Influenza is a disease caused by influenza virus, a virus that has four closely related species. VirusEach is commonly spread via aerosols or droplets that are exhaled.
The influenza A virus is the most common cause of severe illness among humans. Influenza B, which is milder, can account for up to 25% of cases.
Together, both are a powerful combination The virusEpidemics are a regular occurrence. Five million individuals can be infectedAround the world, each year, anywhere between 290 000 and 650,000 deaths are caused by terrorism.
How does influenza spread?
The virus spreads when airborne droplets containing the virus touch cells that display a cell receptor. These are commonly found in mucus-producing tissue inside the nasal cavity or respiratory system.
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The fluids in the airways are released when a person with an infection coughs or sneezes. The spray is concentrated within a few meters of the surface, where it lingers for a short time before falling.
If you touch a recently infected surface, then touch your nose or mouth before cleaning it off, the virus particles can be accidentally transferred to cause an infection.
The virus will disintegrate once inside the cell to release one strand. RNA coded for template useThis is the messenger RNA of the host. New virus particles can then be generated quickly.
The majority of negative effectsThe symptoms of an infection are not the direct result of a virus invading the cell, but rather the body’s attempt to defend itself.
In generalIt takes approximately one to four day for symptoms to show. Infectious numbers of virus droplets’shed’ from the day prior to the first symptoms appearing, up to a week later.
What are the symptoms?
Influenza symptoms are mainly respiratory, including a sore throat and a runny/swollen nose. Joint pains, lethargy and headaches are common. Gastrointestinal problems, like nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, are also common.
In general, most symptoms tend to weaken over several days, with some persistent effects – such as a cough – remaining for a week or more.
In a small percentage of people infected with the virus, such as those over 65, those between the ages of six months and five, and those with conditions that reduce their immunity or health, symptoms may worsen. This includes a Fluid buildupThe lungs ( pneumonia), or – less commonly – inflammation of other tissues such as the heart (MyocarditisBrain (Encephalitis).
Treatments such as antiviral drugs (marketed as Oseltamivir) can help reduce symptoms and the duration of influenza. Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). In the US The number of people who are affected by the influx is in the hundreds of thousandsFlu is a common illness that requires hospitalization each year. Up to 50,000 people may succumb to its worst symptoms.
Why can’t we eradicate influenza?
The first vaccine for influenza was developed during the 1940s. Finally, a license to vaccinateThe general public was introduced to the vaccine in 1945. Just two years later, researchers realized something was amiss – the virus’s chemical identity had shifted, rendering the existing vaccine less effective and forcing them back to the drawing board.
The preventative treatment, like many vaccines relies on giving the body a heads-up on what the visible markers are on the outside of the viral particle, so that the immune system can get a jump start on manufacturing. antibodies.
The genes that allow the influenza virus to latch onto other cells are prone to mutation, so new viruses of the virus may not be recognized by our immune system.
Influenza A doesn’t just infect humans, either – it can find a home inside a wide variety of mammals and birds as well. As it moves among wild populations of animals and livestock, it can develop enough mutations to spread easily to humans.
ResearchersCurrently, researchers are working to extend the life of flu vaccines by targeting regions that are more stable on the virus. Although it may not mean the end of influenza in its current form, a vaccine that is effective against multiple strains will save many lives.
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