Tuesday, August 6, 2013

First probable person to person transmission of new bird flu virus in China

EurekaAlert:

6-Aug-2013
Contact: Stephanie Burns
sburns@bmj.com
44-020-738-36920
BMJ-British Medical Journal 


Excerpt:

The findings provide the strongest evidence yet of H7N9 transmission between humans, but the authors stress that its ability to transmit itself is "limited and non-sustainable."
-snip-
So does this imply that H7N9 has come one step closer towards adapting fully to humans, ask James Rudge and Richard Coker from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, based in Bangkok, in an accompanying editorial?
Probably not, they say. Limited transmission between humans "is not surprising, and does not necessarily indicate that the virus is on course to develop sustained transmission among humans."

Nevertheless, they point to several traits of H7N9 are of particular concern, and conclude that, while this study might not suggest that H7N9 is any closer to delivering the next pandemic, "it does provide a timely reminder of the need to remain extremely vigilant: the threat posed by H7N9 has by no means passed."

Complete Article:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/bmj-fpp080513.php

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