Influenza is a viral infection of birds and mammals that affects the respiratory system. The virus typically causes symptoms such as fever, sore throat and muscle pain, but severe cases can lead to pneumonia, nerve & brain damage Does Stress Damage the Brain?: Understanding Trauma-Related Disorders from a Mind-Body Perspective
and even death. In the developed world, individuals at high risk of contracting influenza are usually vaccinated but as different strains of the virus mutate (a phenomenon known as ‘antigenic drift’ Genetic Drift: Genetic drift. Population bottleneck, Founder effect, Allopatric speciation, Antigenic drift, Small population size, Hardy¿Weinberg principle, ... theory of molecular evolution, Ronald Fisher
), vaccines from one year may be ineffective the next, so there is a constant need for evolving, novel therapies to be developed. The virus spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics. In a typical year there are between three and five million cases of severe illness and up to half a million deaths globally. The cost of influenza in the US is over $10billion a year in lost productivity and associated medical treatment. Currently the H5N1 strain of avian influenza Avian Influenza H5N1 Strain Virus Chicken Fowl Photographic Poster Print, 18x24
poses the greatest global threat, and a pandemic is projected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
and even death. In the developed world, individuals at high risk of contracting influenza are usually vaccinated but as different strains of the virus mutate (a phenomenon known as ‘antigenic drift’ Genetic Drift: Genetic drift. Population bottleneck, Founder effect, Allopatric speciation, Antigenic drift, Small population size, Hardy¿Weinberg principle, ... theory of molecular evolution, Ronald Fisher), vaccines from one year may be ineffective the next, so there is a constant need for evolving, novel therapies to be developed. The virus spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics. In a typical year there are between three and five million cases of severe illness and up to half a million deaths globally. The cost of influenza in the US is over $10billion a year in lost productivity and associated medical treatment. Currently the H5N1 strain of avian influenza Avian Influenza H5N1 Strain Virus Chicken Fowl Photographic Poster Print, 18x24 poses the greatest global threat, and a pandemic is projected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars.