Influenza A H1N1pdm 2009 Virus in Paraguay: Nucleotide Point Mutations in Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase Genes are not Associated with Drug Resistance.

Influenza virus is associated with upper respiratory tract infections. The fourth influenza pandemic was declared in 2009. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic variability of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus circulating in Paraguay. Nasal swabs were collected from 181 patients with flu symptoms managed at the Hospital of the Medical School in Asunción, Paraguay, between August and October 2009. Virus detection was carried out by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, followed by sequencing of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes, and phylogenetic analysis. H1N1pdm09 was detected in 14.9% (27/181) of the suspected cases. Analysis of 13 samples showed that these viruses the clustered in a single genetic group. Neither the mutation related to exacerbation of disease (D239G in hemagglutinin) nor that related to antiviral resistance (H275Y in neuraminidase), both detected in neighboring countries, were found. This genetic analysis of H1N1pdm09 will help to understand the spread of the disease.

Genome Stability of Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Based on Analysis of Hemagglutinin and Neuraminidase Genes.

Influenza A virus (H1N1), which arose in 2009, constituted the fourth pandemic after the cases of 1918, 1957, and 1968. This new variant was formed by a triple reassortment, with genomic segments from swine, avian, and human influenza origins. The objective of this study was to analyze sequences of hemagglutinin (n=2038) and neuraminidase (n=1273) genes, in order to assess the extent of diversity among circulating 2009-2010 strains, estimate if these genes evolved through positive, negative, or neutral selection models of evolution during the pandemic phase, and analyze the worldwide percentage of detection of important amino acid mutations that could enhance the viral performance, such as transmissibility or resistance to drugs. A continuous surveillance by public health authorities will be critical to monitor the appearance of new influenza variants, especially in animal reservoirs such as swine and birds, in order to prevent the potential animal-human transmission of viruses with pandemic potential.

Cientistas em ação: mais tempo e pesquisas são indispensáveis para desvendar o vírus A (H1N1) / Scientists in action: more time and research essential for uncovering the A (H1N1) virus

Responsável pelo Laboratório de Vírus Respiratórios e Sarampo daFundação Oswaldo Cruz, Marilda Mendonça Siqueira comenta asestratégias dos órgãos públicos de saúde que conseguiram adiar aentrada do vírus no Brasil, bem como o colapso das redes deatendimento em épocas de crise. Destaca que, no momento inicial daepidemia, o número de contaminados no México e Chile eraassustador, o que justificou o alerta máximo como medida de prevençãoem nosso país. Explica que o H1N1 é um rearranjo genômico de trêsespécies diferentes do vírus û aviário, humano e suíno û e que ninguémainda havia a ele se exposto, daí o alarme quando começaram ascontaminações. Comenta também sobre a curiosidade científica emtorno do vírus e a necessidade de prosseguir com estudos que vêmsendo realizados.

La pandemia y el pandemonio de la influenza A (H1N1) en el Perú / Pandemic H1N1 influenza and its pandemonium in Peru

Se presenta el desarrollo de la epidemia del virus influenza A (H1N1) en el país. La prense tuvo un papel importante en dar a conocer los alcances de la epidemia pero con su estilo alarmista contribuyó a crear una situación de incertidumbre, ya que esta epidemia se comportó como de intensidad leve a moderada. Las instituciones de salud pública se comportaron de acuerdo a las circunstancias y muchas veces pareció hacer eco de la prensa alarmista y de algunas sobreestimaciones en cuanto al verdadero impacto de la epidemia.

It is shown the development of the influenza A (H1N1) epidemics in our country. The mass media had an important role in to make known the extent of the epidemics but with its alarmist style contributed to create a state of uncertainty despite of the mild to moderate intensity of the epidemics. The public health institutions acted according to the circumstances and, many times, it seemed that they echoed the alarmist mass media and the overestimations of the real impact of the epidemics.

Threat of an influenza panzooty: a review based on conservation medicine

Among reemerging illnesses, influenza constitutes one of the main concerns. The avian influenza has recently demonstrated the strong transmission capacity of the etiological agent -a virus from the Orthomyxoviridae family - associated to high pathogenic manifestations of the illness. The strong mutation capacity of this virus, through different hosts, reveals how important integrated actions aiming at monitoring its presence in different species are. The swine infection represents an additional concern not only in relation to that species but also in relation to the possibility of the virus to mutate and adapt to humans. The elements that determine the pathogenicity of the various viral subtypes must be well understood, for the tools used to control the illness - such as vaccination - may promote viral mutation and thus render the control even more difficult instead of favoring it. The present review aims at characterizing various components involved in the virus maintenance in different species as well as the determinant elements involved in its evolution, from the point of view of Conservation Medicine, which is the branch of science that deals exactly with the interaction among the environment, human beings, and animals, thus creating a holistic vision not only of the problem but also of the coherent and effective actions involved in their solution.

A influenza representa um dos principais temores dentre as doenças re-emergentes. A gripe aviária tem demonstrado atualmente a grande capacidade de transmissão do agente etiológico, um vírus da família Orthomyxoviridae, associada a manifestações da enfermidade com alta patogenicidade. A grande capacidade de mutação deste vírus utilizando diferentes hospedeiros, denota a importância de ações integradas que visam monitorar sua presença em diferentes espécies. A infecção dos suínos determina uma preocupação adicional não apenas para a espécie mas, com possibilidades de mutação e adaptação do vírus aos seres humanos. Os fatores que determinam a patogenicidade dos diferentes subtipos virais devem ser bem compreendidos, pois as ferramentas utilizadas no controle da enfermidade, como vacinação, podem fomentar a mutação viral e com isto dificultar o controle ao invés de favorecê-lo. Esta revisão tem por objetivo caracterizar vários componentes envolvidos na manutenção do vírus em diferentes espécies, bem como os fatores envolvidos em sua evolução, sob a ótica da medicina da conservação, que é um capítulo da ciência que trata justamente das interações entre o ambiente, o ser humano e os animais, criando assim uma visão holística tanto do problema, como das ações coerentes e efetivas envolvidas na resolução do mesmo.