Researchers Identify H5N1 Mutations Necessary for Human Infection

November 22, 2006 — 

A letter in the recent issue of the journal Nature describes researchers' efforts to identify mutations in the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that would allow the virus to bind to human receptors facilitating a potential human pandemic.

The researchers identified two mutations that convert the hemagglutinins (HA) of the H5N1 virus known to recognize the avian receptor to ones that recognize the human receptor. By identifying mutations in the receptor-binding HA molecule that would enable avian H5N1 viruses to recognize human-type host cell receptors, it may be possible to predict (and thus to increase preparedness for) the emergence of pandemic viruses.

Source:
Nature