• Question: do you think that avian influenza can mutate to be able to pass between humans

    Asked by to Peter on 27 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Peter Elliott

      Peter Elliott answered on 27 Jun 2014:


      That is what people are trying to study. Many viruses gain entry into humans by means of first being in animals that share the same space. When they get into humans then as they replicate they will mutate. Scientists are trying to understand the mechanisms of how that might actually occur.
      Avian flu and swine flu have been around for a while now but that does not mean that one day the virus will mutate and allow human to human transmission.

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