Dirty, rotten swine flu – and how to beat it
Further reading
October 2009
Flu: Your guide to H1N1 and other pandemics
A nicely presented guide to H1N1, flu pandemics and flu vaccines and drugs.
Nature(Note: subscription required for some articles)
A collection of Nature articles on swine flu is available.
21 April 2010, pages 1112-1113
Portrait of a year-old pandemic (by Declan Butler)
Looks at the lessons learnt from the first year of H1N1.
18 June 2009, pages 931-939
Emergence and pandemic potential of swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus (by Gabriele Neumann, Takeshi Noda and Yoshihiro Kawaoka)
A detailed and technical review of pandemic influenza. Includes origins of the virus, use of antivirals and development of vaccines against swine flu.
14 May 2009
The virus grower (by Declan Butler)
Explains the process of cultivating the swine flu virus to produce seed strains for swine flu vaccines.
Nature Biotechnology (Note: subscription required)
November 2006, pages 1377-1383
Vaccine manufacturing: Challenges and solutions (by Jeffrey Ulmer, Ulrich Valley and Rino Rappuoli)
A detailed and technical review of the main types of vaccines and new technologies for producing them.
A collection of New Scientist articles on swine flu is available.
28 October 2009
Swine flu: Eight myths that could endanger your life (by Debora MacKenzie)
Addresses some of the misconceptions about swine flu including its severity, prevention, susceptible groups, vaccine availability and the potential of the virus to change.
19 September 2009, page 10
Mystery immunity could boost swine flu protection (by Debora MacKenzie)
Highlights studies that show a certain degree of existing immunity to the pandemic H1N1 virus.
8 September 2009
Don’t be fooled: swine flu still poses a deadly threat (by Debora MacKenzie)
Describes the damage H1N1 can cause to the lungs.
19 August 2009, pages 28-31
Universal vaccine could put an end to all flu (by Debora MacKenzie)
Outlines research into universal flu vaccines based on the virus’s relatively unchanging M2 protein.
11 August 2009
Confusion over giving antivirals to children with flu(by Andy Coghlan)
Reports on a study that found antivirals are of limited benefit to children with flu.
November 2009, pages 11-12
Pandemic payoff (by Christine Soares)
Explains how the 1918 flu pandemic and previous immunisation against H1N1 have provided some immunity to 2009 pandemic swine flu.
11 September 2009
Single vaccine dose, even one from 1976, could protect against the H1N1 swine flu (by Christine Soares)
Describes how previous exposure to the 1918 pandemic virus and the 1976 swine flu vaccine have provided protection against the 2009 swine flu.
2 September 2009
Building a better flu vaccine – and giving chickens a rest (by Larry Greenemeier)
Looks at production of flu vaccine based on production of virus-like particles.
November 2005, pages 23-31
Preparing for a pandemic (by W. Wayt Gibbs and Christine Soares)
Reviews ways of defending a flu pandemic through surveillance, vaccines, containment and treatments.
3 February 2004
Egg beaters (by Karen Hopkin)
Briefly covers the potential of cell-based vaccines.
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Posted February 2010.