REUTERS
All about influenza A in special ABC.es
EP | MADRID Updated Mi?rcoles, 20-01-10 at 12: 20
The birds were not involved in the spread of influenza pandemics of 1918 and 2009, suggests a study by the Center for Foreign Animal Diseases of the National Agency Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Winnipeg, which is published in the journal 'Journal of General Virology '.
The two strains of H1N1 influenza virus responsible for the global pandemics of 1918 and 2009 do not cause disease in birds. Survey results also show that birds are unlikely to participate in the expansion of the H1N1 virus in these pandemics.
The researchers injected the virus H1N1 strains of 2009 and 1918 individually to poultry. None developed symptoms of influenza or showed any signs of damage to tissues until 18 days later, although half of the birds developed antibodies against the 1918 H1N1 virus showing a limited infection.
The H1N1 virus of Spanish flu in 1918 also caused disease in ducks. The origin of this virus is unknown despite their genetic similarity to the avian flu, the results of this study show that it is unlikely to have jumped the species barrier from birds to humans.
No need to sacrifice
According explains Shawn Babiuk, Study, "discovering how the major human pandemic flu virus affecting birds and other species of domestic animals is crucial to discover what role, if any, can play these on the spread of viruses between the human population. " Works like this can provide information to governments to respond to outbreaks of influenza in birds that have strong implications for the poultry producers.
"These findings support the use of normal veterinary practice management on birds infected with H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 and show that the quarantine and culling are not necessary," says Babiuk. As indicated by the researcher, the virus may behave unpredictably. "Our understanding of how flu viruses evolve to cause pandemics remains limited. Although our research indicates that birds are unlikely to take part in the spread of pandemic viruses of 1918 and 2009, could participate in future pandemics," Babiuk concludes.
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