No major change in A(H1NI) virus: doctors

[Ronan Kelly]

No major change in A(H1NI) virus: doctors

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: Even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) is studying a mutation of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus recently detected in several countries and leading to fears of a more virulent second outbreak, scientists studying the virus in Bangalore say so far they have not detected any major mutation.

?The influenza virus is known to mutate. But there are no mutations so far to cause a more severe form of the A(H1N1) flu. The clinical severity of the mutation is yet to be analysed,? said Reeta Mani, Associate Professor at the Department of Neurovirology, NIMHANS.

Speaking at the Continuing Medical Education (CME) conference on Pulmonary Pathology organised by Command Hospital Air Force here on Saturday, Dr. Mani said NIMHANS had not yet started the virus isolation. A panel discussion that followed the conference discussed all aspects of the virus and measures to check its spread.

In his presentation, Wing Commander Ajay Handa, also Professor and Classified Specialist (Medicine) at Command Hospital, said although resistance to Tamiflu is very rare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had authorised the use of intravenous Peramivir, a new drug, under an Emergency Use Authorisation. Wing Commander Vanmalini Tewari, Professor and Classified Specialist (Pathology) at the hospital, spoke on the laboratory diagnosis of A(H1N1) infection. ?Of the 208 samples that have been tested at our laboratory, 36 tested positive.?

Meanwhile, the swine flu death toll touched 130 with four deaths reported in the last one week. Five persons tested positive on Saturday.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/20/stories/2009122050190100.htm

Ro's comment: An unclear statement (bolded). Somewhat contradictory.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: No major change in A(H1NI) virus: doctors

NIV allays fears on mutation of H1N1 virus
SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
Friday, January 01, 2010 AT 01:45 AM (IST)
Tags: Pune, H1N1, NIV
PUNE: Assuaging the fears of H1N1 virus intensifying due to the regular reporting of deaths, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) on Thursday said there is no significant mutation of the virus observed and the second wave of the virus is not expected before next monsoon.



?Even though deaths caused by H1N1 continue even four months after the first death, the situation is not alarming. We haven't observed any substantial mutation of the virus even after all these months,? NIV director AC Mishra told Sakaal Times.



He said that the transmission of the virus had remained ?fairly? stable during the year since its outbreak in the city. Due to this, the death rate rate has also remained stable. ?We can't compare the situation here with that in the West. There is a huge difference in conditions. They have just two seasons - summer and winter. The topography and population distribution is also different,? Mishra said.



The NIV director said that there was no possibility of outbreak of second wave of H1N1 as the first cycle of influenza was still prevailing.



?Our influenza cycle starts from monsoon and prevails till the end of winter. There is a lull during summer and it again revives in the monsoon. With this fact, we can say that the first cycle of H1N1 is yet to end. In India, H1N1 first surfaced during this year's monsoon. Once the second cycle revives with the onset of next monsoon, we will then be able to compare the behaviour of the virus with the two seasons,? he said.



It is only after the comparison that one would know whether the virus has zoomed up, declined or disappeared.



?In fact in 2010, our primary focus will be to understand the transmission dynamics of H1N1. Along with it, issues on our list are improvement of infrastructure - inside and outside the Institute. We have to develop more testing centres, more dedicated beds in hospitals. We have to also watch out for mutation challenges - right from patient care to providing data to the government to mitigate the pandemic-like changes in virus, vaccine development and assessing its impact,? Mishra said.



He said that all these would depend upon the assessment of virus behaviour. The NIV head also said there was no harm in importing vaccines from the West. But there must be feasibility checks before usage.



?Fear of the vaccine?s side-effects has not deterred the West from using it. Which means that vaccines are necessary. But they should not be used blindly. Their feasibility and suitability in Indian conditions must be evaluated before usage,? he said.Looking back at 2009, which kept NIV in the news for most part of the year due to H1N1, Mishra said that it was a challenging year.



?2009 was a challenge for us. We are happy to have been able to take up the challenge and deliver the desired results. There were no lacunae in our performance,? NIV head said.



H1N1 CLAIMS THREE LIVES, DIST TOLL NOW 149

- H1N1 flu claimed three more lives in the past two days, state health officials reported on Thursday, pushing the death toll in Pune district to 149.

Six-year-old Pranay Bhise from Hadapsar and Rajeev Verma from Keshav Nagar, Mudhwa died at Sassoon Hospital on Thursday, while three-year-old Hrutumesh Kamble, who was undergoing treatment at Aditya Birla Hospital in Chinchwad died on Wednesday. The virus so far has claimed over 267 lives in the state. Meanwhile, 21 patients are admitted at intensive care units of various hospitals and two of them are on ventilators, an official press release said. Twenty positive cases were found during H1N1 screening in the city on Wednesday, while 70 patients were admitted to hospitals in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. A total of 5,031 persons were screened on Wednesday, taking the total number of persons screened for H1N1 virus so far to over 9.05 lakh. Till date, 8,184 persons have been discharged from hospitals after medication, a release said.



NIV GOALS: 2010

- Study H1N1 transmission dynamics

- Help improvement of infrastructure

- Develop more H1N1 testing centres

- More dedicated beds in hospitals

- Watch out for mutation challenges

- Help govt mitigate the pandemic - Assessing the impact of vaccines
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100101/5100383354803877386.htm