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Novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus in the human
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 76 (2013) 532 www.jcma-online.com
Letter to the Editor
Novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus in the human To the Editor,
References
The recent article on the novel H7N9 bird flu is very interesting.1 As Tang and Chen mentioned, there are indeed many interesting considerations involving this new emerging infection. First, the possibility of human to human transmission of this new infection should be discussed. In fact, if human to human transmission occurs, a worldwide pandemic could soon follow. At present, arising from an epidemiological study, Nishiura et al. reported that it is not possible that there will be human to human transmission that will further lead to pandemic.2 However, as observed in the novel H7N9 structure, “several human virus-like signatures” may certainly lead to cross species infection of this new emerging zoonosis.3 The potential pandemic would likely be attributed to the expansive spreading of the pathogenic virus from infected avian. In addition, the highly mutated nature of this new virus is another point that should be promptly followed-up and investigated. The sense mutation that leads to drug resistance was already observed,4 which could be an origin of a serious uncontrolled novel atypical influenza. Nevertheless, the pandemic trend is still very low at present.5 Consequently, the medical society still has time to make the necessary preparations to fight this new global problem.
1. Tang RB, Chen HL. An overview of the recent outbreaks of the avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus in the human. J Chin Med Assoc 2013;76:245e8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcma.2013.04.003 [Epub 2013 May 4]. 2. Nishiura H, Mizumoto K, Ejima K. How to interpret the transmissibility of novel influenza A(H7N9): an analysis of initial epidemiological data of human cases from China. Theor Biol Med Model 2013;10:30. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-10-30. 3. Chen GW, Lai MM, Wu SC, Chang SC, Huang LM, Shih SR. Is avian influenza A (H7N9) virus staggering its way to humans? J Formos Med Assoc 2013;112:312e8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2013.04.015. 4. Hu Y, Lu S, Song Z, Wang W, Hao P, Li J, et al. Association between adverse clinical outcome in human disease caused by novel influenza A H7N9 virus and sustained viral shedding and emergence of antiviral resistance. Lancet 2013;381:2273e9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61125-3. 5. Liu W, Zhu Y, Qi X, Xu K, Ge A, Ji H, et al. Risk assessment on the epidemics of human infection with a novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus in Jiangsu Province, China. J Biomed Res 2013;27:163e6. http:// dx.doi.org/10.7555/JBR.27.20130071 [Epub 2013 May 16].
Viroj Wiwanitkit* Hainan Medical University, China Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Serbia Joseph Ayobabalola University, Nigeria *Dr. Viroj Wiwanitkit, Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok 10160, Thailand. E-mail address: [email protected]
1726-4901/$ - see front matter Copyright Ó 2013 Elsevier Taiwan LLC and the Chinese Medical Association. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcma.2013.07.012
ScienceDirect Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 76 (2013) 532 www.jcma-online.com
Letter to the Editor
Novel avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus in the human To the Editor,
References
The recent article on the novel H7N9 bird flu is very interesting.1 As Tang and Chen mentioned, there are indeed many interesting considerations involving this new emerging infection. First, the possibility of human to human transmission of this new infection should be discussed. In fact, if human to human transmission occurs, a worldwide pandemic could soon follow. At present, arising from an epidemiological study, Nishiura et al. reported that it is not possible that there will be human to human transmission that will further lead to pandemic.2 However, as observed in the novel H7N9 structure, “several human virus-like signatures” may certainly lead to cross species infection of this new emerging zoonosis.3 The potential pandemic would likely be attributed to the expansive spreading of the pathogenic virus from infected avian. In addition, the highly mutated nature of this new virus is another point that should be promptly followed-up and investigated. The sense mutation that leads to drug resistance was already observed,4 which could be an origin of a serious uncontrolled novel atypical influenza. Nevertheless, the pandemic trend is still very low at present.5 Consequently, the medical society still has time to make the necessary preparations to fight this new global problem.
1. Tang RB, Chen HL. An overview of the recent outbreaks of the avian-origin influenza A (H7N9) virus in the human. J Chin Med Assoc 2013;76:245e8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcma.2013.04.003 [Epub 2013 May 4]. 2. Nishiura H, Mizumoto K, Ejima K. How to interpret the transmissibility of novel influenza A(H7N9): an analysis of initial epidemiological data of human cases from China. Theor Biol Med Model 2013;10:30. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1186/1742-4682-10-30. 3. Chen GW, Lai MM, Wu SC, Chang SC, Huang LM, Shih SR. Is avian influenza A (H7N9) virus staggering its way to humans? J Formos Med Assoc 2013;112:312e8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2013.04.015. 4. Hu Y, Lu S, Song Z, Wang W, Hao P, Li J, et al. Association between adverse clinical outcome in human disease caused by novel influenza A H7N9 virus and sustained viral shedding and emergence of antiviral resistance. Lancet 2013;381:2273e9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61125-3. 5. Liu W, Zhu Y, Qi X, Xu K, Ge A, Ji H, et al. Risk assessment on the epidemics of human infection with a novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus in Jiangsu Province, China. J Biomed Res 2013;27:163e6. http:// dx.doi.org/10.7555/JBR.27.20130071 [Epub 2013 May 16].
Viroj Wiwanitkit* Hainan Medical University, China Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Serbia Joseph Ayobabalola University, Nigeria *Dr. Viroj Wiwanitkit, Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok 10160, Thailand. E-mail address: [email protected]
1726-4901/$ - see front matter Copyright Ó 2013 Elsevier Taiwan LLC and the Chinese Medical Association. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcma.2013.07.012