New Strain of Flu Virus Found in Chinese Pigs "Potential for Pandemic"

New Influenza Virus Found in Chinese Pigs
Includes Genes from 2009 Avian Flu Virus
Research Team: "Potential for Pandemic... Increased Surveillance Needed"

Chinese pig farm / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] A newly discovered influenza virus in China has been identified as having the potential to cause a pandemic.

On the 29th (local time), a Chinese research team published their findings in the American scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reporting that "a new influenza virus has been found in Chinese pigs."

The research team named the new virus found in Chinese pigs "G4 EA H1N1." This virus is said to be similar to a combination of the type A influenza virus that caused the 2009 pandemic and the North American "H1N1" virus.

Previously, the team collected over 30,000 samples from pigs at Chinese livestock farms between 2011 and 2018, analyzing them and discovering 179 influenza viruses. Most of the viruses found were of the type called "G4."

In the paper, the team explained, "The G4 virus has been rapidly increasing since 2016. Among the pig influenza gene types found in 10 regions of China, most were identified as the G4 type," adding, "G4 contains the gene of the H1N1 virus that caused the avian influenza pandemic in 2009."

They continued, "Generally, the G4 type virus is unlikely to cause human-to-human transmission," but also noted, "Since the 2009 pandemic, the virus may have adapted to enable human-to-human transmission."

Furthermore, they pointed out, "'G4 EA H1N1' virus is now becoming a major problem in Chinese livestock farms," and "As the G4 virus increases among pigs, humans inevitably become exposed."

The research team emphasized, "If more infections occur, the virus could adapt to the new environment and potentially cause a pandemic," urging, "Monitoring systems for farms and farmers must be strengthened."

Quarantine official drawing blood from a pig / Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, some experts have argued that the probability of this virus spreading into a pandemic is low.

Martha Nelson, an evolutionary biologist at the Fogarty International Center, a partner institution of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, stated in an interview with the U.S. science media Science on the 30th, "The likelihood that this particular virus will cause a pandemic is low."

She also criticized the study, saying, "It is unclear whether the G4 virus has widely spread in Chinese livestock farms," citing "the small sample size" as a reason.

However, she added, "Influenza can surprise us," and "Especially now, amid the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, threats like influenza risk being overlooked."

James Wood, a professor at the University of Cambridge in the UK, also said in an interview with the BBC on the same day, "This study is valuable in reminding us that new risks emerge as pathogens continue to arise," and "Animals raised on farms have more contact with humans than wild animals, so they could be the source of a pandemic."