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Mutations Found in Louisiana Bird Flu Patient Could Boost Human Transmission, CDC Says

Dec 27, 2024, 07:55 PM

Samples from the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States, detected in a patient in Louisiana, have shown mutations that could increase the virus's ability to infect humans, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The patient was hospitalized with a severe case, and genetic analysis revealed mutations in the hemagglutinin gene, including changes at residues A134V, N182K, and E186D, which may enhance the virus's ability to bind to human-like α2-6 cell receptors in the upper respiratory tract. These mutations are similar to those found in a recent severe case in British Columbia, Canada. The CDC noted that the mutations were likely generated within the patient and were not present in samples from infected birds, suggesting they may have developed after infection. While the CDC has identified at least 65 human cases of avian influenza in the United States, health experts emphasize that no human-to-human transmission has been detected and the risk to the general public remains low. Health authorities are closely monitoring the situation due to concerns the virus could become more transmissible among humans.