Deadly mutation risk: The surprising way bird flu transforms inside you
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As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of infectious diseases, a new concern has emerged from the avian world.
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, has long been recognized as a threat to poultry, but its potential to mutate and affect humans has become a pressing issue.
A recent case in British Columbia, Canada, has shed light on the alarming ability of the virus to transform when it infects humans, particularly in severe cases.
The case of a 13-year-old girl in British Columbia, who was hospitalized with bird flu, has revealed a startling development.
After several weeks of illness, the virus within her body had mutated. This discovery, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks Canada's first recorded severe human infection of avian influenza.
So far, almost all cases of bird flu in North America have shown mild symptoms only such as conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and runny nose, chills, cough and sore throat.
“I think it’s concerning but not totally surprising that we would see some sporadic cases where there is severe illness. Even seasonal influenza can occasionally cause very severe illness,” remarked Dr. Chanu Rhee, an infectious disease and critical care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School.
The mutation process of the H5N1 virus, which caused severe infections in both the Canadian teen and a patient in Louisiana, occurred in a protein on the virus's surface.
This protein is akin to the coronavirus's spike protein and is responsible for the virus's ability to attach to cells.
While typically these proteins are designed to latch onto receptors in birds, the mutations allowed the virus to bind to receptors in the human mucous membrane.
“RNA viruses like influenza have these enzymes that basically can’t spell-check themselves, so they make a lot of mistakes and mutations inevitably emerge,” Rasmussen said.
One of the most concerning aspects of the bird flu virus is its potential for reassortment. This process can occur when a person is infected with two different influenza viruses at the same time.
The genetic material from these viruses can mix, creating a new hybrid virus. This phenomenon is not just a theoretical concern; it's believed to have been the mechanism behind the 2009 swine flu outbreak, which resulted from a mix of avian, swine, and human influenza viruses.
“Just because there are mutations that could allow it to transmit between people doesn’t mean it will,” said Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization.
“If you get infected with H5N1 and at the same time get infected with seasonal flu, it’s like shuffling two decks of cards together when they replicate, that can be extremely dangerous,” she said.
The resulting combination can be extremely dangerous, potentially leading to a virus that is more adept at infecting humans and spreading rapidly.
The severity of the illness caused by the bird flu virus can vary, but in the case of the Canadian teen, it was life-threatening.
She experienced respiratory failure, pneumonia, kidney injury, and a drop in platelet and white blood cell counts.
Her treatment included the use of a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), highlighting the gravity of her condition.
Fortunately, despite the mutations, the virus remained susceptible to available antivirals. This is a crucial point, as it means that current treatments can still be effective against these mutated forms of the virus.
However, the unpredictability of the virus's evolution underscores the need for vigilant monitoring and rapid response to potential outbreaks.
While the cases in Canada and Louisiana are outliers, they serve as a reminder of the importance of taking precautions to prevent the spread of bird flu. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your community:
1. Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands frequently, especially after handling birds or visiting areas where birds are present.
2. Cook poultry and eggs thoroughly: Ensure that all poultry products are cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) to kill any potential viruses.
3. Avoid contact with sick or dead birds: If you encounter birds that appear ill or have died, do not touch them. Report them to local wildlife authorities.
4. Stay informed: Keep up to date with the latest information on bird flu outbreaks and follow guidance from public health officials.
“We already know that reassortment sometimes is really beneficial for the virus and it allows it to make a big evolutionary leap forward much more quickly than random mutations. That’s why the mutations don’t bother me as much as the increasing number of human cases,” Rasmussen stated.
Have you been following the developments in bird flu research? Are there precautions you take to protect yourself from potential outbreaks? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, has long been recognized as a threat to poultry, but its potential to mutate and affect humans has become a pressing issue.
A recent case in British Columbia, Canada, has shed light on the alarming ability of the virus to transform when it infects humans, particularly in severe cases.
The case of a 13-year-old girl in British Columbia, who was hospitalized with bird flu, has revealed a startling development.
After several weeks of illness, the virus within her body had mutated. This discovery, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks Canada's first recorded severe human infection of avian influenza.
So far, almost all cases of bird flu in North America have shown mild symptoms only such as conjunctivitis, or pink eye, and runny nose, chills, cough and sore throat.
“I think it’s concerning but not totally surprising that we would see some sporadic cases where there is severe illness. Even seasonal influenza can occasionally cause very severe illness,” remarked Dr. Chanu Rhee, an infectious disease and critical care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School.
A 13-year-old girl in British Columbia contracted bird flu with a mutated version of the virus, marking Canada’s first recorded severe human infection of avian influenza. Image source: Mircea Iancu / Pixabay.
The mutation process of the H5N1 virus, which caused severe infections in both the Canadian teen and a patient in Louisiana, occurred in a protein on the virus's surface.
This protein is akin to the coronavirus's spike protein and is responsible for the virus's ability to attach to cells.
While typically these proteins are designed to latch onto receptors in birds, the mutations allowed the virus to bind to receptors in the human mucous membrane.
“RNA viruses like influenza have these enzymes that basically can’t spell-check themselves, so they make a lot of mistakes and mutations inevitably emerge,” Rasmussen said.
One of the most concerning aspects of the bird flu virus is its potential for reassortment. This process can occur when a person is infected with two different influenza viruses at the same time.
The genetic material from these viruses can mix, creating a new hybrid virus. This phenomenon is not just a theoretical concern; it's believed to have been the mechanism behind the 2009 swine flu outbreak, which resulted from a mix of avian, swine, and human influenza viruses.
“Just because there are mutations that could allow it to transmit between people doesn’t mean it will,” said Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization.
“If you get infected with H5N1 and at the same time get infected with seasonal flu, it’s like shuffling two decks of cards together when they replicate, that can be extremely dangerous,” she said.
The resulting combination can be extremely dangerous, potentially leading to a virus that is more adept at infecting humans and spreading rapidly.
The severity of the illness caused by the bird flu virus can vary, but in the case of the Canadian teen, it was life-threatening.
She experienced respiratory failure, pneumonia, kidney injury, and a drop in platelet and white blood cell counts.
Her treatment included the use of a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), highlighting the gravity of her condition.
Fortunately, despite the mutations, the virus remained susceptible to available antivirals. This is a crucial point, as it means that current treatments can still be effective against these mutated forms of the virus.
However, the unpredictability of the virus's evolution underscores the need for vigilant monitoring and rapid response to potential outbreaks.
While the cases in Canada and Louisiana are outliers, they serve as a reminder of the importance of taking precautions to prevent the spread of bird flu. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your community:
1. Practice good hygiene: Wash your hands frequently, especially after handling birds or visiting areas where birds are present.
2. Cook poultry and eggs thoroughly: Ensure that all poultry products are cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) to kill any potential viruses.
3. Avoid contact with sick or dead birds: If you encounter birds that appear ill or have died, do not touch them. Report them to local wildlife authorities.
4. Stay informed: Keep up to date with the latest information on bird flu outbreaks and follow guidance from public health officials.
“We already know that reassortment sometimes is really beneficial for the virus and it allows it to make a big evolutionary leap forward much more quickly than random mutations. That’s why the mutations don’t bother me as much as the increasing number of human cases,” Rasmussen stated.
Have you been following the developments in bird flu research? Are there precautions you take to protect yourself from potential outbreaks? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
