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What genetic material did the 2009 H1N1 virus contain?
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influenza pandemic (H1N1) of 2009
Doctors at the Mexico City Navy Hospital wearing protective gear as they tend to patients complaining of H1N1 flu-like symptoms.
The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus was a complex strain that emerged through a process known as genetic reassortment. Researchers determined that the virus contained a unique combination of genetic material derived from three distinct sources:12
- Swine influenza viruses: The virus incorporated genes from two different strains of swine influenza.12
- Human influenza viruses: It contained genetic material originating from human influenza strains.12
- Avian influenza viruses: It also included genes from avian (bird) influenza viruses.12
This reassortment is believed to have occurred when these different types of influenza viruses simultaneously infected the same host—likely a pig—allowing for an exchange of genetic material that gave rise to the pandemic strain. As a member of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the virus is an RNA virus, and its specific identity as H1N1 refers to the composition of its surface proteins, hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase.12