The first report comes from a case that was reported about a week ago regarding a 15-month-old toddler that had been infected with the H5N1 virus. The boy, who was from the Phnom Penh district in Cambodia, presented with a fever, diarrhoea and lethargy and was admitted to hospital where his diagnosis was made. Although the virus is known for being particularly aggressive, the boy’s condition turned stable once he had been treated with Tamiflu. While it is unfortunate that the toddler was infected, it is not the first time this has happened. In fact, the toddler was the 18^th human to be infected by the virus this year.

Given that researchers have long known about the nature of the H5N1 virus in terms of how it leads to quick worsening of symptoms, and that a fair amount of cases had been reported, one would assume that this would have led to a lot of research. However, rather than resulting in deeper research projects, this knowledge has led to overly cautious measures. A perfect example of that comes from a recent study, which is the second report we consider in this article.

The study, which was published in Journal of Clinical Investigation, was a trial looking into the efficacy of a recently developed vaccine against H5N1. As previous researchers had highlighted that researching a virus that could potentially cause a pandemic and led to security concerns, the researchers of the current study used a synthetic version of the virus. The researchers gave the vaccine to four patients, and took blood samples, which were used to take out antibodies thought to interact with H5N1 viruses. They then tested whether these antibodies would successfully target the synthetic version of the virus. The key findings indicated that the vaccination appeared to affect how the synthetic virus was binding between mutations, so that it blocked the process required for the virus to be transferable between mammals. Based on this the researchers confirmed the importance of studying viruses by using synthetic viruses, and of the potential to develop a H5N1 vaccination for humans.

While the security concerns are understandable, it is still debatable whether a synthetic virus would be of any use, as it could almost be seen as a ‘middle man’. If the synthetic virus is similar to the real virus, then expensive and time-consuming research has to be conducted to establish this. If it is not comparable, then the research and development of vaccinations will prove useless. If it is comparable, then what is to say that the same risks do not apply for the synthetic virus as they would for the original virus. Either way, time and money is lost addressing concerns created from politics rather than addressing research.

We recommend this website for influenza news - http://www.magnetic-health.co.uk/home/mutant-influenza-virus-developed/

• Live the autumn: whether you like it or not, the season is here so you might as well enjoy it. Even if you are not a big fan of days getting shorter and colder, there are so many things you can enjoy in the fall: from the changing colour of the leaves in the tree, to the fresh breezes to the smell of the new crisp air. Find what motivates you the most and schedule in a trip or two to an outdoor place you can fall in love with.
• Start something new: we are never too old to learn something new. So many new things start in the fall apart from school: take advantage of the time, find out what your neighbourhood can offer and sign up for exercise classes, dancing classes or any other activity that keeps you moving!
• If not…hobbies, hobbies, hobbies: remember to give yourself proper breaks throughout the month so schedule in your favourite activities. If classes are not for you, remember that there are always other activities you can do. For example, if you like photography but do not want to commit to lessons, take a long walk and take this time to shoot beautiful sceneries. If you like to play the piano, opt for playing it somewhere public rather than at home: this might not apply to all the UK but in London, for example, there is a piano inside the station of St. Pancras that can be played by anyone. Lastly, another thing you might like to do to relax is to get away. So if you like to travel, organise a day-trip in a place close to home that you have not seen yet and start wondering around. All these activities will help you keep busy without spending too much or committing to a class.
• Go back to the gym: if you are a gym person, start again the routine that you might have stopped whilst on holiday. This is the time to get organised again and a steady visit to the gym, along with a new routine, can help!
• Motivate yourself: the end of summer and the beginning of autumn can be a daunting period. Try to find short-term goals (they could be birthdays, holidays, fun activities with friends, etc…) that would keep you going and happy to continue to live healthily. If it is hard for you to find something to be motivated about, try setting up your own motivational goals: maybe buy a new pair of trainers when you reach a particular goal or reward yourself with a hot bath or a nice haircut. Remember to make the goals achievable, neither too easy or too hard, and at the right time, neither too close to one another nor too spread out. You could also motivate yourself by doing something nice to another person. Whatever it is, there is always something to be looking forward to so do not despair.
• Eat well: About.com has a list of wonderful low-fat dishes, using ingredients that are in season, that you will almost certainly enjoy making. The three foods listed as autumn foods are: pumpkin, apples and pecans. These are also foods that are not too expensive, and can be prepared in a wide variety of ways.

Take the time to enjoy the taste and feel of autumn without hibernating! You can find more tips on Webmd.com.