A recently conducted study states that the year of our birth is linked to our chances of being prone to bird flu strains.
Those born before 1968 are said to have a lower chance to die from H5N1 strain of bird flu. They are said to be at a greater risk of dying because of H7N9 bird flu strain, stated a study which was published in the journal Science on Friday, November 11, 2016.
One of the researchers Dr. Michael Worobey stated in a NBC news report that the year in which people are born in is very predictive about how susceptible one is to bird flu strains.
People born prior 1968 have the probability to be diagnosed with the H1 or H2 flu strains as kids, because these diseases were common in those days. Similarly, those born after 1968 are believed to be infected by the H3 bird flu strain.
"Whichever strain of flu people had first permanently affected their immune system going forward," as per researchers, USA Today reports.
The scientists did not think about the impact of the process called "immunological imprinting" before this study. This process affected the chances of being prone to flu strains with animal origins, says a UPI report.
This study revealed that people had 75 percent chances of being safe from growing severely sick and 80 percent chances of being protected from dying of H7N9 bird flu or H5N1 bird flu based on the year they were born.
"We have some kick-ass protection against one or the other," Worobey told the Telegraph.
This can elucidate why bird flu strains didn't turn into an epidemic and killed millions, some experts guesstimated.
Around 1,300 people were infected by the H7N9 and H5N1 since 2003 and less than 600 out of them died of it.
