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brevia: Debby van Riel, Vincent J. Munster, Emmie de Wit, Guus F. Rimmelzwaan, Ron A. M. Fouchier, Ab D. M. E. Osterhaus, and Thijs Kuiken H5N1 Virus Attachment to Lower Respiratory Tract Science 2006; 312: 399 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Human Susceptiblity to H5N1 Avian Influenza and Virus Binding to the Lower Respiratory Tract

Massimo Battaglia, 00133 Rome, Italy   (12 April 2006)

Human Susceptiblity to H5N1 Avian Influenza and Virus Binding to the Lower Respiratory Tract 12 April 2006
Massimo Battaglia, Senior Researcher Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00133 Rome, Italy Respond to this E-Letter: Re: Human Susceptiblity to H5N1 Avian Influenza and Virus Binding to the Lower Respiratory Tract	This and another interesting paper have recently demonstrated that H5N1 avian influenza virus binds predominantly to the lower respiratory tract in humans (1), and thus may help explain the localization and severity of the disease as well as the low human-to-human transmission. However, this preferential binding phenomenon may also explain, at least in part, why most, if not all, human cases have occurred in people with close and prolonged contact with infected chicken, exposed repeatedly and for a long time to heavy loads of virus-containing droplets from infected animals, including very small droplets that can penetrate directly into lung alveoli. Reference 1.) K. Shinja et al. Nature 440, 435 (2006).