Over the past century, three influenza pandemics occurred becauseof the emergence of novel influenzaviruses to which little orno immunity existed. In 1918 and 1919, the "Spanish" influenzapandemic killed more than 20 million people, with many of thedeaths due to an unusually severe, hemorrhagic pneumonia. Now,Kobasa and colleagues1 have used modern molecular methods toshow that the hemagglutinin antigen from this strain (HAsp)is a key determinant of virulence.
Using reverse genetics, Kobasa et al.1 synthesized the HAspand neuraminidase (NAsp) genes on the basis of the genetic sequencesof the 1918–1919 influenza2. . . [Full Text of this Article]
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From the Division of Infectious Disease and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis.
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