Influenza Virus Research Paper
How worried are you about the Influenza Virus?
The Influenza virus, commonly known as the flu, is a viral disease that can be infectious in mammals and birds, it´s caused by RNA viruses. This disease is most common between the months of October and May, it can last from three days to five days; it´s an acute disease, because manifests quickly and last a short time.
There are three types of Influenza according to how severe they are; Type A: The most severe type with the most acute symptoms. Type B: Similar symptoms to type A, but not as serious. Type C: The mildest one and with symptoms similar to a cold.
The Influenza virus can be transmitted mainly by two different ways: by direct transmission (when an infected person sneezes …show more content…
the mucus goes directly into the person that is closest); by contaminated air (when someone inhales the “aerosols” produced by an infected person coughing or sneezing). The disease mainly affect the nose, the throat and the lungs, often spread out as an epidemic, which quickly spreads from town to town and country to country, it affects lots of people in a short period of time.
It´s most common symptoms are: headache, fever (38º to 40º), dry cough, vomiting or diarrhoea, fatigue and weakness, chest pains, nasal congestion and sore throat, irrigating and watering eyes, pneumonia...
All this symptoms have to be recognized early to cure the infection. The droplets that are small enough for people to inhale are almost 5 µm in diameter and inhaling just one droplet might be enough to cause an infection. With a single sneeze it´s released up almost 40,000 droplets, most of these droplets are quite large, but they will quickly settle out of the air. Influenza spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, resulting in three to five million yearly cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 yearly deaths. Where it´s most common is in the regions of South-America: Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina… and South- Asia: India, …show more content…
Malaysia…
But because it is a viral infection, it cannot be treated with antibiotics, because viruses are not sensitive to antibiotics, so this would only eliminate the non-pathogenic bacteria which is not recommended. Depending in the severity of the infection it can be treated by different ways; but the main treatment is the drug therapy; the two main classes of antiviral drugs that are used to fight against influenza are “neuraminidase inhibitors”, such as “zanamivir and oseltamivir”, or “inhibitors of the viral M2 protein”, such as “amantadine and rimantadine”.
These drugs can reduce the severity of symptoms if taken soon after infection and can also be taken to decrease the risk of infection. The best and the easiest remedy is rest while and drink plenty of fluids. It 's possible to get vaccinated against influenza, but if there is a serious danger so it can be injected in specific people with severe diseases. These include people with chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver and neurological diseases, people with diabetes and those who have an inactive immune system. The risks of complications are higher in young children, but people with a weakened immune system or old are endangered also of having it. It has been shown that a pulmonary influenza virus infection can be cured according to SCID mice, by treatment with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that are the specific ones for the viral transmembrane protein “hemagglutinin” (HA) “but not for matrix 2”. Since both types of MAbs react with infected cells but only the former neutralizes the virus, it appeared that the passive MAbs are cured by neutralization of progeny virus rather than reaction with infected host cells.
In conclusion the Influenza, or the flu, is a viral disease, it´s a contagious infection that affect children and adults.
Although most cases of influenza are mild and complications rarely develop. As I have said before the flu is in process of being eradicated, it has been proved that a pulmonary influenza virus infection can be cured by treatment of monoclonal antibodies; Is this an important step in the fight against Influenza?
It has been an important step because due to this, thousands of people will be saved, and this will have a positive repercussion in society.
It´s a very dangerous disease if you are in risk of having it, otherwise if you are health you wouldn’t have any types of problems. Influenza it´s most common in the months of autumn and winter; when this happens it can be called “seasonal influenza”, according to CDC it happens in this seasons because it´s when there are a high percentage of people with respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza virus infection and also because the temperatures are lower and colder.
Bibliography
Oxford, ed. Science 3, ESO : Biology and Geology. [Madrid]: Oxford, 2008. Print.
978-84-673-7649-4.
"Influenza Virus Cure." Interview by Rafa (father). Influenza Virus Cure. Almeria, 4 Nov. 2012. Home.
"Influenza." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza "Influenza (flu)." Netdoctor. Uk, 10 Mar. 2005. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/influenza.htm "What Is the Cure for Influenza?" WikiAnswers. Answers, Feb.-Mar. 2007. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_cure_for_influenza "Influenza Treatment." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_treatment Higuera, Valencia. "How to Cure Influenza." EHow. Demand Media, 25 June 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.ehow.com/how_5125061_cure-influenza.html "Pulmonary Influenza." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC191651/ "American Experience: TV 's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, Mar.-Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/influenza-searching-cures/ "Influenza Treatment." Influenza: Treatment. Freemd, 26 Oct. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.freemd.com/influenza/treatment.htm "Influenza Virus Activity in the World." WHO. N.p., Jan.-Feb. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. .
http://www.who.int/en/
The Influenza virus, commonly known as the flu, is a viral disease that can be infectious in mammals and birds, it´s caused by RNA viruses. This disease is most common between the months of October and May, it can last from three days to five days; it´s an acute disease, because manifests quickly and last a short time.
