First International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans

[St Michael]

http://www.isanh.com/avian-influenza/main-informations.php

Paris Anti-Avian Influenza 2006 Conference
Institut Pasteur
Thursday June 29 ? Friday June 30, 2006

Objectives of Asian-European Conference on Avian Influenza 2006 :

The aim of this conference is to bring together world specialists in order to discuss the latest advances on Avian Influenza, especially on new therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention in humans, and the strategies to avoid a human pandemic. A special session will be reserved to discuss about the management of a catastrophic scenario, in the case of a pandemic outbreak.

Targeted audience :

The Asian-European Conference on Avian Influenza 2006 targets researchers and academic professors, R&D departments, clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, food supplement companies, veterinary medicine companies, marketing departments, investors, start ups, government regulators and actors of the economic environment.

Important dates:
Conference: Thursday June 29 ? Friday June 30, 2006
Abstract submission: May 29, 2006
Early registration fee payment: April 24, 2005

Thematic Areas
-Focus on H5N1
-Treatments and perspectives for the fight against influenza
-Prevention of influenza propagation in animals and humans
-Disaster management response

Scientific contact
Dr Sandra Huguenin
Soci?t? Fran?aise des Antioxydants
15 rue de la Paix
75002 Paris
France
Tel : 33 1 55 04 77 55
Fax : 33 1 55 04 77 57

Program
Thursday June 29
8h30 - Welcome

Session 1 : Introduction
Chairemen: Pr A. Osterhaus, Dr G. Rodier

8h50 - Conference Opening
Dr Felix Rey, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

9h00 - General Introduction
Recall of the facts: origin of the avian epidemic, first concerned countries?
Latest data about the epidemic: how much countries concerned, how much human cases?
Conclusions of the November 2005 WHO meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
Dr Guenael Rodier, WHO Europe, Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response, Copenhague, Denmark

9h30 - Economic Impact of the Avian Influenza Propagation
Impact on the poultry industry and the global economy of South East Asia
Impact on public health worldwide
Dr Milan Brahmbhatt, the World Bank Group, Washington DC, USA

10h00 - The need of a global task force for influenza
Pr Albert Osterhaus, National Influenza Centre and Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

10h30 - Break and Poster Session

Session 2: Focus on H5N1
Chairemen: Dr M. De Jong, Dr D. Swayne

11h00 - The Widening Host Range and Changing Pathobiology of Eurasian H5N1 Avian Influenza in Domestic and Wild Birds
What are the clinical signs and lesions of the avian flu in poultry?
What is the kind of birds affected?
Ecology and changes in the H5N1 HPAI as expressed in broader avian host range
What adaptation of the virus to new bird species?
Dr David Swayne, Southeast Poultry Research Lab, Agricultural Research Service, Athens, Georgia, USA

11h30 - Influenza H5N1 : diagnosis and disease
What kind of diseases and consequences for human health?
What are the tools for early detection of the virus?
Pr Menno D. de Jong, Department of Virology, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

12h00 - Risks of H5N1 mutations and mammalian adaptation
Dr Erich Hoffman, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, USA

12h30 - Short Oral Communication

Importance of the receptor binding surveillance to detect the jumping of the host range of the highly pathogenic bird influenza virus (H5N1) into humans
Yasuo Suzuki, College of life and Health sciences, Chubu University, Aichi, Japan
12h40 - Lunch and Poster Session

14h00 - Role of Mathematical Modelling in Pandemic Preparedness
What tools are used to make this kind of study?
What are the results of the latest modelling?
Based on these simulations, which kind of actions have to be applied to avoid a human pandemic?
Dr Simon Cauchemez, Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

14h30 - Short Oral Communications

Pathogenesis of H5N1 a/vietnam/1203/04 in a mouse infection model
James Long, Battelle medical research & evaluation facility, Columbus, USA

Distinct inhibition patterns of influenza a virus between the two most frequent alleles at the porcine MX1 locus
M?lanie Palm, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Li?ge, Belgium

Clinical and laboratory comparison of human infections with dengue, influenza or avian influenza a (H5N1) viruses in Indonesia
Herman Kosasih, Naval Medical Research Unit #2 (NAMRU-2) Jakarta, Indonesia

