# 852
And yet, another report on this morning's story about a potential change in the H5N1 virus, this time supporting the idea that a mutational change has occured. Other conflicting versions are here and here.
Honestly, with dueling reports like the last three this morning, it's probably too soon to draw any conclusions.
Is this really indicative of a change? Or has someone simply mispoken, or been misquoted? Or did someone let the cat out of the bag, and is now trying to stuff it back in again?
Indonesia worries over latest bird flu virus samples
Wed 6 Jun 2007, 10:49 GMT
By Adhityani Arga
JAKARTA, June 6 (Reuters) - The H5N1 bird flu virus in Indonesia may have undergone a mutation that allows it to jump more easily from poultry to humans, the head of the country's commission on bird flu control said on Wednesday.
Indonesia has recorded 79 human deaths from bird flu, the highest in the world, and the country has been struggling to contain the disease because millions of backyard chickens live in close proximity to humans across the archipelago.
"In the past it took exposure of high intensity and density to the virus to get infected. There are now suspicions, early indications that this has become easier," Bayu Krisnamurthi told reporters.
He said, however, that the suspicion had yet to be confirmed.
A microbiologist at the bird flu commission said the suspicions were based on preliminary findings of molecular genetic tests conducted at laboratories in Indonesia.
"Virus samples from poultry cases have increasingly shown a similarity in their amino acid structure to virus samples extracted from humans," Wayan Teguh Wibawan told Reuters.
"This makes it easier for the virus to attach to human receptors," he said, referring to receptor cells lining the human throat and lungs.
For the H5N1 virus to pass easily from bird to human, it would have to be able to readily attach itself to these special cells.
For the moment, because H5N1 is a bird virus, it has evolved to easily attach to these receptors in poultry. Humans have a different type of receptor site, making it harder for people to become infected.
Wayan said he had spotted "gradual changes" in the virus sample he receives every month. He did not give details on these gradual changes.
Lo Wing-lok, an infectious disease expert in Hong Kong, said changes such as these demonstrated how important it was for Jakarta to share virus samples.
"Are they going to share these samples with overseas labs? These must be confirmed and the world must be forewarned if there has been such an important change," Lo told Reuters in Hong Kong.
"If there is such a change, it would not only mean that the virus can jump more easily from bird to man, but from human to human, too."
IF a change has really occured in the receptor binding of the H5N1 virus, it is important news. But, right now it is impossible to know how much stock to put into this report.
Presumably, we'll get independent confirmation of these changes at some point. But if it's true, we'd better get them sooner than later.
