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H5 Confirmed in Austria
Recombinomics Commentary
February 14, 2006
Austria becomes the fourth EU nation to be hit by bird flu, after Greece, Italy and Slovenia.
``The Austrian authorities have informed the European Commission this afternoon of a confirmed case of the H5 avian influenza virus in two dead swans found in the region of Stiria, near to the city of Graz,'' the commission said. ``Further tests will now be carried out.''
The H5 detected in Austria, like the three other EU countries mentioned above, will almost certainly test as H5N1. H5N1 has been detected in dead swans throughout the region (see map) and many of the reports have come out in the past few days.
However, the H5N1 traces back to Qinghai Lake and has been in Europe for many months. Many countries denied the presence of H5N1 previously, while others continue to deny the presence of the lethal virus.
H5N1 has spread throughout the region previously, and now is being detected in non-migratory birds. However, the presence of H5N1 in Nigeria, including the East Atlantic Flyway, indicates H5N1 will be more widespread in Europe in the upcoming months.
When H5N1 migrated into the Middle East, a change in the receptor binding domain was detected. This change, S227N, led to human cases and clusters in Turkey.
H5N1 will soon be migrating into Western Europe and North America, providing new opportunities for new recombinations. These changes are cause for concern.
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