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Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just announced on February 27, 2012 that the first influenza virus found that is capable of infecting bats was just discovered in Guatemala in fruit bats. However, at present this is not a threat to humans and is undergoing extensive study to assure that it does not pose a future human health issue.
Preliminary studies do indicate that the genes carried in the new virus would be compatible with the genes in human influenza viruses, but the bat virus would have to undergo significant changes to be able to mutate into a new human virus capable of causing human influenza. To reassort and become a threat to humans, it would first require that a third animal be susceptible to infection by both the new virus and a human influenza virus as well.
If the third animal catches the new bat flu and would then at the same time be infected by a human influenza virus, then reassortant into a new virus capable of infecting humans could occur. However, it would require that a single cell of the third host animal would be infected simultaneously with the bat flu virus and a human flu virus. If two flu viruses are inside a host cell at the same tme, then the genetic material inside the two viruses could combine to form a new virus capable of infecting humans. This is how H1N1/09 first developed in pigs (see related question below).
A link to the CDC site's article on the new bat virus is provided in the related links section of this question.
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What does shed virus mean?
Shed virus is another way of saying "transmit" virus. Example: Persons with Influenza have been known to shed the virus for between five and seven days.
Does influenza A virus infect turtles?
No. Most viruses target certain cells. In the case of influenza A, some mammals (including humans) and some birds have been infected.
What is the scientific name for influenza?
Influenzavirus (one word) is the scientific name. There are 3 Types of influenza viruses that humans and some other animals get: influenzavirus A, influenzavirus B, and influenzavirus C. The influenza virus is a negative single strand RNA virus and is a member of the viral family orthomyxoviridae.
When was influenza discovered by scientists?
As medical discoveries go, influenza viruses were late to be isolated, mostly because of their sub-microscopic size. In 1901 the hint of the existence of these infectious agents was found when it was proved that the "germ" was not bacteria by discovering that it passed right through a filter that would have trapped bacteria. The poultry virus that was called "fowl plague" at the time was not filtered out by the Chamberland filters like bacteria would have been, so it was known that something smaller was what caused the fowl flu. In 1931 Richard Shope found the family of viruses that caused the flu in pigs, and the Orthomyxoviridae family of viruses that he discovered was named as the cause of the influenza. In 1933 Patrick Laidlaw and a group at the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom were able to isolate the flu virus from humans. But much was still to be known about these microbes. Things started advancing more in the discoveries in 1935 when the first crystallized virus, that became known as the tobacco mosaic virus, was isolated by Wendell Stanley. His studies allowed much more to be known about viruses and their nature, including their non-cellular qualities.
What is the definition of the Swine Flu?
Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, Mexican flu and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus, called swine influenza virus (SIV), that usually infect (is endemic in) pigs.[2] As of 2009 these strains are all found in Influenza C virus and the subtypes of Influenza A virus known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3. Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.[2] Transmission of swine influenza virus from pigs to humans is not common and properly cooked pork poses no risk of infection. When transmitted, the virus does not always cause human influenza and often the only sign of infection is the presence of antibodies in the blood, detectable only by laboratory tests. When transmission results in influenza in a human, it is called zoonotic Swine Flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. Rarely, these strains of swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. The 2009 flu outbreak in humans, known as "swine flu", is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that contained genes most closely related to swine influenza.[3] The origin of this new strain is unknown. However, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs.[4] This strain can be transmitted from human to human,[5] and causes the normal symptoms of influenza.[6] Pigs can become infected with human influenza, and this appears to have happened during the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2009 flu outbreak.
What is the definition of Flu?
Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, Mexican flu and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus, called swine influenza virus (SIV), that usually infect (is endemic in) pigs.[2] As of 2009 these strains are all found in Influenza C virus and the subtypes of Influenza A virus known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3. Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.[2] Transmission of swine influenza virus from pigs to humans is not common and properly cooked pork poses no risk of infection. When transmitted, the virus does not always cause human influenza and often the only sign of infection is the presence of antibodies in the blood, detectable only by laboratory tests. When transmission results in influenza in a human, it is called zoonotic Swine Flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching Swine Flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. Rarely, these strains of swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. The 2009 flu outbreak in humans, known as "swine flu", is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that contained genes most closely related to swine influenza.[3] The origin of this new strain is unknown. However, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs.[4] This strain can be transmitted from human to human,[5] and causes the normal symptoms of influenza.[6] Pigs can become infected with human influenza, and this appears to have happened during the 1918 flu pandemic and the 2009 flu outbreak.
What is an immunization commonly known as a flu shot given to prevent?
A flu shot will prevent the type of influenza virus or viruses that have been used to make the vaccine. A,nd it may sometimes protect against a different, but very similar, strain.
What is the original name of Swine Flu?
H1N1 (Swine flu) was initially a disease of only swine (pigs), discovered in the 1930's. This influenza virus mutated into a new form in 2009, called A-H1N1/09, that caused a pandemic. It has been commonly called swine flu, too. The animal the H1N1 influenza virus has been named for is the hog (pig, swine). For more information see the related questions below.
What type of disease is the avian influenza?
It is a type of flu that affects birds, mostly wild birds or crowded birds in poultry operations. It is passed from bird to bird directly or from bird to human, but there have been no incidences of human to human transmission. It is a very severe influenza with nearly a 50% mortality rate in humans. It is called Avian or Bird Flu as well as the H5N1 influenza virus.
