Date of Award
Summer 8-28-2020
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Biology
First Advisor
Victor Huber
Second Advisor
Karen Koster
Third Advisor
Beate Wonne
Keywords
Influenza, Ferrets, Kinetics, TCID50
Subject Categories
Diseases | Immunology and Infectious Disease
Abstract
Influenza is a persistent threat to individual and global health. Seasonal influenza kills nearly 500,000 people globally each year. Influenza viruses have circulated within the human population, causing a significant disease burden. In order to create the most effective antiviral therapies, knowledge concerning all lineages of influenza must be studied accurately and thoroughly. The influenza virus itself is not always responsible for these mortalities, rather, the secondary bacterial infections associated with death. In order to protect the population and examine the secondary infections that arise, the kinetics of influenza must be studied entirely. To understand the kinetics, researchers are turning to the use of laboratory experimentation using ferrets as an effective model. This is done through the use of common laboratory procedures such as TCID50’s and hemagglutination assays. Through the use of these procedures, the kinetics of influenza A and B can be confirmed. Within this study, it was confirmed that influenza A infects both the upper and lower respiratory system, while influenza B infects the upper respiratory tract but fails to reach the lower lungs. Understanding the kinetics of influenza is the first step toward creating effective therapies to reduce the mortality and illness associated with the influenza virus infection.
Recommended Citation
Erickson, Demi L., "The Kinetics Of Influenza A (A/CALIFORNIA/4/2009-H1N1) And B (B/PHUKET/3073/2013 (BYAM), B/BRISBANE/60/2008 (BVIC)) Virus Infection In Ferrets" (2020). Honors Thesis. 120.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/120