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<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> has reported its first confirmed case of <keyword id="20134986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monkeypox" source="keywords">Monkeypox</keyword> (<keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mpox" source="keywords">Mpox</keyword>) caused by the highly transmissible <keyword id="22812233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Clade-1B" source="keywords">Clade 1B</keyword> strain, marking a significant moment in the country’s ongoing battle against the <keyword id="20542503" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="viral-disease" source="keywords">viral disease</keyword>. According to sources in the <keyword id="19896140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-Ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Health Ministry" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Health Ministry">Health Ministry</keyword>, this case involves a patient from <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword> <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">who</keyword> had recently returned from Dubai. The World Health Organization (WHO) had recently raised concerns about the spread of Mpox, classifying it as a disease of international concern, especially as new, more infectious strains emerge. While Mpox has appeared in India before, all prior cases were linked to the less deadly Clade II strain. <h2>A new, more <keyword id="22892041" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="transmissible-strain" source="keywords">transmissible strain</keyword></h2>The case in Kerala is the first in India involving Clade 1B, a variant known for its higher transmission rate and increased mortality compared to previous strains. A Health Ministry official confirmed that the patient is currently in stable condition and that rigorous contact tracing efforts are underway to prevent further spread. This response follows India’s earlier experience with Mpox, where over 30 cases were recorded between 2022 and 2024, predominantly from travellers returning from African nations where the disease remains endemic. <h2>Mpox symptoms and spread</h2>Mpox manifests through typical viral symptoms, including fever, headaches, and muscle pain, eventually leading to skin rashes or lesions. These rashes often emerge a few days after the fever and vary in appearance, sometimes resembling fluid-filled blisters that crust over and heal within a few weeks. However, while symptoms usually resolve without intervention, the disease can lead to serious complications and, in rare instances, death. Unlike COVID-19 or influenza, Mpox is not airborne. Its primary mode of transmission is through close physical contact, particularly skin-to-skin contact or exposure to contaminated materials, such as bedding or clothing. Sexual transmission is also a significant factor in the spread of the disease. Health experts stress the importance of maintaining strict hygiene practices and ensuring that caregivers use personal protective equipment when attending to infected individuals. <h2>Health Ministry's preparedness</h2>In light of this new development, the Indian government is taking preventive measures to contain the situation. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra has issued directives to states and Union Territories, urging them to ensure isolation facilities are readily available for suspected or confirmed cases. These measures also include ramping up resources such as trained healthcare personnel and medical supplies. While there is no immediate risk of a widespread outbreak, authorities are adopting a cautious approach to avoid any potential escalation. Recent cases, such as one involving a resident of Hisar, Haryana, demonstrate the country’s ongoing efforts to monitor, isolate, and treat Mpox cases effectively. (With inputs from agencies)

More transmissible, higher fatality rate: India records first case of fast-spreading Mpox strain Clade 1B in Kerala man

The World Health Organisation (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) has announced that <keyword id="22989608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="M-Pox" source="keywords">M-Pox</keyword> will continue to be classified as a <keyword id="21952478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-emergency" source="keywords">public health emergency</keyword> of international concern (PHEIC), citing a resurgence in cases and the virus's ongoing geographic spread. The high-alert status initially declared in August, was reaffirmed following a meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee, The Express Tribune reported on Friday. The decision comes as M-Pox cases surge, particularly with the spread of the <keyword id="22875864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clade-Ib-variant" source="keywords">clade Ib variant</keyword> beyond its origin in the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African nations, Europe, and Asia. "Rising case numbers, the continuing geographic spread, and the need for a cohesive response have made it essential to maintain this emergency status," the WHO said in its statement. Confirmed cases of clade Ib have been detected in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and India, highlighting the global scale of the outbreak, reported The Express Tribune. M-Pox, a viral disease transmitted through close contact, presents flu-like symptoms and lesions. Although typically mild, it can be fatal, particularly in regions with inadequate healthcare. Over 46,000 suspected cases have been reported this year in Africa, with Congo accounting for the majority of the more than 1,000 suspected deaths. The new PHEIC declaration underscores the global threat posed by clade Ib and follows earlier alerts related to a separate strain during the 2022-2023 outbreak. In response to growing concerns, the WHO has expanded vaccine authorisations. Bavarian Nordic's <keyword id="24137585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="M-Pox-vaccine" source="keywords">M-Pox vaccine</keyword> was approved earlier this year, with Japan's KM Biologics' vaccine added to the list of emergency-use vaccines in September. WHO officials have faced criticism for delays in <keyword id="21847727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine-distribution" source="keywords">vaccine distribution</keyword> but stressed that vaccination remains a cornerstone of global response efforts, The Express Tribune reported. "The emergency status underscores the urgency to mount a unified global response," a WHO spokesperson stated. The organisation urged countries and health partners to collaborate on widespread vaccination campaigns and enhance public awareness to curb the virus's spread effectively.

