Influenza A Virus Research Paper

For long before the 1918 pandemic, doctors had been trying to isolate the microorganism that causes influenza. In 1892, one man, Dr. Friedrich Johann Pfeiffer, believed he had the answer. His discovery, Pfeiffer’s

First of all, the name “Influenza” is derived from the Latin word for “influence”, and it is an infectious disease that is caused by the RNA viruses from the Orthomyxoviridae family:

According to the CDC there was a breakout in “1918-19 Flu pandemic, which killed as many as 50 million people worldwide”causing the biggest breakout for Influenza (Reconstruction of 1918 Influenza Pandemic Virus). Influenza originated from Asia and the Middle East. Virtually all mammalian species have influenza. Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the Influenza virus. There are three types of Influenza: type A, type B, and type C. Influenza has numerous symptoms, vaccinations, and is unlikely to kill it’s host.

The Spanish influenza, also known as La Grippe, Spanish Lady, three day fever, purulent bronchitis, sand-fly fever and Blitz Katarrh (The 1918 Influenza Pandemic) was a global disaster which occurred between March of 1918 and the spring season of 1919 (The 1918 Influenza Pandemic). This virus was more catastrophic even than the First World War which was occurring at the same time the influenza broke out, killing more people than the Great War itself (The 1918 Influenza Pandemic). The virus killed more people in one year than in the four years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague (The 1918 Influenza Pandemic). Many questions about the flu’s origin and its nature remain largely mysterious to epidemiologists and scientists alike. (1918 Influenza:

Flu season is upon us and influenza has hit our area particularly hard this year. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs that spread from person to person through sneezing and coughing. The flu can also be spread surfaces when infected people touch surfaces such as door knobs, shopping carts, computer keyboards, countertops, etc. Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Though it can be difficult to avoid the flu entirely, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your household from getting the flu by following these steps at home. Continue these steps daily throughout the flu season.

Once there was a virus named Birdie. This virus was a Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza, virus of the subtype H5N1, the first strain of Avian Influenza having the ability to infect humans (Normandin and Solan). Birdie looked like a microscopic pomander, a fragrant orange with cloves stuck in it. Inside, she had eight pieces of single stranded ribonucleic acid or ssRNA. Birdie was deadly to humans, but was not able to spread from one human to another. She could only spread from birds to humans ("Bird Flu"). Birdie started out inside a chicken named Cluck, where she was formed. A little while later, Cluck's farmer Mark, sold his Cluck, to Joe, another poultry farmer because Mark did not realize that Cluck had H5N1. After a few months of Cluck living

I think many can testify to being guilty of brushing off symptoms like a stuffy nose, and the feeling of fatigue as the common cold, treatable by over the counter drugs. We tend to ignore these minor signs of what could possibly be a very dangerous and severe viral infection, this respiratory infection being the influenza virus. Flu activity most often appears between the months of February and May, leading many to believe their symptoms might be caused by allergies. Although symptoms are very similar, the flu can cause epidemics with the deadly outcomes, as the common cold is just a nuisance for us.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection that is caused by influenza virus. Influenza is commonly called flu. Many people underestimate influenza, and think it is a mild disease. In fact, influenza is a deadly disease if it has not taken care of. For example, from 1918 to 1919 about 20million people died from influenza(1). To better understand influenza, it is important to know how it spreads, how is it prevented, and the strains it has.

New pandemics in humans are usually caused when new subtypes of HA genes are introduced typically from aquatic birds. When a new type of HA gene is introduced, there are no vaccines that have prepared the body to fight off this type of virus causing it to be dangerous. Since these new genes usually come from aquatic birds, many scientists believe that the influenza virus originated in there (Suzuki, Y. & Nei, M., 2001). It is also believed that subtypes of the influenza virus may have diverged from another virus 2,000 years ago and diverged from B and C thousands of years before that (Suzuki, Y. & Nei, M., 2001).

Influenza virus has been causing recurrent epidemics of acute febrile syndrome every 1 to 4 years for at least recent centuries. The first epidemic report of the influenza like illness was noted in 1173-1174,1 but the first definitive epidemic was reported in 1694.2 The greatest pandemic in recorded history occurred in 1918-99 when approximately 21 million deaths were recorded worldwide.3 it was among the deadliest events in reported human history. After that Three others have occurred in the twentieth century: the 1957 H2N2 pandemic, the 1968 H3N2 pandemic and the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus (pH1N1). In the recent event an influenza strain with a combination of gene segments not previously reported in swine or human influenza virus

By comparing recent flu strains with the 1918 influenza scientists found reasons to believe that the1918 influenza pandemic began as a bird virus. The bird virus would have adapted to humans overtime eventually becoming as deadly to humans as it had been to birds. Once the virus adapted to humans it was spread through the physicality of a handshake or hug which is highly common among humans.

This is an avian influenza virus that seem to have high virulent potential in human host. Birds who have survived the infection can excrete the virus for as long as 10 days. This makes migratory birds an extremely dangerous vector for this strain of flu. This specific strain is mostly seen in Asian countries first appearing in 1997 and can now be found in countries such as South Korea, China, and Vietnam. It was previously mentioned that human could also be potentially mixing vessel since their epithelial cells contain receptors for bird influenza virus. With such a potent strain, it is feared that human could one day pass this virus from person to person and this event would certain mark the beginning of the next great influenza

The odds of detecting, controlling, and perhaps preventing the spread of an influenza virus with pandemic potential have improved dramatically since 1918, and they continue to increase with expanding knowledge of influenza viruses and the threat they present to human and animal health. Today, international programs permit the characterization of thousands of viral isolates each year and support worldwide surveillance and communications networks. These efforts are informed by research on viral molecular biology and evolution, and bolstered by simultaneous preparations against the threat of bioterrorism. Yet major challenges to pandemic preparedness remain to be overcome. The world's growing—and increasingly urbanized—population and the speed

Influenza A viruses, members of Ortomyxoviridae family, are capable of infecting a large variety of animals as well as humans. Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are the most abundant proteins on the viral surface. Thus far eighteen different HAs (H1 to H18) and eleven NAs (N1 to N11) have been distinguished serologically and are currently used for nomenclature of subtypes. Due to segmented genome, zoonotic nature and appearance of continuous mutation resulting in genome replication by the high error-rate RNA polymerase, Influenza A viruses are able to increase or change their epidemic or pandemic feature. This rapid evolution in Influenza genome raises the need of updating vaccine formulations annually to include new viral antigens

As already mentioned, the H5.N1 is a subtype of an influenza A type. This type consists of RNA. This RNA names as HA and NA. The HA is glycoproteins found on the surface of the virus. This special protein helps the virus to bind to the host cell. While NA is glycosylated enzyme sits on the surface as well. It helps to release the virus from the host cell. In reality, the least pathogenic virus is H5.N1 or (LPAI H5N1), is commonly happening in wild birds for example, in 1983 it is reported that the virus being carried by the ring-billed gulls in Pennsylvania, ( Bird flu (H5.N1) Genetic in news-medical). The virus itself cannot be pathogenic unless some changes occur, which means new progeny. When the RNA of two viruses enters a combination process in the host cell.