Rising H9N2 Influenza Replikin Count Has Doubled Th...( The H9N2 str...)

The H9N2 strain of influenza commonly infects poultry and occasionally humans. Replikins, Ltd., using its FluForecast® software, has studied the Replikin Count® annually in each of H9N2 and its sister strain H5N1. Cyclic increases and decreases appear to be synchronous for H9N2 and H5N1, with H9N2 increases occurring in advance of, and being greater than those for H5N1. These two strains appear to have a precursor and/or competitor, evolutionary biochemical relationship. H9N2 may be an alternate candidate to H5N1 for the next influenza pandemic.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) January 16, 2009 -- The H9N2 strain of influenza commonly infects poultry and occasionally humans. Replikins, Ltd., using its FluForecast® software, has studied the Replikin Count® annually in each of H9N2 and its sister strain H5N1. H9N2 Count increases occurred in 1996, one year in advance of the 1997 H5N1 Hong Kong outbreak, and again in 1999-2000 and 2004-05, 2 years before the subsequent H5N1 Replikin Count increases and outbreaks (see Figure). Cyclic increases and decreases appear to be synchronous for H9N2 and H5N1, with H9N2 increases occurring in advance of, and being greater than those for H5N1. These two strains appear to have a precursor and/or competitor, evolutionary biochemical relationship. H9N2 may be an alternate candidate to H5N1 for the next influenza pandemic.

The Replikin Count® is the number of specific replikin peptides per 100 amino acids in the peak gene of each strain. All sequences published on PubMed worldwide. each year from 1992 to 2008 were studied. Increases in the Replikin Count represent rapid virus replication, and occur in advance of outbreaks (see refs).

The first cycle which has been detected in each virus genome is from 1999 to 2003, and the second from 2004 to 2008. In the second cycle, the maximal Replikin Counts (mean +/-SD) for H9N2 were greater
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