Bird flu mutated inside of patient
A genetic analysis indicates that the bird flu virus mutated within a Louisiana patient who had the first severe case of the illness in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported that the mutations may help the virus bind more effectively to receptors in human upper airways, which is concerning but not yet alarming.
Experts like Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Minnesota, liken the virus’s ability to bind to a lock-and-key mechanism. While the virus may be evolving to better fit human cells, it does not yet indicate that the virus could easily spread between people. "It’s a key that sits in the lock, but it doesn’t open the door," Osterholm explained. The bird flu has caused sporadic, mostly mild cases in the U.S., primarily among people working on dairy or poultry farms. The Louisiana patient, a person over 65 with underlying health issues, became critically ill after contact with sick or dead birds in a backyard flock.
Read more: Associated Press
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