Abstract

GUERRERO, JEFFERSON et al. INFLUENZA H5N1: NEXT PANDEMIC?. rev.fac.med [online]. 2013, vol.21, n.2, pp.94-103. ISSN 0121-5256.

Since 1990 there have been cases of patients infected by influenza caused by Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza. However, since 1997, highly pathogenic viruses, such as A/H5N1, have caused an increase in the number of people infected via zoonotic transmission. Infected patients have constitutional and mainly respiratory symptoms, hematological disorders and liver dysfunction. About half of patients are under 20 years and about 90% under 40 years. In recent studies in mammals it seems that only few mutations in viral genome are necessary to confer the virus the ability to infect mammalian cells. In response to these studies, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) propose continuous researches without alerting the health care system, because, at present, there is not a global threat. Moreover, in the future, this issue would take place as a major concern from the point of view of public health; it could be the next pandemic. Due to the high human mortality rate occurring in cases of patients infected with this virus, an outbreak or pandemic would require proper knowledge of the biology of the avian influenza virus, the determinants of pathogenicity, prevention through vaccination and possible new treatment regimens.

Keywords : Influenza; transmission; pandemics; H5N1 subtype.

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