transmission « Influenza A (H1N1) Blog

Posts Tagged ‘transmission’

June 20, 2010
Transmission of Avian Influenza restricted by cold nose

One of the greater uncertanties about Avian Influenza is why it is not efficiently transmitted among humans. Thus, it is clear how likely it is that the virus is able to cross this barrier and a more efficient line appears. For example, until now the H5N1 was transmitted mainly to breeders and people in very [...]
June 6, 2010
H5N1, the bird flu: the virus

In the last text, it was discussed the capacity of H5N1 of infecting a number of hosts and causing very harsh symptoms, causing deaths in over 50% of the recorded human cases. Despite this, its transmission from person to person seems to be well limited. Now we will see its characteristics that contribute to this.
As [...]
June 1, 2010
Pandemic Influenza: the role of poultry birds

Never in history of mankind have we reared as many pigs and chickens as now. The growing demand for meat, especially in developing countries like China, exerts a great pressure in the increase of the quantity of meat in commerce. Therefore, more wild birds are being caught and more domestic birds are being bred. The [...]
November 12, 2009
H5N1, the bird flu: the hosts

In 1997, a lineage of H5N1 bird flu was transmitted to a child in Hong Kong who died of respiratory problems. This was the first of a number of recorded cases of transmission of this virus from poultry to humans.
Since then, the world follows the circulation of this virus with concern. Although we associate it [...]
November 7, 2009
The Flu seasonality

The impression that the flu appears during winter is very common but does it have any real basis?
In a broad way and with many exceptions, infectious diseases may be divided into acute and chronic. The acute infection occurs when the virus quickly infects the host, causes symptoms, is or is not transmitted and the disease [...]
October 7, 2009
Find out more about Influenza by playing games

There is a series of well conceived online games that help to expose and to understand concepts about the flu and other diseases. Find out what some of them have to add on
The Great Flu

With several resources that include instructive videos and relevant and realistic information about the Influenza, the [...]
October 1, 2009
The effectiveness of school closings during an epidemic

Children have a very important role transmitting the Influenza virus. Since they had less contact with the virus, their immune reaction is lower and less effective; therefore, during the infection they have a higher viral load. A higher viral load associated with contact with several other children from different places in the same school, playing [...]
September 28, 2009
Influenza Air Transmission

Although it is one of the most basic issues, Influenza virus transmission is still the target of much discussion. The role of contact contamination or through droplets and aerosols is considered a hot potato [1]. After a certain period without many experiments, nowadays we are aware that ferrets and guinea pigs may be infected by [...]
September 8, 2009
Why do we fear influenza 2 – the virus

In the previous text, I addressed why it is difficult to develop antivirals, here we will understand the characteristics of the influenza virus that worries us.
Where do viruses come from and what makes them more or less dangerous?
The virus that infects us may already be with us during our evolutive history, [...]