Lecture 10 Flashcards
Describe the genes of the influenza virus:
8 sets of negative sense RNA
What is an effective method to disinfect against influenza viruses?
Hand-washing works well as they are all enveloped viruses
What is the taxonomic name for the following influenza virus type A:
Year of isolation = 1968 Hamagglutinin = 3 Neuraminidase = 2 Stain number = 1 Place of isolation = Hong Kong Animal host = horse
A/equi/Hong Kong/1/68 (H3 N2)
What are the two spike proteins that are present on the influenza virus and what are their function?
Neuramidase- leaving the cell and Haemagluttinin- binding to the membrane
What is the mechanism for antigenic shift?
Two different flu viruses enter the cell at the same time and we get an entirely new combination of H & N
What is the main mechanism meant by the term antigenic drift?
Continual changes leading to minor antigenic changes within existing influenza strains. Can get recombination die to the fragile nature of RNA dependant RNA polymerases
What strains of avian influenza are typically prone to mutating into highly pathogenic strains of avian influenza?
H5 and H7
What do influenza viruses normally require and intermediate host such as a pig, rather than transmission going directly from the waterbird natural host to the human?
The viruses are generally unable to go from the bird directly to the mammal as they both contain entirely different types of receptors. However, the pig intermediate has both bird receptors and human receptors and hence the influenza has an opportunity to mutate within the bird host into quite a virulent strain
What is the genome of paramyxoviruses?
negative sense single stranded RNA . They are enveloped and are quite similar in structure to orthomyxoviridae
Where does the henipavirus initially come from?
Came from bats initially it is a highly virulent disease
