cHeroKee
12-04-2013, 06:14 PM
Dec 4, 2013, 2:41pm CST
St. Jude scientists: 1950s pandemic flu virus still a threat (http://St. Jude scientists: 1950s pandemic flu virus still a threat)
Scientists at have found that a virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s still poses a threat to human health.
St. Jude scientists have evidence that viral descendants of the H2N2 avian influenza A virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s could still pose a threat to human health, particularly to those under 50 because they lack immunity to H2N2 viruses.
The research has been published in an advance online edition of the Journal of Virology.
Of the 22 H2N2 avian viruses analyzed in the study, one was classified as high risk based on its potential to trigger a pandemic. The classification involved multiple factors, including the ability of the virus to infect human cells.
The study is the most comprehensive yet of avian H2N2 (also known as “bird flu”) viruses. These and other viruses from wild aquatic birds have featured prominently in past flu pandemics.
The viruses in the study showed a surprising ability to infect and replicate in mammals, but they were all susceptible to current anti-viral medications. Researchers also found evidence that an existing prototype vaccine would likely protect against avian H2N2.
St. Jude scientists: 1950s pandemic flu virus still a threat (http://St. Jude scientists: 1950s pandemic flu virus still a threat)
Scientists at have found that a virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s still poses a threat to human health.
St. Jude scientists have evidence that viral descendants of the H2N2 avian influenza A virus that killed millions worldwide in the 1950s could still pose a threat to human health, particularly to those under 50 because they lack immunity to H2N2 viruses.
The research has been published in an advance online edition of the Journal of Virology.
Of the 22 H2N2 avian viruses analyzed in the study, one was classified as high risk based on its potential to trigger a pandemic. The classification involved multiple factors, including the ability of the virus to infect human cells.
The study is the most comprehensive yet of avian H2N2 (also known as “bird flu”) viruses. These and other viruses from wild aquatic birds have featured prominently in past flu pandemics.
The viruses in the study showed a surprising ability to infect and replicate in mammals, but they were all susceptible to current anti-viral medications. Researchers also found evidence that an existing prototype vaccine would likely protect against avian H2N2.