Swine Flu : Swine flu is also known as H1N1 virus. It is like a new strain of influenza, because its symptoms are similar to normal flu. It is a disease that occurs in pigs, which was first found in humans in the year 2009. Its infection rate in humans is very fast from one person to another. There are also H1N2 and H1N3 variants of swine flu, which do not spread as fast in humans. Their cases are also very less but now a new study has warned about H1N2. It has been described as the next epidemic. Let’s know what the study says…
what the study says
A recent study, which used both in vitro and in vivo methods to assess the pandemic risk of swine IAVs following the H1N1 pandemic, found that H1N2 had pandemic potential.
What the study revealed
Previous studies have shown that representatives of the H1N2 clade had antigenic distance from human vaccine strains, leading to transmission from pigs to ferrets and identification of human sera. The results showed that cross-neutralizing antibodies against H1N2 in H1N1 or H3N2 ferrets were not detected in human sera. Varying levels of anti-N2 antibodies were identified. This study found that this NA-based immunity may provide some level of protection.
how can it affect humans
The researchers of this study found that previous research shows that prior immunity can affect susceptibility to heterosubtypic viruses and that neutralizing antibodies do not affect such immunity.
H1N2 was successfully spread to ferrets through the air despite their immunity. Immunity to seasonal viruses in humans was found to have no effect on protection against H1N2 airborne infection. This study found that H1N2 virus strains may pose a greater pandemic risk than H1N1 strains.
Disclaimer: Some of the information given in the news is based on media reports. Before implementing any suggestion, please consult the concerned expert.
read this also: Do you also make this mistake while buying bananas? Know how a small negligence can become your enemy
Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
