World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 408: Respiratory Viruses

By World Health Organization

Book Id: WPLBN0000053827
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 4.8 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 408: Respiratory Viruses
Author:	World Health Organization
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Health., Public health, Wellness programs
Collections:	Medical Library Collection, World Health Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	World Health Organization


Citation APA MLA Chicago Organization, W. H. (n.d.). World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 408. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Medical Reference Publication

Excerpt
INTRODUCTION In the report of the 1958 WHO Expert Committee on Respiratory Virus Diseases. it was noted that diseases of the human respiratory tract caused by viruses.. . constitute an immense and still unsolved problem .I This is true today no less than in 1958, although knowledge of these illnesses has been greatly expanded in the intervening years. In particular, much is being learned about the clinical importance and distribution of an increasing number of pathogenic agents, and effective immunological control of a number of diseases caused by these agents now seems to be attainable. The pandemic of influenza of 1957 came with the introduction of influenza virus belonging to subgroup A2, \\hich was markedly different from influenza virus A0 or Al of previous eras. The ensuing years have seen a pattern of events similar to that for influenza virus Al, viz., a gradual increase in herd immunity with a resultant lower incidence of the infection. This was accompanied by significant antigenic alteration of virus A2, necessitating a change in the strain used for vaccine production ; however, the antigenic variation was insufficient to override the developing herd immunity. As in 1956, it is impossible to foresee when and where another major antigenic change will occur, but it seems certain that there will be one sooner or later.= Influenza virus B also shows antigenic changes, but they are not progressive as with virus A and antigenically different strains may be present in the same or different parts of the world at the same time.

Table of Contents
CONTENTS Page Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Page Influenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Other respiratory viruses and myco- Epidemiology . . . . . . . . . History . . . . . . . . . . . . Periodicity . . . . . . . . . . . Morbidity . . . . . . . . . . . Mortality . . . . . . . . . . . Age distribution . . . . . . . . Antigenic variation . . . . . . . Influenza in animals . . . . . . Characteristics of influenza viruses plasmas . . . . . . . . . . . . The viruses and their characteristics . Adenoviruses . . . . . . . . . . Parainfluenza viruses . . . . . . . Respiratory syncytial virus . . . . . Mycoplasmas . . . . . . . . . . Rhinoviruses . . . . . . . . . . . Enteroviruses and reoviruses . . . . Methods of study . . . . . . . . . Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . General characteristics . . . . . 17 Antigenic structure . . . . . . . 17 Pathogenic importance of resp.ir.ato.ry. Classification . . . . . . . . . . 18 viruses and mycoplasmas Origin and evolution . . . . . . 20 ~~~~~~~hn eeds . . . . . . . . . . . Serology of influenza . . . . . . . . 22 ~ ~ i d. .~. .~. .i. .~. .l ~ ~ Antibodies . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Respiratory virus diseases in ani- . . . . . . . . . . . . . Immunity . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 mals Laboratory studies of viruses and Control of influenza . . . . . . . . 28 antibodies . . . . . . . . . . . Inactived vaccines . . . . . . . . 28 VOathcecrin seu dbejevcetlso p.me.nt. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Live vaccines . . . . . . . : . . . 3 6 Other control measures . . . . . . 39 Recommendations to WHO . . . . . Annex 1 . Laboratory methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annex 2 . The WHO virus programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annex 3 . WHO reference centres for respiratory viruses. enteroviruses. and myco- plasmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .