Edinburgh and Cambridge scientists make virus discovery

Scientists have gained new knowledge into how viruses such as flu and HIV jump between species.

The research, by Edinburgh and Cambridge universities, should help predict the appearance of new diseases.

The scientists wanted to understand how viruses such as bird flu infect distant species like humans.

They found they were better able to infect species closely related to their typical target species than species that were distantly related.

However, the research also suggested that when diseases make a big leap they may then spread easily in species closely related to the new victim, regardless of how closely related these are to the original target species — via redwolf.newsvine.com