Water fowl – Infinite host of H1N1 virus.
Bogor, West Java – Water fowls such as duck and swan are permanent host of influenza A virus, as well as novel H1N1 subtype – known also as Mexico flu – which is emerging in several countries.
“Water fowl can be said as permanent reservoir. This virus (influenza A) doesn’t cause any illness in birds, but when it jumps to pig – as pig acts as ‘mixing vessel’ – the virus turns to more virulent”, said the Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), Dr I Wayan Teguh Wibawan, DVM in Bogor, Friday.
Actually, he added, this influenza A H1N1 subtype is not always has a same severity level as Mexico flu.
In the case of Mexico flu, described Wayan, H1N1 virus inside pig’s body utilizes the genome of other influenza A virus derived from several host species – in this case is human and avian virus – a process called as reassortant.
World Health Organisation (WHO) – up to 19 May 2009 – reported total 9830 Mexico flu infection cases in 40 countries with 79 fatalities.
Wayan also mentioned that restriction of pig traffic is not necessarily efficient, “The most important is to avoid transmission among human”, he said.
Up to the present moment, there is no report about H1N1 virus transmission from pig to human. “Contrary, human has transmitted the disease to pig”, added Wayan.
Source: Indonesia News Office, ANTARA.
http://www.antara.co.id/arc/2009/5/22/unggas-air-inang-abadi-virus-h1n1/
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