Influenza virus

Flu now no one no longer surprise. We are so used to it that we perceive the flu virus as an ordinary cold.

Meanwhile, it was discovered relatively recently - in 1933, by British scientists. We talked about the flu three years later (in 1936). The strains of influenza were isolated by Smorodintsev. A little later, the name was given to the strains: "Influenza A virus." Four years later, the Americans discovered another version - the virus B. Soon the flu virus C also appeared.

The three most striking The epidemics that have taken over practically the entire globe come in 1889, 1918 (Spaniard) and 1957 (Asian).

An infectious disease that spreads extremely fast, can turn into an epidemic in the shortest time, affecting not only certain cities or regions, but even the country.

However, despite such a high capacity for rapid spreading, the influenza virus is not very stable and easily dies when disinfected (disinfecting solutions, boiling). The peculiarity and at the same time the danger of influenza lies in its variability (or mutation). Once the doctors find the vaccine against one species, another appears at once.

Another serious scourge is high toxicity. As a rule, a variety of complications occur in the flu case, despite the immunity produced by the body. By the way, the immunity extends to the type of influenza that has been transferred by the body (strictly specific), therefore there is no guarantee that other strains will not later infect others. In other words, the immunity, produced after the virus A, is powerless before the virus B. Yes, and it acts for a short time.

To transmit the disease, there is no need for direct contact: it is enough to be near the carrier of the infection, especially if the latter is talking, sneezing, coughing.

Influenza virus, penetrating the respiratory tract, multiplies rapidly, causing a runny nose for a start, and then - fever and cough, acting on the vascular and nervous system. Especially high temperature is fixed in the first days (up to 39 degrees, and sometimes even higher). The feverish period lasts up to five days. At this time it is painful to look, dizzy and headache, vomiting is possible. All this is the action of toxins.

On this nature and calm down, but it throws us a new "surprises", the next of which - the swine flu virus, which is the most common type A (causes particularly large-scale and rapidly spreading epidemics). Why swine flu? Why this name?

It turns out that initially this virus developed only in pigs. Variability and surprising "adaptability" allowed the virus to change the antigenic structure, to become stronger, more active and easily switch to humans.

Symptoms are similar to those listed above, but are manifested in a more severe (strong) form. Even this virus has several modifications. The most common of these is the H1N1 influenza virus (in addition, the subtypes H3N2, H1N2, H3N1 have been discovered).

The peculiarity of the virus is its antigenic properties: vaccination against it this year will be invalid in the next one.

Mutating virus does not allow to predict its modification, therefore it is impossible to develop a vaccine beforehand. It remains to rely only on the main prevention of influenza - a healthy lifestyle, hardening and taking immunomodulating drugs.