M-Pox remains public health emergency: WHO

Days ago, a 26-year-old, infected by the clade-2 variant of <keyword id="20134986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monkeypox" source="keywords">Monkeypox</keyword>, became India's first confirmed case of the viral infection that is currently wreaking major havoc in African nations. A month after the WHO (World Health Organization) declared Monkeypox clade-1 a global public health emergency, neighbor <keyword id="19899252" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pakistan" source="keywords">Pakistan</keyword> already has 5 confirmed cases. Three weeks ago, <keyword id="19913659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thailand" source="keywords">Thailand</keyword> had also confirmed the first case of Monkeypox's newer variant (clade 1b) in <keyword id="19915288" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asia" source="keywords">Asia</keyword>, which is considered far more deadly than its previous counterpart. Common symptoms of this viral infection include rashes on face, hands, feet and mouth. <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">Mpox</keyword> is generally characterised by pus-filled blisters, which generally last about 2-4 weeks. Other symptoms of this infection also include fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. While it is not deadly, Mpox is highly infectious and spreads on close contact. Since July 2022, India has reported 30 cases of Monkeypox. But with the outbreak of infection now looming larger than ever, here's a concise guide on navigating through your insurance, in case you or your loved ones are afflicted by Monkeypox. Note that at present, there are no separate insurance add-ons or riders for Mpox, unlike Covid-19. But since it is a viral infection, coverage for Mpox hospitalization, diagnostic tests and treatment is already present in your standard health insurance policy. But remember that hospitalization, and even recovery expenses for infectious diseases such as Mpox can be enormous, especially in private hospitals and urban centers. That is why, not only should you have an adequate insurance cover, but you should also make sure you are comprehensively covered when it comes pre and post hospitalization expenses, ICU charges, room rent etc. Since Mpox demands complete isolation of the patient, it is important to ensure that there are no limits on the room you opt for, while being hospitalised. Mahesh Yelapure, Head of Health Underwriting &amp; Health Claims, Go Digit General Insurance also cautions that you should confirm with your respective insurers, if there are any recent changes in terms, conditions of insurance policies, when it comes to Mpox treatment. Additionally, you should also be aware of any deductibles, sub-limits, or co-payment options of your policy. Deductibles is minimum amount you will have to pay before your insurer starts footing the bill for a particular disease or illness, while sub-limits refer to the maximum amount your policy will offer as coverage for a particular condition. This varies, depending on the policy and insurer, so always undertake thorough research to get yourself the best deal. <h2>Insure your travels</h2>If you are planning to travel abroad, be sure to buy a travel insurance policy ahead of your trip. Your travel insurance policy will typically includes medical coverage, which can help cover the costs of hospitalization for conditions like Mpox and other diseases. Keep the policy document handy, and also add a nominee, in case any extraordinary situation arises. If you require medical treatment for Mpox and require stay in a hospital for more than 24 hours, your policy may provide financial assistance, especially in a foreign country, where the cost of medical treatment might be super high. However, Yelapure also advises to look out for government-issued travel advisories before planning any travel. "If the government issues a travel advisory prohibiting citizens to travel to certain countries where the number of confirmed cases of Mpox is high, and one anyway decides to travel despite the issued advisory, and one contracts the disease, the claim may get rejected by the insurer", he says. As of last month, cases of Mpox Clade 1b virus have been skyrocketing in 13 countries, which include <keyword id="67854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congo" source="Orion">Congo</keyword>, Burundi, Kenya, South Africa, Liberia, South Africa, Cameroon, <keyword id="20027571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uganda" source="keywords">Uganda</keyword>, <keyword id="20218680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rwanda" source="keywords">Rwanda</keyword> and Nigeria. In Asia, apart from Pakistan and Thailand, Mpox cases have also been reported in Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia.

