SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NEW H5N1 BIRD FLU VIRUS MUTATIONS THAT MAY BE CAPABLE OF SPREADING TO HUMANS

The H5N1 avian influenza virus, which recently infected a man in Chile and may pose a risk of spreading to humans, has undergone new mutations, according to scientists.

The risk of spreading disease from one person to another is still minimal, but the new changes are "concerning," according to the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). It also implies that there may be a rising risk of human spillover.

Officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that two genetic mutations found in a sample of the virus that was isolated from a man show the virus's adaptation to mammals.

The two mutations, both of which are in the PB2 gene, have previously been demonstrated to enhance virus replication in mammalian cells in experimental animal studies. Health officials stated that there is still a low risk to the general public and that the hospitalised Chilean man is not associated with any new human cases.

Notably, the sample lacked additional crucial genetic alterations thought to be required for H5N1 to spread effectively among humans, such as mutations that would stabilise the virus and aid in its tighter attachment to human cells.

Since 2004, 23 countries have reported a total of 874 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1), including 458 fatalities (case-fatality rate: 52.4%). According to the ECDC, no human-to-human transmission has been identified to date.