H1N1- Ultimate News on influenza A - bird flu, swine flu & avian flu alerts

H5N1 : Aggregation of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in a Human H5N1

The rapid evolution of the H5N1 serotype of avian influenza has been explained by a mechanism involving the selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms generated by copy errors. The recent emergence of H5N1 Clade 2.2 in fifty countries, offered a unique opportunity to view the acquisition of new polymorphism in these evolving genomes. We analyzed the H5N1 hemagglutinin gene from a fatal human case from Nigeria in 2007. The newly emerged polymorphisms were present in diverse H5N1 isolates from the previous year. The aggregation of these polymorphisms from clade 2.2 sub-clades was not supported by recent random mutations, and was most easily explained by recombination between closely related sequences. Source : Precedings Nature.com
http://precedings.nature.com/documents/743/version/2

H5 se développe en Bavière

160'000 oiseaux ont été exterminés afin de contenir un développement de H5N1. Selon Ottmar Fick, l'origine reste inconnu. Les autorités allemandes ont déclaré vendredi qu'ils tueront donc les 200'000 canards. Les tests de l'isntitut Friedrich Loeffer ont déterminé que les souches sont différentes d'une ferme à l'autre. La détection de détecter le Qinghai H5n1, et des tests sur les oiseaux sauvages devraient avoir lieu sur des anti-corps H5 (traduction de Recombinomics 17.09.07)

H5N1 : Re-emergence of H5N1 in Guangdong Ducks

Since 2003, H5N1 has re-emerged in Asia with a vengeance, claiming dozens of lives and spreading to Europe, the Middle East and Africa through migrating birds and the poultry trade. Prevention and rapid response when outbreaks occur are therefore extremely important. But no matter how stringent the efforts or affluent the society, the risks of an ever-evolving virus such as H5N1 remain, as has been shown by the several outbreaks among chickens in Japan.

Tests on several wild birds found dead in Hong Kong this year determined that they were carrying H5N1. With initial tests on the ducks in Guangdong pointing to them also having the virus, it is clear that there is a need for defences to be strengthened.

The above comments on the recently confirmed outbreaks of H5N1 on five farms in Guangdong province describe the recent geographical expansion of H5N1 outside of China and regions to the northeast, but the role of trade in this dramatic expansion has no scientific basis. Source : Recombinomics

Tamiflu Blanket Applied to Island Villages in South Sumatra

At the separate site Tanggamus Iman Sumarjo health agency head has distributed Tamiflu medicine (bird flu medicine deterrent) for free to all the residents in two villages especially those neighborhoods with dead chickens, the administration has continued to do so that every resident gets 10 tablets point Tamiflu medicine, said Faith.

The above translation describes the implementation of a Tamiflu (oseltamivir) blanket for residents of two villages on the island of Palua Tabuan off the coast of southern Sumatra. Thousands of chickens have died with bird flu symptoms and over 100 villagers have been hospitalized with a mysterious illness. Source : Recombinomics