H5N1 could be more prevalent, but less deadly, than previously thought

H5N1, the strain of avian flu that has been the focus of a recent global debate about virus mutation research, may be more prevalent but less severe than current World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show. According to a new paper in Science magazine, there have been fewer than 600 confirmed human cases of H5N1 with an overall fatality greater than 50 percent. But, analysis of 12,500 people in areas where H5N1 has been found, revealed that 1 to 2 percent of the population showed evidence of previous H5N1 infection, meaning they had contracted the virus, but survived. The authors hypothesize that “the stringent criteria for confirmation of a human case of H5N1 by WHO does not account for a majority of infections, but rather, the select few hospitalized cases that are more likely to be severe and result in poor clinical outcome.”