Large outbreaks of eye inflammation (conjunctivitis), including hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, have begun around the world this month with several regions registering case counts in the thousands. Viral infection is frequently associated with this type of highly contagious "Pink Eye" or "Red Eye". Early pandemic H1N1 cases document these types of eye redness in the patient symptomology.
One recent HA polymorphism found in the pandemic reservoir has been previously associated with viral conjunctivitis with and without classic influenza symptoms. The amino acid value of HA 188T is strongly correlated to conjunctivitis on the Netherlands human H7N7 outbreak during 2003, including zoonoses from commercial poultry operatons. One human fatality was recorded during that outbreak and that case sequence shows the HA 188T.
- Transmission of H7N7 avian influenza A virus to human beings during a large outbreak in commercial poultry farms in the Netherlands.
- Avian influenza A virus (H7N7) associated with human conjunctivitis and a fatal case of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Avian influenza again may be communicating with the human pandemic H1N1 Hydrae. India today, 2010-09-30, is on record in a section of Mumbai as counting 2,500 cases of conjunctivitis this month. HA 188T is also found in India.
. . . . Florida14_24M_2010_08_05 (
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . syn161Y [H3N8 2009, H6N1, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 442I mix,
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])
. . . . OZVictoria512_2010_07_30 (
. . . . . . . . syn60I,
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn285P,. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])
. . . . Thailand34_9912_2010_07_14 (
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 200T, . . . . . . . . HA truncated after aa253)
. . . . Thailand34_9937_2010_07_14 (
. . . . . . . . 162Q [Unique to PF11 GenBank/GISAID],
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . HA truncated after aa253). . . . NZChristchurch15_2010_07_12 (
. . . . . . . . 100N,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])
. . . . India5107_2010_06_28 (
. . . . . . . . syn60I,
. . . . . . . . 100N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2],
. . . . . . . . syn135V,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])
. . . . . . . . syn49G [H7N3, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn51A,
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . syn338G [H3N8, H4, H5, H6, sw],
. . . . . . . . 377K [H9N2],
. . . . . . . . 454N [H7N3, H7N7, H9N2])
. . . . swThaiCURA75_2010_01 (
. . . . . . . . 188T [H6N1, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 263D, . . . . . . . . syn350G [H7N3, H7N7],
. . . . . . . . 414I,
. . . . . . . . syn484N [H3N8, H4, H5N1 (E/A/H), H6, H7N7, H9N2, H11])
The human post-pandemic reservoir continues to diversify and augment from a wide variety of avian, canine and equine sources. Sampling and sequence confirmation may corroborate that Mexico, China or Pakistan has HA 188T in the PF11 reservoir near the same geographies where the eye symptoms are occurring.
