Influenza: Molecular Virology

ISBN-13: 9781904455578 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 196 str.

Opis

In the last 100 years, there have been three major influenza pandemics: the Spanish Flu in 1918, the Asian Flu in 1957, and the Hong Kong Flu in 1968. These pandemics claimed the lives of approximately 50 million, 2 million, and 1 million people respectively. Added to this is the annual death toll from influenza of 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide, with a further 3 to 4 million people suffering severe illness. These statistics make influenza an extremely important pathogen. In 1997, the alarming emergence of a new, highly pathogenic subtype, H5N1, which has a 50% mortality rate, provided a major impetus for renewed influenza research. However, the battle against influenza is difficult. Recently another subtype, H1N1, has emerged. This subtype causes a relatively mild infection in humans, however it is highly transmittable between people and a new influenza pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization. If this virus were to acquire some of the lethal capabilities of H5