H7N9 mutates eight times faster than the common influenza virus.
According to the newspaper.South China Morning Post(Hong Kong) April 10th: A new avian influenza virus that emerged in China, named H7N9, can mutate up to eight times faster than the common human influenza virus.
This conclusion was reached by a group of scientific experts in Shenzhen.
Associate Professor Dr. Ha Kien Khoi of South China University of Science and Technology said on April 9 that authorities should be alerted by the research results of him and his colleagues, and should step up monitoring and control efforts to prevent a potential widespread outbreak of H7N9 avian influenza.
The rapid mutation of the H7N9 virus is extremely dangerous. (illustrative image)
Through genetic sequencing of the H7N9 virus from samples obtained by mainland Chinese authorities, a research team led by Associate Professor He Jiankui conducted a thorough study of the clotting agent in the H7N9 virus, a protein that plays a crucial role in the infection process of this dangerous virus.
This protein binds the H7N9 virus to an animal cell, such as respiratory cells in humans, and causes a hole in the cell membrane to allow the virus to enter.
According to Associate Professor Ha Kien Khoi, researchers in Shenzhen have discovered a rapid transformation of the clotting factor in one of the four influenza virus strains provided by the central government. Nine of the protein's 560 amino acids have changed. In a typical virus, only one or two amino acids can change in such a short period of time. The expert emphasized: “This happened in just one or two weeks. This rate may not match the rate of change of the HIV virus, but it is quite unusual for an influenza virus. This rapid transformation makes the evolutionary trajectory of this virus very difficult to predict.”
“We don’t know whether it will evolve into a harmless or a dangerous virus. Our samples are too limited. However, authorities should be clearly warned and prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
The origin of the H7N9 virus has puzzled scientists due to its novelty, but research by Associate Professor Ha Kien Khoi and his colleagues reveals some clues that differ from the opinions of mainland authorities.
Shenzhen experts compared the new virus strain to all H7N9 virus strains already identified in Europe and other Asian countries and found that they were very different.
In fact, the new virus is quite similar to several known viruses in China, such as H9N2, H11N9, and H7N3, which were found in the provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Associate Professor He Jiankui said that researchers cannot rule out the possibility that the new virus was introduced into China by wild birds, but it is more likely that it originated in China.
According to Vietnamnet-M