Session 3: H5N1 Detection, Treatments and Perspectives
Charmen: Pr E. De Clercq, Dr L. Chernomordik, Dr E. Hoffmann

14h50 - Avian influenza in humans: existing treatments, their limits, and new perspectives
Tamiflu, Relenza, Amantadine, Rimantadine and others
Erik De Clercq, Virology and Chemotherapy Section, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

15h20 - Short Oral Communication

Increased sensitivity to Oseltamivir of neuraminidase of recent Influenza A (H5N1) Viruses
Marie Anne Rameix-Welti, Unit? de G?n?tique Mol?culaire des Virus Respiratoires, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Novel antivirals targeting influenza virus-specific membrane rafts
Cornelia Schroeder, Jado Technologies, Dresden, Germany
15h30 - Break and Poster Session

16h00 - Multivalent lectins as inhibitors of viral fusion and entry in cells: new antiviral mechanism
Pr Leonid Chernomordick, Section on Membrane Biology, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland,USA

16h30 - In silico docking on grid infrastructures to accelerate structure-based design against Influenza A Neuraminidases
Finding potential compounds that can inhibit the activities of Influenza A neuraminidase N1 subtype variants.
Accelerating the discovery of novel potent inhibitors through minimizing non-productive trial-and-error approaches.
Improving the efficiency of high throughput screening thanks to the grid infrastructure.
Dr Nicolas Jacq or Dr Vincent Breton, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire of Clermont-Ferrand, CNRS/IN2P3, University of Clermont Ferrand, Aubi?re, France

17h00 - Electrochemical Influenza Surveillance System
Dr Amit Kumar, CombiMatrix Corporation President and CEO, Mukilteo,USA

17h15 - The use of real-time NASBA for the diagnosis of H5N1 Influenza and other respiratory viruses
Dr Guy Vernet, Director of the Emerging Pathogens R&D Department, Biom?rieux, Marcy L?Etoile, France

17h30 - Short Oral Presentation

An alternative neutralization assay for H5N1 influenza a virus using retroviral pseudotypes
Nigel Temperton, MRC/UCL Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Development of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of human influenza a (H5N1) virus and sequence comparison of three avian influenza a (H5N1) detected in Switzerland
Yves Thomas National Centre of Influenza, University Hospital of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

THE NA-STAR? influenza neuraminidase inhibitor resistance detection kit: chemiluminescence assay for detection and quantification of influenza neuraminidase activity
Corinne Olesen, Applied Biosystems, Bedford, USA

17h50 - Detection of avian influenza A/H5 viral isolates with highly sensitive, specific and inclusive real-time RT-PCR assays
Olga Petrauskene, Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA


18h05 - Discussion : What are the perspectives of Influenza treatment?
In the presence of the Scientific Committee

19h30 - Gala Dinner
On the Seine, on board of the cruising restaurant boat "Le Capitaine Fracasse"

Friday June 30
Session 4: How to prevent Human and Avian Influenza
Chairemen: Pr S. Van der Werf, Dr S. Sambhara

9h00 - The international response on avian influenza
The terrestrial animal health code
International standards
Vaccination
Short/medium and long term actions on global, regional and national level
Dr Christianne Bruschke, OIE, Paris, France

9h30 - Strategies to prevent avian influenza in humans in a non pandemic frame
How to avoid the transmission of the virus from animal to human?
Isolation in health care facilities
Health care worker exposures
Precautions for household and close contacts
Precautions for travelers
Pr Didier Houstin, Interministry Delegate for the Fight against Avian Influenza, French Ministry of Health, Paris, France

10h00 - Prevention through immunization: latest advances on vaccination
New adjuvants
Reverse genetics
Pr Sylvie Van der Werf, G?n?tique Mol?culaire des Virus Respiratoires - URA 1966 CNRS, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France

10h30 - Break and Poster Session

11h00 - Development of adenoviral-vector-based pandemic influenza vaccine against antigenically distinct human H5N1 strains in mice
Dr Suryaprakash Sambhara, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA

11h30 - Short Oral Communications

A new approach for an influenza virus live vaccine by modification of the cleavage site of the haemagglutinin by reverse genetics
Juergen Stech, Institute of Virology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, Germany

