ANTC67H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Chemical Warfare, Influenza A Virus Subtype H2N2, Case Fatality Rate
Document Summary
Global spread of influenza dates back to 1889-90. When the asiatic flu spread out from russia to europe and eventually north and south america. Cause of disease = the a variant of the virus, subtype h2n2 or h2n8. Estimate = one million people died at the close of this pandemic. The 1918 spanish flu = caused by a virus h1n1 strain that had its origins in the avian world. There was no medical cure + there were concomitant respiratory complications (pneumonia or broncho-pneumonia) Depending on the community = the level of morbidity could be strikingly high with as much as 1/3 of the population suffering from this novel flu caused by antigenic shift. [antigenic shift = large fragments of genetic material are replaced with genes from other influenza types from other species. Associated with occasional / periodic world-wide outbreaks of influenzas]
