A Fear is growing of a new resistant super Virus to develop – replacing the Swine Flu
A Fear is growing of a new resistant super Virus
A new and more resistant virus can be formed when the swine flu coincides with the seasonal flu this fall.
The amount of people to be infected by the swine flu might reach new heights during the fall, however the major peak will probably be seen during this winter 2009/10.
Symptoms of the flu are high fewer over 38 degrees, respitory problems and general complaints such as head ace and pain in muscles and joints. These are typical signs of ordinary flu symptoms.
Estimates is that around 20% of the population will be infected by the swine flu, as for normal flu the number is usually around 5%.
An international research team warns against a scenario when the swine flu and the seasonal flu will coincide in various regions around the world (especially Europe). They deem the chance of a more dangerous virus to develop that is more resistant than the swine flu virus.
In the last edition of Science, this research team with a base in the Netherlands presents a scenario where people are infected by both variants of flu virus at the same time and it develops to a new type in their bodies, which then again spreads to others.
This mutation of virus is not a new idea; however the scenario has not been presented broadly before to the public. However this study made by this research team proposes this as a likely scenario to happen when the ordinary flu season starts in various parts of the world.
If the virus takes up genetic properties from each others, it can promote a more aggressive virus. There is a likely risk that we will get a breakout of both viruses at the same time and place, therefore this scenario is not far fetched at all.
Mutations or new development of viruses like this is not unusual, and what make the scenario serious are the properties of the ordinary flu virus. The last flu season was resistant to Tamiflu, as most flu viruses are. However, the Swine flu is rarely resistant to Tamiflu.
Tamiflu is the medication used to treat Swine flu, however if it mutates with the ordinary flu virus, then this medication can be proven to not work, and there is a scenario we do not want to meet now.
There does not be a need for new development, it can be the same virus which only gets a mutation and then the Swine flu virus will be resistant against Tamiflu and other treatments we have found up to today.
It has been assumed that the top of Swine flu epidemic will happen during the winter in Europe and that this will coincide with the ordinary flu season in Europe.
Experts tells that at the moment there is no reason for concern, as a likely scenario would be that one virus will dominate and suppress the other one. In the southern hemisphere the Swine flu virus has suppressed the ordinary flu virus.
The best way of prohibit a new developed virus or mutation is to vaccinate people and there will be available a Swine flu vaccine in various countries soon and some have already made it available. However, since there is not enough of vaccine, the vaccine is offered to critical personnel or health care people in the first round, and then it will remain to be seen how long it lasts to others.
He has a background as civil engineer and geoscientist. He has worked mainly within the oil and gas industry from the mid 1980s. He has written a few fictional novels as well as being the author of some professional litterature within oil and gas sector, he is now an editor of some web sites.
