First severe human case of bird flu with unusual mutations seen, details here
by KalingaTV Bureau · KalingaTVA new case of bird flu ever since a Louisiana resident was diagnosed with the viral infection and the infection was reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has led to some abnormalities in the virus and its genetic structure which makes the situation vulnerable. As it turns out, the older man in his late 60s whom the infection was diagnosed suffers from extreme respiratory problems, and this infection carried with it the D1.1 strain which has also been found in wild birds and poultry around America.
The D1.1 which the said individual suffered from is notably different from the B3.13 which was discovered in some poultry birds, dairy cows as well as other human cases. As the reports suggest the CDC had warned the general population that genetic mutations such as the ones mentioned above are rare. However, in other countries where the disease is quite common, a similar strain mutation affecting the people of British Columbia was detected.
The genetic mutations took place in HA’s (Hemaglutinin Ag) which helps the rest of the virus to embed with the host’s cells. However, the CDC maintained a reassuring tone by saying that even after several discoveries in poultry and livestock that the disease or virus was related to, the chances for an outbreak amongst large masses of people using populated areas was low. They further added that for preventing any future outbreaks or strains the containment of avian flu A(H5) in bird and livestock forms as well as genomic surveillance in the public will assist greatly.
Interestingly, the CDC found that the virus sequences from poultry sampled on the patient’s property were nearly identical to the virus sequences from the patient, but did not have the mixed nucleotides identified in the patient’s clinical sample. This suggests that the changes emerged during infection as the virus replicated in the patient.