tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Public Health. 2018 Sep 25:e1-e6. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304631. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]The Mother of All Pandemics Is 100 Years Old (and Going Strong)![/h] Morens DM[SUP]1[/SUP], Taubenberger JK[SUP]1[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] This year marks the 100th anniversary of the deadliest event in human history. In 1918-1919, pandemic influenza appeared nearly simultaneously around the globe and caused extraordinary mortality (an estimated 50-100 million deaths) associated with unexpected clinical and epidemiological features. The descendants of the 1918 virus remain today; as endemic influenza viruses, they cause significant mortality each year. Although the ability to predict influenza pandemics remains no better than it was a century ago, numerous scientific advances provide an important head start in limiting severe disease and death from both current and future influenza viruses: identification and substantial characterization of the natural history and pathogenesis of the 1918 causative virus itself, as well as hundreds of its viral descendants; development of moderately effective vaccines; improved diagnosis and treatment of influenza-associated pneumonia; and effective prevention and control measures. Remaining challenges include development of vaccines eliciting significantly broader protection (against antigenically different influenza viruses) that can prevent or significantly downregulate viral replication; more complete characterization of natural history and pathogenesis emphasizing the protective role of mucosal immunity; and biomarkers of impending influenza-associated pneumonia. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print September 25, 2018: e1-e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304631).
PMID: 30252528 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304631
[h=1]The Mother of All Pandemics Is 100 Years Old (and Going Strong)![/h] Morens DM[SUP]1[/SUP], Taubenberger JK[SUP]1[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] This year marks the 100th anniversary of the deadliest event in human history. In 1918-1919, pandemic influenza appeared nearly simultaneously around the globe and caused extraordinary mortality (an estimated 50-100 million deaths) associated with unexpected clinical and epidemiological features. The descendants of the 1918 virus remain today; as endemic influenza viruses, they cause significant mortality each year. Although the ability to predict influenza pandemics remains no better than it was a century ago, numerous scientific advances provide an important head start in limiting severe disease and death from both current and future influenza viruses: identification and substantial characterization of the natural history and pathogenesis of the 1918 causative virus itself, as well as hundreds of its viral descendants; development of moderately effective vaccines; improved diagnosis and treatment of influenza-associated pneumonia; and effective prevention and control measures. Remaining challenges include development of vaccines eliciting significantly broader protection (against antigenically different influenza viruses) that can prevent or significantly downregulate viral replication; more complete characterization of natural history and pathogenesis emphasizing the protective role of mucosal immunity; and biomarkers of impending influenza-associated pneumonia. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print September 25, 2018: e1-e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304631).
PMID: 30252528 DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304631