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WHO scientist: H1N1 swine flu likely developed from bird flu virus
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WHO scientist: H1N1 swine flu likely developed from bird flu virus.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
While the H1N1 flu strain at the heart of latest global epidemic did evolve in swine, its ancestors came from waterfowl, says scientist Richard Webby, who has analyzed the virus’s genetic code in his position as head of a World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Memphis, Tennessee. There, scientists are working to unlock the ecological secrets of the virus.
According to Webby, every influenza pandemic in history has its genetic roots in viruses common to water fowl. It seems that pigs may have had some help from humans in catching the flu from birds. Webby, who is also a virologist at Memphis' St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, goes on to say that there is strong evidence to suggest that pigs were exposed to the viruses "through the practice of using pond water to wash down the barns.”
As part of his work to locate the nearest relatives of the flu strain that infected a 10-year-old boy in California last month and spread to almost 900 people in 18 countries, Webby searched a vast database containing the genetic codes of thousands of flu viruses. He completed his work over the last week, and failed to find an exact match, which indicates that the virus is new, and suggests that immunity will likely be low or non-existent.
By understanding the origins of this new flu strain, and exactly how it moved from animals to humans, and how it moves between people, may help scientists to better fight its effects.
For more info: Bloomberg
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