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Posted: 15th November 2013

First human case of H6N1 identified

Taiwan woman infected with new bird flu strain

A WOMAN in Taiwan has become the first person in the world to have contracted a new wild strain of bird flu, H6N1.

According to a report in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, A 20-year-old woman with an influenza-like illness presented to a hospital with shortness of breath in May, 2013. An unsubtyped influenza A virus was isolated from her throat-swab specimen and was transferred to the Taiwan Centres for Disease Control for identification.

The influenza A virus was identified as the H6N1 subtype, based on sequences of the genes encoding haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Sequence analyses showed this human isolate was highly homologous to chicken H6N1 viruses in Taiwan and had been generated through interclade reassortment, the report states. The source of infection was not established.

The report concludes: "These viruses continue to evolve and accumulate changes, increasing the potential risk of human-to-human transmission. Our report highlights the continuous need for preparedness for a pandemic of unpredictable and complex avian influenza."

More information can be found at www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/onlinefirst

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Birmingham Dogs Home makes urgent appeal
Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.

The rescue centre has seen a dramatic increase in dogs coming into its care, and is currently caring for over 200 dogs. With rising costs and dropping temperatures, the charity is calling for urgent support.

It costs the charity £6,000 per day to continue its work.

Fi Harrison, head of fundraising and communications, said: "It's heart-breaking for our team to see the conditions some dogs arrive in. We really are their last chance and hope of survival."

More information about the appeal can be found here.

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