New Swine Flu Strain Found in Braz...( But it's not clear if it's any more d...),Health

But it's not clear if it's any more dangerous than initial strain

WEDNESDAY, June 17 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists in Brazil say they've discovered a new strain of the swine flu virus, according to published reports. But it's not yet clear if the strain is any more dangerous than the previously-undiscovered strain that first surfaced in Mexico in April and has since swept the globe, causing relatively mild infections in most people.

The scientists discovered the new strain in a patient who had been hospitalized in Sao Paulo in April. The 26-year-old, who came down with flu symptoms after returning from Mexico, has made a full recovery, Fox News reported.

Health officials are closely monitoring the H1N1 swine flu virus as it migrates from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season is now under way. While the swine flu doesn't yet seem any more lethal than the regular flu that each winter kills 36,000 people in the United States alone, scientists fear it could mutate as it circulates around the globe, becoming more virulent and posing a greater health threat.

Nearly 36,000 people in 76 countries have been infected with the H1N1 virus, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, causing 163 deaths. The WHO last week formally declared a pandemic, triggered by the rapid spread of the H1N1 virus across North America, Australia, South America, Europe and regions beyond.

What makes the H1N1 strain different from the typical seasonal flu is that about half of the people killed worldwide were young and previously healthy. In contrast, regular forms of the seasonal flu typically prove most lethal to the very young and the elderly.

Given that trend, school children in the United States could be among the first to receive a swine flu vaccine this fall, if federal health officials decide to pursue a widespread inoculation program. Health and Human
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