A patient role in Louisiana became severely sick after contracting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza ( HPAI ) , the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) announced in astatementon Thursday . This is the first serious type ofbird fluaffecting a human reported in the US since the eruption began . An analytic thinking of the virus revealed the existence ofmutationsthat affect the virus ’ power to attach to septic cells .
However , the results also revealed the presence of mutations not seen in those of the poultry , indicating familial changes that occurred in the patient post - infection . harmonise to the CDC , these mutations display changes in the hemagglutinin ( HA ) cistron – a gene creditworthy for helping the computer virus bind to the infected cellular telephone . These mutations occurred at a “ low relative frequency ” , meaning they make up a modest symmetry of the virus sampled . This again paint a picture that the change in all probability took station post - infection , when the computer virus was double , and not before pre - infection or during transmission .
“ Although worry , and a reminder that A(H5N1 ) viruses can develop changes during the clinical course of a human infection , these change would be more concerning if found in fauna hosts or in other stages of infection ( e.g. , within a few days of symptom attack ) when these alteration might be more probable to facilitate spread to close up contacts , ” the CDCstates .
harmonise to the CDC , these mutations are rarified but have been cover in previous incidents affecting people in other countries , including a affected role in British Columbia , Canada . The changes most commonly occur during spartan case of the disease but do n’t show foretoken of reducing the effectualness of antiviral drug when it comes to treat the computer virus .
“ Overall , the CDC considers the endangerment to the general public associated with the on-going U.S. HPAI A(H5N1 ) eruption has not changed and continue low-pitched , ” the CDCstates .
“ The catching of a knockout human casing with genetical change in a clinical specimen underscore the grandness of ongoing genomic surveillance in mass and animals , containment of avian influenza A(H5 ) outbreaks in dairy farm Bos taurus and poultry , and prevention measures among hoi polloi with photograph to septic creature or environment . ”
According to theCDC tracker , there have been 66 confirmed cases of bird flu reported in human beings since the start of the outbreak , the absolute majority of which have taken place in California .
