Via Reuters, another story on "Fujian-like" H5N1. This is by Tan Ee Lyn, one of the best flu reporters: H5N1 strain could start wave of bird flu outbreaks. Excerpt:
To test how well vaccinated poultry could stand up to various strains of H5N1, the researchers collected 1,113 blood samples from chickens from Nov. 2005 to April 2006.
Only 180 samples, or 16 percent, tested positive for H5N1 antibodies. They were exposed to 3 strains of H5N1 -- namely the Yunnan, Guiyang and Fujian-like strains.
The antibodies managed to neutralise the Yunnan and Guiyang strains, but had little or no effect on the Fujian virus.
"The market poultry, many of them don't have antibodies against H5 virus and those that do are not well protected against the Fujian virus, which is why we think the Fujian-like virus has been able to grow because other (strains) have been suppressed," [Gavin] Smith told Reuters in an interview.
Meanwhile, to judge by the number of reports in NewsNow (see H5N1 News Gatherers), the Fujian strain has become the big story of the week—even overshadowing the death of the Egyptian woman.
