New research led by scientists at Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh suggests that immunity to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus may provide protection against severe illness from the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak.

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The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, found that ferrets with immunity to H1N1 did not lose weight or develop severe disease when exposed to H5N1.

This research may explain why the current H5N1 outbreak is causing mostly mild symptoms in humans, despite historically high fatality rates.

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The study highlights the potential protective effects of pre-existing immunity to seasonal influenza viruses against emerging strains like H5N1.

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