Mutated virus of H1N1 found in Norway
November 20th, 2009 - 11:18 pm ICT by BNO News ( 2 comments )OSLO (BNO NEWS) — The Norwegian Institute of Public Health on Friday said it discovered a mutated version of the H1N1 swine flu virus.
The institute analyzed samples from a number of patients as part of its surveillance of the influenza A(H1N1) virus, it said in a statement. The viruses have many similarities, according to the institute, but some mutations have been observed. “This is normal and most of these mutations will probably have little or no importance,” it said.
However, the scientists say, one mutation of the virus caught a special interest. “It has been found in two patients who died from the new influenza A(H1N1) and in one patient with severe influenza disease,” it said. “These were the two first patients who died from the new influenza in Norway. Some of those who died later have been examined without finding the same mutated virus.”
The institute says the mutation could possibly make the virus more prone to infect deeper in the airways and thus cause more severe illness.
“We have analyzed approximately 70 viruses from confirmed Norwegian cases and found the mutation in only these three patients,” said Norwegian Institute of Public Health Director General Geir Stene-Larsen. “Based on what we know so far, it seems that the mutated virus does not circulate in the population, but might be a result of spontaneous changes which have occurred in these three patients.”
Stene-Larsen says there is no indication that the mutation has any importance for the effect of the H1N1 vaccine or the effect of antiviral treatment.
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Tags: antiviral treatment, bno, director general, flu, flu virus, geir, influenza, larsen, mutation, mutations, norwegian institute, oslo, public health director, scientists, special interest, spontaneous changes, stene, surveillance, swine flu, viruses
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
certainly the horror and terror of the 1918 influenza pandemic will always be with us with the hundreds of millions dead. today chasing after mutations and making vaccines for this chameleon of a virus is a little like shooting fish in the sea to get rid of the fish but our knowlege is increasing in leaps and bounds in the mollecular genetics of the virus and the survival games of these little protein creatures. begorra 3 dimensional dynamic systems of visualisation are part of it all. yes nano technology and more is the way of the future as mankind seeks to even conquer death itself.dr adam rosenblatt. ps my happiness in living has increased immensely (i am an obsessive immortalist) since liverpool university has received a grant of 50 million pounds to grow anew the organs of over 50 year olds. dr adam rosenblatt.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
i am looking foreward to the day when a marriage vow till death do us part will be transformed into a three hundred year long act of monogamy. wow wow wow.