Researchers Uncover 4 Different Genetic Bird-Flu Strains

MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have identified several different genetic strains of the avian flu virus, H5N1, in different bird populations in Southeast Asia -- any one of which could trigger a pandemic.

The finding has implications for preparations against a possible pandemic and the vaccines that may be needed to ward off human infection, experts say.

One key recommendation: Better surveillance of bird populations to make sure one of the H5N1 variants doesn't begin to spread more easily between people.

"There are multiple different lineages of H5N1 emerging in the world," said lead researcher Robert Webster, a professor of virology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tenn., and a member of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong. "There are about four different families of viruses out there now."

His team's report appears in this week's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.