Development of vaccines against pandemic influenza : Safety, immunogenicity and prospects of an inactivated split-virion H5N1 influenza vaccine
Dr Agnes Hoffenbach, Influenza Franchise Program Leader, Sanofi Pasteur, Marcy l'Etoile, France

Respiratory protection against avian influenza
Pierre Jean Messier, Triosyn Corporation , USA
11h50 - Antiviral effect of catechins in green tea on influenza virus
Pr Baik-Lin Seong, Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, South Korea

12h20 Pandemic Influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis
Pr David Fedson, Former Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Sergy Haut, France

12h35 - Short Oral Communication

Subtype-diverse inactivation of influenza A viruses including H5N1 with an extract of Trifolium species and pomegranate juice
Girish Kotwal, Division of Medical Virology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IIDMM), University of Cape Town School of Medicine, Cape Town, South Africa

12h40 - Lunch and Poster Session

Session 5: Disaster Management Response
Chairemen: Pr F. Bricaire, Pr K Van der Velden

14h00 - How to manage a Human Pandemic of Avian Influenza? Is Europe ready?
What are the different phases of a pandemic?
What are the measures set up by the governments?
What are the recommendations for individuals and public organisms in case of a pandemic?

14h30 -Ethical Challenges in Pandemic Planning
How to minimize the differences in means between rich and poor countries in the fight against a pandemic?
How and to whom should the doses of vaccines be distributed in priority: to infected patients or in prevention to people important for the maintenance of the economical?
How to avoid or minimize the impact of travel restrictions and quarantine?
Dr Ross E.G. Upshur, Joint Centre for Bioethics Flu Pandemic Working Group Member, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

15h00 - Round Table Discussion in presence of emergency medical doctors, general medical doctors, crisis management specialists and the scientific committee: is the medical profession ready to fight against a pandemic? Is the world ready to face a human avian flu pandemic?
Is the medical profession well informed and trained?
What are the recommendations for the health workers?
What are the solutions to face the vaccine shortage? (example: to improve the vaccine efficiency)
How to avoid a funnel effect in the emergency room?
What would be the ideal organization in the hospital to manage a pandemic?

Round Table Chairman: Pr Koos Van der Velden (Chairman of the European Influenza Surveillance Scheme)
In the presence of Dr Anne Mosnier, National Coordinator of the French Group of Regional Influenza Observation (GROG)

15h45 - Conclusion and Recommendations by the scientific committee

 

[St Michael]

Re: First International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans

http://www.isanh.com/avian-influenza/main-informations.php

Paris Anti-Avian Influenza 2006 Conference
Institut Pasteur
Thursday June 29 – Friday June 30, 2006

...

12h20 Pandemic Influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis

Pr David Fedson, Former Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Sergy Haut, France

Dr. Fedson is the author of the article "Pandemic influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis" to be published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases in July 2006:

Clinical Infectious Diseases

2006 Jul 15;43(2):199-205. Epub 2006 Jun 12

Pandemic influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis

Sergy Haut, 01630, France. dfedson@wanadoo.fr.

The next influenza pandemic may be imminent. Because antiviral agents and vaccines will be unavailable to people in most countries, we need to determine whether other agents could offer clinical benefits. Influenza is associated with an increase in acute cardiovascular diseases, and influenza viruses induce proinflammatory cytokines. . Statins are cardioprotective and have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, and they thus might benefit patients with influenza. This hypothesis should be evaluated by using administrative databases to search for reduced rates of hospitalization and death due to influenza-related conditions among people taking statins. These studies should be followed by laboratory studies of statins in animal and cell-based models of influenza virus infection and, later, by clinical trials. Positive results from such studies would provide physicians in all countries with something to offer patients for treatment and prophylaxis of pandemic influenza. Generic statins will be widely distributed and inexpensive. They might be the only agents that could alter the course of a global pandemic.

He is also the subject of the interview in the article in this thread: Heart drugs might provide bird flu weapon: expert

 

[Lyro]

First International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans

It was Canada Day yesterday and I missed most of the lastest posts. I'm not sure if the information from the Paris meeting has been published in the site yet. Articles were published in Frech two days ago at first (since the meeting is taking place in a French country - France). Here is an English translation of the initial article. See this thread for the original French articles.

