A new strain of influenza has been linked to the deaths of harbour seals in New England, US, and it has the structure H3N8, type A virus. Scientists were confused by the deaths of 162 of the seals last year, all of whom died from pneumonia. This strain of the virus could have an impact on the health of both animals and humans and is thought to have come from a strain of the virus known affect birds. A report has been published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
It is thought that the strain has evolved in a way that could cause very severe symptoms and can also focus on a particular protein in the respiratory tract of humans. Needless to say scientists are concerned. For the first time ever there exists a virus that mammals can transmit and that human beings have never been exposed to.
The seals have receptors for both bird and mammalian viruses and what might happen is that the strain of virus will change and will essentially become a more mammalian virus.