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Commentary
Swine
H1N1 in Thailand Raises Concerns
Recombinomics Commentary
12:23
May 12, 2009
The above comments, from a May 9 media report, describe a suspect swine H1N1 case in Thailand. Although the report indicates confirmation requires data from the CDC in Atlanta, researchers deposited a partial HA sequence at Genbank, A/Nonthaburi/102/2009(H1N1), on the same day. This sequence was virtually identical to H1N1 sequences submitted worldwide. Today the H1N1 in Thailand was officially in the media., although not in the llatest WHO update of countries with H1N1 confirmed cases.
This delay in official confirmation, adds to the delay in the official confirmation of a phase 6 pandemic. The WHO has kept the pandemic phase at 5, pending evidence of sustained H1N1 outside of North America. However such transmission is dependent on official confirmations, which lag in many countries, due to test / confirmation issues.
The presence of H1N1 in Thailand raises concerns of co-infections of H1N1 and H5N1. Such co-infections can transfer genetic information from one genome to another, via recombination or reassortment. The swine H1N1 has already acquired human H1N1 polymorphisms circulating in seasonal flu, and additional acquisitions could increase virulence.
Careful monitoring of swine H1N1 worldwide remains critical.
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