Waukeshahealthinsurance.com-
–
Genetic analysis of samples Patient in Louisiana Recently, the country's first hospitalization of a patient with severe H5N1 bird flu indicates that the virus can mutate in the patient and be transmitted to humans, but there is no evidence that the virus has been transmitted to another person.
The patient may become infected after coming in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. he said. At the beginning of this month. Non analysis On Thursday, the agency said the mutation it identified in samples taken from the patient's hospital was not found in the birds, suggesting they are not present in the virus, which is widely distributed in wildlife.
Mutations, similar to those seen in A. Hospitalized patient In British Columbia, Canada, the virus can easily bind to cell receptors in the upper respiratory tract of people, the agency said in its analysis.
“The observed changes are due to the virus replicating in the patient, rather than being transmitted primarily during the course of the disease,” the CDC said. Although A(H5N1) viruses can induce changes in the clinical course of human infection and are cautionary, these changes are more worrisome if they occur in animal hosts or early in the course of infection… to facilitate spread to close contacts.
The agency stated that the risk to society as a whole remains unchanged and remains low, but that the discovery of the genetic mutation “results in the need for ongoing genomic surveillance in humans and animals, to prevent outbreaks of avian influenza A (H5) in dairy cattle and poultry, and for infected animals or Preventive measures among vulnerable people in areas.
The analysis did not find any changes to markers that could indicate antiviral drugs are not working against the virus, the CDC added, and said the samples were closely related to strains that could be used to make vaccines if necessary.
The sequences did not show changes in genes associated with adaptation to mammals, the CDC found. The patient was infected with a strain called D1.1, which is closely related to viruses circulating in wild birds and poultry in the US. Another strain, known as B3.13, is widespread in dairy cows and has not been found to cause serious disease in humans in the United States.
“While this may sound like good news, HIV Dr. Angela RasmussenA virologist at the Institute of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; Posted Bluesky on Thursday.
“There has been an explosion in humanity,” she said. “We don't know what kind of mutation leads to the pandemic H5N1 virus…but the more people there are, the more likely it is to have a pandemic virus.
Get Health's weekly newsletter
CDC has. Confirmed In the year 65 cases of H5N1 bird flu in humans by 2024. Of those, 39 are related to dairy herds and 23 to poultry and farming operations. For two cases, the source of exposure is unknown. The serious case in Louisiana is the only case related to backyard herds.
Dr. Paul Offitt.The mutation allows the virus to bind better to receptors on cells in the upper respiratory tract of humans, according to the CDC, a vaccine scientist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
“I want to see clear evidence … that it's going to bond well,” Offit told Friday. “That hasn't happened yet.”
“Most importantly, there is no clinical significance that you see spreading from person to person,” Offit added.