Tug of war over H1N1

While Sassoon Hospital docs claim virus has undergone deadly mutation, NIV scientists rubbish the claim

The debate over mutation of the H1N1 virus has now intensified. Sassoon Hospital doctors claim their tests (see box) and an international report prove that there is a probable mutation. The National Institute of Virology, however, continues to stand against this theory.u00a0u00a0

Observations
The Sasson Hospital doctors said they observed that since september swine flu patients were dying of a more serious infection. They claimed that the symptoms were getting deadlier and even admitting patients to the ICU did not help. The tests conducted on the bodies of patients who succumbed to swine flu corroborated their observations.

Based on these observations, the doctors assumed that the H1N1 virus had mutated and on October 28, the doctors discussed the study on a videoconference with world experts, which was attended by NIV officials.

They said their study received a boost from the report of Center for Disease Control, Atlanta in the US, which states that the H1N1 virus could show resistance to Tamiflu, if a certain sequence of amino acids changes.

'Rubbish'
"According to NIV there was no genonomic change in the virus, and it was probably an amino acid sequence that had undergone a minor change, which triggered the symptoms," said Dr Arun Jamkar, dean, Sassoon Hospital.

Stating that the NIV's stand was contrary to the CDC report, a Sassoon Hospital doctor said on condition of anonymity, "The NIV must clarify this."