Bird Flu Strains Mutate To Heighten Pandemic Scare
With more and more people in various nations across the globe falling prey to the deadly avian virus, the news that some strains of the virus are found to have mutated to adapt themselves as per us humans, comes as an alarming discovery, further raising the scare of a widespread human pandemic.
It is found that the H7 subtype of the avian virus has evolved to make itself more adaptive to human beings, thereby increasing its chances to move freely between humans and birds.
The virus found in the respiratory tract of ferrets is said to breed well in the sugars found in human tracheal cells. This is becoming the primary reason for concern, as the virus is following the same sugar binding tendencies as seen in previous viral pandemics around the globe.
“These findings suggest that the H7 class of viruses have partially adapted to recognize the receptors that are preferred by the human influenza virus,” said Terrence Tumpey, a senior microbiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
According to the researchers such virus mutations call for stricter surveillance and screening on the part of health agencies and governments across the world.
Though, research also says that the mutations and adaptations are not strong enough as yet, to trigger off an epidemic in the near future for sure. However, the possibility of one, can not be overlooked and thus, the H7 virus needs to be kept under the scanner constantly.
