A recent case of H5N1 bird flu in the US has raised alarm as tests revealed a mutation allowing the virus to attach to human upper airway cells. Health officials believe the patient contracted the virus directly from birds, a trend also observed in a similar case in Canada. This mutation is significant because it could increase the potential for human-to-human transmission, which is currently rare. While the development is concerning, experts emphasize that it's unclear what combination of mutations would lead to a pandemic.
H5N1 bird flu from an extreme case in the US has mutated to attach to human upper airway cells, health chiefs have warned.The new US case, like the one in Canada, is believed to have caught the virus directly from birds in his backyard, not through infected cattle.
Bird flu viruses do not typically bind to a cell receptor in human upper airways, which helps explain why H5N1 rarely infects people or spreads between them. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist specialising in emerging infectious diseases, said the news would have been worse if the mutations were found in the virus from Louisiana poultry.Brits with cancer symptoms could refer themselves for scans without seeing GP
At least 65 human H5N1 cases have been confirmed in the US this year, linked to an outbreak in dairy cows first reported in March.Most others were exposed to infected poultry, either during bird culling or, in Louisiana’s case, through a backyard flock.The World Health Organisation says the human risk remains low, but urges countries to share information quickly for monitoring and preparedness as the virus spreads.
Bird Flu H5N1 Mutation Pandemic Potential Human Infection
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