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www.issapharma.org > H1N1 D225G mutation a reason of concern Part 1

The purpose of these series of articles on the mutation of H1N1 is to give our reader the most up to date information which will allow you to make good, sound educated decisions about your H1N1 flu prevention and care. This is part one of an ongoing series of articles on the mutations that are being reported within the H1N1 influenza virus. We want to be clear to our readers that these isolated mutations have not been transmitted human to human. However that does not mean it won’t happen today or tomorrow or that it already has happened but hasn’t been detected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)

The mutation does not appear to spread and the public health significance of the finding is unclear.

 During a web conference on Flu.gov yesterday we asked Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases CDC the following question:

#FluCast Steve from the Examiner: What is the CDC's thinking on the isolated mutations of H1N1 found in Norway and Ukraine?

Dr. Anne Schuchat answered,

The mutations that were described recently are interesting, they suggest that the virus could mutate to potential changes that could lead to more virulence. The mutations though have been seen in mild cases as well as severe cases in Norway and Ukraine and so the jury is not out yet on whether that mutation is going to be common to spread to a lot of people and lead to differences in the severity of disease. So it’s an important result but doesn’t yet have public health implications.

Both the CDC and WHO have stated these mutations have not spread from human to human. However both agencies have not ruled out that these mutations will begin to spread. Also it has been reported that this mutation causes a more severe illness like bleeding in the lungs which can completely destroy the lungs. The mutation is not inclusive to the severe form of H1N1 infection; these mutations have been found in mild cases.

Reports we are getting out the Ukraine are very concerning, but are not limited to just the Ukraine, Norway, China and Brazil have also isolated the same mutation and have reported similar symptoms. The concerns at this time are 2 fold, the severe symptoms that accompany an H1N1 mutated infection and the location of the mutation itself. First we will discuss the location of the mutation and the significance of that mutation. The WHO has isolated a mutation on receptor binding domain D225G which is the exact same receptor binding domain that had mutated in the Spanish Flu virus of the 1918 pandemic. The 1918 pandemic killed approximately 50 million people with 18 million of these individuals dying in drought stricken India. See El Niño’s influence on the 1918 pandemic. Here is a great site on the 1918 pandemic, The Great Pandemic take some time and read over this site it will put into perspective the risk we face if the pandemic of 2009 mutates into a more virulent type. The D225G mutation in the H1N1 attaches to the same area and affects the virus in the same way as the same mutation in the Spanish Flu of 1918.  The question is will this mutated strain be passed on human to human as the 1918 mutated virus did. The biggest concern at this time is the severity of illness the mutated version of H1N1 causes. The main cause of death in the Ukraine D225G mutation has been bleeding on the lung which leads to total destruction of the lung tissue. Similar findings were seen in the 1918 pandemic. The infection gets deep into the bases of the lungs and causes a catastrophic cascading chemical reaction to take place.

From Recombinomics.com

Thus, there was and is ample evidence of D225G in severe and fatal cases.  Like 1918, it is not in all samples from fatal cases, and as with all infectious disease, not all infections are fatal.  If the initial dose is low, or the hosts mounts and effective early defense, the clinical course may be mild, as has been seen with virtually all influenza infections, including H5N1 infections such as those in Egypt.

 What we can take from this news is the importance of being vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza. Although the first vaccine does not target the mutated H1N1 strain, it will provide some immune response if you are exposed to a mutated H1N1 strain. This will help individuals mount an early defense to an H1N1 mutated infection and help keep symptoms mild and prevent death. We will have a more detailed explanation on the D225G mutation tomorrow and any breaking news on the pandemic of 2009. See article on Tamiflu resistance.

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