Recently I asked readers to identify errors in an animation of influenza virus replication. I am impressed with the number of good responses posted in the comments section. Here is a synopsis of the errors (there is more than one). 1. Influenza virus is released from cells by budding, not when the cells burst, as …
In “Influenza virus attachment to cells” we left the intact virion on the cell surface. The next step is that the viral genetic information – for influenza virus, the individual RNA segments – must enter the cell so that it can be reproduced. The mechanism for influenza virus, illustrated below, involves a step that is …
Here are answers to questions send to virology blog about the new strain of influenza H1N1 that is spreading globally. Q: Regarding this marker (PB1-F2) – is it something that was present as well in the early wave of the 1918 virus, which was also considered mild up until August, or was it something that …
Influenza A/Mexico/2009 (H1N1) – Questions and answers Read More »
I found the following animation on YouTube depicting replication of an H1N1 influenza virus. It’s entitled “Antigenic shift – the spread of a new, mutated virus”. It is visually appealing but contains at least one error. If you think you know what it is, post it in the comments below.
As we discussed previously, attachment of all influenza A virus strains to cells requires sialic acids. However, there are a number of chemically different forms of sialic acids, and influenza virus strains vary in their affinity for them. These differences may determine which animal species can be infected. In the example shown below, sialic acid …
Influenza virus attachment to cells: role of different sialic acids Read More »
In a recent press conference (transcript pdf), Dr. Keiji Fukuda of WHO made the following statement about infection with the new influenza H1N1 strains: The illness that we are seeing is generally consisting with seasonal influenza infection. That is the kind of symptoms that the milder cases are experiencing and generally what are seen with …
