“Ukraine swine flu ‘burns’ lungs”– source
British scientists suspect that swine flu virus has mutated in Ukraine. Some doctors say that flu in the country has shown unprecedented symptoms, creating the effect of “burnt” lungs, the Daily Mail reports.
Sources said that while British scientists are running their tests of the virus samples from Ukraine, some doctors claim the strain is dangerously mutating.
These doctors even liken swine flu symptoms in Ukraine with those of the Spanish flu that hit the world in early 20th Century, the Daily Mail reports.
It has also quoted an unnamed doctor in western Ukraine as saying that lungs of Ukraine swine flu victims look strikingly unusual.
“We have carried out post mortems on two victims and found their lungs are as black as charcoal. They look like they have been burned. It's terrifying,” doctor said.
Meanwhile, according to the World Health Organization, no mutations have been registered in virus samples from Ukraine.
The organization was quoted by AP as saying that preliminary genetic sequencing in British and American laboratories showed the virus from Ukraine is similar to that used for production of the pandemic flu vaccine.
The WHO said that the infection rate in Ukraine is quite in line with that in neighboring countries like Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, versions of an H1N1 virus nature keep multiplying.
“It should be called a Jurassic Flu – the DNA of a woman who died in 1918 Spanish flu was recovered from her corpse,” said investigative reporter Wayne Madsen to RT.
“The DNA was used to recreate this virus and some of the individuals, especially of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are now involved in a process to develop the vaccine for H1N1. I don’t think it takes a detective very much time to figure out what could be a ‘cause and effect’ relationship there,” he added.
Russia is stepping into the campaign to help Ukraine tackle the virus. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed an order to provide humanitarian aid to the country.
The Ministry of Health and Social Development allocated about US$800,000 to buy medication for Ukraine which has been delivered to the country by air.
The Ukrainian Health Ministry has registered some 1.5 million flu and respiratory illnesses since the start of the outbreak.
22 countries have sent aid to Ukraine following an appeal by President Yushchenko.
