There are three major types of Influenza viruses: Influenza A, Influenza B, and Influenza C. All three types of viruses cause flu - like symptoms in humans including fever, muscle aches, headache, and fatigue, but only Influenza A can infect humans and other mammals as well as birds.
The letters H and N are included in naming many influenza viruses because the outer envelope of these viruses is covered with two types of glycoproteins, an H protein (hemagglutinin) and an N protein (neuraminidase). These glycoproteins enable viruses to bind to and fuse with the host cell plasma membrane.
The H1N1 Influenza A virus was responsible for the 1918 and 2009 deadly worldwide pandemics and genetic analysis revealed that H1N1 has a mixture of genetic material from pigs, birds, and humans.
Which of the following best explains how some Influenza A viruses have genetic material from a variety of host species?
There are three major types of Influenza viruses: Influenza A, Influenza B, and Influenza C. All three types of viruses cause flu - like symptoms in humans including fever, muscle aches, headache, and fatigue, but only Influenza A can infect humans and other mammals as well as birds.
The letters H and N are included in naming many influenza viruses because the outer envelope of these viruses is covered with two types of glycoproteins, an H protein (hemagglutinin) and an N protein (neuraminidase). These glycoproteins enable viruses to bind to and fuse with the host cell plasma membrane.
The H1N1 Influenza A virus was responsible for the 1918 and 2009 deadly worldwide pandemics and genetic analysis revealed that H1N1 has a mixture of genetic material from pigs, birds, and humans.
Which of the following best explains how some Influenza A viruses have genetic material from a variety of host species?
The correct option is C Mutations in glycoprotein structure may spontaneously arise in farm workers in close proximity to chickens and pigs, thus leading to recombinant viral strains.
- The influenza virus, during infections, underwent mutations and also gathered some cell envelope and genetic material from the host cell.
- This altered the glycoprotein composition of the viral lipid envelope. This helped the virus to infect multiple hosts, also, a virus never secretes a lipid layer around itself, it is from the host cell.
- The possible chance of infection here is where all the hosts are in close proximity to each other, like on a farm, where a farmer has both poultry (bird flu) and pigs.
So, the correct answer is 'Mutations in glycoprotein structure may spontaneously arise in farmworkers in close proximity to chickens and pigs, thus leading to recombinant viral strains'
- The influenza virus, during infections, underwent mutations and also gathered some cell envelope and genetic material from the host cell.
- This altered the glycoprotein composition of the viral lipid envelope. This helped the virus to infect multiple hosts, also, a virus never secretes a lipid layer around itself, it is from the host cell.
- The possible chance of infection here is where all the hosts are in close proximity to each other, like on a farm, where a farmer has both poultry (bird flu) and pigs.
