The recent pandemic-causing H1N1 flu virus used a new biochemical trick to spread efficiently in humans, according to an international team of scientists. The details, published August 5 in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens, expand the repertoire of known factors flu viruses can use to hijack a host cell and amplify infection in mammals, including humans. The discovery not only yields new insight into the subtle biology of flu, but also reveals another genetic marker public health officials can use to presage pandemics.