***


PARIS MEETING AIRS AVIAN FLU IMPACTS, POSSIBLE TREATMENT
June 30, 2006 (CIDRAP News)

The First International Conference on Avian Influenza in Humans in Paris this week brought reports on a possible new treatment for avian flu symptoms, the potential global economic impact of a pandemic, and plans for a task force to coordinate Europe's response to the disease.

Experts at the 2-day meeting at the Pasteur Institute said the world is doing a better job of preparing for the threat of a flu pandemic stemming from avian flu than it has done in the face of previous health threats, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report yesterday.

But the experts said there are too many gaps in science's understanding of how wild birds spread the virus and how it might become contagious among humans, among other questions, AFP reported. The conference began yesterday and ended today.

Could statins reduce avian flu deaths?
David Fedson, MD, an internationally known vaccine expert, said cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may have the potential to mitigate symptoms of avian influenza. He called for research on the drugs' effects on people and animals infected flu.

Fedson's hypothesis, which he shared at the conference yesterday, was reported in a Bloomberg news article today. Based in France, Fedson is a former professor of medicine at the University of Virginia and former director of European medical affairs for Sanofi-Aventis.

The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of statin drugs could decrease respiratory distress and the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have avian flu, Fedson told the audience. He said observational studies suggest that statin drugs may reduce death rates in patients who have sepsis or pneumonia. Fedson also published his hypothesis in the July issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Given the wide distribution of statin drugs, the treatment may offer hope for patients in countries with scant supplies of antiviral medications or vaccines, wrote Fedson in CID. "If epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical studies confirm the benefits of statins for treatment of influenza, physicians everywhere will have something to offer their patients for the pandemic," he wrote.

Treatment with statin drugs would also offer a cost advantage over antiviral agents, Fedson noted. A 5-day course of the antiviral drug oseltamivir costs about $60 to $90, while a 5-day course of generic simvastatin costs as little as $1.75, he said.

"The scientific rationale for considering statins for treatment and prophylaxis of pandemic influenza is persuasive, but the public health rationale is overwhelmingly compelling," Fedson wrote.

World Bank weighs in on economic impact
Milan Brahmbhatt, lead economist for the World Bank's East Asia sector, addressing the conference yesterday, outlined the projected economic impact of an avian flu pandemic. World Bank modeling suggests that a severe pandemic?with a 1% mortality rate, or about 70 million deaths?would shrink the world's gross domestic product by about 3.1%, or about $1.25 to $2 trillion, he said.

Economic losses developing countries would be double those in developed countries, because of higher mortality rates, Brahmbhatt said. The text of his speech was posted on the World Bank's Web site.

So far, the economic impact of avian flu has been limited because poultry production is a relatively small portion of the world's economy, he said. However, the impact on the poultry industry in outbreak areas has been severe.

Brahmbhatt said the strong recovery of Thailand's poultry industry underscores the benefits of good policy responses. The country experienced a 40% drop in poultry exports because of foreign import restrictions on uncooked poultry products in resonse to avian flu. "Together with Vietnam, strong control measures have resulted in no new outbreaks of the virus for the past 6 months," he said. Producers quickly switched to cooked export products, which didn't face trade restrictions, and exports rebounded, along with domestic consumer confidence.

The funding component of policy actions to combat avian influenza is producing results, Brahmbhatt said. Of $1.9 billion pledged at last January's International Pledging Conference in Beijing, $1.15 billion has been committed and $331 million has been disbursed.

Task force to guide European response
Europe is setting up a task force to coordinate the continent's efforts against avian flu, a European virologist reported at the conference. According to an AFP report, Albert Osterhaus, a professor at the National Influenza Centre and Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, said the task force will be established in September or October and will likely include scientists, doctors, and animal health experts who would monitor the latest information and advise governments.

He said the task force would be located at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm.

Osterhaus called for setting up a global equivalent of the task force, saying the world's response has featured much talk, little action, and a disturbing lack of coordination among scientists, governments, and international agencies, according to AFP.

"There's not a pandemic of flu, there's a pandemic of flu meetings," he was quoted as saying.

See also:

Fedson DS. Pandemic influenza: a potential role for statins in treatment and prophylaxis. Clin Inf Diseases 2006;43:199-205

Brahmbhatt speech: Economic Impacts of Avian Influenza Propagation

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