NIH issues guidelines to prevent “influenza” outbreak
Every year which goes by, influenza viruses like Influenza change. Increasing the possibility of the introduction of new flu virus kinds. The distribution, timing, severity, and duration of the influenza virus as a result are all variable. Making it an unpredictable illness.
Similar to other countries, Pakistan experiences an increase in flu cases every year,
notably during the winter months, particularly with the drop in temperature between December and February. The National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Islamabad has recently launched an advisory guide for the prevention and management of the seasonal influenza virus in response to an increase in influenza cases across the nation.
This advisory’s goal is to inform and assist health authorities and other stakeholders in taking prompt preventive and control measures,
including being ready to handle the increased workload anticipated in hospital outpatient and inpatient departments during the coming few months.
The warning explained how readily influenza (seasonal flu) can transmit from one person to another by coughing or sneezing,
as well as through contact with contaminated hands and other surfaces. Pregnant women, elderly persons, children under the age of five,
and patients with chronic disorders (such as asthma, diabetes, cardiac and lung diseases, etc.) are at a higher risk of acquiring serious or complicated infections.
The advice states that vaccination, especially in high-risk populations,
is the most efficient approach to prevent infections and other serious effects brought on by influenza viruses. The recommendations state that you should avoid social gatherings,
keep a social distance, use hand sanitizers, cover your mouth and nose whenever you cough or sneeze, and frequently wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly.
At the UK’s national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source, a group of researchers from the
University of Oxford used a variety of approaches to solve the structure of the influenza replication machinery and ascertain how it interacts with biological proteins.
This new study contributes to our understanding of influenza replication and the virus’s capacity for host-specific adaptation.
New potential therapeutic targets for the creation of innovative antiviral medications to prevent influenza virus replication have been identified thanks to these structural insights.
A structural analysis of influenza virus genome replication was published in Trends in Microbiology (2022).
The results using X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) at
Diamond’s electron Bio-Imaging Centre are described in DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.09.015 (eBIC).
In addition to spreading seasonally, influenza can spread from animals to people and cause a pandemic. The researchers are putting together
how influenza uses human and animal cells for its replication by closely examining the virus’ replication cycle.
This investigation is essential to comprehending how the host-jumping barrier is partially accounted for by a cellular protein (ANP32A).
The researchers discovered that a change in the viral polymerase of avian influenza may enable it to interface with human ANP32A,
enabling that strain of bird flu to infect human hosts by interacting with human ANP32A2.
The influenza virus replicates its genome by synthesising
its own RNA polymerase and storing its genes in RNA. This viral polymerase serves a variety of purposes.
According to these research, the polymerase controls the timing of transcription,
the initial stage of protein synthesis, and replication, which can only start when viral proteins have been created. The research demonstrates how the polymerase interacts with the cellular protein ANP32A and
uses it as a cover to prevent the immune system from detecting viral RNA.
It is believed that the influenza A viruses that are currently in circulation are the evolutionary offspring of the virus that caused the global pandemic of 1918–1919,
which resulted in 50–100 million fatalities globally. In order to infect a new animal, such as humans, influenza viruses must undergo special changes that are generally exclusive to one type of animal host,
such as birds. It is believed that waterfowl is where the 1918 influenza virus first appeared.
This investigation is essential to comprehending how ANP32A contributes to the host-jumping barrier.
Due to the significant differences in ANP32A between people and birds,
avian and animal influenza viruses have evolved to be less similar.
Diamond’s structural biology research sheds light on the possibility for pandemic spread of certain flu strains.
The researchers discovered that a change in the viral polymerase of avian influenza may enable it to interface with human ANP32A,
enabling that strain of bird flu to infect human hosts by interacting with human ANP32A2.
Large protein complexes can be difficult to structurally characterise, and the influenza replication complex was no exception.
Near-atomic resolution was obtained by X-ray crystallography at beamlines I03 and I24 to establish the structure of the viral polymerase.
According to the theory put forth by the researchers,
single RNA polymerases initially engage in transcription during an infection before switching to replication only after forming dimers with other single polymerases3.
The study team used cryo-EM at eBIC to further develop this structural work.
“Cryo-EM has allowed us to start looking at extremely fascinating protein complexes that we would find impossible to build crystals of in the lab
,” says Professor Jonathan Grimes of the University of Oxford.
Cryo-EM measurements of the interactions between the viral polymerase and
the RNA revealed that one polymerase in the dimer duplicates the viral genome
while the other covers the newly generated RNA in viral proteins to protect it from immune sensors. Interestingly, the flu hijacks
In the words of Grimes, “Diamond democratises science.” The scientific community has access to all of these methodologies in one location, which is a very significant resource.
These state-of-the-art facilities are free to use for scientists from universities and research centres throughout the UK and EU who have pressing biological inquiries.
Professor Ervin Fodor of the University of Oxford, the review’s corresponding author,
said in his conclusion that “These investigations allow us to identify and validate targets for drug research.
We anticipate that new knowledge gained about the operation of the influenza virus transcription machinery thanks to Diamond’s technology
will eventually result in antivirals that specifically target the influenza polymerase.
3 November 2022 The United States is approaching a record number of birds impacted compared to past
bird flu outbreaks as wild bird and poultry outbreaks of the disease continue to spread across the nation.
However, compared to 2015, the number of afflicted nations is already more than twice as high in 2022.
Despite the fact that there is still a broad public risk associated with the current avian flu outbreaks low
People should avoid unprotected contact with wild or domestic birds and poultry that appear sick or have passed away in order to prevent infection.
Most frequently, close, prolonged, and unprotected (without gloves or other protective clothing)
contact with diseased birds or surfaces contaminated with bird flu viruses results in human bird flu infections. People should take the following
steps to limit contact with sick or dead poultry and wild birds if contact cannot be avoided:
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as eye protection,
disposable gloves, boots, and a N95 respirator if one is available. If not, wear a facemask that fits properly,
such as a surgical mask. Backyard Flock Owners: Specific CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) PPE Recommendations provides more information.
Take Precautions to Avoid Contracting Avian Influenza
Owners of backyard poultry or birds should take precautions to prevent their animals from contracting the potentially fatal bird flu virus.
Avian influenza A viruses are excreted by infected birds in their faeces, mucus, and saliva. When susceptible birds come into touch with the virus,
which is transmitted by infected birds, they get infected. Direct contact with infected waterfowl or other poultry can cause this, as can coming into contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus.
Some avian influenza A viruses are capable of infecting and even killing some domesticated bird species, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
These viruses are highly infectious among birds.
CDC continues to monitor the current situation and risk to the general public. Sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses in the U.S.
resulting from close contact with infected birds/poultry would not be surprising given past human infections that have occurred in other countries after exposure to infected birds.