"Breakthrough: Human Gene Shields Against Bird Flu Viruses"
Scientists from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research have identified a human gene, BTN3A3, that can block the replication of most strains of bird flu in human cells. The gene is part of the human immune system's defense against bird viruses and appears to be a key factor in determining whether a bird flu strain has the potential to cause a human pandemic. However, viruses can mutate, so it is not certain that bird flu viruses could not evolve to escape the gene's activity. About 50% of H5N1 strains circulating globally in 2023 are already resistant to BTN3A3, raising concerns about an elevated level of risk.