Human cases involving a novel H1N1 strain are increasingly being reported in Mexico, the United States, and worldwide. Recently, the strain has been isolated from swine suffering a moderate swine flu outbreak in Alberta, Canada, with human to swine transmission of the virus suspected.
Although the exact mechanism of genesis of the current H1N1 strain is currently under investigation, zoonotic events involving transmission between humans, swine, wild or domestic birds, and/or wildlife likely have contributed to the emergence of the strain. A collection of recent, relevant scientific literature has been compiled here as further reference and background on the H1N1 strain in the broader context of influenza viruses in both animals and humans. (To access each document
online, click on the link.)
In addition, readers may wish to access
this April 29 interview with Ruben Donis chief of the molecular virology and vaccines branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Spickler AR (2009) Influenza Technical Factsheet , Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University Salomon R et al (2009) The Influenza Virus Enigma , Cell 136: 402-410 Myers KP, Olsen CW, and Gray GC (2007) Cases of Swine Influenza in Humans: A Review of the Literature , CID 44: 1084-1088 Halloran ME et al (2008) Modeling Target Layered Containment of an Influenza Pandemic in the United States , PNAS Vol.105, No. 12: 4639-4644 Nelson MI et al (2008) Multiple Reassortment Events in the Evolutionary History of H1N1 Influenza A Virus Since 1918 PLoS Pathogens Vol. 4, Issue 2: 1-12 Weingarten HM et al (2009) Experimental Infection of Pigs with the Human 1918 Pandemic Influenza Virus J. Virol. Vol. 83, No. 9: 4287-4296 Olsen CW (2002) The Emergence of Novel Swine Influenza Viruses in North America Virus Res. 85: 199-210 Van Reeth K (2007) Avian and Swine Influenza Viruses: Our Current Understanding of the Zoonotic Risk Vet. Res. 38: 243-260 Kilbourne ED (2006) Influenza Pandemics of the 20th Century Emerg. Inf. Dis. Vol. 12, No.1: 9-14 Vincent AL et al (2008) Swine Influenza Viruses: A North American Perspective Adv. Virus Res. 72: 127-154 Srinivasan A et. al (2008) Quantitative biochemical rationale for differences in transmissibility of 1918 pandemic influenza A viruses PNAS 105: 2800-2805
Finkelstein DB et. al (2007) Persistent Host Markers in Pandemic and H5N1 Influenza Viruses J. Virol. Vol. 81, No. 19: 10292-10299
Shinde V et al (2009) Triple-Reassortant Swine Influenza A (H1) in Humans in the United States, 2005–2009 N Engl J Med 2009;361, 10.1056/NEJMoa0903812
Dawood FS et al (2009) Emergence of a Novel Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1)
Virus in Humans N Engl J Med 2009;361, 10.1056/NEJMoa0903810
Fraser C et al (2009) Pandemic Potential of a Strain of Influenza A (H1N1): Early Findings ScienceExpress 11 May 2009: 1-12
Garten RJ et al (22 May 2009), Antigenic and genetic characteristics of swine-origin 2009 A(H1N1) influenza viruses circulating in humans , Sciencexpress,10.1126/science.1176225: p. 1-6
Hall JS et all (2008), Influenza exposure in United States feral swine population, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 44(2), pp. 363-368.
Trust for America's Health (June 2009), Pandemic Flu Preparedness: Lessons from the Frontlines , Issue Brief, p. 1-24
