The genomes show that the bird parasites were widespread because
they infected different bird groups that occurred in each of the world's major tropical regions and would have been isolated from each other at the time.
Not exact matches
According to the authors, it has been known for more than three decades that while Lassa virus can
infect a broad range of cells from
different species, it does not
infect chickens — despite the fact that
bird cells have the necessary receptor, or protein, that the virus uses to enter cells.
The team then compared the genetic code of viruses isolated from
infected birds collected from 16
different countries.
Farmers often vaccinate healthy
birds during slow - spreading outbreaks, leading to the possibility that chickens might be
infected by two
different vaccines, which is necessary for them to recombine.