Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
H7N9 virus can be traced to 3 bird species: Chinese expert
2013/04/17 20:30:20
Beijing, April 17 (CNA) The deadly H7N9 avian flu virus can be traced to three bird species -- a brambling from Beijing, fowl in the Yangtze River Delta and a wild bird from the Korean peninsula, according to a Chinese scientist.
Xue Yu, a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan in central China, said his research team reached the conclusion about the three bird species after completing an analysis of the H7N9 virus's genetic makeup.
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Sometime before last November, he said, the H9N2 carried by a brambling from Beijing interacted with the H7N3 virus carried by fowl in the Yangtze River Delta.
"Each of these two species provided three genes to form part of the H7N9 virus. These six genes alone, however, would not sicken humans," Xue said.
Roughly at the same time, a duck in Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta provided hemagglutinin (HA) to turn the above-mentioned genes into H7N2/N3, Xue said.
"This was a critical step for the virus to get the key to infect or invade human or animal cells," Xue said.
In the third stage that took place around Feb. 19 this year, a wild bird from the Korean peninsula brought in the most important element, neuraminidase (NA), to complete the H7N9 virus's genetic makeup of eight genes, Xue said.
"NA allows the virus to spread freely in its host," Xue said.
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"When we get more samples, we will be able to better understand the evolution of the H7N9 virus," Xue said, adding that the conclusions may be adjusted or even changed fundamentally.
...
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201304170035.aspx
2013/04/17 20:30:20
Beijing, April 17 (CNA) The deadly H7N9 avian flu virus can be traced to three bird species -- a brambling from Beijing, fowl in the Yangtze River Delta and a wild bird from the Korean peninsula, according to a Chinese scientist.
Xue Yu, a professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan in central China, said his research team reached the conclusion about the three bird species after completing an analysis of the H7N9 virus's genetic makeup.
...
Sometime before last November, he said, the H9N2 carried by a brambling from Beijing interacted with the H7N3 virus carried by fowl in the Yangtze River Delta.
"Each of these two species provided three genes to form part of the H7N9 virus. These six genes alone, however, would not sicken humans," Xue said.
Roughly at the same time, a duck in Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta provided hemagglutinin (HA) to turn the above-mentioned genes into H7N2/N3, Xue said.
"This was a critical step for the virus to get the key to infect or invade human or animal cells," Xue said.
In the third stage that took place around Feb. 19 this year, a wild bird from the Korean peninsula brought in the most important element, neuraminidase (NA), to complete the H7N9 virus's genetic makeup of eight genes, Xue said.
"NA allows the virus to spread freely in its host," Xue said.
...
"When we get more samples, we will be able to better understand the evolution of the H7N9 virus," Xue said, adding that the conclusions may be adjusted or even changed fundamentally.
...
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aedu/201304170035.aspx