Influenza+Virus+-+Notes+in+Class+-+Rachel

September 25, 2007


 * Flu virus infects the cells along your lung and respiratory system.
 * The virus locks on to the proteins of a cell, cell receptors then the virus injects itself into the cell.
 * www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/animations/infections/inf_middie_frames.htm

Why get a flu vaccine?
 * 1) Prevents influenza related deaths
 * 2) more people die from flu than other preventative vaccine disease
 * 3) Prevents sever illness
 * 4) more than 200,000 people in the US are hospitalized due to the flu each year
 * 5) Protects other people

Influenza comes from PIGs, Asian swine pigs.

RNA virus of the family Orthomyxoviridae (influenza disease)

Influenza ABC viruses A: are found in many animals ducks, chickens, whales, pigs, seals B: mostly humans C:

More than 60 million people aquire the flu

Virus contagious 1- 4 days before symptoms appear

How are flu vaccines created?
 * Many different labs collect many viruses then a collection of WHO, CDC, FDA, etc. decided which flu virus are most likely to occur.
 * Takes about 2 weeks for the body to acclimate to the antigens and create antibodies.
 * Unlike many vaccines, many different strains of vaccines.
 * Side effects are rare.
 * shot - Inacctivated vaccine - containing killed virus
 * nasal spray - weakened virus (attenuated live viruses)
 * grown in eggs

Inflects the trachea and bronchi.