A UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine professor has recently discovered why the H5N1 avian influenza virus does not spread easily from human-to-human contact, though it continues to infect those in close contact with infected poultry, a UW-Madison statement said.
The virologist, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, observed human tissues and discovered a lack of receptors on the surface, which enable the virus to bond with a cell. Although he found receptors deep in the human's respiratory system, for the H5N1 virus to be successfully transmitted they must multiply in the upper portion so they can be transmitted by sneezing and coughing. Ultimately, this means, existing strains of bird flu must undergo key genetic changes to become a pandemic strain,\ Kawaoka said in the statement.
\
