Influenza

• Influenza is an ssRNA virus
• FLu A: leads to epi and pandemics, has animal reserviours
• Flu B: can lead to epidemics, no animal reservoirs
• Flu C: minor respiratory dosease
• Hemaggluination binds to the polysaccharide chains with sialic acid residues
• Influenza residues determines to what receptors it binds to
• Influenza attachment binds to sialic acid on glycoproteins
• flu incubates for 1-3 days
• Flu infects epithelial cells in the respiratory tract
• Flu is transmitted by sloppily making out with people (aerosols)
• Flu has malaise, non-productive cough
• Amantidine and Rimantidine prevent uncoating
• Zanamivir is an NA inhibitor
• Antigenic drift: change in H and N proteins, gradual over time
• Antigenic shift is the recombination of viruses
• Flu incubation is 1-3 days
• FLu recovery is 1 week
• Flu reasons incubates in the upper respiratory
• Flu destroys epithelial and mucus secreting cells
• FLu virus spreads into the lower respiratory tract
• FLu causes the shedding and necrosis of lung epithelial cells
• Immune response causes the trigger of interferon and lymphokine release