A new strain of swine flu, known as the G4 virus, has been discovered in China. The virus is a descendant of the H1N1 virus that caused a pandemic in 2009, resulting in at least 150,000 deaths. The G4 virus has the potential to cause another pandemic, as it can be transmitted from human to human. Chinese scientists discovered the virus after analyzing 30,000 swab samples from pigs in ten provinces between 2011 and 2018. The virus was found to be highly infectious and caused worse symptoms than other newly discovered types of swine flu viruses.
The G4 virus is a reassortment Eurasian avian-like (EA) H1N1 influenza A virus. It was discovered by scientists led by Honglei Sun, who were conducting routine surveillance of pigs in China. The scientists found 179 previously unknown swine flu viruses, most of which belonged to a new type that has been observed in pigs since 2016. The scientists conducted flu studies on ferrets, which have similar symptoms to humans, and found that the G4 virus was highly infectious and caused worse symptoms than other newly discovered types of swine flu viruses.
The G4 virus has already infected humans, with 10.4% of workers in slaughterhouses testing positive for the virus. The virus has the potential to cause a pandemic if it continues to adapt to humans and can be transmitted from human to human. Experts have called for increased monitoring of the virus and for people to be cautious around pigs, which can be a source of important pandemic viruses. While it is not yet known if a pandemic will occur, experts warn that the situation must be closely monitored.
