What research is CDC doing to assess the ability of H5N1 viruses to cause a flu pandemic?
CDC continues to research H5N1 viruses in order to asses their likelihood of changing into a pandemic flu virus. In an effort to better understand how H5N1 viruses are transmitted, and whether they could mix (reassort) with existing human flu viruses to become more transmissible, CDC conducted an experiment involving ferrets in 2006. In a secure laboratory setting, researchers mixed genetic material from H5N1 viruses and human flu viruses in an attempt to determine if a pandemic-capable virus would emerge. Although CDC researchers were able to successfully create viruses sharing genes from both H5N1 and human flu viruses, the resulting viruses appeared to lack the molecular and biologic properties needed for efficient spread among ferrets. The results suggested that H5N1 viruses require further genetic change to gain the properties needed to cause a human pandemic. View the article.
