INFLUENZA VIRUS - 1

INFLUENZA VIRUS - 1

  • Submitted By: juzza101
  • Date Submitted: 04/07/2013 10:36 PM
  • Category: Science
  • Words: 561
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 125

INFLUENZA VIRUS

What is influenza
Influenza, known as ‘the Flu’ is a an respiratory infectious disease of mammals and birds caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. Influenza is often confused with similar illnesses such as the common cold but influenza is a more severe disease and is caused by a different virus.

What are the sources of Influenza and how does it enter the body.
Influenza is contagious, which means it can be spread easily from person to person. Viruses that cause influenza spread from person to person mainly by airborne droplets of respiratory fluids that are sent through the air when someone infected with the virus coughs or sneezes. Influenza can also be transmitted by direct contact with bird droppings and be spread when someone touches a surface that have the virus on it . Influenza is most easily spread in crowded places such as schools and offices.
How does the virus affect the body
Viruses can replicate only in living cells. Influenza infection and replication is a multi-step process: First, the virus has to bind to and enter the cell, then deliver its genome to a site where it can produce new copies of viral proteins and RNA, assemble these components into new viral particles, and, last, exit the host cell.
The virus latches on to one of your body cells and enters it. There it invades the cell's nucleus and takes over the cell's manufacturing ability to make clones of itself. Ten thousand new viruses can be made by a single invaded cell. These viruses go out to invade new cells and multiplying with every cell, so the infection spreads.
As each body cell is invaded by the virus, it sends out a distress signal . Immediately they see the distress signal, coat the cell with toxic chemicals killing it and the virus.
Your body temperature rises to help new cells grow and to repair the damage which is the fever you feel.
A single B-cell (a part of the immune system) in the gland recognizes the...

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