This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
Published on June 30, 2020, scientists in China have identified a new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic.
The virus, which can infect humans, has been found in pigs and has the potential to mutate and spread easily from person to person.
According to researchers, the virus has 'all the hallmarks' of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring.
As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus, making it a potential threat.
Pandemic threat ¶
Experts are watching for this new strain of influenza, even as the world attempts to bring to an end the current coronavirus pandemic.
The last pandemic flu the world encountered – the swine flu outbreak of 2009 that began in Mexico – was less deadly than initially feared, largely because many older people had some immunity to it.
However, the new flu strain that has been identified in China is similar to 2009 swine flu, but with some new changes.
Prof Kin-Chow Chang and colleagues who have been studying it, say it is one to keep an eye on.
Current flu vaccines do not appear to protect against it, although they could be adapted to do so if needed.
Prof Kin-Chow Chang, who works at Nottingham University in the UK, told the BBC: “Right now we are distracted with coronavirus and rightly so. But we must not lose sight of potentially dangerous new viruses.”
