title: The genesis of a pandemic influenza virus.
abstract: Pandemic influenza viruses pose a significant threat to public health worldwide. In a recent Nature paper, Taubenberger et al. (2005) now report remarkable similarities between the polymerase genes of the influenza virus that caused the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic and those of avian influenza viruses. Meanwhile, Tumpey et al. (2005) reporting in Science show that the reconstructed 1918 Spanish influenza virus kills mice faster than any other influenza virus so far tested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, St.Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D053124:Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005585:Influenza in Birds / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D016865:Reassortant Viruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; C061290:PA protein, influenza viruses; C502893:PB2 protein, influenza virus; D014764:Viral Proteins; C077346:influenza virus polymerase basic protein 1; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase