# 5984
When it comes to flu and/or infectious disease-related reporting, CIDRAP NEWS is high up on my (admittedly) short list of media sources that I consider to be sane, credible, and reliable.
Eschewing hyperbole and unsubstantiated speculation, News Editor Robert Roos & staff writer Lisa Schnirring do a terrific job cutting to the chase, without leaving out important details.
Last night Lisa put together an overview of the emerging trH3N2 story, including some news we’d not seen before; that USDA sponsored surveillance has detected a number of reassortant H3N2 viruses in swine recently, including 8 that display the 2009 H1N1 matrix (M) gene.
This M gene is the same one shared by the trH3N2 virus that has – at last count – infected at least 10 people across four states over the past few months.
At this point I’ll simply step aside and direct you to:
New details emerge in novel H3N2 reports
Lisa Schnirring
Staff Writer
Nov 29, 2011 (CIDRAP News) – New details about the three most recent human infections with a novel swine-origin influenza virus have emerged over the past few days, along with a preliminary report of similar viruses in a few pigs.
If you have not already done so, I would invite you to read Helen Branswell’s terrific SciAm feature from last December called Flu Factories which looks at the potential for novel flu viruses to emerge from the farm.
It is an absolute must read.
Flu Factories
The next pandemic virus may be circulating on U.S. pig farms, but health officials are struggling to see past the front gate
By Helen Branswell | December 27, 2010 |
