Imagine a virus that could infect — and jump to and from — birds or mammals that is always adapting and changing, so by the time researchers have an answer for one strain, it’s already changed forms.

The virus, of course, is influenza.

In an editorial in the Washington Post, the editorial board explores H7N9, the most recent strain of avian influenza (bird flu). The board writes:

“This variant, known as H7N9, has not reached U.S. shores, but it is a reminder of the unpredictable nature of influenza. It might cause a pandemic, or settle into a slow burn for years, or simply die out. At this stage, no one knows. The uncertainty ought to remind us of past lessons about infectious disease and globalization, which remain as urgent as ever.”

David Fenley is a research assistant at the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) and student in the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs. This post first appeared on the NCFPD’s Blog. 

At the National Center for Food Protection and Defense we aim to anticipate food system disruptions before they become just that, disruptions.

While markets around the world react to the Chinese H7N9 bird flu scare and poultry is slaughtered by the tens of thousands in an attempt to contain its further spread, the United States might not have too much cause for concern.

The flu virus is not easily spread from person-to-person and the U.S. does not currently import Chinese poultry for human consumption. Pet food, on the other hand, is imported and has a history of harming our furry friends.

In the past decade, U.S. trade relations with China have improved immensely, but there are still many points of contention, poultry being one of them.

If you’re like the rest of America, it’s hard to get away from talk of the flu.  At the CDC’s last count, every state in the country had reported influenza activity, with 47 states reporting that activity as widespread.

Hopefully by now you’ve gotten your flu shot. And if you did, we here at Health Talk hope the process was quick and painless. But have you ever wondered why we haven’t developed an influenza vaccine that offers lasting protection, year after year?  If so, National Geographic’s Katherine Hobson wondered the same thing, and dove into finding an answer.  As it turns out, that answer has a lot to do with how the influenza virus behaves.

If you’ve been following the news, then you know the latest flu outbreak continues to cross state lines across the United States.  According to CBS News, 47 states have now reported widespread influenza, with 24 of those states classifying their influenza rates as “high.”

Here in Minnesota, we’re in the midst of what our state’s Department of Health deems a “severe” flu season, although both state officials and University public health experts are quick to point out that the volume isn’t unusual.

According to a Minnesota Public Radio report earlier today, Minnesota has now experienced 27 flu-related deaths.

For all the flu talk, however, many people still swear by old flu “standbys” that explain how you contract the illness, how it spreads and how to treat it.  The problem is – most of our old standbys are actually myths.  Potentially dangerous ones.  Fortunately the good folks at Huffington Post put together a photo slideshow that quickly and easily outlines seven of the most common “flu myths.”

Check the slideshow out here, and leave us a comment below if you realized that you’d helped errantly share one or two of them in the past.

The effectiveness of the flu vaccine is a hot topic as this season of influenza has brought with it hospitalizations and untimely deaths.

WCCO’s Good Question asked: why isn’t the flu shot more effective?

“Influenza isn’t like mumps or measles; it constantly changes,” explained Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., professor in the School of Public Health. “Vaccine makers try to account for that by predicting which strains will be out there, and matching the vaccine.”

He adds, “We’ve seen years when the match was supposedly very good, and vaccine protection was really bad. We’ve seen years where the match wasn’t very good, and yet vaccine protection was above average.”

A recent study led by Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), found current influenza vaccines offer less protection against seasonal influenza than previously reported.

The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) has reversed course and now supports publication of controversial research studies showing how scientists in the Netherlands and Wisconsin created new, easy-to-spread forms of bird flu in the lab.

The move comes as researchers partially revise their research to exclude details that could be used by bioterrorists to potentially create a pandemic. The NSABB had originally said publishing full details of the research would be too risky.

University of Minnesota professor Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., serves on the NSABB and had been directly involved with the original recommendation for redaction.