Is this the start of a cure for the avian flu?

The following was in the January 11th NY Times

The online article can be found here

The article does admit that in these boys it can be early stages of the avian flu that have not been manifested. However, if it is indeed what it seems - a dorment virus due to individualized immunity this could be a godsend. I am having deja vu of the origin of the smallpox vaccine - from milk maids exposed to a similar strain of pox over long periods of time.

Without a doubt, this will certainly be studied by industry as a way to make millions off of the unique case these boys present.

carlwfbird - there already are vaccines for H5N1 bird flu. You will find more information here:

Flu Vaccine Technology: Who's Blocking its Use?

...My latest hypothesis is that microbes have learned how use vaccines to spread - and that we need a totally new technology.

Interesting find there. However anything that may be learned from the particular case study I cited most likely would have a different biological pathway to act upon than the reverse genetic engineering vacinnees in the link you supplied. Even in the simplest methods of treating disease, we know several ways to interupt the pathogenesis of disease...same may be true for this.

It's a good hope - but I think not the right one. ...Several reports over the years involved people who were apparently immune - asymptomatic cases. And this bird flu has been around long enough that an immune population already would have been found, if that was a priority. I'm thinking it's not a priority - partly because the strain is evolving, and the immunity might not carry, but for economic and other scientific reasons too.