1918 virus replication to prevent the current influenza epidemic

Scientists have done a dangerous but essential job: Reviving the 'Spanish flu' virus in a high-safety US laboratory.

France concentrates on storing bird flu vaccine

This H1N1 virus has caused a global pandemic, killing 20 million - 50 million people, including healthy adults. Scientists believe it is a variant of the avian influenza virus that causes human illness.

To revive it, they went to Alaska to unearth the body of a woman buried in the area in November 1918.

They took the cells in the lungs to analyze the genetic code of the virus. Researcher Terrence Tumpey, of the Atlanta Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: 'We have conducted experiments to understand the biological properties that make the 1918 virus so virulent . '

It is frightening that the 'reborn' virus is still as powerful as it was: killing laboratory mice in just a few days and killing all chicken embryos like the current H5N1.

Their work, published yesterday in the journal Science and Nature, provides useful information for vaccine research and the development of anti-influenza drugs as well as monitoring the development cycle of strains. Avian influenza virus.

Accordingly, one of the genes involved in the 'killer' nature of avian influenza virus is the hemagglutinine (HA) protein on the surface of the virus. HA allows the virus to attach to the cells of the body it infects.

When it finds the mechanism of action of HA, people will be able to prevent it. The scientists also noted that there were some similar changes between the 1918 strain and H5N1 virus and H7N7.

The results of this study are like a gift to welcome the bird flu conference opening yesterday in Washington. According to the US Department of State, health professionals and government officials of more than 65 countries and representatives of international organizations were present at the two-day conference to discuss ways to coordinate the prevention of a flu. when it happens.

Avian influenza conferences will also be held continuously in the near future: This end of October in Australia for the Asia-Pacific region, on October 25 and 26 in Canada and the Organization The World Health also held in Geneva a conference to mobilize financial funds on 7 and 8-11 days.

NGUYEN QUAN (According to Reuters, AFP)