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Researchers at Penn State have demonstrated the airborne transmission of a new H5N1 virus strain in ferrets, marking a potential evolution of the virus to better infect mammals and possibly humans. The study, which reconstructed the virus from genetic sequences, emphasizes the importance of surveillance for mutations that could increase virulence and transmission. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
This is the first time that a member of the group of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses has been shown to exhibit this ability. According to the Penn State researchers who led the study, the findings suggest these viruses are evolving to infect mammals and with potentially increased risk to humans. Sutton noted that the mink strain of the virus contained a mutation, called PB2 T271A. To test the influence of this mutation on viral transmission and disease severity, the team engineered the virus without the mutation and found that mortality and airborne transmission in the ferrets infected with this version of the virus were reduced.
Furthermore, he said that the transmission rate the team observed in the mink virus is lower than is typical for pandemic influenza viruses.
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