China is known to have the largest population of pigs globally and the new swine flu strain named G4, has genes similar to those in the virus that caused the 2009 flu outbreak.
This study has been published in the US science journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PANS). The 2009 pandemic has impacted 30,000 people globally.
What is the focus of the study?
According to scientists, the new strain (G4) belongs to the family of the H1N1 strain that was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. The study mentioned that pigs are intermediate hosts for the generation of pandemic influenza virus.
Hence the systematic surveillance of influenza viruses in pigs is a key measure for pre-warning the emergence of the next pandemic influenza. It cannot be said if this new strain is transmitted from pigs to humans, can transmit from one human to another.
The scientists suggest that controlling the prevailing G4 Eurasian-Avian like (EA) H1N1 viruses in pigs and closely monitoring human populations, especially workers in the swine industry, should be “urgently implemented”.
What was the strain of the 2009 pandemic?
In 2009, the WHO had declared the outbreak of type A H1N1 influenza virus a pandemic affecting 30,000 people globally. However, the death rate was extremely low.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined swine flu as, “a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Such influenza viruses are commonly found in swine and termed as “swine influenza viruses” or “swine flu viruses”. Basically, this type of virus infects pig but when such a virus infects humans it is called “variant influenza virus”. Human-to-human transmission among variant influenza viruses is limited. Humans have the possibility to get infected if exposed to infected pigs.
What were the symptoms of the disease?
The 2009 pandemic was caused by a strain of the swine flu called the H1N1 virus, which was transmitted from human to human. The symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
Should you be worried?
During the course of the study of such viruses, the scientist community closely monitors the animals which come in contact with humankind and check the possibility of the virus shifting from animal hosts to human hosts. According to scientists, the G4 strain has the capability of binding to human-type receptors much like the SARS-CoV-2 virus binds to ACE2 receptors in humans. Hence this binding ability of the virus can help in transiting the COVID-19 virus in human airway epithelial cells, multiply, infect other human hosts. According to the study, the G4 has shown that it is capable to infect ferrets and G4 aerosol transmission in ferrets is already a reality. However, it is not certain that this new strain, if transmitted from pigs to humans, can transmit from one human to another.