Influenza A (H1N1) Blog

Posts Tagged ‘transmission’

1. February 28, 2010

   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 [...]

2. February 23, 2010

   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 [...]

3. 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 [...]

4. 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 [...]

5. 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 [...]

6. 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, [...]