Rare Chances Of H5N1Virus To Become Pandemic

Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 13:43

Scientists from Imperial College bird flu,h5n1,imperial college,london,north carolina,pandemic,united states,university, University of Reading and University of North Carolina, USA conducted a study to find out why bird flu did not become a pandemic. They say that bird flu viruses would have to undergo at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be infected from one human to the other.

Studies show that the possibility of two genetic mutations occurring at the same time is quite remote. Bird flu also known as H5N1 has a mortality rate of 60 per cent in humans. However, if there has been no human-to-human transmission, bird flu would not be a pandemic.

H5N1 viruses can only infect the ciliated cell in the mouth and nose. A human-to-human transmission would need it to bind with non-ciliated type of cell as well.

Contrary to what people believed, research and studies suggest that the bird flu is less likely to spread. However, this does not completely rule out the possibility of it becoming a pandemic. It is important for scientists to keep forking towards inventing a vaccine for it.