Mpox outbreak: Understand what your insurance covers for Mpox treatment

Having been declared a global health emergency by <keyword id="6366244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="who" source="Orion">WHO</keyword> just a few weeks ago, the dreaded <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">Mpox</keyword> (formerly <keyword id="7616951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monkeypox" source="Orion">monkeypox</keyword>) has slowly been closing in on India. And now, days after our neighbour <keyword id="19899252" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pakistan" source="keywords">Pakistan</keyword> confirmed its second Mpox case this month, India has also reported its first one this season. While feeling uncertain is understandable, the situation is far from dire just yet. On Monday, September 9, 2024, the <keyword id="19896140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-ministry" source="keywords">Health Ministry</keyword> confirmed that a previously suspected case of Mpox was a travel-related infection. The patient, a young male, recently returned from a country experiencing ongoing Mpox transmission. Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the West African clade 2 of the Mpox virus, which is distinct from the more dangerous clade 1 currently under a public health emergency. In its statement, the Ministry emphasised that this case is isolated and in line with the 30 previous Mpox cases reported in India since July 2022. The Ministry clarified that this case does not contribute to the WHO-declared public health emergency associated with clade 1 of Mpox, which has spread primarily in parts of <keyword id="19924003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="africa" source="keywords">Africa</keyword>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112542249" title="WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Patient condition and response measures </h2>The infected individual is isolated at a designated tertiary care isolation facility. The Ministry reports that the patient is clinically stable, with no systemic illness or pre-existing conditions. Public health authorities have initiated contact tracing and monitoring to ensure the infection remains contained, stating that no widespread public health risk exists at this time. <h2>Mode of transmission and symptoms </h2>The global Mpox outbreak has primarily affected young males, with a median age of 34. The main mode of transmission has been sexual contact, followed by non-sexual person-to-person contact. The most commonly reported symptom is a rash, which can manifest either systemically or in the genital region, followed by fever. WHO data shared by the Ministry indicates that approximately 51.9% of Mpox cases involve individuals living with HIV. This underscores the need for targeted healthcare and awareness, especially in high-risk populations. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112561654" title="WHO calls for increased surveillance, sharing of data, vaccines to combat monkeypox outbreak" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Increased vigilance and preparedness </h2>Following the confirmation of this case, the Health Ministry has issued directives to all states and union territories, urging healthcare workers, particularly those in skin/STD clinics and NACO (<keyword id="20887701" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-aids-control-organisation" source="keywords">National AIDS Control Organisation</keyword>) clinics, to stay alert to the signs and symptoms of Mpox. These clinics must be prepared for immediate isolation, clinical management, and treatment of complications, adhering to established protocols. The Ministry has also advised enhanced screening and testing of suspected Mpox cases, especially at airports and other points of entry, to prevent further transmission. <h2>Awareness and risk communication </h2>The Ministry has issued guidelines to state AIDS control societies, urging them to be vigilant in identifying suspect cases, especially among vulnerable populations such as female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Communities must be made aware of the disease’s transmission and symptoms, as well as the importance of timely reporting. Clear risk communication, particularly to healthcare workers and intervention sites such as skin and paediatric clinics, is crucial to prevent the spread of the virus. While the Ministry advocates for robust preventive measures, it also stresses the importance of avoiding undue panic among the general public. For now, the Ministry’s actions aim to ensure that India remains well-prepared to handle isolated Mpox cases, while working to prevent any major outbreak in the country. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112550492" title="Danish monkeypox-vaccine maker surges 17% after global health emergency declared" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Mpox has finally infiltrated India, but how worried should we be about the viral disease?

