Scientists Isolate Genes That Made 1918 Flu Deadly

Hello Jeff - Remember this? Scientists isolate genes that made the 1918 flu lethal. This was dated Dec. 29, 2008. It hasn't been very long since this discovery was made then the new strain variant showed up in Mexico and the US, not very long, indeed.

"The 1918 virus replicates in the upper respiratory tract, but also in the lungs, causing primary pneumonia among its victims."

I think it is pretty obvious that the Mexican variant also replicates in upper respiratory tract and also in the lungs causing primary pneumonia. I think we are seeing this in the Mexican cases. Coincidence? Or, is the Mexican virus a lab developed copy of the Spanish Flu.

"For the most part, substituting single genes from the 1918 virus onto the template of a much more benign contemporary virus yielded agents that could only replicate in the upper respiratory tract. One exception, however, included a complex of three genes that, acting in concert with another key gene, allowed the virus to efficiently colonize lung cells and make RNA polymerase, a protein necessary for the virus to reproduce."