H7N9 mutates 8 times faster than normal flu virus
According to the newspaperSouth China Morning Post(Hong Kong) April 10, the new bird flu virus that appeared in China, called H7N9, can mutate up to 8 times faster than the common flu virus in humans.
The above conclusion was made by a group of scientific experts in Shenzhen.
Associate Professor Dr. He Jiankui of the 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 step up surveillance and control efforts to prevent the possibility of a large-scale H7N9 bird flu outbreak.
The rapid mutation of the H7N9 virus is extremely dangerous. (illustrative photo)
Through testing the H7N9 virus gene code from samples obtained by mainland Chinese authorities, Associate Professor Ha Kien Khoi's research team conducted a thorough study of the blood clotting substance in the H7N9 virus, a protein that plays an important role in the infection process of this dangerous virus.
This protein binds the H7N9 virus to an animal cell, such as human respiratory cells, and causes a hole in the cell membrane to allow the virus to enter.
According to Associate Professor He Jiankui, researchers in Shenzhen discovered rapid changes in the clotting factor in one of the four influenza virus strains provided by the central government. Nine of the 560 amino acids in this protein changed. In a typical virus, only one or two amino acids can change in such a short time. This happened in just one or two weeks. This speed may not be as fast as the HIV virus, but it is quite an unusual speed for an influenza virus. The rapid change makes the evolution of this virus very difficult to predict.
“We don’t know if it will evolve into something harmless or dangerous. Our samples are too limited. However, the authorities should be clearly warned and prepared for the worst.”
The origin of the H7N9 virus has puzzled scientists because of its novelty, but research by Associate Professor Ha Kien Khoi and colleagues shows some clues that differ from those of mainland authorities.
Shenzhen experts compared the new virus strain with all H7N9 strains identified in Europe and other Asian countries and found that they are very different.
In fact, the new virus is quite similar to some known viruses in China, such as H9N2, H11N9 and H7N3 found in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Associate Professor He Jiankui said that researchers cannot rule out the possibility that the new virus was brought into China by wild birds, but it is more likely that it originated in China.
According to Vietnamnet-M