Sydney, Aug 15 (The Conversation): The <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) has declared <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">mpox</keyword> a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the <keyword id="22796094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo" source="keywords">Democratic Republic of the Congo</keyword> and the potential for further spread. This now triggers a coordinated international response to an extraordinary event and the mobilisation of resources, such as vaccines and diagnostic testing, to curb the spread of this infectious disease. But WHO has not declared mpox a <keyword id="19913581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="keywords">pandemic</keyword>. Rather, the measures it has triggered are designed to prevent it from becoming one. <h2>What triggered this latest alert?</h2> Mpox, once known as monkeypox, is a viral infection closely related to <keyword id="22362924" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smallpox" source="keywords">smallpox</keyword>. Initial symptoms include a fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. A typical rash follows, mainly on the face, hands and feet. The spread of mpox through certain African countries led the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to declare earlier this week mpox a public health emergency of continental security. This is the first time the organisation has issued such an alert since it was established in 2017. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa has been particularly worrying for more than a year. There are two types or clades of mpox. Clade II, which originates in west Africa, is less severe. It has a fatality rate of up to 1 per cent (in other words, roughly one in 100 are expected to die from it). But clade I, from central Africa, has a fatality rate of up to 10 per cent (up to one in ten die). This compares to a 0.7 per cent fatality rate for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeing large epidemics of the more deadly clade I mpox. Mpox is endemic in some parts of central and west Africa, where the virus exists in animals and can spread to humans. Outbreaks have been increasing, with more human-to-human spread, since 2017. This is partly due to very low levels of immunity to the mpox virus, which is related to the virus that causes smallpox. Mass vaccination against smallpox ceased more than 40 years ago globally, resulting in minimal immunity in populations today against mpox. The WHO designation announced this week relates to the clade I. Not only does this have a higher fatality rate, it has new mutations that enhance spread between people. These changes, and the global lack of immunity to mpox, makes the world's population vulnerable to the virus. <h2>There are two different epidemics</h2> In 2022, an epidemic of mpox swept through non-endemic countries, including beyond Africa. This was a variant of clade II originating from Nigeria, called clade IIb. This was sexually transmitted, predominantly affecting men who have sex with men, and had a low fatality rate. That epidemic peaked in 2022, with vaccines made available to people at risk in high-income countries, but there has been an uptick in 2024. At the same time, large clade I epidemics were occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but with far less attention. Vaccines were not available there, even in 2023, when there were 14,626 cases and 654 deaths. Mortality was 4.5 per cent, and higher in children. In fact, most cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been children. This means most transmission there is non-sexual and is likely to have occurred through close contact or respiratory aerosols. However, in 2023 an <keyword id="20877025" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outbreak" source="keywords">outbreak</keyword> in a non-endemic part of the country, South Kivu in the east, appeared to be by sexual transmission, indicating more than one epidemic and different transmission modes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By mid-2024, there were already more cases in the country than all of 2023 - more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. Testing capacity is low in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most cases are not confirmed by lab testing, and the data we have are from a small sample of genomic sequences from the Kamituga region of South Kivu. This show mutations to the clade I virus around September 2023, to a variant termed clade Ib, which is more readily transmissible between people. We do not have much data to compare these viruses with the viruses causing cases in the rest of the country. <h2>Mpox is spreading internationally</h2> In the past month, the virus has