In such segmented nature of the viral genome resides the capacity of influenza viruses to form new reassortant strains following the concomitant infection of a host with more than one strain of human, and/or animal origin, a phenomenon so far observed only among type A influenza viruses. As members of the Orthomyxoviridae family, influenza viruses (type A, B, C, or D) are enveloped viruses harboring a negative-sense single-stranded RNA segmented genome. Indeed, human influenza type A and B viruses are responsible for annual flu epidemics marked by up to 1 billion infections, 3–5 million severe cases and 300,000–650,000 deaths worldwide, with an huge economic burden in terms of medical visits, hospitalizations, work/school absenteeism. “ A piece of bad news wrapped up in a protein,” definition of a virus by Sir Peter Medawar.ĭespite its apparent blandness for the collective mindset of an important portion of the society, the intrinsic morbidity and mortality as well as the related deaths because of bacterial superinfections or exacerbation of chronic illnesses, make of influenza infections a major and recurrent global public health concern.
Influenza Viruses, a Long-Lived Threat for Populations These novel antiviral molecules, many of which targeting the host cell, in combination with conventional antiviral agents targeting the virus, will ideally enter the clinics and reinforce the therapeutic arsenal to combat influenza virus infections. The review will illustrate the multiple ways to reposition molecules for the treatment of influenza, from adventitious discovery to in silico-based screening. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art of current antiviral options against influenza infection, with a particular focus on the recent advances of anti-influenza drug repurposing strategies and their potential therapeutic, regulatory and economic benefits. To cope with the emergence of new circulating strains, but also the emergence of resistant strains to classic antivirals, it is necessary to develop new antiviral approaches. Influenza viruses still constitute a real public health problem today. Virologie et Pathologie Humaine–VirPath Team, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI), INSERM U1111, CNRS UMR5308, ENS Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France.Andrés Pizzorno, Blandine Padey, Olivier Terrier * † and Manuel Rosa-Calatrava * †
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