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WHO says probing reports of mutating swine flu virus
Geneva (AFP) Nov 26, 2009 The World Health Organisation said Thursday that it is investigating reports of mutations in the swine flu virus, after half-a-dozen countries recorded cases in which the virus was transforming. "The question is whether these mutations again suggest that there is a fundamental change going on in viruses out there -- whether there's a turn for the worse in terms of severity," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's special adviser on pandemic influenza. "The answer right now is that we are not sure," he added following reports from China, Japan, Norway, Ukraine and the United States. He noted, however, that mutations are common in influenza viruses, and "if every mutation is reported out there it would be like reporting changes in the weather." "What we're tryin to do when we see reports of mutations is to identify if these mutations are leading to any kinds of changes in the clinical picture -- do they cause more severe or less severe disease? "Also we're trying to see if these viruses are increasing out there as that would suggest a change in epidemiology," he added. At the moment, the mutated A(H1N1) virus has been detected both in people with more severe and milder diseases. The "question is whether it's associated with severe diseases more often," said Fukuda. China said earlier Thursday that it had discovered eight people with mutated versions of swine flu while Norway reported last week that it had detected one case. Fukuda also said that the UN health agency was looking into Tamiflu-resistant cases reported in Britain and the United States but noted they concerned people who are already undergoing treatment for other diseases or who have underlying health issues. The health agency was therefore maintaining its assessment that Tamiflu, produced by Swiss drugmaker Roche, remained "effective" as a treatment for swine flu, but that "we do have to be vigilant in these very susceptible people." Share This Article With Planet Earth
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French swine flu 'accelerating', 22 dead in a weekParis (AFP) Nov 26, 2009 Swine flu killed 22 more people over the past week in France, the health minister said Thursday, warning that the spread of the virus was speeding up here. "We have already said it, but this time, in a more brutal fashion, the H1N1 epidemic is accelerating," Roselyne Bachelot told reporters, adding that the death toll in mainland France now stood at 68. "We were on a rhythm of eight to ... read more |
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