Flu gene

Being on the mend from some sort of flu/cold over the weekend I find this article in The Telegraph about flu genes interesting. Or could it just be that I had forgotten how bad one feel with high fever, muscle aches and a sore throat?!

Scientist in Australia has identified a gene that in some people make it eight times more likely they will suffer for longer and experience severe symptoms once they get ill. The researcher also found that some people has a genetic combination that makes them hardy and recover from illness faster than others.

"We all know that when people get sick some take a long time to recover and while others seem to get over it very fast, and what we've been able to show are the possible genetic reasons for this," said Dr Ute Vollmer-Conna, who led the study, told Australian Associated Press.

About 28% of the 300 people who took part of the study showed the gene for prolonged illness, while 18% had more robust genes that could protect them from suffering.

Hm, wonder which genes I have because Friday and Saturday was plain misery...