New H1N1 flu resembles feared 1918 virus, study finds

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

BY MAGGIE FOX, REUTERS JULY 13, 2009

WASHINGTON - The new H1N1 influenza virus bears a disturbing resemblance to the virus strain that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, with a greater ability to infect the lungs than common seasonal flu viruses, researchers reported on Monday.

Tests in several animals confirmed other studies that have shown the new swine flu strain can spread beyond the upper respiratory tract to go deep into the lungs — making it more likely to cause pneumonia, the international team said.

In addition, they found that people who survived the 1918 pandemic seem to have extra immune protection against the virus, again confirming the work of other researchers.

"When we conducted the experiments in ferrets and monkeys, the seasonal virus did not replicate in the lungs," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin, who led the study.

The H1N1 virus replicates significantly better in the lungs."

The new swine flu virus has caused the first pandemic of the 21st century, infecting more than a million people, according to estimates, and killing at least 500. The World Health Organization says it is causing mostly moderate disease but Kawaoka said that does not mean it is like seasonal flu.

"There is a misunderstanding about this virus," he said in a statement. "There is clear evidence the virus is different than seasonal influenza."

Writing in the journal Nature, Kawaoka and colleagues noted that the ability to infect the lungs is a characteristic of other pandemic viruses, especially the 1918 virus, which is estimated to have killed between 40 million and 100 million people.

They tested the virus in blood samples taken from nursing home residents and workers in 1999 in California, Wisconsin, the Netherlands and Japan.

People born before 1920 had a strong antibody response to the new H1N1 virus, meaning their body "remembered" it from infection early in life. This finding supports a study published in Nature in August that also found people who survived the 1918 pandemic still had immune protection against that virus.

Flu viruses change constantly, which is why people can be re-infected and why the vaccine must be changed regularly. Current seasonal strains of H1N1 are distant cousins of both the 1918 pandemic strain and the new H1N1 strain.

"Our findings are a reminder that swine-origin influenza viruses have not yet garnered a place in history, but may still do so, as the pandemic caused by these viruses has the potential to produce a significant impact on human health and the global economy," the researchers wrote.

Other tests showed the virus could be controlled by the antiviral drugs Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline, and Tamiflu, made by Roche AG, the researchers said.

The World Health Organization said on Monday that vaccine makers should start making immunizations against H1N1 and that healthcare workers should be first in line to get them.

Companies working on an H1N1 vaccine include Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis AG, Baxter International Inc, GlaxoSmithKline, Solvay and nasal spray maker MedImmune, now part of AstraZeneca.

Source

[Amby 490]

Didn't you tell me this in May? You were right!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

We talked about their fears of the mutation and recurrence to hit this fall and that those who had the first strain of the 1918 virus and survived had built antibodies to it. The weird thing is I just watched the movie "Outbreak" on TV and then this news article comes out online. Good thing the movie ends the same way this article suggests in that they find the original host and are able to produce a serum from their antibodies. The only problem seems to be with production of the vaccine in that it isn't scheduled to be released to the general public until Jan 2010 as there won't be enough produced for everybody until then. That's why health care workers are given priority for it while the CDC has already declared it's spread at pandemic level and predicted the recurrence to take place this fall like the typical flu season would only this strain isn't your garden variety. It goes deeper into the lungs causing pneumonia and is transfered more easily by air.

Edited July 14, 2009 by ~Flower~

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Is now a good time to discuss life insurance, funeral arrangements, and wills?

California Swine flu deaths up by 55 with 23 deaths in the last week.

More serious strain has started in the slow summer months.

Edited July 17, 2009 by ~Flower~

[HAL 9000 96]

Had this chat with a doctor coworker. He's concerned about this winter's season...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Difference between then and now is that in 1918 we didn't have anti-viral drugs. Only places where swine flu would cause significant loss of life nowadays would be in the 3rd world.

Incidentally, I read yesterday that Cherie Blair (wife of Ex-PM Tony Blair) had to cancel a speaking engagement due to suspected Swine Flu.

I had the flu about 3-4 weeks ago - knocked me out for a week and gave me a cough that took nearly a month to go away.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Private Pike

[justashooter 430]

Difference between then and now is that in 1918 we didn't have anti-viral drugs. Only places where swine flu would cause significant loss of life nowadays would be in the 3rd world.

I had the flu about 3-4 weeks ago - knocked me out for a week and gave me a cough that took nearly a month to go away.

so you're saying that the USA would see a reduction in the "humanitarian" extortion we currently suffer at the hands of the UN?

so you're saying you're a swine?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Did I write that or anything resembling that?

Then no, I didn't say it