Question

A researcher in 2024 studies the evolutionary relationships between influenza viruses by comparing the genomic sequences of the viruses found in pigs, ducks, and humans in a given year. When evaluating the viruses that had infected these hosts the previous year, she identifies a cross-species transfer from pigs to ducks in the year 2022. What information supports the hypothesis that cross-species transfer leads to more severe disease in the new host

Answer 1

pigs suffered severe influenza in the year 2022

Step-by-step explanation:

Influenza, commonly known as flu, is a viral infectious disease caused by different types of influenza viruses. Some of the most common symptoms of this disease include, among others, headache, coughing, fever, muscle pain, etc. Influenza viruses can affect humans and different animals such as, for example, cats, dogs, birds and horses. There is evidence showing cross-species influenza virus transmission. For example, it has been shown that the influenza type A virus can be transmitted from one species to another (for example, between humans and pigs). In these cases, cross-species transmission information may indicate how much potential a virus has to cause a pandemic in the new host by analyzing the severity and infectivity of the virus in the original host.