title: Molecular events leading to the creation of a pandemic influenza virus.
abstract: Influenza A virus is a potent pathogen of annual respiratory illness with huge potential of causing occasional pandemics of catastrophic consequences. In April 2009, a novel, swine-origin influenza A H1N1/09 virus was identified in Mexico which continued to spread globally. This unique virus emerged from an avian, human, Eurasian swine viral strain and a North American swine strain belonging to the lineage of the 1930 swine virus. Till date H1N1/09 pandemic has been relatively mild and lacks the previously described molecular markers of influenza A pathogenicity and transmissibility. In this review, we will discuss the molecular and antigenic determinants of this virus and its designation as a low pathogenic strain, which carries the potential to develop into a devastating strain with subsequent mutations and reassortments.
authors.affiliation: P. O. Box. 10504, ICGEB, Aruna Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi, 110067 India.
authors.forename: Shipra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Adarsh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayank
authors.forename: Sunil K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lal
keywords: Antigenic determinants; H1N1; Pandemic; Pathogenicity