Lecture 16 & 17 - Influenza Flashcards
What is influenza?
A specific respiratory syndrome
What are the symptoms of influenza?
Fever Chils Cough Headache Muscle aches Fatigue Loss of appetite
What is the appearance of a chest X ray in patients with influenza?
Normal
How long does influenza infection last?
7 days
However, the cough may last several weeks
Which groups are at risk of influenza infection?
Young
Old
Immuno-compromised
How may influenza be spread?
Droplets from coughing / sneezing
How long is the incubation period for influenza?
1-5 days
Does influenza affect many people each year?
Yes: 10-20 % of pop.
What is the impact of influenza on the population
Burden on:
• doctors
• hospitals
• employers
It’s an economical burden
How many deaths due to influenza each year?
250,000 to 500,000
Describe the pathogenesis of influenza
- Droplets enter respiratory tract
- Virus binds to sialic acid receptors in URT
- Replication in epithelial cells of RT
- Tissue damage → inflammatory response
- Immune response clears the infection in immunocompetent individuals
To which types of cells does influenza bind once it enters the body?
Unciliated epithelial of the respiratory airways
Where does the virus replicate?
Epithelial cells, especially in the LARGE AIRWAYS
Which cytokines are inducted in the inflammatory response to influenza?
What is their effect?
IL-1 → fever
IFN → malaise, head and muscle aches
Is the ciliated epithelium of the airways infected by influenza?
Initially, no.
Later on in the infection, this does occur
What does infected of the ciliated infection sometimes lead to?
Secondary bacterial pneumonia
What are the causes for pneumonia?
Primary viral: rare
Secondary bacterial: more common, esp. in elderly
To which family does Influenza virus belong?
Orthomyxoviridae
Describe the genome of Influenza
-ve sense
ssRNA
segmented
How many types of influenza are there?
3: A B and C
What can we say about the three types of influenza?
They show no immunological cross-reactivity
How do we differentiate the different types of virus?
Antibodies to the internal antigens of the virus
What do types A and B do?
Cause human influenza
Which types of influenza can infect other species?
Type A
How many RNPs does influenza have?
8
Which proteins does influenza have?
HA: haemagglutinin
NA: neuraminidase
M1: matrix protein
M2: matrix protein (channel)
What is the structure of the viral RNP?
-ve sense ssRNA
Protein
3 polymerase subunits
What is the structure of HA?
Trimer
Head with a binding pocket for Sialic acid
What is the structure of NA?
Tetramer
What is different about the different subtypes of Type A influenza?
What is the same?
Same: internal proteins
Different: HA and NA
How many subtypes of HA are there?
16
How many subtypes of NA are there?
9
What is an influenza subtype?
eg. H1N1
What is the ancestral host of influenza A?
Aquatic birds
All subtypes are endemic in birds
Which other animals can be infected by influenza?
Pigs
Horses etc.
Which subtypes of influenza are currently in the human population?
H1N1
H3N2
How are influenza viruses named?
Type Place of isolation Isolate number at that place Year of isolation Subtype
Describe the replication cycle of influenza virus
- HA binds to sialic acid
- RME into endosome
- Endosome becomes more acidic
- HA changes conformation
- Virus leaves endosome, RNPs go to the nucleus
- Replication, transcription, translation
- Budding out of cell, acquiring HA and NA
- NA cleaves Sialic acid receptor on host cell
- Tryptase clara action → active virion disseminates
What allows the viral membrane to fuse with the endosomal membrane, so that the RNPs are released into the cytosol?
Tryptase clara must cleave one amino acid on HA
HA can now change conformation in the low pH conditions of the endosome → fusion
What produces Typtase clara?
Where?
Clara cells
In the small airways (bronchioles)
Why does influenza only infect cells of the respiratory tract?
Needs Typtase clara action to be able to get out of the endosome
Clara cells are only found in the respiratory tract
What is the structure of a collectin?
Protein
What is the function of collectins?
They bind to carbohydrate side chains of HA and NA
This prevents the influenza from binding to the host cell