3-D model of flu virusWIKIPEDIA, M EICKMANNTwo types of bird flu—H5N1 and H7N9—have sparked concerns about a potential pandemic. Both viruses can cause severe illness and death in people, but mercifully, neither can spread easily from person to person.
That might soon change, however. According to a study today (June 6) in Cell, some strains of both viruses are just one mutation away from getting a better grip on the cells in our upper airways. If wild viruses accrue those mutations, they may find it far easier to spread from infected to uninfected people, increasing the risk of a pandemic.
Ram Sasisekharan of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who led the study, hopes that the findings will help public health officials monitor wild viruses, as well as aid in vaccine development. “These viruses are rapidly evolving and our stockpiles of vaccine are largely based on outdated strains,” he said. “We hope that our discoveries will help us to stay ahead of the curve by ...