spread to countries that share a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rwanda and Burundi. It has also spread to other east African countries, such as Kenya and Uganda. None of these countries have had mpox cases previously. In an interconnected, mobile world, cases may spread to other continents, as mpox did in 2018 from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and other countries. A few travel-related cases between 2018 and 2019 may have led to the large multi-country 2022 clade IIb epidemic. <h2>We have vaccines, but not where they are needed</h2> As the mpox virus and smallpox viruses are related (they are both orthopoxviruses), smallpox vaccines offer protection against mpox. These vaccines were used to control the 2022 clade IIb epidemic. However, most of the world has never been vaccinated, and has no immunity to mpox. The newer <keyword id="19959412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine" source="keywords">vaccine</keyword> (called Jynneos in some countries and Imvamune or Imvanex in others) is effective. However, supplies are limited, and vaccine is scarce in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO's declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern will help mobilise vaccines to where they are needed. The Africa Centres for Disease Control had already begun negotiations to secure 2,00,000 doses of vaccine, which is a fraction of what is required to control the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. <h2>What happens now?</h2> Ultimately, a serious epidemic anywhere in the world is a concern for all of us, as it can spread globally through travel, as we saw with the COVID pandemic. Controlling it at the source is the best measure, and WHO's latest declaration will help mobilise the required resources. Surveillance for spread of this more serious version of mpox is also essential, bearing in mind that many countries do not have the capacity for widespread testing. So we'll have to rely on "suspected cases", based on a clinical definition, to keep track of the epidemic. Open-source epidemic intelligence - such as using AI to monitor trends in rash and fever illness - can also be used as an early warning system in countries with weak health systems or delayed reporting of cases. A further complication is that 20-30 per cent of people with mpox may simultaneously have chickenpox, an unrelated infection that also causes a rash. So an initial diagnosis of chickenpox (which is easier to test for) does not rule out mpox. Effective communication and tackling push-back against public health measures and disinformation is also key. We saw how important this was during the COVID pandemic. Now, WHO will coordinate the global mpox response, focusing on equity in disease prevention and access to diagnostics and vaccines. It is up to individual countries to do their best to comply with the International Health Regulations, and the protocols for how such a global emergency are managed.

WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?

French researchers have documented the first case of a dog with confirmed monkeypox virus infection that might have been acquired through human transmission. Published in medical journal <keyword id="456544" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Lancet" source="Orion">The Lancet</keyword>, a team from the <keyword id="1487229" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sorbonne-university" source="Orion">Sorbonne University</keyword> in Paris recorded the case of <keyword id="14704650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monekypox-virus" source="Orion">monekypox virus</keyword> in two men who have sex with men: an HIV-positive <keyword id="268421" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="latino" source="Orion">Latino</keyword> man, aged 44 years, living with undetectable viral loads on antiretrovirals; and a HIV-negative white man, aged 27 years. Twelve days after the onset of monkeypox symptoms, their male Italian greyhound, aged 4 years and with no previous medical disorders, tested positive for the virus. The men, who are non-exclusive partners living in the same household, presented with anal skin ulcer 6 days after sex with other partners. In the Latino man, anal skin ulcer was followed by rash on the face, ears, and legs, while the white man had it on the legs and back. In both cases, rash was associated with weakness, headaches, and fever 4 days later. The dog, who was co-sleeping with the men, presented with mucocutaneous (involving both typical skin and mucous membrane) lesions, including red, tender bumps with white pus on abdomen and anal skin ulcer. The team sequenced monkeypox virus DNA from the dog and the Latino man and found that the samples contained virus of the