Articles Related to influenza

Absence of Influenza and RSV Activity in the San Francisco Bay Area during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2021

In contrast to previous years which consistently had an influenza “season” our clinical virology laboratory has made only a strikingly small number of identifications of influenza during the early weeks of this respiratory virus season. This experience is similar to its decreased activity in the Southern Hemisphere during their winter, April to July 2020. We report the same experience with RSV. These results are likely attributable to measures employed for control of COVID-19, including social distancing and the use of face masks.

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Unusual Spontaneous Nasal Septal Abscess

A nasal septal abscess (NSA) is defined as a collection of pus between the cartilage or bony septum and the mucoperichondrium or mucoperiostium. It’s an uncommon disease that in the absence of early diagnosis and proper management may lead to lethal complications and cosmetic deformity.

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Meningoencephalitis due to Enteroviral Infection – An Often Overlooked Etiology

Enteroviruses are responsible for causing several recent well-publicized outbreaks in the United States, including gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections. Enteroviruses are also capable of infecting the central nervous system, leading to manifestations of meningitis and encephalitis. Because enteroviruses are often overlooked as the etiology of CNS infections, we explore data from national surveillance, typical presentation and diagnostic information, as well as patterns of infection and transmission in an effort to remind practitioners to be mindful of this frequent cause of infection and its propensity to be spread from person to person.

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Descriptive Study of Exposure to Inhalation Zanamivir and Pregnancy-Related Outcomes

The Health Improvement Network (THIN) provided data from UK General Practitioners (GPs) for 144 pregnant women who were prescribed zanamivir and 144 age- and date-matched untreated comparators with no recorded diagnosis of influenza. Groups were assessed for baseline characteristics, treatment-emergent diagnoses in the mother, pregnancy outcomes and congenital malformations diagnosed in the offspring within 28 days of birth.

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