Virus variant found in bird flu patients

Studies show that the H5N1 avian influenza virus in Chinese patients has changed compared to this virus in avian influenza patients in Vietnam, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced yesterday.

According to information from the ministry, laboratory tests found that the H5N1 virus isolated from recent bird flu patients is highly similar to the virus found in poultry from outbreaks of avian influenza. hold.

However, when compared to the H5N1 virus isolated from patients in Vietnam, the H5N1 genotype in Chinese patients has changed to "some extent", according to Chinese Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qun. 'an. 'But this variation cannot cause human-to-human transmission of bird flu,' he stressed.

Mao said that since the H5N1 virus first broke out in 1997, most human infections have been reported in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and mainland China. There are no cases of people infected with bird flu in Europe.

The main pathway for infected people is direct contact with infected poultry or their droppings, inhalation of virus samples from poultry manure. Mao noted that the community can avoid the risk of infection if away from sick and dead poultry.

In the middle of last week, the World Health Organization reported laboratory tests showing 132 people infected with bird flu, including 68 deaths.

T.VY (According to Xinhua)