Something more about the influenza

The influenza is the respiratory infection that visit us every year, with renewed determination. Most of people have experienced a certain number of infections throughout their life. Although sporadic cases exist, the influenza usually appears in form of epidemic or pandemic. This year can be in addition specially virulent, due to a new front of influenza coming from the birds (the influenza of the chicken) in this last case it accompanies by a strong index of morbidity and mortality (During an epidemic that underwent Italy in 1999-2001, virus H7N1, initially of low repercussion, had a mutation after nine months becoming in a variant much more contagious. More than 13 million birds died or were sacrificed). They are 15 subtypes known of influenza virus that infect the birds, which represent an ample catalog of influenza virus.

These two epidemics have a hard economic impact due to the losses of working hours that cause the disease when it affects to the active populace and the number of animals that they have to sacrifice.

Most of the people affected by the disease recover in less than one week, with any treatment or hospital care; but in old people and who have a disease like diabetes, cardiac affections and respiratory diseases, the influenza can get to be fatal.

The influenza has affected to the man throughout history. The first reference was on 1580. During the last century three pandemics have been registered: in 1918, 1957 and 1968, being the most serious the one from 1918, that it caused between 20 and 40 died million of anywhere in the world.

Some antiviral drugs, are possible to be used as treatment or prevention, are clinically effective in adults and children, but they are not exempt of disadvantages. Some of those medicines are in addition expensive, and have a limited provision.

The accumulated experience in the anti-flu vaccine production also is considerable, mainly considering that every year modifies its composition to adapt it to the changes that the virus has. Nevertheless, in principle at least four months are needed to produce some important amounts of a new vaccine to confers us protection against any new virus subtype.

By J. Fernández