First human case of H6N1 identified
A WOMAN in Taiwan has become the first person in the world to have contracted a new wild strain of bird flu, H6N1.
According to a report in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, A 20-year-old woman with an influenza-like illness presented to a hospital with shortness of breath in May, 2013. An unsubtyped influenza A virus was isolated from her throat-swab specimen and was transferred to the Taiwan Centres for Disease Control for identification.
The influenza A virus was identified as the H6N1 subtype, based on sequences of the genes encoding haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Sequence analyses showed this human isolate was highly homologous to chicken H6N1 viruses in Taiwan and had been generated through interclade reassortment, the report states. The source of infection was not established.
The report concludes: "These viruses continue to evolve and accumulate changes, increasing the potential risk of human-to-human transmission. Our report highlights the continuous need for preparedness for a pandemic of unpredictable and complex avian influenza."
More information can be found at www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/onlinefirst
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
