The French scientists say the contagion poses no danger to humans or animals, but other viruses could be unleashed as the ground becomes exposed. Biggest virus. The ancient pathogen was discovered buried 30m ft down in the frozen ground. Called Pithovirus sibericum , it belongs to a class of giant viruses that were discovered 10 years ago. These are all so large that, unlike other viruses, they can be seen under a microscope.
And this one, measuring 1. The last time it infected anything was more than 30, years ago, but in the laboratory it has sprung to life once again. Tests show that it attacks amoebas, which are single-celled organisms, but does not infect humans or other animals. It is able to kill the amoeba - but it won't infect a human cell. However, the researchers believe that other more deadly pathogens could be locked in Siberia's permafrost.
The researchers say this region is under threat. Since the s, the permafrost has retreated and reduced in thickness, and climate change projections suggest it will decrease further.
It has also become more accessible, and is being eyed for its natural resources. Three kinds of flu viruses commonly circulate among people today: influenza A H1N1 viruses, influenza A H3N2 viruses, and influenza B viruses. Each year, reference viruses are used to produce seasonal influenza vaccine. Some of the flu vaccine was quadrivalent vaccine. Vaccines that give protection against three viruses are called trivalent vaccines.
Vaccines that give protection against four viruses are called quadrivalent vaccines. These vaccine effectiveness estimates were derived from data collected from the U. See Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness, for more information. Laboratory analysis of circulating flu viruses indicated that most of the influenza A H3N2 viruses were antigenically or genetically different than the influenza A H3N2 vaccine virus. This is probably why there was reduced vaccine effectiveness against those drifted influenza A H3N2 viruses.
However, the vaccine worked well against about one-third of circulating influenza A H3N2 viruses that were similar to the recommended vaccine virus and against influenza A H1N1 and influenza B viruses. Experts must pick which viruses to include in the vaccine many months in advance of the flu season in order for vaccine to be produced and delivered on time. And flu viruses change constantly; they can change from one season to the next or they can even change within the course of one flu season.
Because of these factors, there is always the possibility of a less than optimal match between circulating viruses and the viruses in the vaccine. The drifted influenza A H3N2 viruses that circulated during the season were first detected during routine surveillance testing in late March , after World Health Organization WHO recommendations external icon for the vaccine composition for the Northern Hemisphere formulation of the vaccine were made in mid-February.
At that time, only a very small number of these viruses had been found among the thousands of specimens that had been collected and tested and there was no way to predict that they would circulate widely. CDC collaborates with other partners each season to assess how well the seasonal vaccines are working. During the season, CDC completed multiple studies on the effectiveness of both the flu shot and the nasal-spray flu vaccine.
These studies measured vaccine effectiveness in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza among persons 6 months of age and older. CDC routinely collects and monitors flu viruses for changes through an established network of domestic and global surveillance systems. One of the things that CDC looks for are changes in viruses that would make antiviral drugs less effective in treating or preventing infection.
Additionally, CDC works with the state public health departments and the World Health Organization to collect additional information on antiviral resistance in the United States and worldwide. The information collected will assist in making informed recommendations regarding use of antiviral drugs to treat influenza. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Influenza Flu. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Summary of the Influenza Season. Finally there's the stress of going back to work after Christmas. Information on cold and flu levels is collated from weekly samples taken from more than 90, people nationwide at GPs' surgeries, hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies.
The UK as a whole has been classified as severe risk but there are regional fluctuations, with the North East, South East and East Anglia the worst hit. Sufferers are mainly complaining of coughs and sore throats with less than half having a running nose or high fever. The council also advises washing your hands regularly and avoiding contact with anyone with a cold, as this is the easiest way to stop cold and flu viruses spreading.
If you do come down with a cold or the flu, then drink plenty of fluids - at least eight glasses of water a day. To ease the burden on GPs and hospitals, sufferers should treat themselves with traditional or herbal medicines and ask pharmacists for advice, especially if taking other medication.
In general, influenza has a sudden onset with fever, and muscle aches and pains but a severe common cold can also cause these. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
Argos AO. Privacy Policy Feedback. Colds occur all year round but there is an increased incidence during the autumn and winter. The Cold and Flu Council said a healthy lifestyle is top of the list for preventing colds. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetablesand make sure you get enough vitamin C every day. Those at high risk, such as the elderly, should ensure they are vaccinated each year.
If you feel unwell, make sure you rest to have the energy to fight off the virus. The symptoms for flu and colds are similar. Share or comment on this article:. Most watched News videos Distressing videos reveal conditions inside 'China's isolation camps' Nicholas Witchell: Prince Andrew civil sex case a 'monumental mess' Xi'an resident 'beaten' by anti-epidemic workers for flouting rules Racy videos of prostitute who was arrested with England rugby star Two airliners appear to fly just feet from each other near Luton Rishi's car drives through Westminster as PM set for explosive PMQs Anti-epidemic workers go viral for using human chain to deliver food Brawl breaks out in Tesco as fearless pensioner continues shopping Monday: PM avoids answering if he and Carrie attended 'party' Labour: 'If Boris Johnson has misled Parliament Comments 0 Share what you think.
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