Seasonal H1N1 or novel H1N1 ?

There is the seasonal H1N1 virus, one type of seasonal flu and the novel H1N1 virus, the swine flue virus. However, the current terminology of the so called swine virus (H1N1) is pretty confusing. Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDC reports that 1 million people become ill upon infection with the "novel H1N1 influenza virus". The antigenic difference between the seasonal H1N1 and the novel H1N1 virus is less than 25%.

Mayo Medical Laboratories web-site reports that the emergence of the "novel H1N1 virus" is characterized as "pseudo shift rather than a true antigenic shift". "It is not a novel hemaglitunin, however it is distinct enough to induce a different immune response."

http://www.mayomedicallaborato...

Despite my 9 years of molecular research background, I can barely understand the difference between the seasonal and the novel H1N1 virus. I am sure the average Joe is completely blind in that.

The information about swine flu on social media is either too scientific, too deep or too shallow in the form of advertisement.

It seems like the public is buried under haystack of nonsense information on purpose.

Well, it smells after money. Media and pharma is one site of the balance, science and humanity is on the other.

At least, the last sentence was clear enough for Average Joe :)))