hMPXV-1 clade, lineage B.1, which has been spreading in non-endemic countries since April. "To the best of our knowledge, the kinetics of symptom onset in both patients and, subsequently, in their dog suggest human-to-dog transmission of monkeypox virus," Sophie Seang,from theA University's Infectious Diseases Department, along with her team wrote in the paper. Given the dog's skin and mucosal lesions as well as the positive monkeypox virus PCR results from anal and oral swabs, we hypothesise a real canine disease, not a simple carriage of the virus by close contact with humans or airborne transmission (or both)," the team added. In endemic countries, only wild animals (rodents and primates) have been found to carry monkeypox virus. However, transmission of monkeypox virus in prairie dogs has been described in the US and in captive primates in <keyword id="28249" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="europe" source="Orion">Europe</keyword> that were in contact with imported infected animals. But infection among domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats, has never been reported, the researchers said, suggesting the need to keep pets away from infected patients. "Our findings should prompt debate on the need to isolate pets from monkeypox virus-positive individuals," the team said, calling for further investigation on secondary transmissions via pets. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/vedanta-partners-with-iit-b-to-develop-green-steel-technology/articleshow/93518361.cms">Vedanta partners with IIT-B to develop green steel technology</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/balaji-speciality-chemicals-files-draft-papers-for-ipo/articleshow/93517206.cms">Balaji Speciality Chemicals files draft papers for IPO</a>

A new study documents first human-to-dog transmission of Monekypox virus in France

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two varieties of <keyword id="43544" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flu">flu</keyword> have not been spotted for over a year, STAT reported.</li><li>Public-health measures to control the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword> may have led these strains to disappear.</li><li>It's still possible, however, that they are circulating undetected.</li></ul>It's been a lonely year to be an influenza virus.Infectious-disease protections put in place during the coronavirus pandemic to protect people from COVID-19, such as mask requirements, school closings, and travel restrictions, made it nearly <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flu-has-disappeared-worldwide-during-the-covid-pandemic1/">impossible</a> for flu viruses to travel as well as they normally do.The US, for instance, saw a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-public-health-measures-blunted-flu-us-world-2021-2">98% decrease in hospitalizations for flu</a> in the 2020-2021 season. Rates in the UK <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flu-has-been-almost-completely-wiped-out-winter-say-experts-2021-1">dropped by 95%</a>.This was not just a result of sick people staying out of the clinic during the pandemic."There was a lot of flu testing happening - there was just not a lot of flu virus," Alicia Budd, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist, told Insider during a recent <a href="https://healthjournalism.org/blog/tag/cdc/">Association of Health Care Journalists fellowship</a>. "The peak - if you can call it that - was 0.4% of the specimens tested for flu were positive."Normally during the height of flu season in the US, the share of positive tests ranges from 24% to 30%.In fact, it's possible that the sharp drop in flu cases has been so dramatic this year that it killed off some versions of the flu. Two varieties haven't been seen for over a year, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2021/06/02/pandemic-upside-flu-virus-became-less-diverse-simplifying-task-of-making-flu-shots/">STAT reported</a>. That could make it easier for <keyword id="24209" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="vaccine">vaccine</keyword> makers to build a better flu vaccine - one targeted at a dwindling number of threats.But experts caution it is still too early to draw any conclusions, in part because there were so few positive flu tests recorded last season."The actual number of specimens this year compared to previous seasons is extremely low," Budd said."It's obviously still important to know what viruses are out there," she continued, adding: "That helps us understand a little what we might be on the lookout for this coming season and if there are updates that are needed to the vaccine."