About Influenza Viruses

Influenza viruses are infectious agents that can sicken many people at once, as happens in a pandemic or seasonal flu epidemic. There is no cure for a virus, so prevention is key.
  1. Three Types

    • There are many strains of flu, but all can be categorized into three types: A, B and C. Type C is mild, and A and B cause seasonal flu, with A also responsible for pandemics.

    Avian Flu

    • Birds carry all influenza A viruses. Those limited to bird populations---as opposed to those humans already have---are called "bird flu" or "avian flu." Bird flu only rarely transfers directly to humans.

    Swine Flu

    • In pigs, human, bird and swine viruses can combine to create new strains of flu, as occurred with the 2009 H1N1 influenza.

    Canine Flu

    • Dogs get canine flu caused by an influenza A virus that first infected horses. After this H3N8 equine virus jumped to dogs, it adapted allowed them to spread it to one another.

    Subtypes

    • Influenza A can be subtyped based on two proteins found on the virus: H.A. (hemagglutinin) and N.A. (neuraminidase). Thus, H1N1 indicates a virus that has both an H.A. 1 and N.A. 1 protein.

    Strains

    • Besides types and subtypes, viruses have strains produced by antigenic drift, whereby small changes occur in a virus over time. Such drift requires flu vaccines to be updated annually.

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