Caution, not panic, is the guideword

CHENNAI: Scientists at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal are peering into the microscopes to ascertain if the H5N1 strain responsible for the bird flu outbreak in West Bengal poses any danger to humans.

Strains of the last two outbreaks —  in Nandurbar, Maharashtra, in Feburary 2006 and Chingmeirong, Manipur, in July 2007 — though different, belonged to the HPAI (high pathogenic avian influenza) variety.

Scientists do not rule out the probability of the virus having mutated to a new strain, but with no human infection reported so far, caution, not panic, is the guideword.

“We have initiated genetic sequencing of the viral strain and only after the process is complete — in more than a week — we will be able to ascertain the pathogenicity of the strain. The strain we isolated from Manipur last year showed a tendency to adapt to (infect) humans, which is dangerous,” HSADL joint director AC Dubey told DNA.

While the 2006 strain in India was found similar to the one responsible for the outbreak in Vietnam and Thailand, the 2007 outbreak in Manipur saw the Qinghai strain, which can mutate to survive in the human nose.

Like in 2006, the outbreak this time coincides with the peak period of migratory birds in India. “Migratory birds are the prime suspects whenever there is an outbreak of bird flu. Though many of them do not suffer from the disease, they can be silent carriers of the virus. We are doing tests,” Dubey said.

arunram@dnaindia.net