Mutations of avian influenza virus found in critically ill patients

Mutations of avian influenza virus found in critically ill patients

Written by Tanya Lewis Edited by Dean Visser

A virus sample taken from a Louisiana patient hospitalized with severe H5N1 avian influenza showed genetic mutations that could allow the pathogen to spread more easily among humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. This was announced in a statement released on .

The mutation was found in samples taken from patients, but not in samples from backyard poultry, which was thought to be the source of the infection. This suggests that changes have occurred within the patient’s body. This development does not change the CDC’s official assessment of the risk to the general public, but it does indicate that the H5N1 virus can adapt to the human respiratory tract.

“The detection of severe human cases with genetic alterations in clinical specimens is an important indicator of continued genomic surveillance in humans and animals, containment of outbreaks of avian influenza A(H5) in dairy cattle and poultry, and “This highlights the importance of precautions for people exposed to infected animals and the environment,” the CDC statement said.

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On December 18, the CDC confirmed that a patient in Louisiana was hospitalized with the first severe H5N1 infection confirmed in the United States this year. This virus has been circulating among wild birds for several years. The virus was detected in U.S. dairy cows in March and has since infected hundreds of herds in 16 states. The Louisiana patient’s virus sequence matched another strain of the virus, called D1.1, that has been detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States.

The mutations seen in the Louisiana patient’s samples are localized to the virus’ hemagglutinin gene, which codes for a protein that helps the virus bind to and infect cells. These mutations are rarely seen in humans. There have been several reports of severe cases in humans, all outside the United States. One of the changes was detected in a virus sample taken from a Canadian teenager who was hospitalized with severe H5N1 infection in November. Samples from the Louisiana patient showed no changes in the N1 neuraminidase portion of the viral genome or other parts that could make the pathogen less susceptible to antiviral drugs. This sequence is also similar to that of existing H5N1 strains, which can be used to make vaccines if necessary.

A total of 65 human H5N1 infections have been confirmed in the United States so far this year. Most are associated with exposure to infected cattle or poultry, and the majority are mild. Infections have also occurred in several other animals, including pet cats who may have ingested raw milk or meat from sick animals. A virus recently killed more than half of the big cats at a wildlife sanctuary in Washington state.