Scientists said two pigs on
the Indonesian island of Bali had become infected with the bird flu virus, again
raising concerns the deadly flu virus could become transmissible between people.
Speaking at a China-Japan infection prevention conference in Guangzhou, a
leading Chinese medical expert said the pigs generated a variant of the bird flu
virus after they contracted bird flu.
The pigs acted as a kind of mixing vessel in which genetic material from
avian flu viruses combined with other influenza strains, said Zhong Nanshan, a
renowned medical expert and academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
Some pig organs are similar to human organs, suggesting that a similar mixing
of flu genetic material could occur in humans, said Zhong.
The best way to prevent bird flu is to dispose of infected birds as quickly
as possible, establish stringent quarantine requirements and treat human
patients rapidly, Zhong said.
