Seasonal Influenza
Each year thousands of people in the United States are diagnosed with the influenza virus. The word “influenza” originates from the Italian word “influential” because people used to believe that the influence of the planets, stars, and moon caused the flu, that only the universal influence could explain such rapid and widespread sickness. The English adopted the word “influenza” in the mid-eighteenth century. It is known as the flu. Seasonal influenza is an acute viral infection caused by an influenza virus. What is the influenza virus? Virologists are not certain about the origins of the viruses, though they have three theories: they started as living cells and devolved into simpler organisms, they originated as primitive …show more content…
• Neuraminidase (N protein): an enzyme that cleaves sialic acid residues on hemagglutinin.
This is essential for release of the progeny virus after the infected cell lyses. The Orthomyxoviridae are a family of RNA viruses that includes the influenza viruses. There are three types of the influenza virus Orthomyxoviridae; A, B and C. The A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics throughout the world, while the C virus only causes mild illnesses and is not thought to cause epidemics. (Center of Desease Control and Prevention, 2014) Source: euroclinix
Figure1: Anatomy of a Flu …show more content…
Planning for pandemic influenza is very essential. CDC has issued a Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist to help plan for influenza in the workplace, it includes: to identify a pandemic coordinator and/or team with defined roles and responsibilities for preparedness and response planning, the planning process should include input from labor representatives, to develop and disseminate programs and materials covering pandemic fundamentals, a personal and family protection and response strategies, to provide sufficient and accessible infection control supplies, in all business locations, to establish policies for employee compensation and sick-leave absences unique to a pandemic, to including policies on when a previously ill person is no longer infectious and can return to work after illness. (CDC, 2013) Commercial air travel involves the movement of large numbers of people in closed and semiclosed settings. As with other close contact environments, these settings may facilitate the transmission of influenza viruses from person to person or through contact with contaminated environmental surfaces. (CDC,