Influenza

Question 1

What are the 3 main main groups of influenza?

Answer 1

IfA
IfB
IfC

Question 2

All 3 of the main influenza viruses infect mammals but which 2 only infect humans?

Answer 2

IfB

IfC

Question 3

Which influenza surface protein facilitates viral attachment and entry to host cell?

Answer 3

Haemagglutinin

Question 4

Which influenza surface protein enables new virion to be released from host cell?

Answer 4

Neuraminidase

Question 5

What is antigenic drift?

Answer 5

Genetic variation in viruses arising from accumulation of random mutations of surface proteins

Question 6

Can antigenic drift change the antigenic properties of a virus?

Answer 6

Heck yes

Eventually the immune system will not combat the virus as well

Question 7

What is antigenic shift?

Answer 7

Abrupt change in the virus resulting in new h/n combinations

Question 8

What kind of genetic change allows flu strains to jump from one species to another?

Answer 8

Antigenic shift

Question 9

What are the requirements for pandemic classification?

Answer 9

Human pathogenicity
Antigenic shift
Efficient person-person transmission

Question 10

What are some clinical features of influenza?

Answer 10

2-4 day incubation
Abrupt fever up to 41*C
2 or more of sore throat, rhinorrhoea, myalgia, headache, malaise
Sometimes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea

Question 11

What are some common complications of influenza?

Answer 11

Acute bronchitis
Secondary bacterial pneumonia
Community MRSA

Question 12

What are some less common complications of influenza?

Answer 12

Primary viral pneumonia
Myocarditis
Transverse myelitis
Guillain-Barre
Myositis

Question 13

What are some useful diagnostic investigations in influenza?

Answer 13

Nose and throat swabs
CXR
Blood culture
Pulse oximetry
Respiratory rate
U&E's
FBC
CRP

Question 14

What does CURB-65 assess?

Answer 14

Severity of bacterial pneumonia

Question 15

What does CURB-65 stand for?

Answer 15

Confusion
Urea (>7mmol)
Respiratory rate (>30)
Blood pressure (Diastolic <60, systolic <90)
>65 years of age

Question 16

Name 2 neuraminidase inhibitors.

Answer 16

Oseltamivir

Zanamivir

Question 17

What is the first line treatment for antiviral therapy in pregnancy?

Answer 17

Oseltamivir

Question 18

When does an immunocompetent adult become non-infectious?

Answer 18

24 hours after last flu symptoms

When anti-viral therapy is completed