China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
The 1918 Influenza A Pandemic
Published in Patricia G. Melloy, Viruses and Society, 2023
The influenza virus is transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets dispersed with sneezing or coughing by the infected individual. Symptoms of influenza can vary, but classic symptoms include headache, chills, fever, pain, sneezing, runny nose, and “nonproductive” cough, among others. However, not everyone with influenza viral infection will show these symptoms (Couch 1996; Krammer et al. 2018). The symptoms last from one to five days before the body can fight off the infection. Full recovery from influenza may take weeks even without major complications, resulting in reduced productivity in school for children and work for adults (Krammer et al. 2018).
Respiratory Diseases
Published in Vincenzo Berghella, Maternal-Fetal Evidence Based Guidelines, 2022
Aref T. Senno, Ryan K. Brannon
Infection with influenza virus can range from asymptomatic infection to uncomplicated upper respiratory tract disease to serious complicated illness such as secondary bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and organ failure. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion or rhinorrhea, headache, myalgia, and malaise.
Scientific Rationale for the Use of Single Herb Remedies in Ayurveda
Published in D. Suresh Kumar, Ayurveda in the New Millennium, 2020
S. Ajayan, R. Ajith Kumar, Nirmal Narayanan
Influenza is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. The common symptoms include: high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, cough and tiredness. The influenza virus is constantly evolving and new antigenic variants give rise to epidemics and pandemics. The influenza virus is unique among respiratory tract viruses because of its considerable antigenic variations. These mutations make it extremely difficult to develop effective vaccines and drugs against the virus (Moghadami 2017).
What are the considerations when selecting a model for influenza drug discovery?
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2023
Woo-Jin Shin, Seongil Choi, Baik-Lin Seong
As mentioned in the ‘Drug Discovery Strategies’ section, with the aid of in silico pharmacophore-based drug discovery, target-based drug discovery has the potential to reduce time and cost during the hit identification process. The unique ‘cap-snatching’ mechanism of influenza viruses and other sNSVs offers attractive antiviral targets, such as the viral cap-binding domain and viral endonuclease. Currently, there are several investigative drugs that inhibit influenza virus replication and which have the potential to reduce clinical symptoms. Notably, ZSP1273, an anti-influenza small-molecule drug that targets the PB2 cap-binding domain, shows antiviral activity higher than that of pimodivir (a first-in-class influenza PB2 inhibitor) under similar experimental conditions. Furthermore, the report of this drug demonstrates that the efficacy of the delayed treatment of ZSP1273 was higher than that of oseltamivir all the while having no adverse side-effects [22]. We also note that, as an alternative to the replication step, the viral entry step can also be an attractive antiviral target. It is also of interest that type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) are currently being investigated in a clinical setting for their role in the proteolytic cleavage of the HA protein, which is critical for the fusion of the viral membrane with the cellular endosomal membrane [23]. So far, three TTSPs (HAT, TMPRSS2, TMPRSS4) were reported to be involved in proteolytic cleavage, and TTSP knockout mice have shown a significant reduction in lung pathology as well as body weight loss and mortality.
Variant influenza: connecting the missing dots
Published in Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 2022
Vivek Chavda, Rajashri Bezbaruah, Tutumoni Kalita, Anupam Sarma, Juti Rani Devi, Ratnali Bania, Vasso Apostolopoulos
Characterization and diagnosis of the swine flu virus have proven to be quite complicated due to the emergence of multiple novel mutant strains [127]. Clinical characterization including laboratory investigations of the influenza virus, antibodies, viral antigen, and genetic material is done to indicate diagnosis [128]. Neutralization of serum, inhibition of hemagglutination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are some of the serological procedures used to assess and identify influenza immune responses [129]. Additionally, influenza virus subtyping can also be employed for the analysis of the virus by the use of HA and NA-specific primers [130]. Furthermore, gene sequencing using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has also been discovered for the detection of the virus subtype [131].
The influence of selected factors on the immunogenicity of preventive vaccinations against hepatitis A, B and influenza in solid organ transplant recipients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy – a review
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2022
Tomasz Ginda, Karol Taradaj, Bożena Kociszewska-Najman
The influenza vaccination is one of the most common immunizations among the vaccines recommended in highly developed countries. Two types of formulations are currently used. These are: the trivalent and quadrivalent vaccine, developed annually according to WHO (World Health Organization) recommendations, adequately to the strains epidemiologically relevant in a given epidemic period. The available formulations can be divided into those containing live and attenuated as well as killed, inactivated strains of influenza viruses type A and B. Vaccination is particularly recommended in high-risk groups, which include people with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, but the benefits of the vaccination benefit all individuals aged 6 months and older [5]. A special group of patients, to whom the vaccination is recommended, are patients after organ transplantations due to the possible severe course of the disease. The fact that immunosuppressive therapy is used in this group of patients to maintain graft functions may limit the efficacy of a vaccination. At the same time the reduced activity of the immune system poses a risk of a severe course of the disease [6,7], hence vaccination in this group is an important form of prophylaxis. The seroconversion rate (SR), which describes the percentage of seronegative (at the baseline) vaccinated persons showing the presence of protective antibodies of IgG class against antigens contained in a given preparation, is the most important for the objective assessment of the immunogenicity of immunization.