<h2>2 flu viruses have been missing from databases for over a year</h2><div type="image" title="coronavirus flu shot" height="3044" width="4059" msid="83401643" hostid="261"></div>The flu-virus family is split into two types: A and B. Type A is made up of subtypes, two of which account for most type A flu viruses in people: H1N1 and H3N2. Those are further broken down into clades. Type B influenza, meanwhile, is split into two lineages, B/Victoria and B/Yamagata, which are also subdivided into clades.Since March 2020, there have been no reports of one particular clade of H3N2 (called 3c3.A), according to <a href="https://www.gisaid.org/epiflu-applications/influenza-genomic-epidemiology/">GISAID</a>, a global database in which researchers register and track which flu viruses are circulating."I do think we're likely to lose a little bit of the H3N2 diversity," Richard Webby, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pandemic-flu-studied-in-bird-butts-to-prevent-disaster-2019-6">a flu expert at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital</a>, told STAT.He said that'd be a "great thing" for the annual decision-making about which strains to target with vaccines - a process Webby takes part in each year."Currently when we sit down to make recommendations for vaccine strains, it's always the headache virus," he said of H3N2.<div type="image" title="flu vaccine strains lab testing" height="1451" width="2100" msid="83401645" hostid="261"></div>There have also not been any reports of flu viruses in the B/Yamagata lineage <a href="https://www.gisaid.org/epiflu-applications/influenza-genomic-epidemiology/">recorded on GISAID</a> since March 2020, but experts think it's a less one to have disappeared."The Yamagata and Victoria lineage viruses have been in cocirculation for more than 30 years," Dr. Larisa Gubareva, a flu virologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Insider.Even if certain versions of the flu are dwindling in certain areas, she added, "they could still be causing infections in areas with limited virological surveillance, or they could potentially adapt again to gain a competitive advantage.""Flu viruses are constantly changing," Gubareva said. "It's not unusual to see new viruses, or even groups of viruses, emerge and then wane."This is also a difficult time to draw definitive conclusions about which flu viruses are most prominent, since so few people got sick last year.In a normal year, flu watchers at the CDC collect and genetically characterize thousands of flu viruses, Budd said. "This season," she said, "as of the beginning of May, we had just made it to 10."<h2>Could this make it easier to create better flu shots?</h2><div type="image" title="flu vaccine grown in chicken eggs" height="1432" width="2100" msid="83401648" hostid="261"></div>If any flu variety is really gone for good, that would be good <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> for the scientists who make annual flu vaccines.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-selection.htm">The World Health Organization meets twice annually</a> to predict which viruses will be dominant the following season so countries can produce vaccines in time. (The most recent meeting happened in February for the Northern Hemisphere.) But its predictions are somewhat hit-or-miss, since the flu continues to circulate and change in unpredictable ways at a rapid rate. If a flu virus that is not well covered by the vaccine becomes more prominent than was predicted, even vaccinated people may not be totally protected.This was the case during the 2017-2018 flu season, when <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/flu-vaccine-only-25-effective-against-most-common-strain-but-officials-still-urge-people-to-get-shot/">three quarters of people who got the flu shot in the US</a> were not covered against the most common strain of H3N2 that wound up circulating. The CDC estimates that about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden-averted/2017-2018.htm#:~:text=CDC%20estimates%20that%20the%20burden,from%20influenza%20(Table%201).">61,000 people died from the flu</a> that season, the heaviest influenza death toll in the US since the 2009 swine-flu pandemic.Flu watchers like Budd, however, are hopeful that this year's shot might match circulating strains better. Out of the 10 flu viruses the CDC tracked down last season, four were H3N2s and four were B/Victorias. Those eight all match the genetic groups covered in this year's vaccine. Still, it's too soon to predict what will happen with the flu this fall and winter."We're going to have to wait and see, because flu is unpredictable," Budd said. "I certainly would expect, though, that as life returns more and more towards pre-pandemic ways, that respiratory virus circulation will likely return to something more what we're used to than what we saw this past year."

