The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating a claim by an Australian scientist that the new A(H1N1) influenza virus that was identified three weeks ago in Mexico and has now infected thousands of people in 33 countries around the world, came from a lab as a result of human error.

Adrian Gibbs, a 75-year old researcher who has studied germ evolution for over 40 years and who worked on the early development of antiviral drugs for influenza, sent a 3 page study about his analysis to the WHO last weekend. Gibbs said that he also intends to publish the study.

Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO Assistant Director-General ad Interim for Health Security and Environment said in an interview from WHO’s headquarters in Geneva on 11th of May that they were reviewing the paper and that Gibbs was one of the first scientists to analyse the genetic structure of the new A (H1N1) virus. If it is the case that the virus came from a lab, it may mean security needs to be tightened, he said.

Gibbs said the virus may have accidentally evolved in eggs that researchers used to make viruses for vaccine development. In a telephone interview reported by The Brisbane Times, he said he came to this conclusion after analysing the origin of the virus from its genetic blueprint.

Together with two colleagues, he analysed publicly available information about the genetic code of the virus, attempting to trace back the origin of the virus’s 8 genes and hundreds of amino acid sequences.

Gibbs said “the sooner we get to grips with where it’s come from, the safer things might become”. He said the virus could be a “mistake” that happened in a vaccine production lab, or it could have moved from pigs to other animals or birds before entering humans.

However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who have already reviewed the report said there was no evidence to support Gibbs’ conclusion.

Nancy Cox, director of the CDC’s influenza division, said that until they have looked at samples from South America and Africa, they can’t say where the new strain may have come from.

Cox said that when they did the comparisons that were most relevant they did not come to the same conclusion as Gibbs.

“There is no evidence that this virus was derived by passage in eggs,” said Cox, according to The Brisbane Times report.

Fukuda said the WHO has a lot of people looking at Gibbs’ work and we will know more about their views on it in the next few days.

Latest WHO Update

In their latest update (number 27, issued 6 am GMT on 13 May), the WHO noted that 33 countries have now reported 5,728 confirmed cases of A (H1N1) influenza infection, including 61 deaths.

Mexico has reported 2,059 confirmed cases, including 56 deaths, and the US has reported 3,009 confirmed cases, including 3 deaths.

Deaths have also occurred in Canada (1 death among 358 cases) and Costa Rica (1 death among 8 cases).

The virus has now circled the globe and cases (but so far no deaths) have been confirmed in South America, Europe (including Scandinavia), China and Japan, Australia and New Zealand. However, in the Middle East, only Israel has reported confirmed cases.

Spain has reported the highest number outside North America, with 98 confirmed cases, followed by the UK at 68 confirmed cases, Panama at 29, France at 13 and Germany at 12.

Source: Brisbane Times, WHO.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD