ORTHOMYXOVIRUSES

Which contains the important human virus influenza. The term myxo refers to the fact that these viruses interact with the mucus or slime of cell surfaces. The term ortho has been added to the influenza virus group to distinguish this group from another group of negative strand viruses, the paramyxoviruses group.

 This are enveloped viruses in which the viral RNA is present in the virion in a number of separate pieces. The genome of is segmented. In the case of the influenza A virus, the genome is segments into eight linear single-stranded molecules ranging in size from 890-2341 nucleotides. The influenza virus nucleocapsid is of helical symmetry, about 6-9 nm in a diameter and about 60nm long.

Morphology
The VIRION is pleomorphic, the envelope can occur in spherical and filamentous forms. In general the virus's morphology is spherical with particles 50 to 120nm in diameter, or filamentous virions 20 nm in diameter and 200 to 300 (-3000) nm long. There are some 500 distinct spike-like surface projections of the envelope each projecting 10 to 14 nm from the surface with some types ( hemagglutinin esterase (HEF)) densely dispersed over the surface, and with others (hemagglutinin (HA)) spaced widely apart. The major glycoprotein (HA) is interposed irregularly by clusters of neuraminidase (NA), with a ratio of HA to NA of about 4-5 to 1.

Morphology
five genera: 1. Influenzavirus A, 2. Influenzavirus B, 3. Influenzavirus C, 4. Isavirus 5. Thogotovirus

EPIDEMIOLOGY
Two types of variation:
Antigenic drift Antigenic shifts

Orthomyxoviridae Genera, Species, and Serotypes

Genus Inflluenza A Species Influenza A virus Serotypes host H1N1, H1N2, H2N Human, pig, bird, 2, H3N1, H3N2, H3 horse N8, H5N1, H5N2,H 5N3, H5N8, H5N9, H7N1, H7N2, H7N 3, H7N4, H7N7,H9 N2, H10N7 Human, seal Human, pig Atlantic salmon Tick, mosquito, ma mmal (including human)

Inflluenza B Inflluenza C Isaviruses Thogotovirus

Influenza Bvirus Influenza C virus Infectious Salmon Anemia Thogotovirus

 H1N1, which caused Spanish Flu in 1918, and Swine Flu in 2009 H2N2, which caused Asian Flu in 1957 H3N2, which caused Hong Kong Flu in 1968 H5N1, which caused Bird Flu in 2004 H7N7, which has unusual zoonotic potential H1N2, endemic in humans, pigs and birds

Influenza A
Influenza A viruses are further classified, based on the viral surface proteins hemagglutinin (H A or H) and neuraminidase (NA or N)... Sixteen H subtypes (or serotypes) and nine N subtypes of influenza A virus have been identified.

 Influenza A viruses are further classified, based on the viral surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA or H) and neuraminidase (NA or N)... Sixteen H subtypes (or serotypes) and nine N subtypes of influenza A virus have been identified.

Influenza B
Influenza B virus is almost exclusively a human pathogen, and is less common than influenza A. The only other animal known to be susceptible to influenza B infection is the SEAL. As a result of this lack of antigenic diversity, a degree of immunity to influenza B is usually acquired at an early age. However, influenza B mutates enough that lasting immunity is not possible. This reduced rate of antigenic change, combined with its limited host range (inhibiting cross species antigenic shift), ensures that pandemics of influenza B do not occur.

Influenza C
The influenza C virus infects humans and pigs, and can cause severe illness and local epidemics. However, influenza C is less common than the other types and usually seems to cause mild disease in children.

INFLUENZA

INCUBATION PERIOD : 1 TO 2 DAYS. CAUSATIVE AGENT: Influenza virus, an ORTHOMYXOVIRUS. PATHOGENESIS: infection of respiratory epithelium, cells destroyed and virus released to infect other cells. Secondary bacterial infection results from damaged mucocilliary esculator.

1. Influenza virus is inhaled and carried to the lungs. 2. Viral hemagglutinin attaches to specific receptors on ciliated epithelial cells, the viral envelope fuses with the epithelial cell, and the virus enters the cell by endocytosis. 3. Host cell synthesis is diverted to synthesizing new virus.

4. Newly formed virions from infected cells, they released by viral neuraminidase and infect ciliated epithelium, mucus-secreting, and alveolar cells. 5. Infected cells ultimately die and slough off; recovery of the mucociliary escalator may take weeks. 6. Secondary bacterial infection of the lungs, ears, and sinuses is common. 7. coughing.

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT: Vaccines usually 80% to 90% effective. Amantadine and rimantadine effective for preventing type A but not type B virus disease; nueariminidase inhibitors effective against both A and B viruses. These medications somewhat effective for treatment when given early in the disease.

 People with the flu are advised to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, avoid using alcohol and tobacco and, if necessary, take medications such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve the fever and muscle aches associated with the flu Children and teenagers with flu symptoms (particularly fever) should avoid taking aspirin during an influenza infection (especially influenza type B), because doing so can lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease of the liver.[

The two classes of antiviral drugs

Neuraminidase inhibitors and M2 protein inhibitors (adamantane derivatives). Neuraminidase inhibitors are currently preferred for flu virus infections since they are less toxic and more effective