Seoul, Jan 8, 2015: The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus that spread through South Korea last year underwent a mutation that could have affected its ability to infect people and the fatality rate, the government said on Friday.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said bodily fluid specimens taken from eight people infected with the MERS inducing coronavirus, showed signs of genetic mutation in spike glycoprotein when compared with previous documented cases, The Korea Herald reported.
Spike glycoprotein is the element of the virus that can penetrate a living human cell and proliferate.
The public health and safety agency said this could alter the capability of the virus to spread from person to person and its ability to make people sick.
The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said bodily fluid specimens taken from eight people infected with the MERS inducing coronavirus, showed signs of genetic mutation in spike glycoprotein when compared with previous documented cases, The Korea Herald reported.
Spike glycoprotein is the element of the virus that can penetrate a living human cell and proliferate.
The public health and safety agency said this could alter the capability of the virus to spread from person to person and its ability to make people sick.
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