Influenza virus research
Understanding how the influenza virus spreads and mutates is the key to research, and is the key to preventing pandemics by discovering methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza viruses that occur in animals can infect humans and then develop into pandemic strains. The WHO has outlined several areas of research related to the animal/human influenza interface that could have a profound impact on the protection of humans.
The WHO Working Group on Influenza Research at the Animal/Human Interface was created in 2005 to encourage basic studies on animal influenza viruses, with the goal of discovering why the viruses can infect humans. people.
ONGOING STUDIES
Studies are underway on avian influenza viruses, particularly H5N1. The researchers aim to discover the prevalence of avian influenza viruses in domestic animals and birds, understand the molecular basis of virus transmission from animals to people, assess the role of migratory birds in virus transmission, and assess the human immune response to infection. with avian influenza viruses.
Studies are also underway on H1N1, a new strain that is the causative factor in the current pandemic influenza A, and researchers have succeeded in developing a vaccine that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
PUTTING VACCINES TO THE TEST
Scientists at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) play an important role, working collaboratively with medical research institutions around the world to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat seasonal and pandemic influenza. , including influenza A (H1N1).
The trial is being conducted through the NIAID-funded national network of Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Units (VTEUs). Safety data will be continuously collected and evaluated throughout the trial by an independent safety review board and investigators.
STUDYING THE NATURE OF THE FLU VIRUS
Aside from vaccine research, NIAID scientists are also investigating the basic biology of influenza. The data collected will help design diagnostics that are more accurate and faster, cost-effective, and portable. NIAID is also investigating host immune responses to the virus in animal and human models, and studying the epidemiology of influenza.
For treatment, NIAID supports research to develop new and effective drug combinations and to examine the mechanisms behind emerging drug resistance. This effort is supported by innovative new technologies to design drugs that target specific cellular processes and viral proteins.
