2 In China First Known Deaths From H7N9 Bird Flu

why do they have to give names with numbers and names. Can't they call it the seagull flu or pigeon flu. That would be better for us regular people who have no interest in technical names.

H7N9..... Is that a Bingo???

Good to know America is sharing the Bird Flu w/ our best buddies China~..... Wait errrrrrr..... America does not use bio-warefare..... Errrr..... Wait..... See America...... bah nevermind.

Originally posted by rickymouse
why do they have to give names with numbers and names. Can't they call it the seagull flu or pigeon flu. That would be better for us regular people who have no interest in technical names.

The structure of the virus dictates the wat it is identified.

Flu viruses are classified based on two types of protein found on their surface, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, which are abbreviated to H and N.

www.reuters.com...

This flu apparently has scientists puzzled about its nature regardless of the name or numbers.

Genetic sequence data on a deadly strain of bird flu previously unknown in people show the virus has already acquired some mutations that might make it more likely to cause a human pandemic, scientists say.
But there is no evidence so far that the H7N9 flu - now known to have infected nine people in China, killing three - is spreading from person to person, and there is still a chance it might peter out and never fully mutate into a human form of flu.
Just days after authorities in China announced they had identified cases of H7N9, flu experts in laboratories across the world are picking through the DNA sequence data of samples isolated from the patients to assess its pandemic potential.

Scientists race to gauge pandemic risk of new bird flu

No one is sure yet of the means of transmission or its lethality.

"At the moment, we can't see where this virus is coming from. We don't know yet what animal source is feeding this."
Finding that source, and tracking the genetic mutations to see if, how and when this new strain might gain the ability to spark a human pandemic are now the priorities for researchers in China and around the world, Barclay and Osterhaus said.

It is already spreading beyond initial reports, and may be showing signs of person-to-person transmission.

jw

It's suspected that an 87-year-old man and his two sons, surnamed Li, all contracted the virus.

www.singtao.com...

Human-to-human transmission, anyone?

Speaking of which, it seems to have spread to Hong Kong.

hk.apple.nextmedia.com...