Ethnic differences in susceptibilities to A(H1N1) flu: An epidemic parameter indicating a weak viral virulence

Abstract

The current A(H1N1) flu has showed sub-population dependent susceptibility and fatality as early as April and May of 2009 in its first wave of spreading. After the pandemic outbreak spreads globally for more than seven months, the subpopulation dependence of this flu, including ethnicity, age and gender
selectivity, has been recognized by several research groups. This paper attempts to discussed how to identify ethnic selectivity from the released data by WHO relevant to this ongoing flu, review some recently published papers describing the presence of ethnic differences in susceptibilities to the H1N1
flu virus and further raised an argument that ethnic differences in  susceptibilities to a virus might be a piece of evidence reflecting a weak virulence of that specific virus.