How ducks host influenza unharmed: Could findings shield humans from bird flu viruses?
Thursday, April 8, 2010 - 21:35
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have identified the genetic detector that allows ducks to live, unharmed, as the host of influenza. The duck's virus detector gene, RIG-I, enables a duck's immune system to contain the virus, which typically spreads from ducks to chickens, where it mutates and can evolve to be a human threat like the H5N1 influenza virus.