A team of researchers in Scotland announced on the 24th that they had discovered a hybrid virus in which influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which cause seasonal flu, are fused. Provided by Yonhap News
Although there is concern about the “twindemic” of simultaneous infection with respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and seasonal flu in winter, the possibility exists that a hybrid (hybrid) virus will be created if both types of viruses are infected. at the same time A study found that
The research team of the Scottish Medical Research Council (MRC) -Glass Ancient Virus Research Center discovered a hybrid virus fused with influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and published it in the international scientific journal “Nature Microbiology” on October 24 (local time). The hybrid virus has been shown to have the ability to evade the human immune system and infect lung cells.
Both viruses are prevalent in Korea from late autumn to winter. Influenza A became a seasonal disease following a global pandemic in 2009, infecting an estimated 5 million people each year. RSV is a virus that causes acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children under the age of 5.
It is known that it is common for a person to become infected with both viruses at the same time, but it is not clear what happens when these viruses are present in a cell.
The researchers intentionally infected a lung cell with both viruses at the same time. Instead of competing with each other, the two viruses fused together to form a hybrid palm virus.
The hybrid virus produced in this way had a greater ability to infect cells than the existing virus. This is because if the lung cells have influenza A antibodies and adhere to the hybrid virus, they can infect the cells using the RSV protein.
“The influenza A virus uses hybrid viral particles like a Trojan horse,” said Pablo Murcia, professor of veterinary medicine and life sciences at the University of Glasgow. It means that the hybrid virus can be used to infect cells that have antibodies, just like the Greeks hid inside a horse and captured Troy.
The hybrid virus can infect a wider range of lung cells and help evade the immune system. Influenza A infects the nose and throat, while RSV infects the airways and lungs.
Virologist Stephen Griffin, a professor of medicine at the University of Leeds in the UK, said: “More research is needed to show that the hybrid virus affects human disease. It is highly likely to lead to disease,” he said. “Since there is a possibility of hybrid viruses developing, you should avoid being infected with multiple viruses,” he added.
