Researching ferrets, detecting the mechanism of spreading influenza through the air

A study of ferrets, the best animal model to study human flu, shows that the flu virus can be transmitted through the air by a regular breathing route.

Typically, influenza viruses are transmitted in mucus when a person coughs or sneezes. However, recent research by scientists has shown that influenza viruses can be transmitted in the air before any flu symptoms are expressed.

The results from a study on ferrets supporting previous research suggest that viruses can be transmitted through the air through a normal breathing route.

The leader of the research team, Professor Wendy Barclay from the Royal Lon Don University, said: 'This result is important in planning for disease prevention. This means that the spread of flu is difficult to control, even when using self-diagnostic devices such as thermometers at airports ".

'It also means that doctors and nurses who don't get the flu shot will be able to infect their patients when they themselves don't know they have the flu ,' he continued.

Influenza virus can be transmitted through the air by a regular breathing route.

Ferrets are selected for influenza studies because their susceptibility is similar to humans and they also exhibit similar flu symptoms such as sneezing, fever and runny nose.

New research published on electronic PloS ONE site is the first study of an animal's flu spread before flu symptoms show up.

The ferrets with the flu are placed with healthy animals for a short time at different stages after infection. Transmission has occurred when animals infected with influenza have the first symptoms: fever.

The virus spreads among animals classified with a kennel and even nearby cribs. Scientists found that ferrets can transmit influenza viruses to animals near it only 24 hours after they become infected.

Animals do not show fever symptoms until after 45 hours after infection and start sneezing after 48 hours.

At the end of the infection, after about 5 or 6 days, the flu virus is transmitted less. Researchers believe this will cause people to return to the company or school as soon as flu symptoms are expressed without fear of a high risk of spreading the disease to others.

Dr Dr Kim Roberts, research associate, working at Trinity College Dublin, said: 'Ferrets are the most readily available form of studying influenza transmission, but we must be careful when using fluids. research results applied to people ".

'In that study, we only used a small number of animals, so we could not know how much the infection was before flu symptoms started. It may depend on the level of flu infection. "