Influenza

3 main types of flu. Influenza A viruses are the most harmful, as they can cause severe disease.influenza is usually responsible for the majority of seasonal flu cases. It is found in humans and in animals. Influenza A is spread from person to person by people who are already infected. Touching objects the infected person has touched or even being in the same room as the person, especially if they are coughing or sneezing, is enough to become infected yourself. Influenza B almost exclusively…

that it was some strand of influenza, but deadlier and spreading quicker than any virus they had ever seen before. This disease was later incorrectly labeled the Spanish Influenza and continued to puzzle doctors and researchers for close to the rest of the century. The “Closing in on a Killer: Scientists Unlock Clues to the Spanish Influenza Virus” exhibit at the National Museum of Health and Medicine provides an interesting presentation on the spread of the influenza, how doctors researched it…

immunized with the influenza vaccine. The article “Requiring influenza vaccination for health care workers: seven truths we must accept”, written by G. A. Poland, P. Tosh, and R. M. Jacobson identifies seven reasons why it is imperative to require all health care employees to receive the vaccine.(Poland, Gregory A.; Tosh, Pritish; Jacobson, Robert M. 2251) The article attempts to persuade the health care system and health care workers that the influenza vaccine prevents influenza infections…

reduction and prevention of influenza vaccination is the most effective way. Because influenza viruses to undergo a process known as antigenic drift mutations enhance the resistance to the vaccine, it will need to make some changes of vaccine per year. Even if the drift caused by a virus vaccine offers some protection against the flu. This small protection, which is not true in the case of the antigen results in a shift to the appearance of a new influenza virus. To speed up influenza…

Avian Influenza A viruses present a unique challenge to public health as a result of their rapid evolution. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been five IAV pandemics, including the 1918 pandemic, which is estimated to have been responsible for 50-100 million deaths worldwide (Taubenberger & Morens, 2006). Each major influenza pandemic has been associated with the appearance of a new subtype circulating in humans. Additionally, particularly virulent pandemic strains and in…

The Relationship Between World War I and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 War and disease have been intertwined throughout history as human pathogens, weapons and armies have met on the battlefield. 1914-1919 marked the cruelest war in the chronicles of the human race preceded by the world’s deadliest unspoken pandemic. The aftermath of World War I proved so profound in their consequences that the influenza virus remained a blur in the public’s memory. Instead, focus was shifted towards the…

The first case of avian influenza since last spring was detected in Dane County yesterday according to the assistant Wisconsin State Veterinarian, which could effect the US economy. Darlene Konkle, the assistant Wisconsin State Veterinarian confirmed that highly contagious avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu, was found in a 20,000-bird flock. Bird flu primarily affects chickens and turkeys. Bird flu is a respiratory illness that can be identified by discharge from the nasal or eyes,…

Elizabeth Reyes A&P January 11th, 2018 Influenza Influenza, also known as the flu, was discovered in 1918. A vet named J.S Koen was observing a disease in pigs which was believed to be the same as the flu today. In 1918, the flu pandemic broke out. It lasted for about a year, killing 20-50 million people. There are 3 types of influenza. There is type A, B and C. Type C mostly affects young people. Recently in Pennsylvania, a 21 year who was healthy as can be, died because of the flu. It is…

diseases they diagnose. The past summer I had the privilege of researching the influenza virus in the Huber lab at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. I remember being utterly clueless the first two weeks in the lab. Feeling embarrassed, I studied immunology textbooks and read manuscripts in order to verse myself in the current models surrounding influenza virus infection. Through my research of the influenza virus I gained substantial knowledge of a disease that effects…

Influenza virus H7N9 is commonly known as the avian flu. The avian flu is a viral infection. H7N9 is a subcategory of the type A Influenza virus. H7N9 is predominantly found in poultry. It is rare, but humans can be infected with H7N9. Humans are at risk of contracting H7N9 by handling, living amongst, ingest, and comes in close contact with live or dead infected poultry. The virus can be transmitted via ingestion, direct contact, airborne, and the introduction of contaminates to the mucus…