Pre-pandemic strain of swine flu

[LoveRedShoes]

What does this mean? WHen I asked two docs they gave fairly fluffy answers, and I could tell that they didn't really know, other than to repeat 'it means it is a fairly rare strain to see here, and it is pre-pandemic' (thanks docs!).
Will I have immunity to all H1N1 having had it? ANyone know?

I've not heard that term before. In what context have you heard it?

I was admitted into hospital with what later tested positive to be swine flu, but called a 'pre pandemic' strain of swine flu. The doctor reporting to me said the microbiologists were very excited about it as it was rare and they hadn't expected to see it here. WHen I pressed him to explain exactly what that meant, he got a bit fluffy and just kept repeating that it was 'pre-pandemic'. I asked lots of questions of two different docs but they struggled to explain the microbiology to me.
I asked if it meant that it was an earlier strain of the virus, but no real comment.
Still confused!

Not a microbiologist, but I would think that yes, it means an earlier strain. It did change slightly, I think, last year - though not becoming more virulent, just 'normal' mutations that microbiologists (like my uncle, which is why I heard something about it) get all excited about

Its still H1N1, though.

Although really...you should ask Musukebba (I keep saying that when I don't really know the answer to things!)

Thanks Elibean - I guess I am trying to find out why it is rare if it is a 'pre-pandemic' strain (doesn't that just mean an earlier version - therefore why is it 'rare'?) and if I will have immunity to all swine flu now, or just that strain. I have googled but to no avail.

How I understand it is that influenza viruses are kind of an approximation to each other. A strain refers to viruses that are pretty much identical to each other, but never entirely identical, theres a change here and there in the genetic coding. Sometimes the changes are greater than usual and can almost be thought of a new strain

its why when you look at the vaccine composition:
an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
? an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;*
? a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
and you see the California/7/2009 - it means that the virus used is the one that was found predominantly in California at that time. You may well have had the same coding as the flu when it was found in Mexico (or else where)

Am I making sense or am I just talking bollocks?

oooooohhh - just noticed you are talking about very recently. no wonder they are interested in you!!!
How are you doing now?

Yes - came down with it a week and a half ago (Christmas day) and it is the most awful thing I have ever had. I had dehydrated and had a temp of 41.6. They also found a shadow on my lung so I am just finishing a course of anti-biotics. I honestly thought I was going to be a bad statistic. I am otherwise perfectly healthy.
I am recovering slowly, been up and around today but feel like a 106yr old woman - have had the stuffing knocked out of me. All my DCs had similar too, though they weren't swabbed.
Thanks for the info - that is what I was thinking too, and you make complete sense.
Funnily enough, my DH has been commuting to and from southern US (state close to Mexico) and I asked the doc if he perhaps had brought this 'pre pandemic' strain back with him, as he had been ill while there. Makes sense to me, that if it was called 'pre-pandemic' by the microbiologist, then it might mean that it was from Mexico and therefore would explain why it was rare to be in the UK. Sadly, the doc clearly didn't know.

On the upside, I am apparently pin-up of the month in the microbiology lab - or at least my blood is!

oh gosh, that makes a lot of sense. You can tell everyone you've had the original swine flu, none of this new fangled american kind

Seriously don't try and fight your way back into life, its probably going to take you some weeks to recover. It sounds really rough.

Thanks Kitten!

Yes it's difficult to interpret what the docs meant when originally describing the virus as "pre-pandemic swine flu".

Pre-pandemic virus could mean the 'old' H1N1, which had been circulating around the world since about 1976. When pandemic H1N1v (2009) came along, most of the 'old' H1N1 disappeared and it is very rare to detect it. Just as well too, because most isolates were completely resistant to Tamiflu!

Otherwise your virus could be H3N2, which was also "pre-pandemic" in the sense that it was circulating from 1968, and although not ousted in a similar way to the old H1N1, is only occasionally found now. We have only had one so far this season, for example, compared to all the other H1N1v (2009). H3N2 is almost always sensitive to Tamiflu.

However these two viruses are not classically described as "swine flu", since their pandemic days were long gone and had become co-circulating seasonal human viruses. There are some swine-origin viruses which occasionally jump out of pigs into humans and cause mild disease, but these do not efficiently spread further amongst humans to cause a pandemic.

OYBBK has the classification of influenza viruses right:
Type / Place / month / year

Actually that is interesting as I remember one thing that the doc did relay - he said that only Relenza would work and not tamiflu. I took neither as by this point i was showing signs of improvement and did not want to introduce any side effects from an anti-viral.
Wonder how I might have caught that old strain then? Was definitely H1N1.

It sounds to me like you've had an old H1N1, there were some around ages ago which is why swine flu has not affected elderly people as much as they have residual immunity (not saying you are old BTW!)
The virus as it was in Mexico when it was taking off is the same virus that spread around the world and is still with us now. There have not been any material changes in it and where there have been tiny changes they have been isolated cases. Docs would not call those isolated mutations 'pre-pandemic' though, just slight variations of the current H1N1.
There were several isolated cases of Tamiflu resistant H1N1 but again I cannot think why anyone would call those 'pre-pandemic'.
Very odd.
Am glad you are on the mend now.