Known to be causing cat infections across the United States, the bird flu virus has mutated inside a patient in Louisiana who contracted the country’s first severe case of the illness. This week, the CDC said the new development surfaced after a genetic analysis of a person older than 65 years. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the person was hospitalised in critical condition with severe respiratory symptoms from bird flu after coming in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. Earlier this month, officials said the patient had not yet been identified and has underlying medical problems.But, what does this new finding mean?WHAT DOES THE ANALYSIS SHOW?According to a report published by AFP, the genetic analysis showed that a small percentage of the H5N1 bird flu virus in the patient’s throat carried genetic changes that could increase its ability to bind to certain cell receptors found in the human upper respiratory tract. The CDC, however, noted that these changes have not been detected in birds, including in the backyard poultry flock believed to have been the source of the initial infection. Instead, it said the mutations were “likely generated by replication of this virus in the patient with advanced disease”, stressing that no transmission of the mutated strain to other humans had been identified.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE VIRUS MUTATES?
A report published by The Associated Press said scientists believe the mutations may allow the virus to better bind to receptors in the upper airways of humans. Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota infectious disease researcher, likened this binding interaction to a lock and key.To enter a cell, the virus needs to have a key that turns the lock, and this finding means the virus may be changing to have a key that might work. “Is this an indication that we may be closer to seeing a readily transmitted virus between people? No,” Osterholm said. “Right now, this is a key that sits in the lock, but it doesn’t open the door.”