Scientists think they have found a reason as why bird flu transmissions among humans are rare. The virus infects the cells in the lung instead of affecting cells in the nose and windpipe. When a person coughs or sneezes it is not brought out into the air. But scientist says that this might change as and when the virus mutates.
Experts say the new research does not give any guarantee about the virus and it can change genetically and unleash a worldwide outbreak of lethal flu. The study results were reported in the journal Nature. The work was carried by the scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka with colleagues in Japan and other scientists from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands came out with similar results and published the results in the journal Science. Statistics show that about 180 people are infected with the bird-flu virus H5N1.
The main cause and source of infection in all the cases are that of the close contact with the poultry. But this is not permanent the virus any day can mutate in to a dangerous form and spreads easily from person to person leading to a pandemic.
The new work suggests that H5N1 that infects humans are in very low number in the respiratory tract. Hence it does not spread when a patient sneezes or coughs.
