As the summer draws to a close, scientists
and doctors from around the world fully expect the upcoming
“flu season” in the United States and other countries to
continue its spread of the H1N1 (swine) flu virus as the
World Health Organization has already declared it to be a
pandemic (which means how much it has spread, not the
severity of the strain).5
In the meantime, researchers have been
working on figuring out various aspects of that particular
virus, including why the influenza virus can be more deadly
in some people than others. This is of particular concern
because it has been found recently that the H1N1 swine flu
virus may be more potent than was previously thought.1
Most seasonal viral flus affect cells in the
upper respiratory system, whereas it has been found that the
strain of H1N1 swine flu has the ability to infect the
lower, deep lung cells that creates a more lethal form of
the flu.
"There is a misunderstanding about this
virus," says Kawaoka, a professor of pathobiological
sciences at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and
a leading authority on influenza. "People think this
pathogen may be similar to seasonal influenza. This study
shows that is not the case. There is clear evidence the
virus is different than seasonal influenza."1,
2
In the meantime, researchers at the
Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia
have found clues as to why the flu virus is more severe in
some people and not in others.3
When looking at the immune systems of
pediatric patients who were seriously ill with influenza,
they found a significant decrease in the response of a
particular set of immune proteins within the immune system
called TLRs (Toll-like receptors) that work to fight off
infection. They believe that this may cause the immune
system to “freeze up” and inhibit its ability to fight off
the secondary (and lethal) bacterial infections that cause
illnesses like pneumonia.
"Despite major medical advances since the
devastating flu outbreak of 1918 and 1919, influenza virus
infection remains a very serious threat," said John Wherry,
Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology,
"and the current swine flu outbreak is a grim reminder of
this fact. The work by Dr. Sullivan and colleagues brings us
a step closer to understanding exactly what goes wrong in
some people who get the flu, so, ultimately, physicians can
develop more effective treatment strategies."3, 4
Part of the research is determining how supplementation
of various vitamins, minerals and herbs can boost the immune
system to help more susceptible and at-risk individuals
substantially
improve their chances of resisting
infections. All of these work on a molecular level to enable
each part of the immune system to work like it is supposed
to when undergoing viral and bacterial attack.
Products such
as A-Z
Immune Booster contains clinical supplemental amounts of
Zinc and Beta-Carotene, along with other important immune
system boosters such as blueberry powder, elderberry
extract, and honeysuckle. These all work together to create a
powerful combination to help the immune system perform at its
very best!
References::
1. University of Wisconsin (2009, July 14). Swine Flu: H1N1 Virus More Dangerous Than Suspected, Except To Survivors Of The 1918 Pandemic Flu Virus. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/07/090713212231.htm
2. 1.Itoh, Y. et al. In vitro and in vivo characterization of new swine-origin H1N1 influenza viruses. Nature, July 13, 2009 DOI: 10.1038/news.2009.680.
3. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2009, May 5). Scientists Learn Why The Flu May Turn Deadly: Influenza Virus 'Paralyzes' The Immune System. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/05/090504141843.htm
4.
1.Meredith L. Heltzer, Susan E. Coffin, Kelly Maurer, Asen Bagashev, Zhe Zhang, Jordan S. Orange, and Kathleen E. Sullivan. Immune dysregulation in severe influenza. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2009; DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1108710.
5. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
