The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently analyzed the first severe human case of bird flu in the United States.
This case, identified in a Louisiana resident over the age of 65, revealed new mutations in the virus that were not found in the infected flock on the patient’s property. These findings have raised critical questions about the virus’s behavior and its implications for public health.
Dr. Sarah Jenkins, lead virologist at CDC’s Influenza Division, made this discovery with her team while analyzing samples from a Louisiana resident who contracted the virus.
The case marked a significant moment in U.S. public health monitoring, as it represented the first severe human infection of avian influenza in the country.
Understanding the mutations
The CDC ‘s analysis revealed mutations in the hemagglutinin gene – the viral component that acts like a key fitting into a cell’s lock.
These genetic changes hadn’t shown up in samples taken from the infected birds on the patient’s property, suggesting the virus might have evolved during human infection.