Seals also get the flu. Free Technical Library News

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Seals get the flu too

12.08.2000

Epidemiologists have long known that the type A influenza virus is the culprit in all major influenza pandemics, occurring not only in humans, but also in many other mammals, as well as in birds, such as ducks. Another virus, type B, has so far only been found in humans.

Virologist Albert Osterhaus, working at the University of Amsterdam (Holland), recently found influenza type B virus in seals from the North Sea. More precisely, the virus was found in one seal, and in the other - only antibodies to it, but this indicates that the organism of the sea animal has already met with this disease.

The strain of the virus found is almost identical to the one that caused an epidemic among humans in 1995. It seems that it was then that the virus was also introduced to seals, since blood samples from North Sea seals collected before 1995 and stored in a special freezer do not contain the virus, and out of 391 samples taken later, the virus was found in eight. Blood samples are regularly taken from the seals to monitor marine pollution and have material for comparison over the years.

Researchers believe that if you don't want to catch the flu, it's best to stay away from seals just in case.

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