The United States Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated on Thursday its analysis of the first severe case of bird flu in the country. According to the CDC, the patient’s sample showed mutations in the hemagglutinin (HA) gene- the part of the virus that plays a significant role in its attaching to host cells.
First Severe Case
Last week, the United States reported its first severe case of the Bird Flu in a human when a 65-year-old resident of Louisiana reported suffering from the disease. The patient had been infected by the D1.1 genotype, recently detected in wild birds and poultry across the US. Due to the rising cases in wildlife, California also declared a state of emergency.
The Mutations
Although the mutations seen are rare, other countries have reported them before mostly during severe infections. Such mutations were also seen in a case in British Columbia, Canada. Currently, there is no evidence of the virus spreading from the Louisiana patient to others, the CDC added.
The CDC is working with the Louisiana Department of Public Health to generate genetic sequences of samples taken later in the person’s infection. This is to find out if additional mutations have developed.
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