H1N1 co-infecting and co-transmitting with H5N1

I have always liked to keep well informed on topics of such nature and this makes me nervous.

www.recombinomics.com...

A 35 year-old Italian tourist is one of three people believed to have been infected with A(H1N1) virus, or swine flu, as well as the H5N1 virus, known as avian flu. The patients are recovering in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada, said Mohammed Rifai, director general of preventive medicine. Rifai also spoke of a 28-year-old man who tested positive for both viruses, after arriving at the port of Safaga after a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. "We are waiting the results of the tests that have already been carried out in some patients suspected of having been infected by the H5N1 and the A(H1N1)," said World Health Organisation spokesman Gregory Hartl in an interview with Adnkronos Salute.
The above comments raise concerns of co-infections of pandemic H1N1 and H5N1, as well as human to human co-transmission. This development would create serious pandemic concerns.

The fact that they are infecting people together increases the chance of a major pandemic occurring. Not this moderate pandemic but a severe one. I try not to be gloom and doom but this is a cause for great concern because the worst case scenario pandemic is now more likely because they could mix together.. Comments?

[edit on 2-9-2009 by LoneInDarkness]

reply to post by LoneInDarkness


Do we know if these people received a flu vaccine before they became ill?

Originally posted by Egyptia
reply to post by LoneInDarkness

 

Do we know if these people received a flu vaccine before they became ill?

Not that I know of. It is plausible but difficult to track. Either way it is a scary condition you know? Swine flu isn't deadly but spreads efficiently, bird flu is very deadly and doesnt really spread at all. We can't afford for them to mix. It would be a horrible scenario that we would have to live in.

reply to post by LoneInDarkness


Good find OP. From your link

Confirmation that these three patients have co-infections of H5N1 and H1N1 (or swine and seasonal H1N1) would be useful.

And this is the real question they are asking. Is this the Novel H1N1 or the regular seasonal H1N1? H1N1 has been around for many years. Not so this new one. None the less, this is one of the scenarios that has been a concern. H5N1 infects someone with a common flu and mutates to allow H5N1 to cross more readily between humans.

I know everynight this week on the local news there has been a report of someone dying from the swine flu. Tonight it was a young boy that got sick Monday and died today... we should all be concerned!!!!

[edit on 2-9-2009 by Greenize]

reply to post by liveandlearn



Thanks! It could be just normal seasonal H1N1. Hopefully just that. Hopefully it isn't as bad as it could be. I just don't like the chances. Too many risks from something like this. They need to get this under control asap and do some research. It could be potentially very dangerous.

Wasn't it mere hours ago that the CDC tried to assuage our fears, stating that H1N1 wouldn't mutate into something life-threatening.

And now this?

H1N1 wasn't deadly enough, and now, coincidentally, we have bird flu communicable in humans.

But, let me guess... the vaccine - untried, untested, unaccountable - can be used for both?

If so, then that's insanely convenient, isn't it?

reply to post by orderedchaos


We may have a bird flu virus co-transmitting with H1N1. Time will tell. Hopefully no new cases appear and there is no significant rise in deaths in Egypt. I will most definitely be keeping a close eye on that one now.

reply to post by LoneInDarkness


My concern is this

Rifai also spoke of a 28-year-old man who tested positive for both viruses, after arriving at the port of Safaga after a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

So this person has traveled. And

The presence of both viruses in multiple individuals identified over a brief time period suggests the viruses are efficiently co-transmitting, which creates serious concerns due to co-infections, or exchanges of genetic information via reassortment or recombination.

I have been largely indifferent to this virus until this. Very concerning.

Originally posted by liveandlearn
reply to post by LoneInDarkness

 

My concern is this

Rifai also spoke of a 28-year-old man who tested positive for both viruses, after arriving at the port of Safaga after a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

So this person has traveled. And

The presence of both viruses in multiple individuals identified over a brief time period suggests the viruses are efficiently co-transmitting, which creates serious concerns due to co-infections, or exchanges of genetic information via reassortment or recombination.

I have been largely indifferent to this virus until this. Very concerning.

Exactly my thoughts, for once I am quite afraid of the possibilities. Reminds me too much of the beginning reports of disease in Mexico.. Is there anyone who can care to explain to me more clearly what co-transmition actually entails. So I and anyone else can understand the difference between an actual new strain of H5N1 and it just tagging a long with H1N1

I do believe that this has been the fear all along: that once a person harbors both viruses at the same time, those two can beg and borrow from each other (not sure of the mechanics of virus multiplication) and come up with a super virus that is both deadly and easily transmittable between persons.

The person's body is the laboratory where the viruses can mix. The more people there are that get both, the more the likelihood that something deadly could come out of it.

I wouldn't panic, but for sure we have to keep an eye on the possibility of this happening.

reply to post by LoneInDarkness


To put it simply, the viruses are transmitting back and forth amongst each other.

The best I can recall, H5N1 had a marker that most humans don't carry, but if it picks up the marker for most humans from another virus then it becomes a problem and human to human becomes more likely.

wayno- Yeah I am not going to panic just give it a very keen eye. This is something to be watched closely, now if only the WHO would do there damn job!

liveandlearn- Thanks, lets hope they don't pass along that information... and lets hope for the best.