The pharmaceutical industry is showing strong interest, and Arnold Monto, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, thinks that this universal vaccine is promising. Still, “whether it will be sufficient without having other proteins in there, I’m not sure,” Monto says, referring to a possible need to use seasonal flu vaccines as supplements. The chess battle against influenza will have to continue for a while longer, but for now hopes are high that playing the M2 vaccine might be the right strategy to checkmate the virus.

8 Comments

1. 1. iooqxpooi 11:49 PM 5/28/08

   Surely 500,000 people is not '10 to 20 percent of the world's population', at least in the world I'm living on.

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2. 2. ewest5000 05:47 PM 6/2/08

   You're right, iooqxpooi, but that's not what the article says. It says influenza affects 10 to 20 percent of the population, and that of that group of infected people, 250,000 to 500,000 die of the flu each year.

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3. 3. John_Toradze 04:26 AM 6/21/08

   It sounds promising, and it may work. Influenza mutates rapidly, and any time there is evolutionary pressure, it will result in amplification of the viruses that survive.
   
   But - humans are more of an opportunistic host of influenza, not the primary one. So there should not be pressure at the core of the animal population that supports it.
   
   90% seems a little on the low side for antibodies though. Just my thought.

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4. 4. projatt.inc 03:54 AM 7/9/08

   this guy will surely do it.....n when he says that we are not prepared for an pandemic,,,that sounds serious..

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5. 5. Susan Ryan 07:55 PM 7/20/08

   If the M2e-HBc particles caused the formation of antibodies against M2e, I don't understand how"The target is not the virus, but the target is the virus-infected cell." Does the M2e portion of the virus project through the cell surface before the virus is fully assembled inside the cell?
   Susan A. Ryan
   Ft. Collins, Co.

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6. 6. Leslie Veronique 02:47 AM 8/1/08

   Humans more of an opportunistic host of influenza? I am not sure what strain you are referring to, but I am assuming the H5N1 avian flu. Yes the avian flu is an opportunistic infection of humans now, but the threat of the virulent H5N1 virus reassorting with the transmissable traits of the common flu can be disasterous. The virus is always going to be present in wild birds so to attack a virus that can be migrated around the world wound be daunting if not impossible. So the attack on the H5N1 virus must be consentrated on humans in order to prepare for a possible pandemic.

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7. 7. Leslie Veronique in reply to Susan Ryan 03:29 AM 8/1/08

   Susan,
   That is a very good question! I know that the virus' proteins and RNA are uncoated and released into the host cell, early after entry... but how soon after the cell is infected does it become an antigen presenting cell? Surely it needs to become an APC early on to be able to interrupt the virus from maturing in the host. Thanks for giving me something to ponder...

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8. 8. quiact 11:43 AM 12/25/08

   Historical Facts About Influenza:
   
   The last influenza pandemic occurred nearly 100 years ago, and resulted in about 50 million deaths worldwide. Those who survived have allowed others to obtain antibodies from them to develop other antibodies for future viral outbreaks that may occur. This last influenza pandemic also allowed others to obtain this virus from those who died as a result to facilitate effective treatments and vaccines for viral outbreaks that may happen in the future as well.
   With influenza, it is understood that the disease influenza is a disease caused by a RNA virus that can infect both mammals and birds. In fact, this particular virus can mutate to where it can be shared between the two life forms and multiply within each one of them. Unlike coryza, influenza expresses symptoms more severely, and usually lasts two weeks until one recovers who has the flu. Influenza, however, poses a danger to some with compromised immune systems, such as the chronically ill. In cases such as this, influenza can in fact progress to deadly pneumonia. Symptoms of influenza usually start to express themselves symptomatically 36 hours after being infected with the virus. Over 10 percent of the population are infected with this virus every year- resulting in about 200,000 hospitalizations and nearly 40,000 deaths.
   
   The flu vaccination contains three viral strains of suspected viruses for flu outbreaks during a particular winter season, as determined by the World Health Organization, as well as the Centers for Disease Control, and other organizations. Unfortunately, the influenza vaccine administered last flu season was largely ineffective due to unsuspected strains of the virus infecting others, although about 140 million doses of this vaccine were administered. After giving the vaccination dose to one, it takes about 10 days for that person to build up an immunity for the disease of influenza.
   The influenza season peaks between the months of January and March. The vaccine for this influenza season is manufactured by 6 different companies. Yet the strains chosen are speculated influenza viruses, as this does not eliminate the chance of a new and dominant influenza viral strain that possibly could cause a pandemic. It takes manufacturers about 6 months to make and formulate the influenza vaccination. There is a vaccine for this illness that is produced every year according to which type of virus may be prevalent during a particular flu season. The vaccination is recommended to be administered to those who are at high risk, such as the chronically ill. Also, it is recommended that those under 18 years of age get the vaccine, as well as those people over the age of 50. Furthermore, those people who regularly take aspirin should receive the vaccine, as the influenza disease can become a catalyst for Reye’s Syndrome. Pregnant women should receive the vaccine as well- as there are many other vaccines available to fortunately prevent other diseases, perhaps.
   
   

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