Influenza Virus Mashup

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cottontop

Flu News Network is being redesigned. I’m hoping to have it completed by tomorrow. Check back to see the new look, and new features.

Thanks for stopping by
cottontop

Via Reuters, a report by Tan Ee Lyn, a veteran flu reporter: Bird flu deaths in Asia prompt call for scrutiny. Excerpt:

Virologists warned on Tuesday that there was no vaccine against a mutant strain of H5N1 bird flu now spreading in China and Vietnam and called for closer monitoring of the disease in poultry and wild birds to stop it spreading to people. 

The call came after the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday of a possible resurgence of bird flu and said a mutant strain of the H5N1 was spreading in Asia and beyond. 

While scientists are uncertain if this new strain — called H5N1-2.3.2.1 — is more virulent in people, they said it was different enough from its predecessor to escape a human H5N1 vaccine that can tackle the parent strain. 

"There is a human H5N1 vaccine candidate that is a (WHO) recommended vaccine … But it doesn't confer full protection against the (new variant)," said leading virologist Malik Peiris at the University of Hong Kong. 

"But that is not unusual. H5 viruses keep changing and we have to change the vaccine strain."

(Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:24:00 +0000)

# 5799

We’ve already seen statements from the FAO (see FAO Warns On Bird Flu) and the World Health Organization (see WHO Statement On New Bird Flu Clade) regarding this week’s big bird flu news.  

Now it is the OIE’s (World Organisation For Animal Health) turn.

My thanks go to Giuseppe Michieli who posted the link to this OIE statement on FluTrackers today.

Avian influenza H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1

Paris, 31 August 2011 – OIE closely follows the evolution of avian influenza in domestic and wild birds around the world, and acknowledges the recent identification of an H5N1 virus described as clade 2.3.2.1.

 

Small genetic changes are known to routinely occur in influenza A viruses, including those that may affect humans or animals. The emergence of the H5N1 virus, such as clade 2.3.2.1 is one of such genetic mutations taking place as part of the natural evolution of the virus. This is not immediate cause for alert but, as with the emergence of any new strain, reinforces the need for sustained monitoring of viruses in animal populations so that changes in viruses circulating in the field are detected at an earliest stage and that most appropriate disease control strategies are chosen to best protect animal and public health.

 

OIE recommends keeping up with active surveillance in bird populations, encouraging national Veterinary Services to be prepared to quickly report and respond to unusual animal disease events that may represent more serious disease in animals or that may pose increased  risk to humans.

 

As is the case with human influenza vaccines whose composition needs to be reviewed every year, avian influenza vaccines need to be regularly tested to check whether they effectively combat the viruses circulating in the field. OIE Reference Laboratories and other partner laboratories are actively involved in ongoing surveillance and development of good quality vaccines that match the viruses of concern. The OIE Reference Laboratory in Harbin, China, has developed a new vaccine seed strain that experimentally protects poultry from the identified H5N1 virus clade 2.3.2.1. This vaccine, once available for field use, will be used in countries where H5N1 virus clade 2.3.2.1 has been identified. Registration and manufacturing of a poultry vaccine with the new seed strain is in progress.

 

OIE and OFFLU’s guidance on early detection and rapid response to animal disease events prove crucial in the prevention and control of animal influenzas, with positive implications for human health. OFFLU is a joint OIE/FAO worldwide network of expertise on avian influenza. It also provides animal influenza data to the World Health Organization regularly to assist with the selection of candidate influenza vaccines for humans.