INFLUENZA

1. What is an epidemic?
It happens when a certain group of people have a certain disease during a certain period.
2. What is a pandemic?
Is an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region.
3. What is an infectious disease?
Is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents.
4. What is a virus?
A sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell.
5. What makes the H1N1 virus a "novel" or "new" virus?
It has never been seen on human before.
6. How do viruses mutate?
Through a host cell, which it does by attaching its surface proteins to the cell's membrane and injecting its genetic material into the cell.
7. What does it mean that this virus has "parts" from other known swine flus, human flus and American bird flus?
It means that it has taken some things of those flues so it can become a stronger and deadlier flue.
8. How does that process happen?
Influenza A viruses come in many different subtypes based on differences in their proteins. Each subtype can have many different strains. New subtypes and strains arise when the virus undergoes genetic mutations.
9. How is the flu vaccine created?
It was Caused by an unusually virulent and deadly Influenza, a virus strain of subtype H1N1.
10. Why are some viruses transmittable from human to human while others are not (avian flu)?
When the cell of the virus is strong enough it can affect a human, and if this virus has the right cell it can transmit from human to human.
11. How does Tamiflu work?
Its action is based on the inhibition of neuraminidasas present in the virus of the influenza. Said neuraminidasas they are the ones in charge to release to the virus of the infected cells, and to thus favor its dissemination, being these in the virión.
12. Scientists worry that H1N1 might become resistant to Tamiflu. How might that happen?Because after you attack with the same cure a virus it becomes resistant to this and after mutating that is what might happen.