New Bird Flu Seen Having Some Markers of Airborne Killer

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) The new bird influenza that’s killed six people in eastern China has some of the genetic hallmarks of an easily transmissible virus, according to the scientist who showed how H5N1 avian flu could become airborne.

The H7N9 strain, which is a new virus formed as a result of two others merging their genetic material, has features of viruses that are known to jump easily from birds to mammals, and a mutation that may help it attach to cells in the respiratory tract, said Ron Fouchier, a professor of molecular virology at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, in a telephone interview yesterday.

“That’s certainly not good news,” said Fouchier, who reviewed a gene sequencing of H7N9 published by Chinese health authorities. “This virus really doesn’t look like a bird virus anymore; it looks like a mammalian virus.”

To curb the spread of H7N9, officials in Shanghai have halted trading in live poultry, closed bird markets and slaughtered more than 20,000 birds. The outbreak, in which 16 people have been infected, caused soybean futures and airline stocks to fall yesterday on concern the virus may spark a pandemic. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-05/new-bird-flu-seen-having-some-markers-of-airborne-killer.html

[laundry_queen]

1. That doesn't sound good. nt

[xchrom]

2. Du rec. Nt

[neverforget]

3. Yikes!

Here's to hoping this doesn't become airborne and a pandemic.

[OldDem2012]

4. Started with 3 infected and 2 dying. Added 4 more infections a couple of days ago. Now, the total...

....number of infections that we know of is up to 16.

The problem is that we have to depend on getting timely and accurate information from the Chinese authorities, and they don't really have a very good track record.

[Mojorabbit]

9. 6 dead as of today

It is very worrisome.

[smirkymonkey]

5. K&R

Scary. Why do so many flu viruses originate in China? Couldn't we do a great deal to solve the world's health problems by finding out what causes these mutations at the source?

[elehhhhna]

11. big place? lots of people, and evidently

the farmers live with their livestock?

[OldDem2012]

6. 6 dead now....

6th person dies from bird flu in China; poultry cull ordered

QUOTE:

A massive poultry cull is underway in China as the country announced a sixth human death from a new bird flu strain Friday.

Health authorities in Shanghai ordered the slaughter of all birds at a market where the H7N9 flu virus was found in pigeons being sold for meat. The sale of live fowl has also been halted.

Sixteen people have fallen ill with the flu along China’s eastern seaboard. Some of them are in critical condition.

[redqueen]

7. K&R

[xchrom]

8. I find this interesting. Kick. Nt

[Comrade_McKenzie]

10. Been keeping track of this. Thanks for the update! nt