Researchers to Examine How Avian Flu Crosses to Humans

November 18, 2005 — 

Professor of avian virology and immunology at Cornell University, Ton Schat, will spend six months studying the H5N1 bird flu virus with colleagues at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's (CSIRO) high-security bio-containment facility in Geelong, Victoria - the Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL). The goal of this collaboration will be to explore mutations in the avian influenza virus and the implications for human infectivity.

Of the 125 or so known human cases of avian influenza, almost 50% have been fatal. Scientists have collected avian influenza viruses recovered from human infections and have compared those viruses to the influenza virus recovered from infected birds. The researchers have detected mutations in the virus' genetic makeup.

Professor Schat and Dr. John Lowenthal, a CSIRO Livestock Industries scientist, will attempt to investigate the effects of this mutation and its implications for the pathogenicity and virulence of the virus in humans. They will also expose birds to the mutated virus collected from humans to study what happens to birds when they are infected with the mutated form; whether the mutated form changes when it is reintroduced to birds; and, whether birds can actually carry the mutated form.

Source: CSIRO: http://www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=mediaRelease&id=218birdflu&style=mediaRelease