FLU FLU Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly October 23, 2008 October 23, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

FLU FLU Patricia Fitzgerald-Bocarsly October 23, 2008 October 23, 2008

Orthomyxoviruses y • Orthomyxo virus (ortho = “true” or “correct”) y ( ) • Negative-sense RNA virus (complementary to mRNA) • Five different genera • Five different genera – Influenza A, B, C – Thogotovirus - Tick-borne – Isavirus (infectious salmon anemia virus) I i (i f ti l i i ) • Segmented RNA allowing for reassortment, but only within genera • Enveloped

Influenza Virus • Influenza A, B and C are human pathogens but humans are not the natural host • Named according to their genus (type), species isolated from (except human), l location of isolate, number of isolate, year, ti f i l t b f i l t and (for influenza A, the hemagglutinin(H1- 16) and neuraminidase (N1 9) type) 16) and neuraminidase (N1-9) type)

Influenza Viruses Usual Transmission Disease Distribution host(s) Influenza A Humans, I fl A H Airborne Ai b R Respiratory i t W Worldwide ld id birds, disease swine Influenza Humans Airborne Respiratory Worldwide B disease Influenza Humans Airborne Respiratory Worldwide C disease

Molecular Properties • Influenza A, B: 8 gene segments, 14 kb – Encodes 10 proteins Encodes 10 proteins • Influenza C: 7 gene segments – Encodes 9 proteins Encodes 9 proteins • Receptor (all): sialic acid (but C uses a different form) different form)

Entry • Fuses in endocytic compartments • Dependent on low pH D d l H • Uncoating in endosomes • Fusion requires structural change in the HA following cleavage of HA0 to HA1 g g and HA2; HA2 then allows fusion

Replication • Nucleus - unusual for RNA viruses • 8 viral RNA fragments exist as complex with g p four proteins that all have NLS: viral ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNP) – RNA – NP - nucleocapsid protein coats RNS – PB1, PB2, PA: involved in cap recognition, RNA PB1 PB2 PA i l d i iti RNA synthesis

Assembly • RNA exported • Formation of virions Formation of virions – Controversy over how RNA segments segregate: segregate: • Random packaging of 10 or more segments • Specific packaging of 8 segments p p g g g • Bud from cytoplasmic membrane

Heterogeneity of Flu Virion Forms Heterogeneity of Flu Virion Forms

Neuraminadase • Cleaves sialic acid residues • Highly variable Highly variable • Function – Prevents virus sticking back onto cells P t i ti ki b k t ll – Prevents cell clumping

Major Immune Responses j p • Innate immunity: NK, IFN-alpha, etc. • Neutralizing antibodies against HA Ne trali ing antibodies against HA – Great deal of variability in HA (also NA) • CTL

Cytotoxic T Cells in Viral Infection y

Influenza NS1 • Inhibits IFN induction • Downregulates IRF-3 IRF-7 NF-kB Downregulates IRF 3, IRF 7, NF kB • Inhibits activation of PKR • Flu with NS1 deleted very sensitive to Fl ith NS1 d l t d iti t IFN

Epidemiology • Influenza A is the most frequent infection of humans – 10-20% world’s population infected/year 10 20% ld’ l ti i f t d/ – 250,000-500,000 deaths – 20,000-30,000 deaths in the US 20,000 30,000 deaths in the US • Major reservoir is birds – In birds, largely asymptomatic – Not much pressure to mutate • Human farming practices (pigs and fowl) lead to coinfection and reassortment of RNA to coinfection and reassortment of RNA

Flu Vaccines Flu Vaccines • Whole inactivated - eggs or tissue culture Whole, inactivated eggs or tissue culture • Live, cold-adapted - FluMist intranasal – Passaged to be heat sensitive g – Grows in upper airway – Mimics natural infection - better CTL and antibody? antibody? • 3 subtypes chosen in Spring: 2 A, 1B – Last year “missed” Last year missed – This year, three different types in vaccine • Future vaccine target conserved CTL epitope?

Why do I need a flu vaccine Why do I need a flu vaccine every year? • Antigenic shift and antigenic drift: virus escapes immune response p p • Short incubation time (2 days) – No time to activate memory cells – No time to activate memory cells – No time to boost antibody levels – Existing antibody might not be protective Existing antibody might not be protective anyway

1918 Flu • Pandemic – Pandemic flu arises 3-4 times/century with Pandemic flu arises 3 4 times/century with influenza A (not B) • Unusually high infection (30%) and high Unusually high infection (30%) and high deaths (20-100 million) • Killed young people at high levels • Killed young people at high levels

Reconstructed 1918 Virus Reconstructed 1918 Virus • Tissue samples from Armed Forces Institute of Pathology London and one frozen of Pathology, London, and one frozen individual buried in permafrost in Alaska • H1N1, virtually identical in all of the samples H1N1, virtually identical in all of the samples • Most H1N1 non-pathogenic in mice, but 1918 more pathogenic • In BSL-4 conditions in monkeys, see high replication rates and extensive spread in the lungs lungs – Altered innate imunity – Inflammatory cytokines increased - “cytokine y y y storm” – Explains high mortality in young adults?

“ Bird Flu ” Bird Flu • 18 people in Hong Kong infected and 6 died in 1997 • Avian influenza H5N1 • Destruction of 1 6 million domestic birds • Destruction of 1.6 million domestic birds • Reappeared in 2006 and has spread th throughout Asia into Africa and Europe h t A i i t Af i d E – 50% mortality

How is bird flu transmitted to transmitted to people? At the molecular level, what would need to change ld d t h to allow the virus to pass directly from ? human-to-human? ?

A “smart” virus does not wipe out its host species. What molecular properties of the H5N1 properties of the H5N1 bird flu make it particularly pathogenic in birds? (Or what is known birds? (Or, what is known about determinants for pathogenesis in flu?)

Is it possible to develop a protective vaccine against bird flu? What has already been done and what design l d b d d h t d i would you propose for a future vaccine?

What are the antiviral drugs that are used in the US for flu infection? Describe their mechanisms of action Describe their mechanisms of action and report whether they will be active against bird flu,and why. Do not discuss vaccines in your presentation.

Does Bird Flu constitute a viable terroristic threat? Why? How does the US classify potential US classify potential threats?

The range of bird flu has been expanding; with the migration of birds over thousands of miles, what can/should the US be can/should the US be doing to protect Americans and American agriculture from bird flu? [Include the from bird flu? [Include the basis of molecular and immunological monitoring in your presentation.]