Influenza Flashcards
when is the seasonal flu
dec-feb in northern hemisphere
June-aug in the southern hemisphere
describe the structure of the influenza virus
RNA virus with 8 segments
single stranded
describe the surface proteins on the virus
haemagglutin -helps viral attachment and entry to the hot
there 18 different ones
neuraminidase- enables new viron to be released into shot cells
11 different ones
describe antigenic drift
mechanism of genetic variation
occurs continually over time
eventually the immune system won’t combat it
describe antigenic shift
abrupt major change in the virus
allows flue strain to jump from one animal to another
reasorttments of the gene segments
describe the difference between pandemic and seasonal flu
seasonly flu happens ever year around10%
pandemic occurs sporadically around 25%
describe clinical features of the flu
incubation period 1-4 days onset of fever up to 41 AND 1 of dry cough with sputum weakness up to 6 weeks chills headache sore throat hot, moist skin onset within last 10 days
describe investigations for flu
diagnosis is clinical CXR CRP blood culture resp rate ] swabs
describe the 3 pandemic requirements
antigenic shift
human pathogenicity
human to human contact
what is the transmission of flu
airborne
direct contact person to person
what are the groups at risk
neurological disease >65 pregnant obese immunosuppressed
name some common complications
acute bronchitis
secondary bacterial pneumonia-CURB 65
primary viral pneumonia
what is the treatment for flu
antiviral agents:
oseltamivir oral
zanamivir inhaled or IV
when does someone become non-infectious
48 hours after their last flu symptoms
describe the seasonal flu vaccine
prepared each year
grown in chick embryo
0.5ml IM injection
