Pandemic flu may be only two mutations away

February 2, 2007 | Source: NewScientist.com news service

A new study investigating the difference between the 1918 pandemic flu virus – which killed at least 50 million people — and a virus which kills but does not spread turned out to be two small mutations on the virus’ surface.

Just two amino acids need to change on the virus’s surface in order to allow it to spread easily between people, the researchers found.