Turkey bird flu strain found to be mutated

Researchers have found a slight mutation in the haemagglutinin protein of the bird flu virus. Haemagglutinin antigen is responsible for attaching of the virus to the host and the variability and fragmentation of this antigen is responsible for evolution of new strains of the virus, if a person or bird is infected with two viral strains of the bird flu during replication the haemagglutinin gets fragmented and during annealing there are chances of joining of two fragments from two virus leading to a new mutated strain which can be highly infectious. The mutation now found in the turkey strain was similar to the strain isolated from bird flu infections during 2003 in Hong Kong.

There is no need to panic as this slight mutation is not found to have any change in infectivity or change in transmissibility as there is a world wide fear of mutation of bird flu virus which could make the virus spread from person to person as this could lead to millions of death world wide. The researchers have tested the efficacy of the current anti-bird flu drugs on the new strain isolated and found that the drug is effectively inhibiting the mutated strain. Though the virus has mutated a little researchers feel that this mutation is not dangerous.