Sunday, November 29, 2009

Reported in 7 Countries Including the U.S

H1N1 strain has mutated yet again. However, the W.H.O. (World Health H1N1 Swine Flu Mutations Reported in 7 Countries Including the U.S Organization) says that it is nothing to be concerned about. They report that infections were seen in very fewpeople. However, I think that there is something to be concerned about.
The W.H.O. also says that people with normal uncompromised immune systems, will not allow the spread of the mutated virus as easily. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, chief flu adviser of the W.H.O.'s director general, said that the change in the virus did however cause resistance to the medicine used to fight it, Tamiflu. Reassuringly, Dr. Fukuda stated, "We don't know the full answer, but it is more likely that we are not seeing a major shift."
Dr. Fukuda also said that flu's mutate so fast, that it is difficult to keep up with how widespread they are, and their severity. He also stated that W.H.O. scientists are unsure of the threat posed by another mutation that would allow the virus to reach the lungs easier. This mutation has been discovered in various countries including; Ukraine, Norway, China, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and the United States, in diverse stages of severity. This is why I think we should be concerned. The swine flu strain began as a mutation of the seasonal flu, this mutation led to what is now the modern day pandemic. I believe that scientists should be investigating these mutations more seriously.
The earliest detection of the mutation is from April 2009. Many of the cases that were found in the above countries were fatal; however, many were also mild, therefore, it is correct to say that the mutations are similar to most other mutations in that all cases vary in severity, just like the original H1N1 swine flu, which also is a mutation of influenza. Flu travels inter-species very easily, and can mutate to be very resistant to anything we throw at it, whether it is vaccines or antivirals.

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