conserved pocket in the stem region shared with the diverse influenza subtyupes and function critical for viral fusion. Therefore, characterizing permitted evolutionary routes of the virus over the course of F10-type immune selection may serve as templates for the design of universal influenza vaccine and treatment strategies against all types of influenza viruses including those emergent pandemic strains. Selection of VN/04 (H5N1) or A/PR/8 virus escape mutants with F10 antibody was performed in MDCK
Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by infection of influenza A and B viruses. The disease can affect both the upper and lower respiratory tract and is often followed by systemic signs and symptoms, such as: sudden onset of fever, chills, non-productive cough, myalgias (muscle pain), headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, and fatigue. (Cox et al.1998). Influenza viruses evolve continuously, challenging mammalian and avian hosts with new variants and causing complex epidemic patterns
Influenza is caused by an RNA virus from the Orthomyxoviridae family (that consists of the genera influenza A, B, and C). Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics almost each winter within the United States. Influenza type B infects humans only, therefore it is unable of undergoing a mutation. Pandemics are caused solely by influenza A strains. The emergence of a new and completely different influenza virus to infect people will cause an influenza pandemic. Influenza kind C infections
Introduction In 1918-19 approximately 50 million deaths were a detriment of the Spanish H1N1 virus pandemic; a respiratory virus. According to the World Health Organization, the second Influenza A H1N1 pandemic in 2009 spread to more than 200 countries causing more than 18 000 deaths. Before the World Health Organization had announced the official end of the pandemic in August 2010, in July 2009 the World Health Organization sent out a phase 6 warning that H1N1 could soon be a global pandemic.
Jordan Richards BIOB 425 Paper #1 Assembly of endocytic machinery around individual influenza viruses during viral entry The purpose of this paper was to determine the entry method of influenza by tracking an individual influenza virus and endocytic structures in living cells. The main focus of entry was clathrin-mediated pathways and clathrin- and caveolin- independent pathways. These pathways were further researched to understand the development and use of clathrin-coated pits (CCP) and clathrin-coated
“Aussie flu”, an Australian influenza virus, has made headlines on media worldwide. It is suggested that the Australian strain has spread to other countries, which has led to criticism of Australia’s Public Health policies. Although, is it possible to identify a strain’s source? If so, how did this “Aussie flu” become so harmful, could it have been prevented? The media is comparing this year’s flu outbreak to the 1968 Hong Kong flu, is it really the next flu pandemic? Influenza viruses are ever evolving
Influenza is one of the top viruses to cause fatalities each year, which make Influenza a great search topic for several reasons. For example, an individual will have a clear understanding of the virus which has worldwide effects. Also, a clear understanding of research and surveillance data conducted and collected by governmental agency, will be understood. One will grasp preventive or protective methods from what can end up becoming a deadly virus. One will comprehend governmental findings and
Influenza viruses are constantly evolving due to the mechanism of antigenic drift. This results in seasonal vaccination to target only specific strains, which puts us in a race against the clock in the prevention of the next pandemic. One key to solving this is the development of a universal influenza vaccine, which would elicit a broad antibody response. This would target either multiple strains or strains from the past, present, and future in a single vaccination. As vaccine may target sites such
Introduction The influenza virus is an RNA virus has an envelope that included members of the family Orthomyxoviridae. Its genome is a single negative strand segmented RNA. This virus consists of three types: A, B, and C. Influenza types A and B has eight segments of RNA, but the influenza virus type C only has 7 segments (Cheung and Poon, 2007). Influenza A virus is a virus that spread and infect many species of animals such as pigs, horses, cats, tigers, leopards, marine mammals and fowl and including
The Influenza virus is a unique respiratory viral disease that can have serious economic and social disruption to society. The virus is airborne transmitted through droplets release by coughing or sneezing from an infected person or by touching infected surfaces. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may even result in death. People with the virus usually experience fever, headache, shivering, muscle pain and cough, which can lead to more severe respiratory illness such as pneumonia. People most
