D225G In First 2010 H1N1 Sequence
Recombinomics Commentary 03:42
January 27, 2010

The State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector in Novosibirsk, Russia has released the first 2010 H1N1 sequence, A/Karasuk/01/2010, of the 2009//2010 pandemic, which has D225G, matching the events in the 1918/1919 pandemic where the first 1919 H1N1 sequence, A/London/1/1919, also had D225G.

The presence of D225G in the Karasuk isolate was not a surprise.  Recent sequences from nearby Tomsk also had D225G, which has been linked to fatal cases in Russia.  Many of these sequences are related to sequences in Ukraine, where 29 of the 30 isolates with D225G/D225N have been from fatal cases.  Moreover, many of these new sequences were released in January and late December from November/December cases.

The rise in cases with D225G/N have been a concern, which has increased by the recently released sequences from Ukraine, as well as sequences from a Tamiflu resistant fatal outbreak at Duke Medical center which also involved D225G/N.

In Ukraine, schools have been closed in Donetsk, the oblast with the largest number of fatalities, raising concerns that a new wave will have a higher frequency of D225G.

One of the early isolates from Ukraine was found to be a low reactor and the only non-synonymous HA change was D225G, raising concerns that the polymorphism will be selected in upcoming outbreaks

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