The Bird Flu: Attacking the Highest Point

by Krystnell Storr

Hearing the term ‘the bird flu’ may no longer force us to  widen our eyes, grasp our cheeks and run shrieking in panic, but it should. According to Science Newsa new study conducted on mice has revealed that H5N1, which is caused by the influenza A virus, may be affecting victims even after they survive.

The study which was conducted by scientists at the St Jude Children’s Hospital, revealed that those mice which were exposed to the bird flu, also known as H5N1, showed signs of temporary as well as possibly permanent effects on the brain.

After 10 days into recovery, the researchers noticed that the nerve cells that produce the chemical neurotransmitter dopamine appeared to be deactivated. These dopamine-producing nerve cells are important in controlling our movement and their degeneration is linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Although dopamine levels are eventually restored after approximately 3 months, surviving mice still presented signs of inflammation in the brain.  Despite the fact that inflammation of the brain is characteristic of the H5N1 virus, scientists are unsure as to why the inflammatory response persists.

Researchers are not yet ready to directly link the bird flu to Parkinson’s disease but they are certain that it could be a causative agent. They did discover evidence that suggests that the virus manages to find its way to the brain by the vagus nerve which is connected to nerves in the gut or along the olfactory nerve present in the nose.

Scientists hope to conduct further studies on surviving mice in order to understand the full effects of both the temporary and neurological effects of the bird flu virus.

When it comes to matters of the body, the most formidable villains are always the smallest. The influenza virus is no exception. For more information visit theScience News website.

Krystnell Storr is a senior Biology major and Journalism minor. To contact her regarding more scientific journalism or questions, she can be reached at kastorr08@earlham.edu.