What could happen if avian flu crosses the species barrier?
A new study by biologists from the Scripps Research Institute shows that a bird flu virus is just a single mutation away from having human-ready receptors.If the H5N1 virus does make the switch, it could lead to widespread infection rates in humans.Thus far, the virus has been limited in humans. According to a new study published in the journal Science by Scripps Research Institute biologists, the avian H5N1 virus has the potential to quickly shift from a bird flu to a human flu.
Those human infections raised concerns about the capability for bovine-to-human transmission, despite the fact that the virus was still best suited to avian receptors. The concern, understandably, is the potential for a pandemic if the disease becomes broadly and easily transmissible to and between humans.“For a new pandemic H5N1 virus, we know that it has to switch receptor specificity from avian-type to human-type,” the study authors wrote.
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