Researchers in China have identified an influenza virus called G4 that can infect both pigs and humans. While G4 is not yet able to spread from person to person, the scientists say that it has “all the essential hallmarks” of a future pandemic virus.
Share on PinterestScientists have likened pigs to “mixing vessels” for generating pandemic influenza viruses because they host both mammalian and avian flu viruses.
When different strains of a virus occupy the same animal, they can swap genes to create new strains with the potential to infect new hosts.
Research led by Honglei Sun at China Agricultural University (CAU) in Beijing has identified such a strain in pigs that has already begun to infect humans.
Called G4, it incorporates genes from three distinct influenza strains:
- a strain similar to viruses present in European…
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