Bird flu viruses could unleash a pandemic as ferocious as the one which killed 50 MILLION people in 1918, study shows
The viral proteins making up the 1918 flu strain differ by only a few molecular building blocks from those now found in bird populations around the world
A few key mutations would allow a 1918-like virus to spread between humans
Current seasonal flu vaccine may offer protection against new 1918-like virus
By Emma Innes
DailyMail.com
11 June 2014
Current bird flu viruses could be just a small step away from unleashing a pandemic as potentially ferocious as the one which killed 50 million people in 1918.
The viral proteins making up the 1918 flu strain differ by only a few molecular building blocks from those now found in bird populations around the world, scientists have warned.
A handful of key mutations could be all it takes to allow a 1918-like virus to spread freely between humans, they believe.
Researchers tested the ability of a reverse-engineered 1918-like virus made from components circulating in birds.
This was then transmitted to ferrets, whose susceptibility to flu mimics that of humans.
‘The worst-case scenario is the emergence of a novel avian influenza virus that exhibits high pathogenicity in humans, like H5N1 (avian flu) viruses, and efficient transmissibility in humans, like seasonal influenza viruses,’ said U.S. lead scientist Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Our findings demonstrate the value of continued surveillance of avian influenza viruses and reinforce the need for improved influenza vaccines and antivirals to prepare for such a scenario.’
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