Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the Factors Associated

[Oracle]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

it's usually low-path. The HA is quite different
(and so are the other segments)

So these antibodies would presumably not protect
much against H5N1

An erroneous presumption, considering the number of studies in the extant research literature that have been published and cited here.


Journal (J Epidemiology of Japan) article link:

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jea/advpub/0/advpub_0807040024/_article

Yup, you can download the advanced manuscript pdf free.

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

The article is here

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62568&highlight=H5N2

[gsgs]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

the link doesn't work for me.
But yes, it had been reported elsewhere, that LP H5
converts to HP after some months or years on poultry-farms.
(Italy,Mexico,British Columbia,Chile,...)

This doesn't seem to happen so often in wild birds - else
there would be no more low-path, because high-path
to low-path never happened AFAIK

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

Weaker avian flu virus confirmed to change deadly

Japanese researchers have found that a weaker strain of the bird flu virus known as H5N2 can mutate into a deadly one through repeated infections.

http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/03_19.html

[gsgs]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

it's usually low-path. The HA is quite different
(and so are the other segments)

So these antibodies would presumably not protect
much against H5N1

[cartski]

Re: Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated

What's the importance of the difference between N2 and N1?

Does H5N2 have less potential for transmission or mortality?

J.

[Anne]

I don't know if this article is important

some subjects have developed immunity against H5N2, the same thing did'nt appear with H5N1 ( or very rarely )


1: J Epidemiol. 2008 Jul 7. [Epub ahead of print]Related Articles

Human H5N2 Avian Influenza Infection in Japan and the FactorsAssociated with High H5N2-Neutralizing Antibody Titer.
Ogata T, Yamazaki Y, Okabe N, Nakamura Y, Tashiro M, Nagata N, Itamura S, Yasui Y, Nakashima K, Doi M, Izumi Y, Fujieda T, Yamato S, Kawada Y.

Chikusei Health Center, Ibaraki Prefectural Government.

Background: H5N2 avian influenza virus infection of humans has not been reported thus far. The first H5N2 avian influenza infection of poultry in Japan occurred in Ibaraki. Methods: The subjects were workers at 35 chicken farms in Ibaraki Prefecture, where the H5N2 virus or antibody was isolated from chickens. None of the subjects exhibited influenza symptoms. The H5N2-neutralizing antibody titers of the first and second paired sera samples were compared. To investigate the possible factors for this increase, the H5N2-neutralizing antibody titer (1:40 or more) was calculated for the second samples. A logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of these factors with H5N2-neutralizing antibody positivity. Results: We performed Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranked test on data collected from 257 subjects, and determined that the H5N2 antibody titers of the second paired sera samples were significantly higher than those of the first samples (P < 0.001). The H5N2 antibody titers of paired sera of 13 subjects without a history of seasonal influenza vaccination within the previous 12 months increased 4-fold or more. The percentage of antibody positivity was 32% for subjects with a history of seasonal influenza vaccination (28% of all subjects) and 13% for those without a history of the same. The adjusted odds ratio of H5N2-neutralizing antibody positivity was 4.6 (95% confidence interval: 1.6-13.7) for those aged over 40 and 3.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.6-6.1) for those with a history of seasonal influenza vaccination within the previous 12 months.
Conclusion: The results suggest that this may have been the first avian influenza H5N2 infection of poultry to affect humans. A history of seasonal influenza vaccination might be associated with H5N2-neutralizing antibody positivity.