|
Flu Wiki Forum
Welcome to the conversation Forum of Flu Wiki
This is an international website intended to remain accessible to as many people as possible. The opinions expressed here are those of the individual posters who remain solely responsible for the content of their messages.
The use of good judgement during the discussion of controversial issues would be greatly appreciated.
|
Thu Jun 21, 2012 at 20:55:09 PM EDT
|
|
Pallab Ghosh By Pallab Ghosh Science Correspondent, BBC News
H5N1 Bird Flu virus The H5N1 virus could mutate to a deadlier form and spread to humans
"...The H5N1 bird flu virus could change into a form able to spread rapidly between humans, scientists have warned.
It is for this reason that relatively few people have died of bird flu. Latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures indicate 332 people have died of the illness since 2003. (continued below)
|
| RICHARD-FL :: Bird flu 'could mutate to cause deadly human pandemic' |
| Health officials are concerned though that the H5N1 virus could one day mutate into a form that could be spread between humans through coughs and sneezes through the air. This could, they fear, result in a lethal pandemic that could spread rapidly across the world killing tens of millions of people.
It is only now that a study has confirmed that the emergence of such a deadly virus is theoretically possible. They found some of these viruses had two of the key changes needed to become airborne.
Mathematical modelling suggested it was indeed possible for a virus to develop the three further changes required during the course of an epidemic.
It is the first time it has been shown that it is possible for bird flu to become airborne, but the research team was unable to determine precisely how likely this was to happen.." |
|
|