2 varieties of flu seem to have disappeared during lockdown. Experts say it's possible they're gone.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354785" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="france">France</keyword>'s <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> ministry has identified a new <keyword id="9340667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus-variant">coronavirus variant</keyword> that can evade some tests.</li><li>So far, that variant doesn't seem to be deadlier or more infectious than other strains.</li><li>The variant shares some mutations with another variant first found in California.</li></ul>A region of France has been beset by a version of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> that can hide from standard tests.The French ministry of health and social affairs <a href="https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/actualites/presse/communiques-de-presse/article/a-la-suite-de-l-identification-par-sequencage-en-bretagne-d-un-nouveau-variant">announced Monday</a> that among a cluster of 79 <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases in Brittany, eight patients were infected with the new variant, but several of them tested negative. Despite those negative tests, the patients showed typical COVID-19 symptoms.The new variant does not yet have a alphanumeric designation. But it's not the first variant that appears able to evade testing. <a href="https://vita.fi/uutiset/suomesta-loytynyt-taysin-uusi-koronavirusvariantti-mahdollisesti-vaikea-havaita-testeilla/">Finnish researchers announced</a> last month that they had identified a strain named Fin-796H with a mutation that made it difficult to detect with some nasal-swab tests, too.An inability to accurately diagnose infected people could make it harder to curtail the virus's spread at a time when cases across Europe are already spiking.<h2>Confirming infections with the new variant is tricky</h2><div type="image" title="coronavirus test nasal swab" height="3648" width="5472" msid="81579934" hostid="261"></div>The standard molecular lab tests - known as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests - hunt for an infection in a swab from a patient's nose, looking for the coronavirus's genetic code.But according <a href="https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/dgs-urgent_32_cat_vui_derive_clade20c.pdf">to the French Health Directorate</a>, genetic sequencing revealed that the variant found in Brittany has several mutations on its spike protein that help it evade detection by these diagnostic tests. Health officials in Brittany eventually confirmed some of the cases caused by the new variant by either testing the patients' blood for antibodies or collecting samples of phlegm the patients coughed up from inside their lungs and running those through a RT-PCR test.But neither of those methods are the typical COVID-19 tests, which suggests the new variant could be circulating undetected in France and possibly beyond.However, one European diagnostics company, the Novacyt Group, <a href="https://twitter.com/NovacytGroup/status/1372488458195861505">announced Thursday</a> that its PCR tests can successfully detect the new variant.<h2>The variant doesn't appear to be deadlier or more infectious</h2><div type="image" title="France COVID vaccines" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81579935" hostid="261"></div>All eight of the French patients infected with the new variant died of the virus, according <a href="https://www.ladepeche.fr/2021/03/16/covid-19-mort-des-huit-patients-porteurs-du-variant-breton-9431882.php">to local outlet LaDepeche</a>, but local health officials said that doesn't necessarily mean it's more deadly than other strains.There is no evidence yet that the strain is more transmissible than other versions of the virus. More studies are still needed to figure out whether it can evade vaccines or antibodies from prior coronavirus infections, the French health ministry <a href="https://solidarites-sante.gouv.fr/actualites/presse/communiques-de-presse/article/a-la-suite-de-l-identification-par-sequencage-en-bretagne-d-un-nouveau-variant">said in a release</a>.The variant's <a href="https://nextstrain.org/ncov/global?branchLabel=clade&amp;c=clade_membership&amp;s=France/BRE-IPP04583/2021583/2021">genetic profile</a> shows it doesn't share any key mutations with B.1.351 and P.1 - the variants first found in South Africa and Brazil, respectively - which are more contagious and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-vaccines-efficacy-variants-south-africa-uk-brazil-2021-3">can partially evade vaccines</a>.The variant from Brittany is in the same group of strains as a variant first spotted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-coronavirus-surge-california-variant-2021-1">in Southern California</a>, however. Variants in that group, named Clade 20C, are expected to make up <a href="https://nextstrain.github.io/ncov/naming_clades.html">one-fifth of the world's coronavirus infections</a> by April, according to Nextstrain, a genetic repository that tracks the coronavirus's evolution over time. <div type="image" title="coronavirus test " height="3712" width="5568" msid="81579936" hostid="261"></div><keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> of the variant in Brittany came amid France's third peak of infections.The average number of daily coronavirus cases there <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/europe/france-coronavirus-cases.html">has doubled</a> since mid-December, jumping from less than 15,000 to a near record-high of more than 38,000 on Wednesday. The increase prompted Prime Minister Jean Castex to announce new lockdowns for Paris and the surrounding Ile-de-France region <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-covid-paris-lockdown-b1819164.html">on Thursday</a>.France has been under a nationwide curfew between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. for the last two months.

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2 varieties of flu seem to have disappeared during lockdown. Experts say it's possible they're gone.

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