New virus strains from swine flu virus, avian influenza

Chinese scientists have warned that swine flu and avian influenza viruses can be combined into new strains with stronger toxicity.

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Veterinary scientists at Peking University have created 127 mixed viruses by mixing the genes of the H1N1 virus and the H9N2 bird flu virus in the lab. When tested on rats, 8 of them were far more virulent than the 'parent' virus.

Each influenza virus carries eight gene segments, and one gene segment is called the PA gene. Surprisingly, all 8 strains of hybrid virus between H1N1 and H9N1 carrying the PA gene belong to the H1N1 virus of their parents. When tested on mice, these 8 strains caused acute pneumonia, edema and bleeding.

According to experts, the virus path combines and creates the most common strain of hybrid viruses when they meet and " get married " in the same body. Humans and animals, like pigs, can become an ideal place for them to perform this marriage.

According to the team, this result shows the importance of controlling hybrid viruses derived from H9N2 and H1N1. H9N1 virus is very popular in China when there are 13 - 37% of respondents in many surveys said that they have been infected with this virus.

Scientists believe that the pandemic that happened in 1958 and 1968 also happened under that mechanism, killing the lives of a total of 3 million people.