Swine Flu Strain Has Pandemic Potential: Study

An influenza virus identified in pigs in China has a concerning mix of genes, but experts say there is no way to know if it will evolve to be transmissible between humans.

Written byJef Akst

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The so-called G4 variant of an H1N1 influenza virus, currently circulating among pigs, has genetic traces of several other dangerous pathogens, including the virus that caused the 2009 flu pandemic, according to a study published yesterday (June 29) in PNAS. In laboratory experiments, the researchers found that these G4 viruses were able to infect and replicate in human airway epithelial cells. Moreover, the study found that the viruses could be transmitted between ferrets.

“From the data presented, it appears that this is a swine influenza virus that is poised to emerge in humans,” University of Sydney evolutionary biologist Edward Holmes, who was not involved in the study, tells Science. “Clearly this situation needs to be monitored very closely.”

Ian Brown, the head of the virology department at Britain’s Animal and Plant Health Agency who peer-reviewed the paper, agrees. “It may be that with further change in ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
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Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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