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NIH Scientists Target Future Pandemic Strains of H5N1 Avian Influenza

Preparing vaccines and therapeutics that target a future mutant strain of H5N1 influenza virus sounds like science fiction, but it may be possible, according to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a collaborator at Emory University School of Medicine. Success hinges on anticipating and predicting the crucial mutations that would help the virus spread easily from person to person.

Source: http://www.pandemicflu.gov
 

Each year, millions of people contract influenza and flu-like infections in the United States, resulting in over 100,000 hospitalizations and approximately 20,000 deaths.