People
are always getting obsessed with rare diseases affecting fewer
people. However, the scientists have always been forgetting
that the simplest virus is still the worldwide leading killer.
The common
flu is able to kill more people than any other disease in the
world. In the United States alone, at least 36,000 people die
every winter due to the influenza virus. That’s why some scientist
is often so scared about minor flu outbreaks. This is because
every century there will be at least 3 to 4 times of flu pandemic
around the world. This can happen because of the ability of
the flu virus to mutate and surprise the world.
The influenza
virus is divided into three types, type A, B or C, depending
on its structure. Type A is the one responsible for dangerous
worldwide pandemics while Type B are considered threats on smaller
scales. Type C virus has only minor or milder symptoms. Type
A can affect all creatures while type B and C only affects humans.
The influenza
A virus is further divided into subtypes that are based on their
protein structure. They could either be classified as Hemmaglutinin
(HA) or Neuraminidase (NA). Both subtypes have other more subtypes;
all of their subtypes can combine to form another species.
The influenza
A virus can or has the capacity to evolve because of two ways.
These two ways are the Antigenic Drift or Shift properties the
influenza A posses.
Antigenic
drift are the small and permanent yet constantly going alterations
material of the virus. Instead of repairing the older genetic
errors as they reproduce, they just create new strains to replace
the older ones. We all have antibodies that ward us off particular
strains of flu virus. But as stated earlier, virus mutate. Our
antibodies don’t. So they are not able to protect us from the
newer strains that have developed.
Antigenic
shift is the property of the virus to join with other subtype
A virus that comes from another species. For instance, it can
trade and merge genes with a flu virus coming form birds. This
will result in a new strain that is completely different form
the parent virus. That makes it hard to find out what kind of
vaccine could be used to prevent it.
Now we
see why scientists and world health officials are scrambling
over the bird flu virus or any other new flu strain that has
developed. They are all trying to prevent another epidemic that
could kill lots and lots of people from a simple flu.
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