Influenza

References & Research

Historical Background

Influenza has caused devastating pandemics throughout history, most notably the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide. The influenza virus was first isolated in 1933 by Wilson Smith, Christopher Andrewes, and Patrick Laidlaw at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, enabling the subsequent development of vaccines and antiviral therapies.

Key Research Papers

  1. Taubenberger JK, Morens DM. The pathology of influenza virus infections. Annu Rev Pathol. 2008;3:499-522.
  2. Uyeki TM, Bernstein HH, Bradley JS, et al. Clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America: 2018 update on diagnosis, treatment, chemoprophylaxis, and institutional outbreak management of seasonal influenza. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;68(6):e1-e47.
  3. Iuliano AD, Roguski KM, Chang HH, et al. Estimates of global seasonal influenza-associated respiratory mortality. Lancet. 2018;391(10127):1285-1300.
  4. Hayden FG, Shindo N. Influenza virus polymerase inhibitors in clinical development. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2019;32(2):176-186.
  5. Hayden FG, Sugaya N, Hirotsu N, et al. Baloxavir marboxil for uncomplicated influenza in adults and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2018;379(10):913-923.
  6. Palese P. Influenza: old and new threats. Nat Med. 2004;10(12 Suppl):S82-87.
  7. Jefferson T, Rivetti A, Di Pietrantonj C, Demicheli V. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;2:CD001269.
  8. Grohskopf LA, Sokolow LZ, Broder KR, et al. Prevention and control of seasonal influenza with vaccines: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2019;68(3):1-21.
  9. Tumpey TM, Basler CF, Aguilar PV, et al. Characterization of the reconstructed 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic virus. Science. 2005;310(5745):77-80.
  10. Writing Committee of the WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza. Clinical aspects of pandemic 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(18):1708-1719.
  11. Dobson J, Whitley RJ, Pocock S, Monto AS. Oseltamivir treatment for influenza in adults: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Lancet. 2015;385(9979):1729-1737.
  12. Krammer F, Smith GJD, Fouchier RAM, et al. Influenza. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2018;4(1):3.

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