How does H5N1 virus mutate? What does it mean when people say the virus has mutated?

Answer 1

Viruses must take over an organisms cells to reproduce more viruses. When the cell machinery the virus hijacks to reproduce makes a mistake when making the viruses genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the virus) it is called a mutation.

Any time a piece of genetic information gets transcribed incorrectly, or changes due to outside influence (radiation for example) it is called a mutation. Most mutations are harmful, but sometimes a mutation turns out to be beneficial to an organism, or in this case virus which isn't actually alive (that's a whole other question). When it is said that a "virus has mutated" it can mean several things, sometimes it's as simple as a change to the viruses protein shell, called a capsid. Specifically, what scientists are worried about in a H5N1 mutation is a mutation that changes the virus receptor proteins. Receptor proteins are the part of a virus that allows it to attach and attack other cells, these receptors have special shapes, like a key, and only can attach to cells that have a corresponding shape. A good example of this is a Rhino virus, or the common cold, cold viruses have receptor proteins that attack the nasal tissue in humans, which is why it causes that particular type of infection.

Most viruses start out infecting a particular species, the worry with H5N1 is that it will mutate into a form that is easily transmittable between humans, instead of birds. H5N1 appears to be a particularly deadly form of flu, if something like this happened, millions upon millions of people would die. Even countries like the US would be unable to care for all the sick people. This nasty kind of infections happen every once and while, the last really bad one, H1N1, in 1918 killed 50-100 million people.

Answer 2

relies upon on regardless of in case you plan dealt with or untreated. for the clarification that there is not any medical look after Ebola i'm going to anticipate you plan that. Marburg could be greater beneficial. it particularly is notably close. "As of Thursday, 205 circumstances of Marburg hemorrhagic fever have been suggested indoors the country, and a hundred and eighty of those affected had died. Seven provinces have been affected, the main recent being Zaire province, the situation six circumstances have been suggested, the WHO suggested in its optimum modern replace." they are the two hemmoragic fevers even even although no longer the same even even although they are heavily suited. it is accessible that an Influenza could desire to precise ninety% and smallpox (if replaced and weaponized as some have unquestionably finished) could desire to be greater beneficial. yet for for sure occuring ailment Ebola or Marbueg is approximately as undesirable because of the fact it gets.

Answer 3

the genitic material has changed and it has new properties.