THE DISEASE: The influenza virus is often referred to as the flu. It is an acute respiratory disease, which if left untreated, can worsen and lead into influenza pneumonia, a much more serious disease that often leads to hospitalization or death. Other complications from the flu are bronchitis, sinus and ear infections ("Flu Symptoms & Severity", 2015). There are types of the influenza virus: influenza A and influenza B, and there are many strains within each type.
While the respiratory system is the main site of the virus, the flu is very much a systemic disease because a lot of other areas of the body experience the symptoms. The most common symptoms of the flu often include: fever, chills, tiredness, aches, and sudden onset of the symptoms. Other symptoms include couching and runny nose ("Flu Symptoms & Severity”, 2015). Inflammation may also be a symptom of the …show more content…
Both of the influenza viruses are single stranded RNA genome viral molecules. They are typically 80 t0 120 nm in diameter and spherical shaped (Couch, 1996). On the viral particle are hemagglutinin attachment proteins and neuraminidases. These two components help differentiate between the different strains within each type (ie. H1N1). Influenza A is related closely to B, however it is distinctly separate because it undergoes antigentic drift and has much higher mutation rates than does B (“Influenza" WHO, 2014). This allows for new strains of A to circulate in the population much more frequently than different strains of B. B undergoes mutations and antigenic drift but at much slower rate than A. Influenza A is also able to be transmitted to animals as well as humans, were influenza B is only transmitted in humans. There is an influenza C, which is antigentically stable, which is how it separates itself from A and B, however it is not widely studied because it doesn’t cause any problems for humans or animals (Couch,
While the respiratory system is the main site of the virus, the flu is very much a systemic disease because a lot of other areas of the body experience the symptoms. The most common symptoms of the flu often include: fever, chills, tiredness, aches, and sudden onset of the symptoms. Other symptoms include couching and runny nose ("Flu Symptoms & Severity”, 2015). Inflammation may also be a symptom of the …show more content…
Both of the influenza viruses are single stranded RNA genome viral molecules. They are typically 80 t0 120 nm in diameter and spherical shaped (Couch, 1996). On the viral particle are hemagglutinin attachment proteins and neuraminidases. These two components help differentiate between the different strains within each type (ie. H1N1). Influenza A is related closely to B, however it is distinctly separate because it undergoes antigentic drift and has much higher mutation rates than does B (“Influenza" WHO, 2014). This allows for new strains of A to circulate in the population much more frequently than different strains of B. B undergoes mutations and antigenic drift but at much slower rate than A. Influenza A is also able to be transmitted to animals as well as humans, were influenza B is only transmitted in humans. There is an influenza C, which is antigentically stable, which is how it separates itself from A and B, however it is not widely studied because it doesn’t cause any problems for humans or animals (Couch,