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Influenza 'epidemic'? No.
Claims that an influenza epidemic of swine flu proportions are set to overwhelm the country are overblown, according to virologists at the National Influenza Centre.  Media reports that a 'new strain' of influenza - H3N2 - causing hallucinations and crippling nausea, is heading north from Canterbury, and that flu admissions are at 'epidemic' levels, are out-of-step with the latest surveillance data released yesterday.
ESR's weekly influenza report shows that the current levels of influenza admissions are at 'normal' and 'baseline' levels throughout the country. A full copy of the report is available on the ESR website. Dr Sue Huang is a virologist at ESR and Director of New Zealand's World Health Organisation (WHO) National Influenza Centre. She told the SMC: "I do not believe this year's influenza activity will reach an 'epidemic as big as swine flu' [as claimed]. This is because the current predominant influenza strain is A(H3N2). "These viruses do not appear to be anything extraordinary and they have not changed as much as the swine flu did." You can read further commentary and a round up of media coverage on the Science Media centre website. Vaccinations for all UK kids Meanwhile, the 'flu is also making headlines on the other side of the planet, with the UK government announcing it will provide vaccinations to all children under 17. The decision was made by the UK government in response to a new review published this week by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government on vaccination policy. The research suggests the scheme would lead to, on average, as many as 11,000 fewer hospitalisations as a result of flu, and around 2,000 fewer deaths a year.
The scheme, which is expected to be rolled out in 2014, will see all children aged two to 17 given the vaccination through a nasal spray (Fluenz® marketed by AstraZeneca). Prof Adam Finn, Professor of Paediatrics, University of Bristol, commented to the UK SMC: "I think vaccination of healthy school children with the new nasal flu vaccine is a good idea as we know it's effective and safe and flu can be a serious illness in childhood, not just in old age. "There should be time to do some more research before we introduce the vaccine to help us predict how well such a programme would be accepted and would work."
You can read more commentary and an extensive Q&A on the Science Media Centre Website.
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| Olympics: Faster, Higher, Stronger
With the Olympics officially opening tomorrow morning, the SMC is warmed up, stretched and ready help journalists cover all the science angles of the world's greatest sporting event.
The SMC has proactively contacted a number of scientists - including a few who have worked directly with Olympic teams- and they are ready and waiting on the sidelines to help with background and commentary on a wide range of issues, including:
Drugs in sport, injuries and recovery, genetics, diet and nutrition, women in sport, the politics of the Olympics, biomechanics, sports physiology and training, the Paralympics, sports psychology, fairness and ethics and lots more!
If you are a journalist seeking expert input on any of these issues, or just looking for story ideas, don't hesitate to give as a call (smc@sciencemediacentre.com; 04 499 5476)
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On the science radar...
Tiny snakes, rat cell jellyfish, GPS reveals selfish sheep, crowd-sourced captions, light-controlled monkeys and suicide-bomber termites.
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Rabbit farms, pet food and protein
Where will humans get their dietary protein from in 2050? A new study from New Zealand and Dutch researchers has outlined the coming challenges to meeting our future demand for proteins - the building blocks of life.
In a review published this week in the journal Trends in Food Science & Technology, Dr Mike Boland from the Riddet Institute and his colleagues at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands draw on a range of research sources to peer into the future of the world's food supply.
With a growing population and increasing demand for protein, mankind will need to get creative with his food sources, the authors say. Global production of meat is projected to increase to double between 2000 and 2050 - this translates to total 465 million tons tons of meat per year. But this still will not be enough to meet total protein demand.
Among the issues discussed in the paper is the possibility of increased competition between human and pet food industries over animal parts that previously were literally 'for the dogs'. Another topic the authors touch on is the notion of rabbit farming, noting that rabbits and other novel animal species, "should not be discounted as having an important role to play in future animal protein production systems."
Dr Boland and his colleagues also speculate that there may be ways to derive dietary protein from food waste from biofuel crop leftovers.
Speaking to the Dominion Post, Dr Boland said, "The main message is that demand for particularly animal-based protein is increasing and certain methods of production will not be able to keep pace with the demand . . . so we need to start looking at new ways of doing things."
The authors highlight that whatever happens, consumer acceptance will be key - are we as a society ready to start looking at new food sources?
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Quoted: Hot Topic blog
"...I sort of feel disgusted with myself that I find it interesting from a scientific point of view.
"It's certainly interesting, but it's more than interesting - it's a very dangerous game we're playing..."
