MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Canadian scientists complete genetic sequence of H1N1

A team of Canadian scientists have completed the genetic sequencing of three H1N1 viruses taken from Mexico, Nova Scotia and Ontario, the first complete sequencing of the human swine flu, it was announced Wednesday.

Preliminary analysis suggests the virus samples do not differ at the genetic level from the Mexican virus. This is a world's first sequencing of the new virus, the government announced at a news conference Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, after mounting a spirited defence of its decision to quarantine a group of Canadian students and their teacher, China relented Wednesday and let them go free.

The 27 students from the Universite de Montreal and Laval have been under quarantine in Changchun, in north-eastern China, for suspected H1N1 flu since last Saturday. None had any recent contact with a flu victim or had shown any symptoms before they were summarily sequestered when they arrived to begin a 10- week language course.

The decision to release the students was made after both the Canadian government and the World Health Organization raised questions about the necessity of quarantine.

Their doubts echoed this week's vocal diplomatic spat between Mexico and China over claims that China was targeting Mexican citizens for quarantine whether they were a possible flu risk or not. China denied the charge, but on Tuesday it released all of the Mexicans in quarantine across the country and allowed the Mexican government to repatriate them on a special flight.

The Canadian government said Tuesday a diplomatic note would be sent to China's Foreign Ministry expressing ``deep concern'' that Canadian officials had been denied full access to the students, said a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

``We are seriously concerned . . . as to why they were quarantined, because there doesn't seem to be any reason at this stage,'' said Deepak Obhrai, Cannon's parliamentary secretary.

A Canadian consular official travelled to Changchun to meet the students Tuesday, but was given only limited access. A quarantined student who spoke with Canwest News Service, Montrealer Martin Leroy Deslauriers, said the Canadian official was only allowed by Chinese authorities to meet the students for a couple minutes.

A Mexican plane also arrived in China on Tuesday to bring home 43 Mexicans who had also been quarantined by Chinese authorities.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry had defended the quarantine, saying it was in line with international and domestic law, and the students had agreed to the quarantine, Xinhua News, China's state news agency, reported.