Warning: Extremely toxic virus silently mutates, possibly more dangerous to people

"Something happened" in mid-2021 - the head of a leading influenza research center of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned.

A study recently published in Nature Communications confirms that humanity is facing the largest outbreak of avian influenza A/H5N1 (highly pathogenic avian influenza) in history.

The risk of outbreak to humans is still assessed by WHO as "low" but is increasing because the virus has and continues to change.

Dr. Richard Webby, Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds - a member of the research team, warned that "something happened" in mid-2021.

Dr. Richard Webby - (Photo: ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL)

That was when this type of flu suddenly proved to be much more infectious than previous bird flu epidemics, causing outbreaks that have continued to this day, sweeping away wild birds and poultry. and even mammals where this disease has never been detected.

Research confirms that this virus has mutated and increased its virulence (ability to cause severe illness) on its way from Europe to North America from 2021 to the present.

Researchers looked at a ferret infected with one of the new strains of influenza A/H5N1 and discovered a huge amount of virus in its brain.

WHO stated in February that the risk of infection and causing an epidemic in humans is still low, after 2 people with this type of flu in Cambodia (of which 1 person died) were determined to be transmitted from animals. not from person to person.

The research team reiterated that "low" risk classification but added a warning: "This virus is not static, it is changing."

"That raises the possibility, even just by chance, that this virus possesses genetic characteristics that allow it to be more similar to a human virus," Dr. Webby said. That means the risk of it increasing its ability to infect humans and spread from person to person still hangs in the balance.

The research team is still looking for 2 or 3 expected small changes that could occur in a protein of this virus, making it more adaptable to humans. Luckily, we haven't seen it yet.

What is needed now, the authors say, is to continue monitoring it, as well as efforts to vaccinate poultry to slow down this major spread, as some countries including China, Egypt, Vietnam . did.

In Vietnam, influenza A/H5N1 in humans is classified as a group A infectious disease - which is more dangerous than current Covid-19.