Influenza Virus Net is the web resource for anyone interested in influenza and flu pandemics. Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae (the influenza viruses), that affects humans, birds and other mammals. The virus spreads easily from person to person. Influenza circulates worldwide and can affect anybody in any age group. Influenza causes annual epidemics that peak during winter in temperate regions. Influenza is a serious public health problem that causes severe illnesses and deaths for higher risk populations. The most common symptoms of the disease are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Sore throat, fever and coughs are the most frequent symptoms. In more serious cases, influenza causes pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly. An influenza epidemic can take an economic toll through lost workforce productivity, and strain health services. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection.

The objectives of Influenza Virus Net are to be the public and professional information resource for influenza and to serve as a network in the exchange of information and news related to influenza.

• Flu Has Disappeared Worldwide during the COVID Pandemic - Scientific American
  Thu, 29 Apr 2021 07:00 GMT
• COVID-19 is not influenza, but it offers lessons on beating it, say researchers: The absence of a 2020-21 flu season shows how effective simple public health measures are at limiting virus transmission - Science Daily
  Tue, 11 May 2021 14:26 GMT
• Influenza Diagnostics Market | Know the aspects that will serve as game-changers for the market - BioSpace
  Wed, 12 May 2021 06:55 GMT
• Global Influenza Markets, Epidemiology and Patient Flow Analysis Report 2020-2035 - Focus on US, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Japan, G7 Countries - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Yahoo Finance
  Fri, 14 May 2021 09:00 GMT
• How to predict severe influenza in hospitalized patients - Science Daily
  Wed, 12 May 2021 00:53 GMT
• How to predict severe influenza in hospitalised patients - EurekAlert
  Tue, 11 May 2021 13:47 GMT
• COVID-19 Pandemic Tied to Historically Low Influenza Cases, Leading to Uncertainty about Next Winter's Flu Vaccine - DARKDaily.com - Laboratory News
  Fri, 30 Apr 2021 09:29 GMT
• Experts predicting more influenza cases this season | News - WSMV Nashville
  Tue, 11 May 2021 10:48 GMT
• Novavax combined influenza/COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in animal study - Reuters
  Mon, 10 May 2021 13:47 GMT
• Pandemic regulations helping ease spread of influenza - KUTV 2News
  Tue, 11 May 2021 16:19 GMT
• The Flu Vanished During Covid. What Will Its Return Look Like? - The New York Times
  Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:00 GMT
• Ultrasensitive antigen test detects SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses - EurekAlert
  Tue, 11 May 2021 16:40 GMT
• Influenza rates remain 'lower than usual' CDC says; only 1 child death reported so far - The Denver Channel
  Mon, 10 May 2021 22:41 GMT
• COVID-19 is not influenza, but teaches useful lessons: study - Radio Canada International - English Section
  Tue, 11 May 2021 15:16 GMT
• Healthline H1N1 Influenza vs. COVID-19 Comparison: Similarities & Differences 1 day ago - Healthline
  Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:00 GMT

• PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (71): Europe (Romania, Bulgaria) poultry, HPAI H5N8, H5, OIE
  Mon, 10 May 2021 14:24:40 -0400
  Avian Influenza H5N8 -- Romania
  Summary
  Report type: immediate notification
  Started: 5 May 2021
  Confirmed: 6 May 2021
  Reported: 7 May 2021
  Reason for notification: recurrence
  Last occurrence: 21 Feb 2020
  Causal agent: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
  Serotype: H5N8
  Nature of diagnosis: laboratory
  This event pertains to a defined zone within the country.
  New outbreaks
  Summary of outbreaks
  Total outbreaks (1)
  Outbreak location 1: Ungheni, Mures
  Started: 5 May 2021
  Epidemiological unit: Farm
  Total

