A recent study by researchers at Georgia State University in Atlanta sheds light on the lung effects of a link between influenza and measles-like viral infections. The study, published in Nature Communications, investigated…
A recent study conducted by researchers at Georgia State University in Atlanta showed that Effects caused at the lung level, Link between influenza and morbilliform virus infections.
The study, published in Nature Communications, aimed to investigate Impact of measles-like viruses on influenza patients. To do this, the researchers studied ferrets infected with common respiratory viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus or influenza virus.
One month after full recovery, the animals were injected with a non-lethal strain of canine distemper virus (CDV), which is closely related to the human measles virus and causes a measles-like illness in ferrets.After two weeks, the animals begin to develop Fatal hemorrhagic pneumonia.
“Unprecedented acute lung failure after consecutive infection with two non-lethal respiratory viruses“He promised Richard Premper, The study’s senior author, Georgia State Institute of Biomedical Sciences Regents’ Professor and director of the Center for Translational Antiviral Research.
increased risk
By looking for differences in gene expression between animals infected or not infected with influenza virus, the study found that canine distemper infection causes the lungs to express a group of host protective proteins called immune factors.
““Currently, we don’t know whether the measles virus can cause more illness after infection with a previously unrelated virus, but it significantly increases the risk, even more so given the resurgence of measles we’ve seen around the world in recent years.”Premper said.
To be precise, measles is often followed by bacterial otitis media or bacterial pneumonia. A history of viral illness in children may be an underestimated risk factor for the development of these secondary sequelae.
“In addition to discovering that previous infection can play a key role in disease severity, we were also able to experimentally identify windows of opportunity to treat these viral infections and prevent the long-term immunosuppression associated with morbilliform illness,” Robert Cox, Assistant Professor at the Center for Translational Antiviral Research and first author of the study.
So more to do It is necessary to take preventive measures such as getting a flu shot and practicing good respiratory hygiene Reduces the risk of severe lung damage caused by mixing influenza and measles-like viruses.