Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/03/flu-scan-mar-23-2016
Flu Scan for Mar 23, 2016
Rising global flu levels; H5N1 evolution in Egypt
Filed Under:
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); Influenza, General
[h=3]Global flu activity remains high, with increased H1N1, flu B in Northern Hemisphere[/h] Flu levels in Europe and North America continued to rise, with high but stable activity noted in northern Asia and China, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Mar 21 update.
The 2009 H1N1 virus is the predominant strain worldwide, though detections of influenza B have increased in Europe and northern Asia.
Flu levels due to H1N1 continued to rise in the United States and Canada, while Mexico reported above-threshold rates of acute respiratory infections and pneumonia.
Europe continues to report high H1N1 activity, with increased flu B detections in northern and southwestern regions. The flu season in Eastern Europe appears to have peaked, the WHO said.
Flu levels remain high in northern temperate areas of Asia, with H1N1 predominating and increased flu B detections. Mongolia reported rises in flu-related pneumonia and deaths, and China detected increased levels of flulike illness. Southeast Asia saw ongoing levels of H1N1 and flu B detections.
Flu activity in western Asia is low, with the exception of high severe illness reported in Kazakhstan, the WHO said. Flu levels in the tropical Americas remain at low levels, with the exception of severe illness reported in Jamaica.
Globally, influenza A made up 74.2% of flu detections in recent weeks, and of the subtyped samples, 87.3% were the 2009 H1N1 virus, and 12.7% were H3N2. Of the subtyped flu B samples, only 25.2% were from the Yamagata lineage, the B strain used in this season's trivalent Northern Hemisphere flu vaccines.
Mar 21 WHO update
[h=3]Study shows progressive H5N1 genetic diversity and adaptation to humans[/h] An analysis of H5N1 avian flu viruses in Egypt showed that an endemic clade has undergone rapid and persistent evolution in ways that may increase its transmissibility to humans, according to a study published yesterday in Virology Journal.
Researchers from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) analyzed genetic mutations in H5N1 viruses, including the clade that emerged in poultry in 2006 and was stable through 2009, two clusters from a variant clade detected from 2007 to 2011, and an endemic clade that emerged in 2008 and has since become dominant.
Most of the hemagglutinin sequences analyzed (224 of 368) were from the 2008 endemic clade, which has undergone wide geographic distribution throughout Egypt, resulting in increased live-bird-market detections.
The endemic cluster demonstrated a high and persistent mutation rate over 6 years. The researchers found that 57% of endemic clade viruses had a triple mutation at the receptor binding site, a characteristic that was observed in all endemic clade viruses from 2012 to 2014 and may significantly affect transmissibility of H5N1 between birds and humans.
Approximately 60% of viruses belonging to the endemic clade also had four mutations at antigenic sites, suggesting significant drift since 2008, the researchers said.
Persistence of the endemic clade, its increased binding affinity in human cells, and the emergence of a new H5N1 endemic clade cluster in 2015 may be the result of poor avian vaccination practices and wide geographic distribution of the virus in Egypt, the authors said.
Mar 22 Virol J study
Flu Scan for Mar 23, 2016
Rising global flu levels; H5N1 evolution in Egypt
Filed Under:
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu); Influenza, General
[h=3]Global flu activity remains high, with increased H1N1, flu B in Northern Hemisphere[/h] Flu levels in Europe and North America continued to rise, with high but stable activity noted in northern Asia and China, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a Mar 21 update.
The 2009 H1N1 virus is the predominant strain worldwide, though detections of influenza B have increased in Europe and northern Asia.
Flu levels due to H1N1 continued to rise in the United States and Canada, while Mexico reported above-threshold rates of acute respiratory infections and pneumonia.
Europe continues to report high H1N1 activity, with increased flu B detections in northern and southwestern regions. The flu season in Eastern Europe appears to have peaked, the WHO said.
Flu levels remain high in northern temperate areas of Asia, with H1N1 predominating and increased flu B detections. Mongolia reported rises in flu-related pneumonia and deaths, and China detected increased levels of flulike illness. Southeast Asia saw ongoing levels of H1N1 and flu B detections.
Flu activity in western Asia is low, with the exception of high severe illness reported in Kazakhstan, the WHO said. Flu levels in the tropical Americas remain at low levels, with the exception of severe illness reported in Jamaica.
Globally, influenza A made up 74.2% of flu detections in recent weeks, and of the subtyped samples, 87.3% were the 2009 H1N1 virus, and 12.7% were H3N2. Of the subtyped flu B samples, only 25.2% were from the Yamagata lineage, the B strain used in this season's trivalent Northern Hemisphere flu vaccines.
Mar 21 WHO update
[h=3]Study shows progressive H5N1 genetic diversity and adaptation to humans[/h] An analysis of H5N1 avian flu viruses in Egypt showed that an endemic clade has undergone rapid and persistent evolution in ways that may increase its transmissibility to humans, according to a study published yesterday in Virology Journal.
Researchers from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) analyzed genetic mutations in H5N1 viruses, including the clade that emerged in poultry in 2006 and was stable through 2009, two clusters from a variant clade detected from 2007 to 2011, and an endemic clade that emerged in 2008 and has since become dominant.
Most of the hemagglutinin sequences analyzed (224 of 368) were from the 2008 endemic clade, which has undergone wide geographic distribution throughout Egypt, resulting in increased live-bird-market detections.
The endemic cluster demonstrated a high and persistent mutation rate over 6 years. The researchers found that 57% of endemic clade viruses had a triple mutation at the receptor binding site, a characteristic that was observed in all endemic clade viruses from 2012 to 2014 and may significantly affect transmissibility of H5N1 between birds and humans.
Approximately 60% of viruses belonging to the endemic clade also had four mutations at antigenic sites, suggesting significant drift since 2008, the researchers said.
Persistence of the endemic clade, its increased binding affinity in human cells, and the emergence of a new H5N1 endemic clade cluster in 2015 may be the result of poor avian vaccination practices and wide geographic distribution of the virus in Egypt, the authors said.
Mar 22 Virol J study