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 season has started early, and doctors hold fears for children amid low vaccination rates - ABC News
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:47 GMT
• H5N6 avian influenza case reported in Sichuan province, China - Outbreak News Today - Outbreak News Today
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:50 GMT
• Experts warn bird flu virus changing rapidly in largest ever outbreak - Medical Xpress
  Sat, 03 Jun 2023 18:24 GMT
• Bird flu outbreak more virulent than ever recorded - study - The Jerusalem Post
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 01:06 GMT
• Influenza kills 4 kids, downs 160 people in South Cotabato - Rappler
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:08 GMT
• Oklahoma City Animal Welfare Closed Following Canine Influenza Outbreak - news9.com KWTV
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:07 GMT
• Impact of the 2022 avian influenza epidemic in the US - Poultry World
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 08:30 GMT
• Six ancient zombie viruses unleashed on the world from climate change - Daily Mail
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 11:47 GMT
• Public warned about rising cases of flu which can cause severe illness, hospitalization, or cause death - IOL
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 13:19 GMT
• Bird Flu Vaccine Candidate Effective on Vultures - Precision Vaccinations
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 13:29 GMT
• Health Department concerned over steadily rising flu cases in six provinces - News24
  Sun, 04 Jun 2023 07:47 GMT
• Aussies hit with numerous flus, Covid-19 as expert notes disturbing trend - Daily Mail
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 05:55 GMT
• Avian Influenza A(H5N1) - United Kingdom of Great Britain and ... - World Health Organization
  Tue, 30 May 2023 16:00 GMT
• Can One Health fight H5N1 avian influenza? - The Lancet
  Mon, 05 Jun 2023 22:35 GMT
• North American arrival of A(H5N1) influenza raises concerns of ... - News-Medical.Net
  Wed, 31 May 2023 04:53 GMT

• PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (116): Europe (Russia) zoo, wild bird, backyard, HPAI H5N1, OIE
  Mon, 20 Sep 2021 15:46:50 -0400
  Avian Influenza H5N1 -- Russia
  Summary
  Report type: immediate notification
  Started: 27 Aug 2021
  Confirmed: 2 Sep 2021
  Reported: 15 Sep 2021
  Reason for notification: recurrence
  Last occurrence: 13 Dec 2020
  Causal agent: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
  Serotype: H5N1
  Nature of diagnosis: clinical, laboratory
  This event pertains to a defined zone within the country.
  New outbreaks (3)
  Summary of outbreaks
  Total outbreaks (3)
  Outbreak location 1: Zateryanny mir, Chelyabinsk gorsovet,


• PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza, human (20): Cambodia (SI) H9N2
  Sun, 19 Sep 2021 19:23:42 -0400
  Avian Influenza -- Cambodia
  Abstract
  ---------
  In February 2021, routine sentinel surveillance for influenza-like illness in Cambodia detected a human avian influenza A(H9N2) virus infection. Investigations identified no recent H9N2 virus infections in 43 close contacts. One chicken sample from the infected child's house was positive for H9N2 virus and genetically similar to the human virus.
  --
  Communicated by:
  Jurre Siegers
  Institute Pasteur du Cambodge
  
  [ProMED thanks Jurre Siegers for sharing the early

• The sliding motility of the bacilliform virions of Influenza A viruses Tue, 06 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Influenza A virus (IAV) infection relies on the action of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) membrane proteins. The HA ligands anchor the IAV virion to the cell's surface by binding the sialic acid (SA) present on the host's receptors while NA is an enzyme capable of cleaving the SA from the extracellular environment. It is believed that the activity of NA ligands increases the motility of the virions favoring the propagation of the infection. In this work, we develop a numerical...
• Resurgence of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in Egypt following two years of decline during the COVID-19 pandemic: outpatient clinic survey of infants and children, October 2022 Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSIONS: A resurgence of influenza and RSV was detected in Egypt in the 2022-2023 winter season. Influenza caused a higher rate of infection than RSV, while RSV caused more severe symptoms than influenza. Monitoring a broader range of respiratory pathogens is recommended to estimate the ARI burden and risky groups for severe disease in Egypt.
• A multi-enzyme machine polymerizes the Haemophilus influenzae type b capsule Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Bacterial capsules have critical roles in host-pathogen interactions. They provide a protective envelope against host recognition, leading to immune evasion and bacterial survival. Here we define the capsule biosynthesis pathway of Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib), a Gram-negative bacterium that causes severe infections in infants and children. Reconstitution of this pathway enabled the fermentation-free production of Hib vaccine antigens starting from widely available precursors and...
• Identification of medical damage of death caused by acute necrotic encephalopathy and influenza A virus infection in a child： A case report Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  李某，男，2岁11个月，某年12月31日因“发热近1 d”就诊于某妇女儿童医院。辅助检查后诊断为发热、甲型流感病毒感染。当日14：00左右，医院为其开具口服药后嘱其回家观察，3~5 d后复查。患者返家途中突发抽搐，在附近医院就诊后又返回该妇女儿童医院抢救。当日22：00左右转至某儿童医院，经抢救无效死亡。李某家属认为该妇女儿童医院在诊疗过程中存在过错，遂诉至法院，申请医疗损害鉴定。.
• Herd immunity, vaccination and moral obligation Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  The public health benefits of herd immunity are often used as the justification for coercive vaccine policies. Yet, 'herd immunity' as a term has multiple referents, which can result in ambiguity, including regarding its role in ethical arguments. The term 'herd immunity' can refer to (1) the herd immunity threshold, at which models predict the decline of an epidemic; (2) the percentage of a population with immunity, whether it exceeds a given threshold or not; and/or (3) the indirect benefit...
• Mortality in Catalonia during the summer of 2022 and its relation with high temperatures and COVID-19 cases Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that the main cause of the increase in deaths during summer 2022 in Catalonia was the high temperatures and its duration. The contribution of the COVID-19 seems to be limited.
• Nasal Administration of M2e/CpG-ODN Encapsulated in N-Trimethyl Chitosan (TMC) Significantly Increases Specific Immune Responses in a Mouse Model Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  The nasal passage is the primary entry point for many infectious agents. Therefore, nasal vaccines that can overcome the limitations associated with antigen uptake are likely to play an important role in protecting these infectious agents. Thus, adjuvants and antigen-carrying systems that can induce a suitable mucosal and systemic immune response against their accompanying antigens are highly important. In this study, synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODN) accompanied by...
• Timing and sequence of vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  No abstract
• Impact of Influenza and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination on Economic Burden from Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Hebei Province, China, November 2018 to November 2020 Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC?: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations increase household economic burden, but there is limited evidence from prospective cohort studies in China about the impact of vaccination on economic burden.
• Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Adamantanes In Vitro and in Animal Models of Infection Mon, 05 Jun 2023 06:00:00 -0400
  Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had devastating effects worldwide, with particularly high morbidity and mortality in outbreaks on residential care facilities. Amantadine, originally licensed as an antiviral agent for therapy and prophylaxis against influenza A virus, has beneficial effects on patients with Parkinson's disease and is used for treatment of Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, acquired brain injury, and various other neurological disorders. Recent observational data...