Genetic mutation helps explain why, in rare cases, flu can kill

A small number of children who catch the influenza virus fall so ill they end up in the hospital even while their family and friends recover easily. New research from Rockefeller helps explain why: a rare genetic mutation that prevents the production of a critical protein, interferon, that is needed to fight off the virus. More »
Source: The Rockefeller University Newswire - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Tags: Science News infectious disease influenza interferon Jean-Laurent Casanova St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases Source Type: news