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Finding About Bird Flu Helps Explain Limited Spread to People Also: New studies of broken hips. And scientists find the remains of an ancient ape in Kenya. Transcript of radio broadcast:
04 February 2008
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VOICE ONE:
This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty.
VOICE TWO:
Chickens at a market in Bangkok.And I'm Barbara Klein. This week, we will tell how a deadly bird flu virus is able to infect people. We will also tell about two studies of broken hipbones. And, we report on the discovery of ancient ape remains in Africa.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Researchers in the United States have found an important reason why a virus known to kill birds has not infected many people. They found that the bird flu virus only infects people when it connects with one kind of cell receptor.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported their discovery in the publication Nature Biotechnology.
Not all influenza viruses affect people. Some flu viruses only attack birds or pigs. In recent years, the h-five-h-one bird flu virus has infected more than three hundred fifty people in fourteen countries. The World Health Organization says the disease killed more than two hundred of them.
The victims seem to have become infected as a result of being with or near birds. Experts fear the h-five-h-one virus could change and develop the ability to pass from one person to another.
VOICE TWO:
Scientists know that a protein on the flu virus must join with sugar receptors in a human respiratory cell before the virus can infect a person. The virus uses the sugar receptor to enter the cell and infect it.
The new study has shown that this explanation was too simple. For a person to get infected, the virus must connect with a special shape of receptor in human lung cells. The receptor has two different shapes. One is similar to a three-sided object. The other looks like an open umbrella or sunshade.
VOICE ONE:
The Massachusetts researchers found the bird flu virus must connect to the umbrella shaped receptor before it can spread from person to person. Currently, it has only a way to connect with the three-sided receptors.
Scientists say this discovery should help them develop a more effective way to observe changes in the bird flu virus. They now know to look for viruses that can connect to the umbrella shaped receptors. The knowledge could also lead to a vaccine against the bird flu virus.
04 February 2008
MP3 - Download (MP3)
MP3 - Listen to (MP3)
RealAudio - Download
VOICE ONE:
This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty.
VOICE TWO:
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Researchers in the United States have found an important reason why a virus known to kill birds has not infected many people. They found that the bird flu virus only infects people when it connects with one kind of cell receptor.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported their discovery in the publication Nature Biotechnology.
Not all influenza viruses affect people. Some flu viruses only attack birds or pigs. In recent years, the h-five-h-one bird flu virus has infected more than three hundred fifty people in fourteen countries. The World Health Organization says the disease killed more than two hundred of them.
The victims seem to have become infected as a result of being with or near birds. Experts fear the h-five-h-one virus could change and develop the ability to pass from one person to another.
VOICE TWO:
Scientists know that a protein on the flu virus must join with sugar receptors in a human respiratory cell before the virus can infect a person. The virus uses the sugar receptor to enter the cell and infect it.
The new study has shown that this explanation was too simple. For a person to get infected, the virus must connect with a special shape of receptor in human lung cells. The receptor has two different shapes. One is similar to a three-sided object. The other looks like an open umbrella or sunshade.
VOICE ONE:
The Massachusetts researchers found the bird flu virus must connect to the umbrella shaped receptor before it can spread from person to person. Currently, it has only a way to connect with the three-sided receptors.
Scientists say this discovery should help them develop a more effective way to observe changes in the bird flu virus. They now know to look for viruses that can connect to the umbrella shaped receptors. The knowledge could also lead to a vaccine against the bird flu virus.