Health and Me

Itisha Arya

Bird Flu Variant Can Now Withstand Fever, Sparking Stronger Human Threats

bird flu fever resistance

<span>Bird flu</span> viruses pose a particular danger to people because they can continue multiplying even at temperatures that would normally stop most infections. <span>Fever</span> is one of the body’s natural ways to slow viruses, yet new research from the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow shows that avian strains can survive what should be a hostile environment. 

The study, published in Science, identifies a key gene that influences how well a virus copes with heat. This same gene moved into human flu strains during the 1957 and 1968 pandemics, allowing those viruses to spread more easily.

<h2>How Flu Viruses Thrive In The Body</h2>

Human influenza viruses infect millions each year. The seasonal strains we see most often fall under influenza A and tend to do well in the cooler temperatures of the upper respiratory tract, which is close to 33°C. They are less suited to the warmer, deeper parts of the lungs, where temperatures reach about 37°C.

As per Science Daily, when the body cannot slow an infection, the virus continues to multiply and spread, which can lead to more serious illness. Fever acts as a protective response, pushing body temperature as high as 41°C. Until now, the exact reason why fever slows some viruses but not others has been unclear.

Avian influenza behaves differently. These viruses usually grow in the lower respiratory tract, and in their natural hosts, such as ducks or seagulls, they often infect the gut. Temperatures in these areas can reach 40°C to 42°C, which helps explain their greater tolerance to heat.

<h2>How Fever Limits Infection and Why Bird Flu Can Resist It</h2>

If left unchecked, a virus can move through the body and cause significant harm. Fever is one of the body’s most familiar defence responses and can raise the core temperature to levels that inhibit many pathogens. Scientists have long known that some viruses withstand these temperatures, but the reason behind this resistance has remained uncertain.

Avian flu strains show a clear advantage in hotter environments. They thrive in the lower airways and, in birds, survive in the high heat of the gut. These features distinguish them from human influenza strains, which prefer cooler tissue.

Earlier studies in cell cultures hinted that avian flu copes better with fever-range temperatures than human strains. The new research offers direct evidence from animal experiments, helping explain why fever is effective against some types of influenza but far less useful against others.

<h2>Experiments Show Why Fever Slows Human Flu but Not Avian Flu</h2>

Researchers from Cambridge and Glasgow recreated fever-like conditions in mice to examine how different viruses responded. They worked with a lab-adapted human influenza strain known as PR8, which does not pose a threat to people.

Mice do not typically develop a fever from influenza A, so the scientists raised the temperature of the environment to lift the animals’ body temperature.

The findings were striking. When body temperature rose to fever levels, the human-origin virus struggled to replicate, and the infection weakened. Avian influenza behaved very differently. Raising the temperature did not stop the virus from multiplying, and a small increase of only 2°C was enough to turn a normally severe human-origin infection into a mild one.

<h2>The PB1 Gene Helps Bird Flu Withstand Fever</h2>

The study also identified the PB1 gene as a major reason why bird flu can tolerate heat. PB1 helps the virus copy its genetic material inside infected cells. When viruses carried an avian-type PB1 gene, they were able to endure high temperatures and still cause severe disease in mice. This matters because avian and human flu viruses can exchange genes when they infect the same host, such as pigs.

Dr. Matt Turnbull, the study’s first author from the Medical Research Council Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow, explained that this gene swapping remains a major concern for emerging influenza strains. He noted that similar exchanges occurred in 1957 and 1968, when human flu viruses replaced their PB1 gene with one from an avian strain. According to the researchers, this may help explain why those pandemics were so severe.

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Bird flu viruses pose a particular danger to people because they can continue multiplying even at temperatures that would normally stop most infections. Fever is one of the body’s natural ways to slow viruses, yet new research from the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow shows that avian strains can survive what should be a hostile environment. The study, published in Science, identifies a key gene that influences how well a virus copes with heat. This same gene moved into human flu strains during the 1957 and 1968 pandemics, allowing those viruses to spread more easily.How Flu Viruses Thrive In The BodyHuman influenza viruses infect millions each year. The seasonal strains we see most often fall under influenza A and tend to do well in the cooler temperatures of the upper respiratory tract, which is close to 33°C. They are less suited to the warmer, deeper parts of the lungs, where temperatures reach about 37°C.As per Science Daily, when the body cannot slow an infection, the virus continues to multiply and spread, which can lead to more serious illness. Fever acts as a protective response, pushing body temperature as high as 41°C. Until now, the exact reason why fever slows some viruses but not others has been unclear.Avian influenza behaves differently. These viruses usually grow in the lower respiratory tract, and in their natural hosts, such as ducks or seagulls, they often infect the gut. Temperatures in these areas can reach 40°C to 42°C, which helps explain their greater tolerance to heat.How Fever Limits Infection and Why Bird Flu Can Resist ItIf left unchecked, a virus can move through the body and cause significant harm. Fever is one of the body’s most familiar defence responses and can raise the core temperature to levels that inhibit many pathogens. Scientists have long known that some viruses withstand these temperatures, but the reason behind this resistance has remained uncertain.Avian flu strains show a clear advantage in hotter environments. They thrive in the lower airways and, in birds, survive in the high heat of the gut. These features distinguish them from human influenza strains, which prefer cooler tissue.Earlier studies in cell cultures hinted that avian flu copes better with fever-range temperatures than human strains. The new research offers direct evidence from animal experiments, helping explain why fever is effective against some types of influenza but far less useful against others.Experiments Show Why Fever Slows Human Flu but Not Avian FluResearchers from Cambridge and Glasgow recreated fever-like conditions in mice to examine how different viruses responded. They worked with a lab-adapted human influenza strain known as PR8, which does not pose a threat to people.Mice do not typically develop a fever from influenza A, so the scientists raised the temperature of the environment to lift the animals’ body temperature.The findings were striking. When body temperature rose to fever levels, the human-origin virus struggled to replicate, and the infection weakened. Avian influenza behaved very differently. Raising the temperature did not stop the virus from multiplying, and a small increase of only 2°C was enough to turn a normally severe human-origin infection into a mild one.The PB1 Gene Helps Bird Flu Withstand FeverThe study also identified the PB1 gene as a major reason why bird flu can tolerate heat. PB1 helps the virus copy its genetic material inside infected cells. When viruses carried an avian-type PB1 gene, they were able to endure high temperatures and still cause severe disease in mice. This matters because avian and human flu viruses can exchange genes when they infect the same host, such as pigs.Dr. Matt Turnbull, the study’s first author from the Medical Research Council Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow, explained that this gene swapping remains a major concern for emerging influenza strains. He noted that similar exchanges occurred in 1957 and 1968, when human flu viruses replaced their PB1 gene with one from an avian strain. According to the researchers, this may help explain why those pandemics were so severe.