The patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with him Severe bird flu disease The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week that a mutated version of the virus had been found.
The fact that the virus mutates within the patient indicates the possibility of this happening Potentially spread From human to human.
The agency stated that the CDC analyzed samples of the H5N1 virus collected from the patient, and compared its genetic sequence with those found in infected dairy cows, wild birds, poultry and other animals.
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“The analysis identified low-frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sequenced sample from the patient, which were not found in the virus sequences from poultry samples collected from the patient’s property, suggesting that the changes appeared in the patient after infection,” the CDC said.
The CDC announced that a patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with severe bird flu was found to be infected with a mutated version of the virus. (Istock)
“While these low-frequency changes are rare in humans, they have been reported in previous cases of A(H5N1) in other countries and most often during Severe illness“.
Based on the discovery of these genetic changes in the virus, health officials recommend conducting “continuous genetic surveillance” of people and animals, and taking steps to contain them. Bird flu outbreak between dairy cows and poultry, and take steps to prevent transmission when exposed to infected animals or environments.
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The CDC stresses that the risk to the general public remains low.
“The same mutations were not present in the viral genomes sampled from the backyard birds that presumably infected the individual,” Samuel Scarpino, director of artificial intelligence and life sciences and professor of health sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, confirmed to Fox News Digital.
The CDC analyzed samples of the H5N1 virus collected from the patient, and compared its genetic sequences to those found in infected dairy cows, wild birds, poultry and other animals. (Istock)
“Because the mutations were present in the human patient, but not in the patient Backyard birds“This suggests that the mutations arose while that person was infected.”
Dr. Mark Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and a senior medical analyst at Fox News, told Fox News Digital, sharing his thoughts on the importance of this finding.
“Every human infection represents a spin on the epidemiological roulette wheel.”
“It is somewhat concerning that the H5N1 avian influenza virus found in the Louisiana patient showed a mutation that allowed it to enter the upper airway more easily in this patient, but this mutation has been seen before,” he told Fox News Digital.
The doctor pointed out that the good news is that there have been no reports of infection Louisiana patient Transmitting the virus to other humans.
“It's important that surveillance among domestic poultry and dairy cows be broad,” Dr. Mark Siegel told Fox News Digital. (Photo by Ollie Dick/Image Alliance via Getty Images)
“We know which mutations to look for in terms of potential for spread between humans” based on previous research, Siegel said.
He added: “It is important that monitoring is widespread among domestic poultry and dairy cows.”
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Scarpino agreed that while the mutations are “concerning,” they “likely do not represent an increased risk to the public.”
“Similar events – mutations that arise during infection that increase the risk of infection in humans – occurred with the individual who was… Infected with H5N1 virus “From wild birds in Canada and this has happened several times during previous H5N1 outbreaks outside of the United States and Canada,” he told Fox News Digital.
One expert warned that the greater the chances of the virus infecting humans, the greater the likelihood of similar mutations occurring and sparking a “chain of transmission” between humans. (Istock)
“So far, it does not appear that the person in Louisiana has transmitted the infection to other people.”
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However, the doctor warned that the more chances the virus had to infect people, the more likely it would be that similar mutations would occur and trigger a “chain of transmission” between humans.
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“Every human infection represents a spin on the epidemiological roulette wheel,” Scarpino said.
“We need to take effective steps to eliminate the H5N1 virus from the country agricultural population “And a better understanding of why so many wild birds continue to become infected.”
