Canadian vaccine for Ebola virus proves effective in Guinea trial
Excerpted from The Globe and Mail: A Canadian-developed vaccine for the Ebola virus has proven to be extremely effective in a full-scale clinical trial, opening the possibility that future outbreaks of the disease can be successfully contained. The trial, led by the World Health Organization, was staged in Guinea, a country that was ravaged by the Ebola epidemic that swept across West Africa in 2014-2015. Reporting Thursday in the medical journal Lancet, the...
Ebola vaccine trial results
Excerpted from: The New York Times In a scientific triumph that will change the way the world fights a terrifying killer, an experimental Ebola vaccine tested on humans in the waning days of the West African epidemic has been shown to provide 100 percent protection against the lethal disease. The vaccine has not yet been approved by any regulatory authority, but it is considered so effective that an emergency stockpile of 300,000...
Season’s Greetings to our Community of Practice
PICNet would like to wish you all a happy holiday season, and thank you for your contributions to PICNet over the past year. Your input and hard work are appreciated by all of us. Wishing you a happy and relaxing holiday, and all the best for the new year! Bruce Gamage Linda Hoang Elizabeth Bryce Joanne Archer Guanghong Han Helen Evans Romi Ranasinghe ...
Nova Scotia company developing C.difficile antibiotic
A Nova Scotia pharmaceutical development company is $3,271,000 closer to creating a tasteless antibiotic to treat one of the most troublesome hospital-spread infectious diseases. Appili Therapeutics Inc. announced Wednesday it has finished its first round of seed funding and launched their medical chemistry lab. The company has secured $1,764,000 from private investors and received $500,000 from Innovacorp, the public venture capital organization. The remainder came from federal and provincial sources including...
BC Influenza Surveillance Bulletin: Increased RSV Activity
From BCCDC: Seasonal Influenza Circulation, with Increasing RSV Activity in BC During weeks 48-49 (November 27 to December 10, 2016), seasonal influenza activity was observed in BC. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity continued to increase during this period, notably at the BC Children’s and Women’s Health Centre Laboratory where over one-third of tests were RSV positive in weeks 48-49. At the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory, influenza positivity increased from 7% in week...
Tips to avoid holiday colds and flus
It’s that time of year, when people get together more — at work and school functions, parties, and holiday events — which is lots of fun, but also makes it easier for germs to get around. Here are some tips to help you avoid colds and flus (or if you are sick, to avoid passing your illness on to others). 1. Get your flu shot in advance of the holidays It...
UV robot being trialled in Fraser Health
Excerpted from The Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows News: "Violet" is one of three Xenex “germ-zapping robots” that have been put to work in the Fraser Health region, trying to ensure the rooms are free of superbugs that cause infections. Cathy Wiebe, director of clinical operations at Ridge Meadows Hospital, explained that Violet is the latest weapon in the battle against hospital acquired infections. “The bugs do change, and it gets harder and...