Influenza Influenza, normally called “the flu”, the influenza virus causes an infection in the respiration tract. Even though the influenza virus can sometimes be compared with the common cold. It also can cause a more severe illness or death. During this past century, pandemics took place in 1918, 1957, and 1968, in all of these cases there where unfortunately many deaths. The “Spanish flu” in 1918, killed approximately half a million people in the United States alone. It killed around 20 million
protein capsid is a protein layer that wraps around the virus. There are four basic shapes of viruses. The tobacco mosiac, adenovirus, influenza virus, and t-even bacteriophage are each examples of a different virus structure. Each individual protein subunit composing the capsid is a capsomere. The tobacco mosiac virus has a helical capsoid and is rod shaped. The adenovirus is polyhedral and has a protein spike at each vertex. The influenza virus is made of a flexible, helecal capsid. It has an outer
year the winter seasons brings with it cold, snow, holidays, and to a lucky few a break from work or school. To many, however, winter brings the dreaded Influenza virus, a virus which, if left to it’s own devices, can bring death, especially to the young, the old, and the infirm. This year winter also brought with it a shortage of the Influenza vaccine, which was due to a contamination of one manufacturer’s supply. (Flaherty A02) The resulting decrease in supply caused a dramatic increase in the
INFLUENZA A virus called an Orthomyxovirus causes influenza. Often called flu, sometimes-even grippe. It is a very contagious disease, and it infects many parts of our bodies. This also includes are lungs. A person can get influenza if someone coughs, sneezes, or even talks around you while they are infected. Influenza is sometimes considered serious in some cases but can be prevented and treated. When you get the “flu” in the lungs, the lining of the respiratory tract is damaged by becoming swollen
Introduction/Background/History: Influenza better known as “The Flu” strikes the world every year infecting millions of people throughout different countries. Influenza is a deadly virus is an extremely contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza viruses. Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring. The influenza virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper or lower respiratory tract. There have been documented traces of the flu as early as the 12th century. The
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between twenty and forty million people. (1) Influenza is a virus that appeared in 1918 and caused a pandemic. It made an enormous impact that is still significant to the world today. It has pushed scientists to make advancements in the medicine and vaccination industry that continue to grow each and every day. Influenza may be a horrible thing, but without it we wouldn’t be where
Swine Flu Research Paper Swine flu is a disease that has placed a burden on humanity for many years. The virus of swine flu has a very intriguing history as well. Swine flu had originated from the first influenza pandemic in 1918. The actual swine flu virus had come from a pig in Iowa in 1931. Two years later a human strand of swine flu was found in London for the very first time. This was later followed by the Hong Kong flu pandemic in 1968 which had killed up to one million people worldwide. Many
The influenza virus is a common human pathogen that can cause serious respiratory problems and even death. It has a potential to form into pandemics. A pandemic occurs when an influenza strain becomes easily transferred from one person to another. Pandemics are rare and usually only occur every 10-50 years. They cause a significant amount of human deaths. The H1N1 virus, or the swine flu, is what is going around now. It has affected many people worldwide, pin pointing Mexico and North America. (Khanna
swine flu, scientifically known as H1N1. Swine flu is a respiratory infection derived from the influenza virus. The virus contains genetic materials from human, swine, and avian flu viruses. It was first identified in spring 2009, and since then has spread rapidly across the globe. The infection’s spread has been verified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. As soon as the swine flu virus was isolated, scientists quickly developed a swine flu vaccine. Four vaccines have been approved
Avian Influenza Avian Influenza is also known as the bird flu. The deadly form was first discovered in Italy in 1878. It is a Type A virus that occurs among wild aquatic birds and can infest domestic poultry and other birds and animal species. Although the virus does not normally infect human beings, there have been rare cases where humans have been infected with the virus. The disease is spread by contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretion from its nose, mouth, or eyes. (Commission)