerg Infect Dis. 14(4). April 2008.

Malaria: Malaria Blood Donor Screening & interactive Malaria-Risk Map Application: provides location-specific information on current CDC assessments of malaria-risk and recommendations for preventive malaria treatment (CDC)

Dispatch: Simmonds P, et al. Parenteral transmission of the novel human parvovirus PARV4. CDC Emerg Infect Dis. 9 Sep 2007. 13(9).

Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever: U.S.-Mexico Border, 2005. MMWR August 10, 2007/56(31);785-89. Also see in CDC Yellow Book 2008: Dengue Fever "Transfusion-related dengue infection is a theoretical possibility."

FDA News: FDA Clears for Marketing First Quick Test for Malaria Also see Notice to Readers: Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test. CDC MMWR, July 13, 2007 / 56(27);686.

Letter: Colson P, et al. Transfusion-associated Hepatitis E, France. Emerg Infect Dis 13(4) 2007 Apr.

Research: Coffey LL, et al. Serologic Evidence of Widespread Everglades Virus Activity in Dogs, Florida. CDC Emerg Infect Dis 2006 Dec. 12(12).

Research: Palacios G, et al. Panmicrobial Oligonucleotide Array for Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases. CDC Emerg Infect Dis 2007 Jan. 13(11).

Original Article: Gabitzsch ES, et al. Transfer of Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. infection via blood transfusion in a murine model. J Parasitol. 2006 Aug;92(4):869-70.

Original Article: Hladik W, et al. Transmission of Human Herpesvirus 8 by Blood Transfusion. N Engl J Med. 2006 Sep 28;355(13):1331-1338. Also see: Commentary: Blajchman MA, Vamvakas EC. The continuing risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. N Engl J Med. 2006 Sep 28;355(13):1303-5 and Blood transfusion-transmitted infections: A global perspective (Biology News Net, Sept 27, 2006)

Letter: Andreoli E et al. Small Anellovirus in Hepatitis C Patients and Healthy Controls CDC Emerg Infect Dis, 2006 July;12(1). (July 14)

Original Article: Fryer JF, Kapoor A, Minor PD, Delwart E, Baylis SA. Novel parvovirus and related variant in human plasma. Emerg Infect Dis. Ahead of Print 2006 Jan;12(1).

Original Article: Persistent B19 infection in immunocompetent individuals: implications for transfusion safety Blood, 15 October 2005, Vol. 106, No. 8, pp. 2890-2895.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection in Organ Transplant Recipients - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 2005 (MMWR Weekly Dispatch, May 26, 2005)

Detecting Bioterror Attacks by Screening Blood Donors: A Best-Case Analysis (Kaplan, et al. Emerg Infect Dis, August 2003