UPSCpedia: Scienopedia - H5N1

• H5N1, also known as "bird flu", is a subtype of the influenza A virus which can cause illness in humans and many other animal species.
• It is enzootic in many bird populations, especially in Southeast Asia. One strain of HPAI A(H5N1) is spreading globally after first appearing in Asia.
• On December 9, 2010 the WHO announced a total of 510 human cases which resulted in the deaths of 303 people since 2003.
• A filtered and purified Influenza A vaccine for humans is being developed and many countries have recommended it be stockpiled so, if an Avian influenza pandemic starts jumping to humans, the vaccine can quickly be administered to avoid loss of life. Avian influenza is sometimes called avian flu, and commonly bird flu.
• A novel highly contagious strain of H5N1 was created by Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who first presented his work to the public at an influenza conference in Malta in September 2011. Five mutations were introduced into the H5N1 genome and the virus was then bred by passing if from the noses of infected ferrets to the noses of uninfected ones, which was repeated 10 times. Fouchier described the result as "probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make".
• Genetic analysis has identified six subclades of clade 2, three of which have a distinct geographic distribution and have been implicated in human infections: Map
  • Subclade 1, Indonesia
  • Subclade 2, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (called EMA)
  • Subclade 3, China"
• There is no highly effective treatment for H5N1 flu, but oseltamivir (commercially marketed by Roche as Tamiflu), can sometimes inhibit the influenza virus from spreading inside the user's body. This drug has become a focus for some governments and organizations trying to prepare for a possible H5N1 pandemic