What is the difference between H1N1 H1N2 H3N2 and H3N1 viruses?
Overview:H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 are the only known Influenza A virus subtypes currently circulating among humans. All the subtypes listed in the question, i.e., H1N1, H1N2, H3N1 and H3N2 are the known subtypes of influenza A viruses that are endemic in pigs and create influenza in pigs, from which reassortants have formed new strains that can be infective to humans. H1N1 is the "swine flu" subtype of influenza, of which there are several different strains. This subtype is usually seen in humans and pigs. The better known reassortant H1N1 virus strain currently circulating is H1N1/09, the pandemic swine flu virus that caused the pandemic of 2009 and infected humans, pigs, birds, ferrets, dogs, and cats during the pandemic. There are several other less well known strains of the H1N1 subtype.H1N2 is a common flu in pigs in the Upper Midwest of the US. Until 2011, only one case had been known to occur in humans and that was in 2007 in Michigan. The second ever known case was found in an infant in December 2011 in Minnesota.H3N1 mostly only infects pigs.H3N2 is the subtype that produced a strain of flu that caused the Hong Kong Flu and another was the cause of the Fujian Flu, etc. In birds, humans, and pigs, there have been many new strains mutated and this subtype is becoming more prevalent in seasonal influenza.For background, the meanings of "H" and "N" in the nomenclature:Hemagglutinin: An important surface protein on the capsid (coat) of the influenza virus that is essential for the reproduction and the spread of the virus in the body in the lytic cycle of virus replication. This protein enables the virus to attach itself to a cell in the respiratory system or other mucous tissue and penetrate it to invade and use the host cell for reproduction. Referred to as the "H" in influenza viruses.Neuraminidase: An important surface structure protein of the influenza virus that is an essential enzyme for the spread of the virus throughout the respiratory tract. It enables the virus to escape the host cell and infect new cells. Referred to as the "N" in influenza viruses.See more about the lytic cycle and influenza virus nomenclature in the related questions below.Types of Influenza VirusesThere are three types of influenza viruses: Types A, B and C. Influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal outbreaks and epidemics of influenza virus infections each flu season. Type A causes all pandemics. Influenza type C infections cause a mild respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics. Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on the configuration of the two proteins on the surface of the viruses: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). [Not all H1N1 viruses are the same; not all H5N1 viruses are the same.....etc] There are 16 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 9 different neuraminidase subtypes. Influenza A viruses can be further broken down into different strains.Influenza B viruses are not divided into subtypes. Influenza B viruses also can be further broken down into different strains.Influenza A (H1N1), A (H3N2), and influenza B strains are included in each year's influenza vaccine. Getting a flu vaccination can protect against influenza A and B viruses. The flu vaccine does not protect against influenza C viruses.More information including how influenza viruses change: Drift and ShiftInfluenza viruses are dynamic and are continuously mutating, reassorting, and evolving. Influenza viruses can change in two different ways: antigenic drift and antigenic shift. Influenza viruses are changing by antigenic drift all the time, but antigenic shift happens only occasionally. Influenza type A viruses undergo both kinds of changes; influenza type B viruses change only by the more gradual process of antigenic drift. Antigenic drift refers to small, gradual changes that occur through point mutations in the two genes that contain the genetic material to produce the main surface proteins, hemagglutinin, and neuraminidase. These point mutations occur unpredictably and result in minor changes to these surface proteins. Antigenic drift produces new virus strains that may not be recognized by antibodies produced after exposure to earlier influenza strains.This process works as follows: a person infected with a particular influenza virus strain develops antibodies against that strain. As newer virus strains appear, the antibodies against the older strains might not recognize the "newer" virus to inactivate it, and infection with a new strain can occur. This is one of the main reasons why people can become infected with influenza viruses more than one time and why global surveillance is critical in order to monitor the evolution of human influenza virus stains for selection of which strains should be included in the annual production of influenza vaccine.In most years, one or two of the three virus strains in the seasonal influenza vaccine are updated to keep up with the changes in the circulating influenza viruses. For this reason, people who want to be immunized against influenza need to be vaccinated every year.Antigenic shift refers to an abrupt, major change to produce a novel influenza A virus subtype in humans that had not been currently circulating among people (see more information below under Influenza Type A and Its Subtypes).Antigenic shift can occur either through direct animal (poultry)-to-human transmission or through mixing of human influenza A and animal influenza A virus genes to create a new human influenza A subtype virus through a process called genetic reassortment or reassortant. Antigenic shift results in a new human influenza A subtype.A global influenza pandemic (worldwide spread) may occur if three conditions are met:A new subtype of influenza A virus is introduced into the human population.The virus causes serious illness in humans.The virus can spread easily from person to person in a sustained manner.
How many cases of the West Nile Virus have been discovered in Israel as of August 2010?
2
What are the two strains of the virus that cause Swine Flu?
There is currently only one strain of influenza virus that causes pandemic Swine Flu. It is called A-H1N1/09. There have been previous strains of H1N1 that were similar, and some were even called Swine Flu, but they were different than that which causes the Swine Flu of the 2009 pandemic. See related questions below.
