IDENTIFICATION OF MOLECULAR FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE REASSORTMENT AND PANDEMIC POTENTIAL OF HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA H5 VIRUSES

自从H5N1“禽流感”病毒首次出现在人类身上以来，它在世界范围内传播的风险就一直令人担忧。它们现在在鸟类中广泛传播，并在世界各地造成860人感染和454人死亡。最近H5病毒已经发生了变化，并且更自由地与自然界中的其他流感病毒混合。该项目将研究这些变化发生的原因，并将加强公共卫生工作，为未来的流感大流行做好准备。

The risk that H5N1 “bird flu’ viruses will spread around the world in a pandemic has been a concern since they first emerged in humans. They are now widespread in birds and have caused 860 human infections and 454 deaths around the world. Recently H5 viruses have changed and are mixing more freely with other flu viruses in nature. This project will examine why these changes have occurred and will strengthen public health efforts to prepare for future influenza pandemics.