Emergence and pandemic potential of swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus

Abstract

With the swine-origin H1N1 influenza outbreak now officially a global pandemic, Gabriele Neumann, Takeshi Noda and Yoshihiro Kawaoka take stock of our knowledge of the emergence of the H1N1 virus, and compare its antigenic and pathologic properties with those of previously circulating influenza strains. They conclude that the world was ill-prepared to cope with the pandemic. On the prospects for better preparedness in future, they say that although much has been learned, we need to know more about interspecies transmission, reassortment and human-to-human transmission. A Nature paper published online last week, underlines the importance of surveillance of flu viruses in swine as a means of detecting strains with pandemic potential. Influenza viruses cause annual epidemics and occasional pandemics that have claimed the lives of millions. The emergence of new strains will continue to pose challenges to public health and the scientific communities. A prime example is the recent emergence of swine-origin H1N1 viruses that have transmitted to and spread among humans, resulting in outbreaks internationally. Efforts to control these outbreaks and real-time monitoring of the evolution of this virus should provide us with invaluable information to direct infectious disease control programmes and to improve understanding of the factors that determine viral pathogenicity and/or transmissibility.