(Press-News.org) Analysis of mutations of the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center (OSC) has revealed major genetic differences between the virus in its early phase of infection in Japan and in its peak phase. While yielding valuable clues on the genetic origins of drug resistance, the findings also pave the way toward the development of new diagnostic kits for detecting and preventing the spread of global pandemic diseases.
A unique triple combination of bird, swine and human flu viruses, the pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus, first detected in April of 2009, quickly spread from Mexico to locations across the world. By April 2010, outbreaks of the disease at both local and global scales had resulted in roughly 18,000 deaths worldwide, causing serious damage both to human health and on the global economy.
In Japan, the first case of the pandemic was reported on May 9, 2009, thereafter spreading to hundreds of people in Osaka and Kobe and eventually leading to more than 200 deaths in the country. Existing research on the spread of the virus in Japan has provided valuable information on local strains during the early phase of infection and on their classification into different groups. How the pandemic evolved to reach its peak phase of contagion, however, is not yet well understood.
To clarify the genetic basis for this evolution, the OSC group studied 253 samples of the virus collected from the Osaka area during the initial phase (May, 2009) and from the Kansai and Kanto areas during the peak phase (October, 2009 to January 2010) of contagion. Of 20 different mutation groups identified in the peak infection group, analysis revealed that 12 were entirely new to Japan. Rapid mutation of the virus strains was traced to a genome with an extremely high evolutionary rate.
Among the variety of mutants discovered, the researchers were able to pinpoint two mutations which clearly differentiate the early phase and peak phase viruses. They also identified mutations in some viruses which confer resistance to Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), one of the most widely-used antiviral drugs. Published in the journal PLoS ONE, the findings together mark a major advance in efforts to understand the genetic origins of the 2009 A(H1N1) virus, and a key step in OSC-centered efforts to develop on-site detection techniques for controlling infection of deadly pandemics.
INFORMATION:
New study sheds light on evolution of 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) virus in Japan
2011-04-26
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
DIG Coaching Practice presents a review of non-medication treatments for adults with ADHD with host Jeff Copper and Dr. J. Russell Ramsay on Attention Talk Radio.
2011-04-26
DIG Coaching Practice presents Attention Talk Radio with a review of non-medication treatments for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Host and attention coach Jeff Copper and Dr. J. Russell Ramsay, psychologist, discuss Dr. Ramsay's insight on alternative treatments to help manage ADHD more effectively when medications are not possible or when they are not sufficient.
Dr. Russell Ramsay is currently co-director of the University of Pennsylvania Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program and an associate professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry ...
Phoenix Construction Company Gives Back to Local Community
2011-04-26
It was nothing short of a miracle in local Phoenix resident, Rose Bueno's eyes this past Wednesday as she experienced an extraordinary and unique gift of essential home repairs. Rose and her family were living under a leaky roof in need of major work. Through Chicanos Por La Causa, an agency that promotes the well being of Arizona's socially and economically deprived communities, Rose reached out for help. Tony Ardizzone, CEO and Founder of ZZone Construction, heard of Rose's tragic story. The story of a woman facing family hardship, financial struggle and personal loss. ...
Psychologists find unintentional racial biases may affect economic and trust decisions
2011-04-26
Psychologists have found that people may make economic and trust decisions based on unconscious or unintentional racial biases. The study, conducted in the laboratory of New York University Professor Elizabeth Phelps, is published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Decisions in the worlds of business, law, education, medicine, and even more ordinary daily interactions between individuals, all rely on trust," the researchers wrote. "In an increasingly globalized economy, that trust must be forged between individuals who differ ...
Pelvic organs given the slip by the protein fibulin-5
2011-04-26
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disabling condition that affects almost 50% of women over the age of 50. It occurs when the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman's pelvic organs weaken such that the pelvic organs slip out of place, often protruding into the vagina. For many affected women, treatment involves surgery. Defining the molecular mechanisms underlying POP could provide targets for nonsurgical approaches to treating the condition. In this context, a team of researchers, led by Hiromi Yanagisawa, at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, ...
Florida-Based Tarpaflex Offers Red Heavy Duty Tarps at Low Prices
2011-04-26
Tarpaulin and canopy supplier Tarpaflex offers its line of red heavy duty tarps to customers seeking high-quality coverings at affordable prices. With prices ranging from $5 to $150 depending on the desired size, the company makes it a point to provide numerous size options to choose from.
Based in Naples, FL, Tarpaflex makes sure that these tarps can be of valuable use to its customers, may they be in construction, agriculture, boating, camping, or landscaping. The tarp provider has these tear-resistant and water & mildew-proof coverings manufactured to be able ...
JCI table of contents: April 25, 2011
2011-04-26
EDITOR'S PICK: Pelvic organs given the slip by the protein fibulin-5
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disabling condition that affects almost 50% of women over the age of 50. It occurs when the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman's pelvic organs weaken such that the pelvic organs slip out of place, often protruding into the vagina. For many affected women, treatment involves surgery. Defining the molecular mechanisms underlying POP could provide targets for nonsurgical approaches to treating the condition. In this context, a team of researchers, led by Hiromi Yanagisawa, ...
Death rates among those with high blood pressure decreasing, but still high
2011-04-26
Death rates have decreased among people with high blood pressure but remain far higher than in those without it, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
"Mortality rates are going down for everybody with high blood pressure, but despite the availability of several types of medication to reduce blood pressure, there is still a large gap between those with hypertension and those without," said Earl S. Ford, M.D., M.P.H., study author and medical officer with the U.S. Public Health Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ford ...
Womenetics and Porsche Cars North America honor Bouje Publishing's Jennifer Bouani with the 2011 POW! Award
2011-04-26
Womenetics and Porsche Cars North America honor Jennifer Bouani, author and owner of Bouje Publishing, with the 2011 POW! Award for her passion to teach kids entrepreneurship through her children's book series, the Future Business Leaders Series . She mentors parents, educators, and community leaders on how to prepare kids for tomorrow's world by teaching them how to think creatively, turn what they love to do into business ideas, set realistic goals, overcome obstacles, and realize their dreams.
Jennifer Bouani's award-winning books have impacted kids in over 14 countries ...
Targeted agent selumetinib shows promise in biliary cancer
2011-04-26
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The experimental agent selumetinib has shown promising results in people with advanced biliary cancer, according to a multi-institutional clinical trial led by cancer researchers at The Ohio State University.
Selumetinib, also known as AZD6244 (ARRY-142886), blocks a protein called MEK, which cancer cells need to proliferate and survive.
Biliary cancer is a malignancy of cells lining the bile ducts and gall bladder. About 100,000 patients are diagnosed annually worldwide with the disease, representing 15-20 percent of all liver-cancer cases. Most patients ...
Streptococci and E. coli continue to put newborns at risk for sepsis
2011-04-26
Bloodstream infections in newborns can lead to serious complications with substantial morbidity and mortality. What's more, the pathogens responsible for neonatal infections have changed over time. In recent years, however, antibiotic prophylaxis given to at-risk mothers has reduced the incidence of early-onset group B streptococcal infections among their babies.
A new nationwide, multi-site study aimed at determining current early-onset sepsis rates among newborns, the pathogens involved, and associated morbidity and mortality demonstrates that the most frequent pathogens ...