Important Clue About Human-to-Human Transmission of the 1918 Avian Flu Virus

In animal models, creating specific mutations made the virus difficult or impossible to transmit; whether the same is true of the current avian flu virus remains to be determined.

The first step in the pathogenesis of any influenza virus infection is the binding of the virus’s hemagglutinin glycoprotein to a receptor on an animal’s cell surface. Avian flu viruses attach to the α-2,3 sialic acid (SA) receptor (“the avian receptor”); human and other mammalian flu viruses attach to the α-2,6 receptor (“the human receptor”).

The hemagglutinin glycoprotein of the lethal 1918 avian virus had mutated to attach to the human receptor. To test whether this mutation allowed the 1918 virus to be transmitted among humans, a multi-institutional team created two variants of the virus: One could attach only to the avian receptor, and the other to both the avian and human receptors. The team directly inoculated ferrets — the best anim…

Reviewing Author

Anthony L. Komaroff, MD

Important Clue About Human-to-Human Transmission of the 1918 Avian Flu Virus

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Reviewing Author