Influenza insights
30 November 2009
Seasonal influenza viruses infect cells by attaching to receptors found on the outside of cells in the nose, throat and upper airway. The researchers found that H1N1 swine flu can attach to those receptors, but also to a receptor found on cells deep inside the lungs, which can result in a more severe lung infection. If an influenza virus is able to bind to more than one type of receptor, it can attach itself to a larger area of the respiratory tract, infecting more cells and causing a more serious infection.
"Receptor binding determines how well a virus spreads between cells and causes an infection," says Professor Ten Feizi, one of the researchers from Imperial College. "Our new study adds to our understanding of how the swine-origin influenza H1N1 virus is behaving in the current pandemic, and shows us changes we need to look out for."
In a separate study, researchers found consistent evidence that influenza triggers heart attacks. The researchers conducted a systematic review of 39 studies, investigating links between influenza infection and acute myocardial infarction. They say that influenza vaccines should be encouraged, particularly for patients with established cardiovascular disease.
Image credit: Fred Goldstein/iStockphoto
References
Childs RA et al. Receptor-binding specificity of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus determined by carbohydrate microarray. Nat Biotechnol 2009;27(9):797-9.
Warren-Gash C et al. Influenza as a trigger of acute myocardial infarction or death from cardiovascular disease: a systematic review. Lancet 2009;9:601-10.