New flu strain 'has mutated, become more infectious' : National : DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)
New flu strain 'has mutated, become more infectious'
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The new strain of influenza appears to have mutated to become more infectious for humans, the online edition of science magazine Nature reported Monday, referencing research by a team including Prof. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of Tokyo University's Institute of Medical Science.
The surface of influenza virus particles are covered with thorn-shaped proteins called hemagglutinin (HA), which allows the virus to stick to human cells.
After analyzing multiple samples of the new flu virus, the team ascertained that in some cases the HA of the new H1N1 strain have mutated, allowing the strain to stick to human cells more easily.
According to Kawaoka, the same mutations have been found in HA of the H5N1 strain of influenza, the highly virulent bird flu, which kills about 60 percent of those it infects. Kawaoka said the virus is still in the process of mutating into a form even more infectious to humans.This is something I've been following this week, didn't want to post it until it was confirmed by another source, and now Japan has confirmed it. Also, South America has confirmed that the H1N1 Virus has displaced the spread of the seasonal flu, the majority of their flu cases have been H1N1 only BUT, the CDC say still says it's too soon to say it's displacing the seasonal flu there.Originally Posted by NHK
Here's the latest for total cases/deaths (with the unconfirmed ones too).
P.S. Here's a link to the discovery of the mutation in Brazil this was before Japan actually confirmed the mutation.
With a mutation this fast, I hope people take the time to get supplies and prep their homes, in case they are forcibly quarantined by the government (which means you wont be able to leave your house for a while).