Novel swine influenza A/H1N1 and the phase six pandemic

The family Orthomyxoviridae consists of Influenza A virus which is negative sense single stranded virus. The genome of the virus is segmented and possesses a peculiar trait of genetic reassortment. The influenza virus on its envelop consists of the antigenic glycoprotein like haemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The changes in those glycoprotein components due to antigenic shift and antigenic drift leads to the development of new strain of Influenza A viruses. Now the novel swine influenza A/H1N1 strain has been detected from different parts of the world which is causing pandemic. World Health Organization has declared the pandemic phase six and more than 60 countries have reported the cases of novel influenza A/H1N1 strain including Nepal. As the disease is spreading world wide, it is a major public health concern for all the countries. And especially the developing countries like Nepal should immediately respond to the situation and should be well prepared to combat the disease before the disease spreads to enough population.