Preliminary studies with ferrets suggest that the novel 2009 H1N1 virus may have a biological advantage over seasonal influenza viruses.  Animal tests showed that levels of the 2009 H1N1 virus rose more quickly and led to more serious disease, compared with the seasonal virus strains.  Along with this finding, University of Maryland researchers also observed that the novel H1N1 virus was more easily transmitted from the infected ferrets to uninfected ferrets.  Researchers found no indication of the H1N1 virus combining with any of the seasonal influenza viruses to create new viruses.  These findings suggest that the H1N1 virus will likely predominate in the upcoming flu season.  This research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and completed at the University of Maryland under Dr. Daniel Perez.

 

To read the National Institutes of Health press release regarding the H1N1 research, go to:

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2009/niaid-31.htm