Scientists have uncovered alarming evidence of H5N1’s rapid adaptation to mammals fueled by genetic mutations . With mammal-to-mammal transmission now confirmed, could this be the precursor to the next global pandemic? Review: The global H5N1 influenza panzootic in mammals . Image Credit: Rui Duarte / Shutterstock In a review article published in the journal Nature , the authors describe molecular and ecological factors associated with the sudden expansion of H5N1 high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in mammals.
Background Influenza A viruses are associated with most of the documented global pandemics in human history. High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) viruses belonging to the H5N1 subtype are a leading risk factor for future pandemics. The evolutionary barriers to mammalian adaptation of these viruses are lower than previously thought, as shown by rapid mutation accumulation in key viral proteins.
H5N1 viruses were initially detected only in Asian poultries during the past two decades. However, in recent years, a rapid transmission of these viruses into new mammal species has been observed worldwide, endangering wildlife, agricultural production, and human health. Mammal-to-mammal transmission confirmed: Evidence from mink farms, marine mammals, and dairy cattle outbreaks show that H5N1 is now capable of spreading directly between mammals, a crucial evolutionary leap.
Such rapid viral transmission started after the emergence of a new genotype of H5N1 v.
