ENGLAND:

Flu B Circulating In A Number Of Regions
Throughout The UK

Main Category: Flu/Bird Flu/SARS News
Article Date: 08 Feb 2006 - 4:00am (UK)

There is evidence of flu B circulating in a number of regions throughout
the UK, particularly in the West Midlands.

Symptoms of flu B include a high temperature, fever, headache, sore
throats, aches and pains, and sometimes vomiting or a feeling of nausea.
In most people symptoms will last for a few days and then settle.

Flu B is generally a milder form of infection than the more common flu A
virus but like flu A it can cause more severe symptoms in some
circumstances. Flu B is more likely to affect children as they have had less
time to develop any immunity against it.

The HPA is advising parents of children with symptoms to keep their
children at home to avoid infecting others. Those infected should keep
warm, rest and drink plenty of fluids. Paracetamol can also be used to
relieve pain but aspirin should not be given to children under 16-years-
old.

The virus is not usually associated with complications but parents should
seek advice from their GP if they are concerned about worsening
symptoms.

GP consultations for flu-like illness show that 42 per 100,000 5 -14 year
olds in England and Wales visited their GP with a flu-like illness in the
previous week.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=37340

Edited by Rick

Children 'at risk' of flu virus

10:43am Tuesday 7th February 2006

An increase in cases of influenza B across London has led the Health
Protection Agency to warn parents that children could be most at risk.

Although the infection is milder than influenza A, it is more likely to
affect children as they have had less time to develop any immunity
against the virus.

Dr Helen Maguire, consultant regional epidemiologist for the agency in
London, said: "Every two to three years there is more influenza B around.
However, this year seems to be unusual in that much more influenza B is
being detected than influenza A, by virus laboratories.

http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.
684200.0.children_at_risk_of_flu_virus.php

Edited by Rick

As I said in the other thread on the same subject, I dont believe Influenza B will have any implications for Influenza A & Bird Flu stuff. But Im no expert so if Im wrong someone please correct me.

I also questioned where the idea that H5N1 is 'in the area' has come from.

Indeed maybe if people are worried about H5N1 mixing with normal Influenza A, then the fact that the majority of this years UK Influenza samples are influenza B is actually a good sign, as theres less Influenza A around.

I think we are getting over-excited about stuff to do with co-mingling of other Influenza A with H5N1. Why should it be any more important if it happens in the UK? In areas of the globe where its proven there is H5N1, people are surely potentially being exposed to both H5N1 and H3N2/H1N1 during the flu season, and therefore 'all it takes is one' is innaccurate, we'd already be having a fullblown pandemic by now if that were true? I do not doubt that having other influenza A in people at the same time as H5N1 is a worry, but start worrying about it in areas where there is definately H5N1 already, not the UK which is receiving a disproportionate amount of coerage here in recent days for no good reason as far as I can tell.

Am I right to say that 42 per 100,000 doesnt count as an epidemic as the baseline is 200 cases per 100,000?


Edited by elbows

Posted: 08 February 2006 at 4:16pm | IP Logged
     

"Except nobody has shown any evidence that H5N1 is nearby and I dont
think Influenza B can do any gene sharing/whatever with Influenza A?"

This one needs someone with a few more brain cells
than me. I'm no expert, just real suspicious,
enquiring minds want to know.

-------
"(M2 of influenza A) and (BM2 of influenza B virus) .....
share two key amino acid residues in the channel pore, a histidine and a
tryptophan.

The M2 and BM2 ion channel proteins may be
multifunctional as the available
data suggests the M2 cytoplasmic tail
is involved in influenza virus assembly."

-----

The Proton Selective Ion Channels of Influenza A and B Viruses

Robert A. Lamb and Lawrence H. Pinto

Abstract

Influenza A and B viruses each encode via very different coding strategies
a small oligomeric integral membrane protein, M2 of influenza A virus
and BM2 of influenza B virus, and each protein is a proton selective ion
channel. M2 and BM2 proteins have very different amino acid sequences
but they share two key amino acid residues in the channel pore, a
histidine and a tryptophan. These two residues provide a model of
elegant simplicity for ionic selectivity and gating of these minimalistic ion
channels. The activity of the ion channels are required during virus
uncoating in the acidic environment of the endosome, to permit
acidification of the interior of the virion particle which brings about
protein-protein dissociation. The ion channels also equilibrate the acidic
pH of the lumen of the trans Golgi network with the cytoplasm, during
their own transport through the exocytic pathway. The influenza A virus
M2 ion channel protein is the target of the antiviral drug amantadine ad
the drug blocks directly ion channel activity. Thus, once the atomic
structures of the M2 and BM2 ion channel proteins are known, it makes
the channels attractive targets for rational drug design. The M2 and BM2
ion channel proteins may be multifunctional as the available data
suggests the M2 cytoplasmic tail is involved in influenza virus assembly.


http://www.horizonpress.com/hsp/abs/absflu.html