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NY Times on Enduring H5N1 Problem
The NY Times article above warns of the continuing avian flu problem and calls for efforts to reduce the circulation of infected birds. However, the situation is significanyly worse than described in published reports. The virus that circulated in Vietnam and Thailand last season had picked up human and swine sequences and was Amantadine resistant. The recombination has already happened.
Now the virus is re-emerging early, with reports of dead pigs in Northern Thailand as well as dead greyhounds , infected with H3N8 (equine influenza), in Florida. H3N8 sequences have also been found in H5N1 isolates in southeast Asia. The virus continues to recombine and expand its host range and tissue tropism. The gentic instability continues to increase, as the reservoire expands into mammalian populations, including humans.