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Commentary
CDC
Acknowledges H3N2v Human to Human Transmission
Recombinomics
Commentary 21:00
August 24, 2012
The above comments are from the CDC August 24 update, which acknowledges limited human to human (H2H) transmission of H3N2v as noted above. However, this approach of following the CDC biased sample who had extensive swine contact severely limits investigation. Most families with H2H transmission will be excluded, because family members had some sort ofg swine exposure. The CDC approach is similar to other countries limiting confirmed cases of H5N1 by limiting testing. Moreover, the 2012 cases are due to the sub-clade initially identified in a West Virginia cay care center where there was no swine exposure, yet ILI was identifed in 23 contacts of the index case, so extenisive H2H has already been demonstrated for this sub-clade.
The CDC has used a heavily biased sample of cases with ILI and swine exposure to identify a pseudo-link that has no scientific basis. Similarly, they misrepresent the USDA data which heavily discounts swine H3N2 transmission to humans, because the sub-clade that is widespread in swine in 2012 has not produce a single sequenced case, while all sequenced human cases in 2012 are caused by a sub-clade that has only been detected in two swine prior to the July explosion of cases.
Although the CDC now says physicians should “consider” collecting samples from ILI cases without swine contact, such cases have already been identified in Kentucky and West Virginia in areas near the Gallia, Ohio outbreak which involved more than 200 H3N2v cases. In Kentucky 6 cases have been H3 confirmed by the CDC RT-PCR test, but questions concerning CDC verification of these cases, which were called “seasonal” H3 by Kentucky have not been answered by Kentucky or the CDC. West Virginia has acknowledged similar cases in Mason County, which is adjacent to Gallia County.
These H3 “seasonal” cases have no swine contact and are not epidemiologically linked. Therefore, confirmation of H3N2v in two of the H3 “seasonal” cases would mimic the results for the first two H1N1pdm09 cases in 2009 where they were infected with the same swine influenza bit had no contact with swine or each other.
However, the CDC has not asked for the “seasonal” H3 samples from West Virginia, and won’t respond to repeated voice and e-mail questions regarding Kentucky.
It is well known that the CDC RT-PCR test can false serotype H3N2v as seasonal H3, and confirmation of a seasonal diagnosis requires antigen characterization tests or sequencing,
The CDC failure to test or report results of testing of these “seasonal’ H3 cases continues to be hazardous to the world’s health.
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