Influenza Viral Case Study Questions
1. Where in the respiratory tract does the seasonal H1N1 influenza and pandemic
H1N1 influenza strain infect? (hint:the answers are different)
The seasonal H1N1 influenza virus infects high in the upper respiratory tract, whereas the
pandemic H1N1 influenza strain attacks the lower, more vulnerable part of the respiratory tract.
2. What type of protein did the 1918 Spanish Influenza bind and how does this differ
from seasonal H1N1 influenza strains?
The1918Spa nishInfluenzabindst
oa l
pha2-3-l
inksial
ica
cid,whichislocat
edmoreinthelo
wer
re
spi
ratorytra
ct.Thesea
sonalH1N1i nfluenz astr
ainbi
ndstothealpha2-6-
li
nkedsia
li
ca c
id,
whic
hi sintheupperre
spir
ator
ytract
.Thisdi
ffe rencei
sduetothediffe r
entcombi
nati
onsoft
he
hemaggluti
nin(HA)prot
einonthesurfa
ceofthevi r
us,whic
hma keitmor eorles
slet
hal.
3. Explain how the information obtained in questions 1 & 2 illustrates the virulence of
seasonal H1N1 influenza and pandemic H1N1 influenza.
Both questions 1 and 2 illustrate that differences in H and N protein combinations will alter the
lethality of the virus. Seasonal H1N1 protein combination allow the virus to attack the upper
respiratory system, which isn’t as vulnerable as the lower respiratory tract that the pandemic
H1N1 attacks. Upper respiratory infections like bronchitis are not as severe as lower respiratory
infections like pneumonia.
4. Define antigenic drift and how it relates to seasonal H1N1 influenza & vaccinations
Anti
g e
nicdriftisminorandgradualcha
ngesintheinflue nzavir
usduetomut ati
onsinthegenes.
Flustr
ainsca nchange,whic
hiswh ypeopl
ec anst
illge
ttheflua f
terdev
elopinganti
bodie
stothe
ori
ginalstr
ain.Thisconst
antchang
ema kesitc
ha l
lengi
ngtodevel
opas in
gleva c
cine.The
vacc
inec hangeseveryyear
,asiti
nclude
smul t
ipl
ed ifferentst
rai
nsofthevirus.
Iti
simportantto
getvacci
natedy ea
rlyandforsci
ent
istst
oconti
nuetoupda t
ethevacci
netok eepupwi t
htheev e
r-
chan
gingg ene s
.
5. Define antigenic shift and how it relates to pandemic H1N1 influenza and outbreaks
An t
igeni
cs hi
ftisama j
orc hangetotheinfluenzavir
usduetorecombi
na t
ionofvir
alst
rai
nsfr
om
twodiffe re
nthostspeci
es .Thi
sr es
ult
sinanewhe maggl
uti
ninornewhe maggl
uti
ninand
neuraminidaseprot
ei
nc ombi nat
ionthatca
ninf
ecthumanswithdifferingseve
rit
ies
.Thisra
pid
shi
ftorc hangecanleadtopa ndemicsbeca
usepeopl
ehaveneverse
e nt
hisnewvirusanddon’
t
haveantibodi
e sorpr
otect
iona gains
tit
.
1. Where in the respiratory tract does the seasonal H1N1 influenza and pandemic
H1N1 influenza strain infect? (hint:the answers are different)
The seasonal H1N1 influenza virus infects high in the upper respiratory tract, whereas the
pandemic H1N1 influenza strain attacks the lower, more vulnerable part of the respiratory tract.
2. What type of protein did the 1918 Spanish Influenza bind and how does this differ
from seasonal H1N1 influenza strains?
The1918Spa nishInfluenzabindst
oa l
pha2-3-l
inksial
ica
cid,whichislocat
edmoreinthelo
wer
re
spi
ratorytra
ct.Thesea
sonalH1N1i nfluenz astr
ainbi
ndstothealpha2-6-
li
nkedsia
li
ca c
id,
whic
hi sintheupperre
spir
ator
ytract
.Thisdi
ffe rencei
sduetothediffe r
entcombi
nati
onsoft
he
hemaggluti
nin(HA)prot
einonthesurfa
ceofthevi r
us,whic
hma keitmor eorles
slet
hal.
3. Explain how the information obtained in questions 1 & 2 illustrates the virulence of
seasonal H1N1 influenza and pandemic H1N1 influenza.
Both questions 1 and 2 illustrate that differences in H and N protein combinations will alter the
lethality of the virus. Seasonal H1N1 protein combination allow the virus to attack the upper
respiratory system, which isn’t as vulnerable as the lower respiratory tract that the pandemic
H1N1 attacks. Upper respiratory infections like bronchitis are not as severe as lower respiratory
infections like pneumonia.
4. Define antigenic drift and how it relates to seasonal H1N1 influenza & vaccinations
Anti
g e
nicdriftisminorandgradualcha
ngesintheinflue nzavir
usduetomut ati
onsinthegenes.
Flustr
ainsca nchange,whic
hiswh ypeopl
ec anst
illge
ttheflua f
terdev
elopinganti
bodie
stothe
ori
ginalstr
ain.Thisconst
antchang
ema kesitc
ha l
lengi
ngtodevel
opas in
gleva c
cine.The
vacc
inec hangeseveryyear
,asiti
nclude
smul t
ipl
ed ifferentst
rai
nsofthevirus.
Iti
simportantto
getvacci
natedy ea
rlyandforsci
ent
istst
oconti
nuetoupda t
ethevacci
netok eepupwi t
htheev e
r-
chan
gingg ene s
.
5. Define antigenic shift and how it relates to pandemic H1N1 influenza and outbreaks
An t
igeni
cs hi
ftisama j
orc hangetotheinfluenzavir
usduetorecombi
na t
ionofvir
alst
rai
nsfr
om
twodiffe re
nthostspeci
es .Thi
sr es
ult
sinanewhe maggl
uti
ninornewhe maggl
uti
ninand
neuraminidaseprot
ei
nc ombi nat
ionthatca
ninf
ecthumanswithdifferingseve
rit
ies
.Thisra
pid
shi
ftorc hangecanleadtopa ndemicsbeca
usepeopl
ehaveneverse
e nt
hisnewvirusanddon’
t
haveantibodi
e sorpr
otect
iona gains
tit
.
