Tip of the Hat Referral

# 240


This past week an article appeared in the December 2006 Journal of General Virology that has sent some major ripples through the flu community. It has to do with the increase in virulence of the H5N1 Virus when it is introduced into a mammalian host.


One of the major worries about the scattered cases of bird flu in humans is that there is apparently a missing vector, a host as yet unidentified, involved. One of the `usual suspects’, along with dogs and cats, is mice. Which makes this study all the more interesting.


Rather than re-invent the wheel, I’ll redirect my readers to SophiaZoe’s Blog, where she does an excellent job providing the high points of this new study.


A highly recommended detour.