The Effects of the Influenza Virus Essay example -- Biology Medical Fl

Influenza: The Virus and its Effects Abstract The flu, properly called influenza, is an amazingly widespread and widely known disease. There are many variations of the influenza virus, differing in severity, but not significantly different in function. The influenza virus infects epithelial cells in the respiratory tract, taking over the cell’s production mechanisms so more viruses are produced, eventually causing the host cells to burst. The body’s immune system tries to combat the infection from succeeding. This internal battle produces many outward symptoms including a fever and dry cough, among others. Influenza is not usually a fatal disease, but its high mutation rate insures its continuing import by allowing it to return in a different form every year. The flu. Everyone from the oldest grandparent to the youngest child has heard of it. But what is the flu actually? First of all, what is behind its name? â€Å"Flu† isn’t actually the disease’s correct name. It’s true name, Influenza, is Italian for â€Å"influence†. Flu is an abbreviation of this. People used to believe that influenza was caused by an unhealthy influence from the heavens, hence the name (WHO). The influenza virus is divided into three types, A, B and C. Influenza A is the most serious of the three. Influenza B is not as serious and less common, while influenza C is rarely noticed and only causes mild symptoms. Influenza A viruses are specified by their host of origin, geographic location of the first isolation, strain number and year of isolation. E.g. A/Swine/Iowa/15/30 (Wilschut 29). Influenza A viruses also have a classification determined by their type of Haemagglutinin and Neuraminidase. Haemagglutinin is necessary for entrance int... ...v/gi/Archive/2005/Oct/24-394830.html>. WHO. â€Å"WHO Report on Global Surveillance of Epidemic-prone Infectious Diseases, Chapter 7† World Health Organization. 2001. July 27 2007. WI Gov. â€Å"Influenza -- General Information† Wisconsin Government Department of Health & Family Services. January 31 2007. July 23 2007 Kilbourne, Edwin D. Influenza. New York: Plenum Medical Book Company, 1987. Stuart-Harris, Charles H., Schild, Geoffrey C., and Oxford, John S., Influenza The viruses and the disease. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd, 1985. Wilschut, Jan C, PhD, Abraham M Palache, PhD, and Janet E McElhaney, MD, FRCPC, PACP, eds. Influenza. 2nd ed. Rapid Reference. Pennsylvania: Elsevier Ltd., 2006.