Virology, Emerging Diseases & vaccines

Influenza virus

Influenza  or flu is a respiratory illness that is caused by a virus influenza virus. Influenza is also known as "Flu”. Flu is highly contagious and is usually spread by the cough and sneezes of a person who is infected, Flu viruses constantly change and mutate, Flu viruses can change into two ways antigenic drift and antigenic shift.

Major symptoms for influenza are cough, sore throat, and headache. Influenza virus is of two types Influenza virus type -A, Influenza virus type -B and C.

Influenza virus type A or flu viruses these are capable of infecting animals. Influenza A viruses are negative - sense, single -stranded, segmented RNA viruses. There are three types of influenza viruses: A,B and C, Influenza virus type -B Influenza B Viruses are normally found only in humans .Unlike influenza A viruses are not classified according to sub type. Although influenza type -B viruses can cause human epidemics, they have not caused pandemics.