There are three types of Influenza according to how severe they are; Type A: The most severe type with the most acute symptoms. Type B: Similar symptoms to type A, but not as serious. Type C: The mildest one and with symptoms similar to a cold.
The Influenza virus can be transmitted mainly by two different ways: by direct transmission (when an infected person sneezes …show more content…
the mucus goes directly into the person that is closest); by contaminated air (when someone inhales the “aerosols” produced by an infected person coughing or sneezing). The disease mainly affect the nose, the throat and the lungs, often spread out as an epidemic, which quickly spreads from town to town and country to country, it affects lots of people in a short period of time.
It´s most common symptoms are: headache, fever (38º to 40º), dry cough, vomiting or diarrhoea, fatigue and weakness, chest pains, nasal congestion and sore throat, irrigating and watering eyes, pneumonia...
All this symptoms have to be recognized early to cure the infection. The droplets that are small enough for people to inhale are almost 5 µm in diameter and inhaling just one droplet might be enough to cause an infection. With a single sneeze it´s released up almost 40,000 droplets, most of these droplets are quite large, but they will quickly settle out of the air. Influenza spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, resulting in three to five million yearly cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 yearly deaths. Where it´s most common is in the regions of South-America: Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina… and South- Asia: India, …show more content…
Malaysia…
But because it is a viral infection, it cannot be treated with antibiotics, because viruses are not sensitive to antibiotics, so this would only eliminate the non-pathogenic bacteria which is not recommended. Depending in the severity of the infection it can be treated by different ways; but the main treatment is the drug therapy; the two main classes of antiviral drugs that are used to fight against influenza are “neuraminidase inhibitors”, such as “zanamivir and oseltamivir”, or “inhibitors of the viral M2 protein”, such as “amantadine and rimantadine”.
These drugs can reduce the severity of symptoms if taken soon after infection and can also be taken to decrease the risk of infection. The best and the easiest remedy is rest while and drink plenty of fluids. It 's possible to get vaccinated against influenza, but if there is a serious danger so it can be injected in specific people with severe diseases. These include people with chronic heart, lung, kidney, liver and neurological diseases, people with diabetes and those who have an inactive immune system. The risks of complications are higher in young children, but people with a weakened immune system or old are endangered also of having it. It has been shown that a pulmonary influenza virus infection can be cured according to SCID mice, by treatment with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that are the specific ones for the viral transmembrane protein “hemagglutinin” (HA) “but not for matrix 2”. Since both types of MAbs react with infected cells but only the former neutralizes the virus, it appeared that the passive MAbs are cured by neutralization of progeny virus rather than reaction with infected host cells.
In conclusion the Influenza, or the flu, is a viral disease, it´s a contagious infection that affect children and adults.
Although most cases of influenza are mild and complications rarely develop. As I have said before the flu is in process of being eradicated, it has been proved that a pulmonary influenza virus infection can be cured by treatment of monoclonal antibodies; Is this an important step in the fight against Influenza?
It has been an important step because due to this, thousands of people will be saved, and this will have a positive repercussion in society.
It´s a very dangerous disease if you are in risk of having it, otherwise if you are health you wouldn’t have any types of problems. Influenza it´s most common in the months of autumn and winter; when this happens it can be called “seasonal influenza”, according to CDC it happens in this seasons because it´s when there are a high percentage of people with respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza virus infection and also because the temperatures are lower and colder.
Bibliography
Oxford, ed. Science 3, ESO : Biology and Geology. [Madrid]: Oxford, 2008. Print.
978-84-673-7649-4.
"Influenza Virus Cure." Interview by Rafa (father). Influenza Virus Cure. Almeria, 4 Nov. 2012. Home.
"Influenza." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza "Influenza (flu)." Netdoctor. Uk, 10 Mar. 2005. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/influenza.htm "What Is the Cure for Influenza?" WikiAnswers. Answers, Feb.-Mar. 2007. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_cure_for_influenza "Influenza Treatment." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_treatment Higuera, Valencia. "How to Cure Influenza." EHow. Demand Media, 25 June 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.ehow.com/how_5125061_cure-influenza.html "Pulmonary Influenza." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC191651/ "American Experience: TV 's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, Mar.-Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/influenza-searching-cures/ "Influenza Treatment." Influenza: Treatment. Freemd, 26 Oct. 2008. Web. 05 Nov. 2012. . http://www.freemd.com/influenza/treatment.htm "Influenza Virus Activity in the World." WHO. N.p., Jan.-Feb. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2012. .
http://www.who.int/en/