
New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) report claiming that the swine flu virus in India may have mutated and become severely infectious needs to be studied thoroughly before being accepted, Indian health experts said on Thursday.
"This is a new study. We need to go through it and research properly. It is important to know how they reached the conclusion. It will take at least one-to-two days' time to go through the study, only then I can comment on it," S.K. Sharma, director, Directorate of Health Services (DHS) told IANS.
The study by a team of Indian-origin scientists at the US university says that swine flu has killed over 1,500 people and infected more than 27,000 people in India and the virus has acquired mutations that make it more dangerous than previously circulating strains of H1N1 influenza.
The findings, reported in the scientific journal Cell Host and Microbe, contradict previous reports from Indian health officials that the strain has not changed from the version of H1N1 that emerged in 2009 and has been circulating around the world ever since.
Mutation is a permanent change of the nucleotide sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extra-chromosomal DNA or other genetic elements.
N.K. Mehra, former dean, research, at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) said it was important to study the MIT report before coming to any conclusion. "It will be too early to comment now without going through the report properly," he said.
A senior official of the health ministry also said that the issue will be discussed with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) before coming to any conclusion.
The flu virus in India seems to have acquired mutations that could spread more readily, the scientist have warned in the study.
The reality show Big Boss is the most popular show on TV. While Bollywood superstar Salman Khan h
Goa's top election official bats for paper ballot
Panaji, March 20 (IANS) Electronic voting machines, or EVMs, may have made the conduct of elect
The CBI is investigating the rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College
The foreign ministers of the Quad countries have strongly condemned the horrific terrorist attack
The second wave of Corona saw a severe shortage of medical oxygen in hospitals across the country
After the announcement of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha to recite Hanuman Chalisa and consecra
New Delhi: Amidst the growing cases of Corona, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a review
Boney Kapoor: Boney Kapoor met CM Yogi, the film producer's company will build a 'Film City'
Film producer Boney Kapoor has met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Boney Kapoor pos
The Supreme Court has given a big decision on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In a
The Chinese Navy is soon going to induct its third aircraft carrier 'Fujian' into the Navy's flee