Cattle, a source of flu pests

2002/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Each year, due to the transfer of surface proteins of the virus, new varieties of flu appear. Thus, as the main varieties of the year are detected, vaccines are prepared. But viruses that spread directly from animals to humans are so different that neither the immune system nor vaccines can resist. Then the flu epidemic spreads all over the world and causes many deaths.

Recently, the team led by Ian Brown, from the UK's veterinary laboratory agency, has detected for the first time the flu gene in cattle. According to them, latent bovine flu viruses can appear as a variety capable of infecting humans. On the other hand, it is warned that, in addition to cattle, many other deposits may exist.

As these lethal varieties are presented every 30-40 years, the next pandemic is expected to occur soon. For this reason, a genetic study of the most frequent influenza varieties is being carried out and the genetic changes that allow the virus to move from one species to another are being studied. With all this information they hope to be able to anticipate what could be a pandemic and prepare vaccines.