Professional paper
Comparison of pandemic virus A/H1N1/ from 1918 with potential pandemic virus A/H5N1/ from year 2005
V. Draženović
A. Barišin
Abstract
One of three major pandemics of the 20th century is the greatest epidemic of all times, the so called Spanish flu, caused by the virus type A/H1N1/, which in 1918 caused the death of around 50 million people. Virologists could not explain with certainty the reason for such high number of deaths until a couple of months ago. Based on remnants of autopsy material from the long gone 1918 it was possible to revive certain components of the virus and therefore explain some uncertainties regarding the molecular base for such pathogenity. Scientists all around the world have also been conducting research into the molecular structure of the flu virus A/H5N1/ which, it is considered, could be the cause of the next pandemic of human influenza. In this overview we will try to compare the basic characteristics of both viruses and try to answer the question how much alike they are, and in what way do they differ. The main difference between the two viruses is that for the time being, the A/H5N1/ is not transferred from human to human, but remains an illness of the birds, mostly due to the fact that this virus shows extremely low secretion with people suffering from this illness. What is disturbing, is an extremely high lethality level with laboratory animals from both viruses, a level not yet registered with any known type of influenza virus. Equally numerous mutations of the virus A/H5N1/ have also led to an increased lethality of numerous animal species and have increased survival possibilities in open surroundings.
Keywords
Hemagglutinin; influenza; avian flu
Hrčak ID:
12706
URI
Publication date:
24.3.2006.
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