China refutes PNAS report of new H5N1 strain

I’m a believer of scientific evidence based on solid research.

And I read the full PNAS report about the Fujian-like H5N1 spreading across southeast Asia and I blogged about it here . To my understanding the research findings were credible. But I’m not the agriculture minister of China.

Apparently, China thinks the results are dubious, the research methods are unscientific and conclusions are speculatory. I don’t know that China also released their facts and reports to dispute the paper, but I hope that they did, because talk won’t change facts.

“The so-called “Fujian-like variant” was by no means a new variant. Its gene sequence is highly more than 99 per cent similar to the H5N1 subtype virus isolated in Hunan and other provinces during the bird flu outbreak in early 2004.” From ChinaDaily, read what Chen Hualan, director of the National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory had to say here.

According to EpochTimes, China has previously agreed to provide specimens to the World Health Organization but did not provide any sequences of the Fujian-like strain. Virologists Guan Yi, author of the contested research, countered that China issued orders to stop the study of the new virus and to destroy samples of the virus.

The World Health Organization got in on the arena by reminding the Chinese and foreign scientists to stop squabbling and instead share information to stop this unchecked strain.

Henk Bekedam, WHO’s representative for China:

“This is an ideal opportunity to get a better idea what is happening in China and assess strategies that have been effective and develop even more targeted strategies if there is a need.”

[Sources: ChinaDaily; EpochTimes; ReuetersAlertNet]

Tags: bird flu, China, drug-resistant viruses, Fujian-like H5N1 sublineage, H5N1, Pandemic flu