Abstract
Widespread outbreaks of avian influenza in domestic fowl throughout eastern Asia have reawakened concern that avian influenza viruses may again cross species barriers to infect the human population and thereby initiate a new influenza pandemic. Simultaneous infection of humans (or swine) by avian influenza viruses in the presence of human influenza viruses could theoretically generate novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential as a result of reassortment of genome subunits between avian and mammalian influenza viruses. These hybrid viruses would have the potential to express surface antigens from avian viruses to which the human population has no preexisting immunity. This article reviews current knowledge of the routes of transmission of avian influenza A viruses to humans, places the risk of appearance of a new pandemic influenza virus in perspective, and describes the recently observed epidemiology and clinical syndromes of avian influenza in humans.
TY - JOUR
T1 - Avian influenza viruses and their implication for human health.
AU - Kaye,Donald,
AU - Pringle,Craig R,
Y1 - 2004/12/07/
PY - 2004/10/05/received
PY - 2004/11/04/accepted
PY - 2004/12/23/pubmed
PY - 2005/10/18/medline
PY - 2004/12/23/entrez
SP - 108
EP - 12
JF - Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
JO - Clin Infect Dis
VL - 40
IS - 1
N2 - Widespread outbreaks of avian influenza in domestic fowl throughout eastern Asia have reawakened concern that avian influenza viruses may again cross species barriers to infect the human population and thereby initiate a new influenza pandemic. Simultaneous infection of humans (or swine) by avian influenza viruses in the presence of human influenza viruses could theoretically generate novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential as a result of reassortment of genome subunits between avian and mammalian influenza viruses. These hybrid viruses would have the potential to express surface antigens from avian viruses to which the human population has no preexisting immunity. This article reviews current knowledge of the routes of transmission of avian influenza A viruses to humans, places the risk of appearance of a new pandemic influenza virus in perspective, and describes the recently observed epidemiology and clinical syndromes of avian influenza in humans.
SN - 1537-6591
UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/15614699/Avian_influenza_viruses_and_their_implication_for_human_health_
DB - PRIME
DP - Unbound Medicine
ER -