New hope for bird flu patients

Chinese scientists have identified a new biomarker for lethality in H7N9, which provides new avenues for bird flu treatment.

The research was led by the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The research findings were published in the May 6 issue of Nature Communications. The published papers report that high levels of angiotensin II in the blood of patients with bird flu are associated with severe symptoms.