H1N1 mutation, anyone know enough to explain?

[LuvOrlando]

So I ran into my retired RN MIL today in the yard and she scared the crud out of me because she told me there is a new mutation to H1N1. I checked the internet and I can't make sense of what I am reading. Is the 'new' mutation actually a genuinely new thing or is this simply a 'new' discovery of a gene mutation that existed last year which may explain the more lethal cases? Two very different scenarios but what I'm reading seems to tell of a new discovery, not a new mutation.

IF they are talking about a discovery which can explain such severe disease in some patients last year I'm less worried. My reason is because although my DD nearly died last year from the more extreme form and it didn't actually spread within the household. I know it didn't spread because 1 month later myself, my DH and my son all got the less dangerous kind which spread like wildfire but which didn't make us nearly as sick as DD was while my daughter remained blissfully untouched by our little outbreak. From what I saw her form gave her immunity but wasn't easily spread while what we had was easily spread but not as dangerous. I don't know, on the other hand, if the less dangerous kind gives any immunity to the more severe kind, just that it seemed less inclined to spread. I would be curious if any households had an outbreak with the less severe kind where someone was reinfected a second time by the more dangerous kind. For what it's worth, both of my kids had their immune systems tested in February and had very high titers.

On the other hand, if there is another mutation totally independent of what happened last year I want to know about it just so I can keep a close eye on my kids. REALLY close because unless they tell me last years gives us immunity I'm in the same place again.

Uggh, anyone out there staying on top of this and know what's what? I just want to know if my MIL misunderstood what she heard or if I just can't find what she is talking about.

 

[golfgal]

The flu virus mutates every year, part of why there is a new vaccine every year. Last year the H1N1 was a new flu virus altogether.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

I haven't been keeping up, but this definitely got my interest.
Viruses mutate all the time. As they copy, some of the information changes. Not sure why, but it does. Mutations happen in every organism and type of virus.

I doubt it's anything extremely serious, but since it's not such a big deal in the media, I'm going to guess that it's just a gene that's changed from the existing virus.

 

[Aristocath]

As a PP pointed out, the flu virus mutates not only every year but within the flu season as well. A few years ago my book club read The Great Influenza. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested or concerned with the flu.

 

[DawnCt1]

According to DH, "The usual seasonal drift but nothing substantial".

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I found this from today:

http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=13385320

better detail:

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1936175/new_h1n1_strain_reported/

 

[WheresFigment?]

Without having read the specific information you're referring to, both the possibilities you presented are possible. Many researchers will have been working with the virus from last year.

Mutations are common in viruses (well, organisms of all types, really). What we call H1N1 is a virus subtype of Influenza A-- that is to say, it is related to the "flu virus" we all know about. Another example of a subtype would be H5N1, which is "bird flu". What we call "swine flu" (Influenza A (H1N1/09)) is really a motley mixture of varius flu virus DNA, four different ones to be exact.

A mutation would be common, my guess is that a new mutation was found in the regions that differentiate the 2009 H1N1 from previously known swine based H1N1-- perhaps in the NA or M coding regions, which are of interest because they are of european origin in the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.

 

[luvmy3]

As a PP pointed out, the flu virus mutates not only every year but within the flu season as well. A few years ago my book club read The Great Influenza. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested or concerned with the flu.

I read this last year during the whole H1N1 scare, I recommend it too.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So is everyone talking about the mutation termed D222G in a protein on the surface of the virus? In this article it sounds like this particular variation was floating around last year and they just realized it now.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101022110819

BUT then the other articles posted by pansmermaidzlagoon sound like they could be about something totally different.

Are there 2 things going on or just 1?

 

[laurie31]

They are two different things. The mutation termed D222G was a variant in the 2009 virus.

The new information, released just a few days ago from what I can tell, is that a new mutation has been identified in the Southern Hemisphere, which is just finishing up with winter. As others have said, this was to be expected, which is why they were watching for it to happen.

http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19692

A new genetic variant of the pandemic influenza (H1N1) virus has emerged in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand in the second and third quarters of 2010 that does not appear at this stage to represent a significant antigenic change for the virus. However, it may represent the start of more dramatic antigenic drift of the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) viruses that may require a vaccine update sooner than might have been expected, with a new human influenza virus.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information

Please note that the article says that it "does not appear at this stage to represent a significant antigenic change" so this means the current vaccine should protect us against this new variant, as far as anyone knows at this time. It seems to be "normal drift" as Dawn's DH put it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

OK, I hope the changes won't lead to any more trouble right here and now but as we all learned, that can change pretty quickly. With that in mind, speaking of the mutations, has anyone heard anything about the new technologies they are supposed working on to try and speed up the turn around of these vaccines? I think we all already saw how painfully inadequate what we have now was in the face of a new problem, I hope that now that the flame is back to a simmer folks don't forget to keep cooking, KWIM.

If I remember properly, one of the biggest problems last year was the time constraints of the 'normal' egg based procedure. Then I remember hearing that our government was considering research towards other vaccine creating procedures which were supposed to shorten the turn around considerably. I believe I read that the US tapped a few Pharmas already knee deep in research to try and speed up their research but since then I've heard nothing. I wonder how things are going with all of that?

I think the procedure in question is the kind used with Celtura which is being tried in Europe but I'm not positive.... anyone else remember any of this?