This information concerns genetic sequencing of the H7N9 strains being collected and analysed in China.

Although the body of the article is technical, the message it carries is one that this influenza virus has achieved adaptations that has made it more contagous for humans this approaching cooler season in the northern hemisphere.

This signals a serious change at the beginning of the northern hemisphere flu season that is about to kick off, and that could well mean far greater problems than has been evident to date with this flu virus.

State Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases at Zhejiang University and the Zhejiang CDC have released full sequences (at GISAID) from the recent case (35M) in Shaoxing (A/Zhejiang/DTID-ZJU05/2013 and A/Zheijiang/22/2013, respectively). Both labs used an October 14 collection, and the prompt release of sequences is commended.

Break...

The latter is a mammalian adaption which produces an increased polymerase activity at lower temperatures (33 C), consistent with a higher viral load in a human nose in the winter. This temperature sensitive activity is also found in PB2 with E627K.

The CDC sequences suggests that isolates with higher levels of D87N will more efficiently transmit human to human.

Link here...

[link to www.recombinomics.com]