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Bird flu mixed with human virus could form pandemic: research
[can't find a date]
A new research paper has been published in the United States, proving that bird flu, which has so far only killed people in its pure form, is capable of combining with conventional human flu viruses.
A mutated virus combining human flu and bird flu is the nightmare strain which scientists fear could create a worldwide pandemic. The pure bird flu strain, called H5N1, has caused hundreds of deaths recently around the world.
The research was conducted in a laboratory by the US Centres for Disease Control.
Dr David Smith, a director of microbiology and infectious diseases at PathWest laboratories in Perth, told ABC radio's PM it increases the level of concern that a bad pandemic may occur.
"It doesn't change our ongoing uncertainty about whether and when the pandemic will occur," he said.
"That's something that is controlled by events that occur in nature and they are chance events that we can't accurately predict."
The research does not say whether the new variety of mixed virus could spread easily, but Dr Smith says it does further our understanding of what may happen.
"I think it's important information for us to understand how pandemic strains may emerge and how bad they may be," he said.
"Of course this was, if you like, deliberately created in a safe laboratory setting in order to show what might happen.
"However, in actual human populations, there are a lot of other things that can happen in terms of how the viruses might mix and what might results from it.
"So it really tells us a potential, it doesn't tell us what is going to occur and that's unfortunately the problem with predicting human pandemics."
'No warning system'
The research has emerged at the same time as other worrying news. The Indonesian Government has announced it will stop reporting bird flu deaths as they happen, apparently because it does not want bad news to spread.
Indonesia has suffered the greatest number of H5N1 deaths. Jakarta has admitted that a teenager died of the disease last month, but it only reported details of the incident this week.
Professor Anne Kelso from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Melbourne says such a move would hinder efforts to contain any outbreak.
"The sharing of information and the sharing of viruses [for research] are the two most important things that countries can do to help the world prepare for a potential pandemic," she said.
"So this is, if it turns out to be true, [is] a worrying step on behalf of the Indonesian Government to no longer share information about deaths as they happen.
"We don't need to know who the people are. It's very important we know where the deaths are occurring and if possible to have access to the viruses to compare with other viruses from around the world."
She says if the Indonesian Government does not report H5N1 deaths, it means the world receives less warning of the spread of the disease.
"The WHO on behalf of all the member states will have less warning if there are changes happening that could lead to a pandemic," she said.
"In particular it's important to know whether the deaths are due to exposure to viruses in poultry or whether there's evidence that they are being transmitted from human to human."
Adapted from a piece by Jeff Waters, first aired on ABC Radio's PM.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267791.htm
[can't find a date]
A new research paper has been published in the United States, proving that bird flu, which has so far only killed people in its pure form, is capable of combining with conventional human flu viruses.
A mutated virus combining human flu and bird flu is the nightmare strain which scientists fear could create a worldwide pandemic. The pure bird flu strain, called H5N1, has caused hundreds of deaths recently around the world.
The research was conducted in a laboratory by the US Centres for Disease Control.
Dr David Smith, a director of microbiology and infectious diseases at PathWest laboratories in Perth, told ABC radio's PM it increases the level of concern that a bad pandemic may occur.
"It doesn't change our ongoing uncertainty about whether and when the pandemic will occur," he said.
"That's something that is controlled by events that occur in nature and they are chance events that we can't accurately predict."
The research does not say whether the new variety of mixed virus could spread easily, but Dr Smith says it does further our understanding of what may happen.
"I think it's important information for us to understand how pandemic strains may emerge and how bad they may be," he said.
"Of course this was, if you like, deliberately created in a safe laboratory setting in order to show what might happen.
"However, in actual human populations, there are a lot of other things that can happen in terms of how the viruses might mix and what might results from it.
"So it really tells us a potential, it doesn't tell us what is going to occur and that's unfortunately the problem with predicting human pandemics."
'No warning system'
The research has emerged at the same time as other worrying news. The Indonesian Government has announced it will stop reporting bird flu deaths as they happen, apparently because it does not want bad news to spread.
Indonesia has suffered the greatest number of H5N1 deaths. Jakarta has admitted that a teenager died of the disease last month, but it only reported details of the incident this week.
Professor Anne Kelso from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Melbourne says such a move would hinder efforts to contain any outbreak.
"The sharing of information and the sharing of viruses [for research] are the two most important things that countries can do to help the world prepare for a potential pandemic," she said.
"So this is, if it turns out to be true, [is] a worrying step on behalf of the Indonesian Government to no longer share information about deaths as they happen.
"We don't need to know who the people are. It's very important we know where the deaths are occurring and if possible to have access to the viruses to compare with other viruses from around the world."
She says if the Indonesian Government does not report H5N1 deaths, it means the world receives less warning of the spread of the disease.
"The WHO on behalf of all the member states will have less warning if there are changes happening that could lead to a pandemic," she said.
"In particular it's important to know whether the deaths are due to exposure to viruses in poultry or whether there's evidence that they are being transmitted from human to human."
Adapted from a piece by Jeff Waters, first aired on ABC Radio's PM.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267791.htm