In an interview with Ruben Donis (chief, molecular virology and vaccines branch, CDC) ScienceInsider got a couple of answers that touch on points that I (and lots of others) have noted:
Q: Have you been able to compare isolates from Mexico and the United States?
R.D.: Yes, they are very, very similar. Many genes are identical. In the eight or nine viruses we’ve sequenced, there is nothing different.Q: Have you compared someone who died with someone who had a mild case?
R.D.: Those data are still slippery. We don’t have good case data. You get age and sex—very limited information. That’s a problem. In the set of samples we know one case was fatal, but we don’t know which one it is.
So, nothing concrete; the circulating Mexican flu probably isn’t different than the sequences we’ve already seen; and reading between the lines at least one fatality wasn’t associated with an unusual viral sequence — though we don’t know how early this case was.
I’m going to ask a big favor. I’m a veterinarian in the food industry who happens to specialize in swine. My peers are very interested in encouraging everyone to use the correct name as accepted by the CDC and WHO: 2009 H1N1. I have been dealing with questions on a daily basis from people who either are sure that they are going to get sick from eating pork or who think I’m placing my life in danger by working with pigs. I’m worried that people will be taking inappropriate protective actions (changing their diet instead of their hygiene) in an effort to avoid contracting flu. Your help and the help of those in your profession of avoiding the “swine flu” slang and using the scientifically accepted name will go a long way in helping those of us on the “frontline” of pubic education.
Which leads me into thanking you for taking the time to keep this site updated with HINI information. I cannot tell you have much this has helped me in the past week, keeping me educated so I can in turn keep my coworkers and friends up to date on the details of what’s happening on the research front.
Yes, that’s a good point. The virus is clearly derived from swine flu, but there’s no other connection with swine, and it’s acting like a straightforward human flu now. I see that the WHO has decided to officially call it “N1N1 flu”, though that’s really no more useful since there are lots of other H1N1 influenzas. Still, the fact is, there is no good name, so we may as well use something misleading in a different way.
(I’ll still have to use the “s” word in the descriptions, though, until everyone gets the memo and knows what I’m talking about.)
the spread of AH1N1 or Swine Flu is really scary. It is a good thing that this virus is not very deadly. We are advised to take Vitamin-C and to wear face masks.
It hasn’t affected my business to date, I hope it doesn’t. We got to get a handle on this or it could be big trouble.
Excellent post, finally a post thats worth reading
i think that in asian countries the Swine Flu did not spread rapidly compared to those countries that are located in colder climates. we should still be very thankful that the swine flu did not cause massive infections.
2 of my cousins in mexico got infected with the swine flu virus. thank God, they recovered well. it is a great news that the pandemic on swine flu is gone now.