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| Podcast: Pseudoscience epidemic
 Claims about viruses and phoney cures are put to the test on the Sciblogs podcast this week.
We talk to Sue Huang from ESR who cuts through the recent media hype to clarify if NZ is or isn't experiencing an influenza epidemic.
SciBlogger Michael Edmonds checks in, telling us the latest about his battle against pseudoscience and his latest interactions with the Advertising Standards Authority regarding shonky therapeutic claims.
And we take a look at some of the latest kiwi research appearing in the peer reviewed literature.
You can stream the podcast by clicking here, or subscribe in iTunes or via RSS. You can even listen to the podcast on your phone via Stitcher.com
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New from the SMC
Experts respond:
Flu Vaccine for all UK kids: The UK government has announced it will provide flu vaccinations to all children under 17. Beauty nanomaterials labelled: The EPA has amended labelling standards to ensure that cosmetics containing nanomaterials are clearly labelled.
In the News:
Cancer stats: Cancer continues to kill more New Zealanders than any other cause of death, even though death rates for the illness have fallen by more than 16 percent since 1999. Reflections on Science: Gene doping: Both Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald examine the brave new world of genetics in sport.
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Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
World's first smartphone for senior citizens - Motoko Kakubayashi checks in from Japan to give the lowdown on tech for the not-so-tech-savvy.
Kagaku
What Is Life? From Schrodinger to Watson to Venter - . Ken Perrott highlights a recent speech that traces its roots back to 1943.
Open Parachute
'Esoteric' - you keep using that word... - Pseudo-science gets a good slap with Alison Campbell's dictionary.
BioBlog
Greenland's extraordinary summer: melting records and ice island setting sail - Gareth Renowden rounds up a week of breaking climate news.
Hot Topic
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Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
Climate change hits the slopes: Researchers from NIWA, in collaboration with US climatologists, have created a number of future snowfall climate models and applied these at a local scale to ten popular ski fields around New Zealand. They note that days with 30cm or more snow will be less common in 2040 and 2090 than currently, especially at ski fields with high altitudes. However, the authors do note that snowmaking facilities (already widely used in NZ) will offset some of the lost snowdays.
Theoretical and Applied Climatology
Storms may deplete ozone: By lofting water vapor all the way up to the lower levels of the stratosphere, summer storms can create the right conditions for ozone depletion over the mid-latitudes, researchers report. They show theoretically that the added water vapor in the stratosphere affects the free-radical chemistry and accelerates ozone loss. This process could have an even greater effect if storm activity becomes more intense or frequent, as it is expected to due to global warming.
Science
For your eyes only: Although eye tracking technology has been around for a while, it usefulness in complex communication has been limited due to the jerky movements of the human eye when tracing out a shape. Now new eye-writing technology takes advantage of a visual illusion to trick the mind into voluntarily producing smooth, controlled eye movements - allowing one to draw, write and even sign documents using only their eyes.
Current Biology
That's E, as in amnesia: New drug users who take 10 or more ecstasy pills over their first year of use have been found to have damage to their short-term memory, compared to their performance before taking the drug. Even in recreational amounts over a relatively short time period, ecstasy users risk memory impairments which they may not recognise as brain damage until it is too late. Similar hippocampal damage is an early signs of Alzheimer's disease, resulting in memory loss and disorientation.
Addiction
Surfing AUT: Competitive surfers need high endurance for paddling with bursts of high-intensity activity and short recovery times, according to a study of some of the nation's top surfers. AUT has produced one of the first detailed analyses of the sport's physical demands: athletes spend 54 percent of their time paddling. They spend 28 percent of their time waiting for a wave, and just 8 percent of it actually riding waves, with a top recorded speed of 45kmh.
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
NZ weeds underestimated: New research from the Department of Conservation has found that of 90 ongoing weed eradication programs over the last decade, only 4 have been successful. "After running for a decade, DOC's weed eradication strategy has yet to provide significant dividends," the author writes "Environmental weed eradication is clearly more difficult than has previously been acknowledged in New Zealand."
Invasive Plant Science and Management
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Policy updates
Some of the policy highlights from this week:
Solar water heating: The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has released a new report examining renewable water heating: Evaluating solar water heating: Sun, renewable energy and climate change.
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Upcoming sci-tech events
- Our Far South National tour - Public talk with Gareth Morgan & others - July 30, Tauranga; July 31, Hamilton; August 1, Auckland; August 2, Whangarei.
For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar. |
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