1/13/2020
It’s that time of the year again—sounds of sniffling, coughing, and sneezing filling your ears—fevers, chills, nausea, and vomiting taking over—the aroma of hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, and antibacterial soap floating through the air —flu season is in full swing! The stomach flu, scientifically known as Norovirus, can be contracted in many different ways, but what if I told you your blood type could make you more susceptible to the virus?
Sounds crazy, right? But it could be true! According to Patricia L. Foster- Professor Emerita of Biology, Indiana University, your susceptibility to the virus could strongly depend on your blood type. When a person comes in contact with the virus, it attacks the immune system by lining and invading the small intestine. Found in the small intestine is a certain molecule on the surface of a cell that is also found in red blood cells and contributes to determining a persons blood type. This molecule is made up of different types of sugars attached to each other in custom designs.
The virus, which has 29 known different strains, depends on the unique shape and structure of these molecules in the small intestine to be able to attach and possibly attack a persons immune system. Depending on which of the 29 possible forms of the virus a person has been exposed to, their blood type may not include the molecular structure required for the virus to attach to and successfully attack the immune system.
If you’ve ever wondered why a group of your friends was affected by the stomach flu and you managed to escape the fate, it could be your unique blood type that kept you safe from the virus! Click the link for the full article by Patricia L. Foster! https://www.livescience.com/blood-type-stomach-flu-norovirus-risk.html
Foster L., Patricia. “Your Blood Type Might Influence Your Risk of Getting the Stomach Flu.” Livescience.com, The Conversation, 13 January 2020, https://www.livescience.com/blood-type-stomach-flu-norovirus-risk.html
Breaking Science. 