G4 EA H1N1 | 'It's Not A New Virus': WHO Expert After Study Warns Of ...

Representational image  |  Photo Credit: AP

Key Highlights

• WHO expert seeks to reassure world on new H1N1 virus strain found in China

• Michael Ryan says G4 EA H1N1 is not a new virus

• A study has warned that the new virus has pandemic potential

Geneva: A World Health Organisation (WHO) expert has sought to calm fears following the disclosure that a new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus, which has pandemic potential, was spreading fast among workers on Chinese pig farms. A group of scientists had warned that the virus should be "urgently" brought under control to prevent the start of another pandemic even as the world continues to battle the novel coronavirus or COVID-19.

It may be recalled that H1N1, a highly contagious virus, had spread around the globe in 2009 and killed nearly 2,85,000 people. It then went on to transform into a seasonal flu.

The WHO expert, however, said that the virus strain - G4 EA H1N1 - was not a new virus and it has been under close surveillance.

"It's important, I think, to reassure people that this is not a new virus -- this is a virus that is under surveillance," Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, was quoted as telling a press conference Wednesday by Xinhua news agency.

"This is a finding from surveillance that's been carried out over many years," Ryan added

The official said Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus has "been under surveillance by Chinese authorities and by the global influenza surveillance network around the world, and the WHO collaborating centres."

"It's been under surveillance since 2011 and in fact, the most recent publication is a publication of all of that surveillance data over that time and obviously reporting both on the evolution of this virus within the swine population but also in terms of occupational exposures to workers over that time," Ryan explained.

The study published recently by the US journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), said that Chinese researchers had looked into influenza viruses found in pigs from 2011 to 2018 and discovered the variant genotype 4 Eurasian avian-like H1N1 virus (G4 EA H1N1).

"We constantly need to stay on the alert. We need to continue to carry out very very good surveillance on this G4 genotype and we expect that will continue in the coming months and years," Ryan said further.

RELATED NEWS G4 virus found in pigs in China: Scientists warn of another pandemic potential Coronavirus vaccine: Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine safe for people with weak immunity COVID-19 treatment: Health experts slam US mass purchase of licensed coronavirus drug

"It's very important work ... carried out in collaboration with the WHO collaborating centre at China CDC, the other collaborating centres around the world, including the WHO collaborating centre for influenza at (US) CDC in Atlanta, and again shows the vital importance of the global influenza surveillance and response system," he added.

The assurance came even as the study claimed “G4 viruses have all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus”. The study stressed that it was important to “urgently” control the spread in pigs and closely monitor human populations.