Greg Coleson, 2/24/10
Deadly Hybrid Flu Possible
Stronger strain could develop if avian, seasonal viruses combine, scientists warn
MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Research in mice suggests the avian flu virus and the ordinary seasonal flu virus could combine to create a new deadly kind of flu, researchers say.
A single bit of genetic material from the seasonal virus converted the avian flu -- officially known as H5N1 -- into a very dangerous form, the scientists report in a study published in the Feb. 22-26 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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