Avian flu shows worrisome human virus mutation

AvianFlu1

Infectious disease experts say the avian flu case that infected a 13-year-old in British Columbia shows “worrisome” signs that the virus could be mutating to more easily infect humans, but that the treatment approach taken can help inform future cases

 The Canadian Press

In a letter published in the The New England Journal of Medicine Tuesday, Canadian health officials identified changes in the viral genome sequence of specimens collected from the teenager who tested positive for avian flu and was treated in Vancouver. 

The case study says the teen was taken to a pediatric intensive care unit with respiratory failure and pneumonia on Nov. 8, endured a long hospital stay, and recently was taken off of supplemental oxygen on Dec. 18.

 “These mutations increase the likelihood the virus can combine with human airway receptors and that would be the key to it being infectious to humans”
 
 
 

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