Shelby Anderson
November 27, 2009
2:29 pm
In countries around the world, it has been found that the H1N1 virus has mutated it’s genetic make up. People in China, Norway, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, the US, and the Ukraine have been infected with the mutated strains of the swine flu. The flu virus mutates into different strains very often and it can potentially be dangerous. The virus could mutate to a point where the drugs that are used to treat it do not work. Researchers have found that these new strains are not resistant to any of the drugs used to fight off the virus. But they have found that the new strains infect deeper into the tissues of the airways than the other strains do. Researchers have found mild and fatal cases of the new strains of the H1N1 virus around the world. In some cases, they have found the strains to be resistant to the drug Tamiflu and the generic forms of the drug. The patients already had very weak immune systems that helped the virus become resistant.
Genetic mutations of the swine flu could possibly reek havoc on the world populations. It’s already a very strong strain of the virus and is taking many lives. If the H1N1 virus became resistant to drugs used to cure it, the death rates would instantly climb. I think researchers need to do all they can to make sure the virus doesn’t mutate to a dangerous point. Right now they are isolated cases, but it could get out of control really fast and there could be nothing we could do about it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34145792/ns/health-cold_and_flu/
1 comment:
I find that the swine flu could potentially be a huge threat. I am quite surprised at the reaction of the world community being so on top of this before it became a problem. Usually the world waits until its to late.
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