China announced the origin of H7N9

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Technology have published the latest research on the origin of the H7N9 virus, which killed dozens of people in April.

According to East China Algae, research by Chinese researchers suggests that the H7N9 virus that has spread to hundreds of Chinese people recently is a new virus created through the restructuring of four different viruses. .

Research shows that a gene of the virus capable of originating from the A H7 influenza virus appears in ducks in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. This type of virus may be transmitted by East Asian migratory birds to ducks in this area.

Another gene also originated from migratory birds passing through China, and ducks in the area of ​​migratory birds are the key hosts of viruses from wild birds to poultry.

In addition, the remaining six genes of the H7N9 influenza virus are derived from the H9N2 virus, found in Chinese poultry, mainly ducks. However, the origins of these 6 genes are not uniform. One of them can be derived from chickens in Jiangsu region. The remaining five genes originated in chickens in the vicinity of Zhejiang and Shanghai.

The cause of the diversity of these six gene segments of H7N9 is thought to be related to the transport of poultry.

The study also showed that H7N9 outbreak this time has at least 2 different branches. Because of this virus's receptor binding as well as Tamiflu's response, there are different manifestations.

The work was published in The Lancet last May 1.