Some professors of virology have agreed that the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, may combine with bird and normal seasonal influenzas. They expect the new strain to be more virulent and some emphasized that Tamiflu does not kill the virus, as commonly believed, but only reduces the transmission of the virus to other cells or from one person to another within 48 hours from the appearance of the symptoms. Dr. Hussein Ali Hassanein, Professor and President of the Department of Virology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Cairo University, said the virus is expected to mutate into new strains. He added that Egypt has now become a "settlement" for bird flu, while some cases of swine flu have also appeared as well as the seasonal influenza. He pointed out that this combination could lead to a new highly virulent virus, and affirmed that the real problem is that Egypt does not have laboratories equipped to carry out researches on virus. As a result, the country cannot very much control the spread of the virus through researches and studies; instead, it just receives information from abroad.
He added: "The only laboratories in Egypt carrying out these researches on viruses are the American Navy NAMRU3. As for the central laboratories of the Ministry of Health, they just diagnose, while no research is carried out and no important result is achieved that can spare us from random expectations of how the virus may behave in the future. Dr. Hassanein said that the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is going to set up a building devoted to virology.
Dr. Hossam El-Rifai, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the Institute of Reproductive Sciences, said 256 new strains of swine flu may appear in theory, as the DNA of the virus can change and lead to new strains. He also pointed out that it is no use producing a vaccine against the current virus as the latter continuously changes.
He pointed out that the real source of concern regarding swine flu virus is linked to winter, as the viruses may merge and create a new fast-spreading strain like swine flu. El-Rifai called for setting up a supreme council against viruses and epidemics given the seriousness of the situation, particularly as there are new strains of the virus which are resistant to Tamiflu. He said this stresses the importance of setting up specialized bodies to combat these viruses. Dr. Ahmed El-Sinoussi, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for Higher Studies and Research and professor of virology at Cairo University, said the greatest danger is that not all pigs have been culled in spite of the government's campaign. Indeed, he said many pigs have fled to remote places. "The disaster is due to the fact that pigs are by nature easily affected by viruses due to their weak immune system," he said. "Inside their bodies, bird, swine and human influenzas can combine and produce a new devastating virus quickly spreading to human beings."