• In vivo monitoring of volatile metabolic trajectories enables rapid diagnosis of influenza A infection Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  We report that influenza A virus infection induces changes in odor traits that could be captured by real-time high-resolution mass spectrometry in a living mouse model. The most striking changes in the volatile metabolites may be associated mostly to glyoxylate/dicarboxylate metabolism.
• To vaccinate or not to vaccinate; that is the question! (New insights on COVID-19 Vaccination) Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza vaccination is mandatory for all individuals provided no contraindications. Three SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are being released , while FDA approval for monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of at-risk outpatients to lower hospitalization rates is ongoing.
• Research progress on active components and mechanism of Isatidis Radix for influenza virus Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  Isatidis Radix is the dried root of the Isatis indigotica, with pharmacological effects such as heat-clearing and detoxification, cooling blood and pharyngeal relief, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It is often used clinically to prevent and treat influenza and other diseases. In this paper, relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years were summarized, and it was found that Isatidis Radix lignans, indole alkaloids, polysaccharides, etc. were the main active components...
• Thinking and practice of key links in design of clinical trial scheme for treatment of influenza with traditional Chinese medicine Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  To sort out the key points in "PICOS" design of clinical trial scheme for influenza, and optimize the clinical trial scheme of Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of influenza by strictly following the principle of evidence-based medicine, focusing on the clinical practice of the disease, and highlighting the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. "The design of a randomized, double-blind, positive parallel control study of a certain herbal preparation for the...
• Asp149 and Asp152 in chicken and human ANP32A play an essential role in the interaction with influenza viral polymerase Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  The acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member A (ANP32A) is a cellular host factor that determines the host tropism of the viral polymerase (vPol) of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Compared with human ANP32A (hANP32A), chicken ANP32A contains an additional 33 amino acid residues (176-208) duplicated from amino acid residues 149-175 (27 residues), suggesting that these residues could be involved in increasing vPol activity by strengthening interactions between ANP32A and vPol. However, the...
• Protective effects of the NLRP3 inflammasome against infectious bursal disease virus replication in DF-1 cells Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  Inflammatory responses are an important part of the innate immune response during viral infection. Various inflammasome complexes have been identified. The pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays a critical role in detecting some RNA viruses, such as influenza virus. However, the effect of the NLRP3 inflammasome on infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) replication is still unclear. Here, we report that IBDV-infection induces the transcription of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β genes...
• Insect High FiveTM cell line development using site-specific flipase recombination technology Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  Insect Trichoplusia ni High FiveTM (Hi5) cells have been widely explored for production of heterologous proteins, traditionally mostly using the lytic baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS), and more recently using virus-free transient gene expression systems. Stable expression in such host cells would circumvent the drawbacks associated with both systems when it comes to scale-up and implementation of more efficient high-cell density process modes for the manufacturing of biologics. In...
• Promoting Healthy Ageing in South Africa Through Vaccination of the Elderly Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  The World Health Organization estimates that globally, the proportion of people aged ≥60 years will more than double by the year 2050, with the majority of elderly people living in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Population ageing is an impending public health concern, potentially negatively impacting on South Africa's economy and health system if the government does not adequately prepare for this change. Globally, many potential solutions to ensure healthy ageing are...
• Barriers and Facilitators Associated With Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake Among Pregnant Women in High Income Countries: A Mini-Review Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  Vaccination during pregnancy is a safe and effective intervention to protect women from potentially severe consequences of influenza and reduce risk of influenza and pertussis in their infants. However, coverage remains variable. In this mini-review we update findings from a 2015 systematic review to describe results from recent studies in high income countries on the uptake of influenza and pertussis vaccination in pregnancy, reasons for vaccine hesitancy and barriers to increasing uptake, from...
• Neurotropic influenza A virus infection causes prion protein misfolding into infectious prions in neuroblastoma cells Thu, 13 May 2021 06:00:00 -0400
  Misfolding of the cellular prion protein, PrP^(C), into the amyloidogenic isoform, PrP^(Sc), which forms infectious protein aggregates, the so-called prions, is a key pathogenic event in prion diseases. No pathogens other than prions have been identified to induce misfolding of PrP^(C) into PrP^(Sc) and propagate infectious prions in infected cells. Here, we found that infection with a neurotropic influenza A virus strain (IAV/WSN) caused misfolding of PrP^(C) into PrP^(Sc) and generated...