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Doctors warn H5N1 virus could 'replicate better' in humans after 15-year-old girl dies from bird flu

The bird flu virus isolated from a girl who died from the disease had mutations that made it better adapted to human cells

PREY VENG PROVINCE, CAMBODIA: A strain of bird flu that killed an 11-year-old schoolgirl in Cambodia has evolved to more successfully infect human cells. Scientists who confirmed the discovery on the ground say the findings "must be treated with the utmost concern."

The schoolgirl from Prey Veng province who died February 22 was the first victim of H5N1 in 2023. Her 49-year-old father showed no symptoms when he initially tested positive for the virus and has since tested negative. Scientists claim that before the virus infected the girl, there were "some indications" that it had already "gone through" a human and acquired the new adaptations. The genetic sequence of the girl's virus was decoded by a team led by Dr Erik Karlsson at the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia. He warned that it is different from the genetic sequences of avian viruses.

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H5N1 virus could 'replicate a little bit better'

Dr Karlsson stated, "There are some indications that this virus has gone through a human. Any time these viruses get into a new host they'll have certain changes that allow them to replicate a little bit better or potentially bind to the cells in our respiratory tract a little bit better," as reported by Sky News.

However, Dr Karlsson emphasized that the virus is still "still a bird virus" and has not yet fully adapted to humans. He said that the new mutations were probably not caused by the girl, but rather by a "cloud" of viruses causing random genetic changes in birds.

He added that it is unlikely that the strain in its current state will lead to a significant outbreak. To spread widely, it would have to undergo a mutation that would allow it to bind to a receptor on the cells of the nose. However, he stressed that this is no reason to downplay the threat.

"This was zoonotic spillover [of a virus infecting a new species] and needs to be treated with the utmost concern. Something may be happening here in Cambodia and something may be happening on the other side of the world in South America, but we don't really know what could cause the problem tomorrow," said Dr Karlsson as he urged people to continue monitoring the virus.

'We're not ready for something like this'

Many social media users have expressed their opinions about the bird flu virus. A person tweeted, "We're not ready for something like this." Another person wrote, "Oh fuck. This is so not cool. H5N1 has somewhere around a 50 per cent mortality rate in humans, unless I’m mistaken..." A third person wrote, "If the economy crashes or we get H5N1 spread in humans, I’m making a beeline for my sister’s— she has enough canned goods to survive an apocalypse." One concerned individual wrote, "No, we really, really need an international moratorium on gain of function research. If people start playing with H5N1 influenza like they were with coronaviruses, it'll be super bad." This other individual wrote, "I’ve heard it being a reason for high egg prices."

What are the symptons of H5N1 bird flu?

Symptoms of an infected bird include lethargy, loss of appetite, bloated body parts, and frequent coughing and sneezing. However, some birds may die unexpectedly and without warning.

Symptoms in humans include high fever (usually above 100 F ), cough, sore throat, muscle aches, and a general malaise. Diarrhea and pain in the chest and abdomen may also be early warning signs. It can quickly develop into a severe respiratory illness leading to pneumonia. People are also prone to seizures or altered mental status.

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