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CDC joint pact opens access to flu virus fingerprints

A new agreement will make gene sequencing data related to domestically circulating flu bugs widely accessible.

By Stephanie Stapleton, amednews staff. Sept. 25, 2006.

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For the first time ever, researchers worldwide will have access to the genetic blueprints for the genes of more than 650 influenza viruses collected in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last month.

Health officials hope the trove of materials, which will be made available through two databases, will trigger a stepped-up level of influenza research -- ranging from efforts to pinpoint pandemic issues to those that lead to the development of new annual flu vaccines and treatments.

"With more information, the world's influenza experts can advance our understanding of the viruses circulating, potentially create new prevention strategies and treatments, and ultimately help us better protect the health of people around the world," said Nancy Cox, PhD, director of the CDC's influenza division, in a statement.

The new accessibility arrangement is the result of an agreement between the CDC and the Assn. of Public Health Laboratories. These labs, also known as state health laboratories, are in many ways the front lines of influenza surveillance, analyzing and sub-typing thousands of influenza viruses each year.

"If a novel virus is out there, we will likely be the first to detect it," said APHL President Jane Getchell, DrPH, in a statement. "This is why public health labs are a critical part of our country's early warning system for pandemic influenza, and why this collaboration with CDC is so important."

State labs pass on the samples to the CDC -- usually at the start, peak and end of each flu season as well as in the event an unusual strain is detected. There, more in-depth characterization, known as sequencing, is conducted. This information is akin to a DNA fingerprint for each virus, allowing researchers to determine more about its origin and to compare it with other influenza viruses, explained Rosemary Humes, APHL's director of infectious diseases and preparedness programs.