H5N1 virus continuously mutates, risk of rapid spread in humans

After detecting a case of mutated H5N1 bird flu virus in Vancouver, Canada, scientists fear that this flu virus could spread more quickly among humans.

Rod-shaped H5N1 influenza virus captured under a microscope - Photo: AFP

According to CNN, through testing, scientists discovered some mutations that could help the virus more easily penetrate the human respiratory tract.

“This is one of the first signs of this type of mutation in the H5N1 virus,” said Dr. Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Scientists' analysis shows that this virus strain has three important mutations. Specifically, two mutations help the virus to easily penetrate human cells and one mutation helps the virus replicate more effectively in the human body. The patient initially only had eye inflammation but then progressed to severe pneumonia, suggesting that the virus may have gradually adapted to the human respiratory tract.

After the discovery, doctors immediately monitored dozens of people who had close contact with the patient, including family, friends and medical staff. However, so far, there has been no sign that the mutated virus has spread from the patient to those around him.

On the other hand, scientists say the above genetic changes are a reminder of the possibility of an outbreak due to the spread of this virus.

Canadian scientists also confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus in the teenager's body was not the strain spread from dairy cows in the US. Instead, they determined that this mutated H5N1 virus originated from wild birds such as geese in the Pacific Northwest region.

To date, the US has recorded 53 cases of people infected with the H5N1 virus due to close contact with livestock, specifically dairy cows.

Although both the US and Canadian strains are H5N1, they have some differences, similar to the case of the Delta and Omicron strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medical experts are continuing to investigate the source of the child's infection because the patient had no contact with wild birds in nature.

However, Dr. Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, warned that there are many strains of the H5N1 flu virus and they have a high mutation rate.

So if this virus is in the right conditions to evolve these mutations, it's possible that it could develop other mutations.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/virus-h5n1-lien-tuc-dot-bien-nguy-co-lay-lan-nhanh-o-nguoi-20241123101324701.htm