Predict what type of mutation in an avian flu virus would make it more dangerous to humans, and explain how this change might occur. a. A mutation that made the avian flu virus transmittable as an aerosol would make it more dangerous. Humans would then face a greater danger of infection.
b. A mutation that made transmission between humans more efficient would make the virus more dangerous. Such a mutation could occur via genomic reassortment in pigs, where an avian virus and a human virus could co-infect cells and produce recombinants.
c. A mutation that would make transmission of the virus to pigs more efficient could make the virus more dangerous. The virus in pigs could then be transmitted to humans since pigs are more closely related to humans than birds.
d. A mutation that prevented transmission of the avian strain to pigs could make the virus more dangerous. When the virus infects pigs, various kinds of recombination can occur between avian, pig, and human genomic strains. This dilutes the virulence of the avian strain.