Mouse models of influenza

Abstract

Influenza is an enveloped, segmented negative sense RNA virus capable of infecting epithelial cells lining the human respiratory tract. Influenza A and B are important causes of disease in humans. Transmitted via aerosol, the virus possesses two major surface, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA has binding specificity for sialic acid, and allows viral attachment and entry into the cell. NA cleaves sialic acid residues off glycoproteins or mucoproteins, which aids new progenitor virions in eluting from the cell. The primary method of reducing influenza disease burden has been through vaccination.