The body's 'protective shield' is becoming ineffective against the bird flu virus, a shocking revelation in a new study.

News Topical, Digital Desk : A new scientific discovery regarding bird flu has raised concerns among experts. It's generally believed that fever acts as the body's natural shield and prevents many infections, but researchers have found that bird flu viruses continue to replicate even during high fevers, potentially increasing the risk to humans.

How does fever protect the body?

When a serious infection occurs in the human body, the temperature rises, leading to a fever. This increased temperature helps weaken the virus. Research has shown that the human flu virus, known as influenza A, is rapidly weakened by fever. An increase in body temperature of just two degrees Celsius can often transform a dangerous infection into a mild illness.

Why doesn't the bird flu virus stop?

A recent study, published in the journal Science, suggests that avian or bird flu viruses are not weakened by fever. Scientists from the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow found that fever slows the growth of human flu viruses, but has little effect on bird flu viruses.

This is because bird flu viruses are less active in the upper body and more active in the lower respiratory tract.
In their natural hosts, such as ducks and sea squirrels, these viruses often infect the intestine, where temperatures can naturally reach 40–42°C. This is why high temperatures don't have much effect on them.

Less infection in humans, but why is the risk higher?

Professor Sam Wilson of Cambridge University explains that bird flu cases in humans are rare, but the mortality rate among those that do occur has traditionally been very high. This means that while the virus may not easily infect humans, once infected, the consequences can be serious.

What was found in the experiment on rats?

In experiments conducted on mice, researchers found:

Fever acts as a strong protective shield against human flu viruses, but this protection is not enough to prevent avian influenza.

This means that if bird flu viruses ever spread widely among humans, normal fever-based defense mechanisms would not be able to stop them.

This research warns us that the bird flu virus doesn't behave like a typical flu virus. It remains active even at high temperatures, so relying solely on natural immunity isn't enough to prevent infection. Scientists believe it's crucial to understand the nature of this virus and develop prevention and treatment strategies accordingly.

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