Study finds H5N1 strain of bird flu can spread through air
A recent study has found a slight increase in the H4N1 strain of bird flu’s transmission through the air compared to older variants.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, primarily affects birds and some cattle. However, a new study has shown that the H5N1 strain can spread through the air, increasing the risk of infection in humans.
A study published in Nature Microbiology has revealed the development of the H5N1 variant. The researchers focused on how the virus spread through the air by measuring infectious virus particles from infected ferrets.
The study highlighted that recent strains of H5N1 show a slight, yet significant increase in their ability to transmit through the air compared to older variants.
The better adaptation of the virus to the air is a matter of concern, but studies have shown limited transmission patterns.
The findings drew attention to the fact that while the 2005 strain of H5N1 did not display any infectious virus particles in air samples, the new strain of 2022 in a European polecat and 2024 in an American dairy worker did. Showed limited virus.
The ability to transmit the virus is low, but present, in air samples from these infected ferrets, which is related to the limited transmission patterns observed for these new strains.
The study also observed some genetic adaptations, such as the PB2-E627K mutation in the dairy worker strain and PB2-T271A in the polecat strain, which may enable the virus to replicate more efficiently.
These mutations could potentially facilitate limited airflow, although the virus still favors avian-type receptors. The efficiency of airborne transmission remains much lower than that of typical human influenza viruses.
These findings are based on how efficiently human seasonal H1N1 flu viruses spread through the air to ferrets.
Current H5N1 virus strains, particularly those associated with cattle, release very little virus into the air, which helps explain why they do not spread easily between animals or humans.
However, since the virus is spreading among cattle, the risk is higher for farm and dairy workers.
This suggests there is a need to keep a close eye on how the virus may change in the future.