Seven people in Hong Kong have been diagnosed with a new strain of influenza, and two of those people have died, raising the possibility that a new emerging infectious disease may be on the loose - but scientists still aren't sure. The virus, formerly found only in chickens, produces symptoms including sneezing, high fever, and aching that are common to many strains of flu. But what makes this particular strain uncommon, however, is the specific coating of proteins on the virus' surface. The current vaccine in use, designed to fight the H3N2 and H1 strains, is unlikely to work against this new threat - categorized as H5N1. Electron micrograph of several influenza viruses.
Proteins coating the surface of each virus create a fuzzy, halo-like appearance.
This is the first time that an influenza strain of the H5 type has managed to cross over into humans. Scientists are unsure about how this new type of flu managed to leap the interspecies barrier, although they are warning people to avoid contact with chicken feces and respiratory droplets. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has sent a team of experts to Hong Kong to study the virus, and scientists here are working to try to develop a vaccine for the new strain. On this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at the status of the outbreak, and talk about whether or not H5N1 poses a real threat to public health worldwide. Dolly, a lamb.