Emmanuel Profile picture
Feb 16, 2023 9 tweets 7 min read Read on X
INFLUENZA A ... H3N2
I DON'T LIKE THIS ONE !

Since its emergence in 1968, H3N2 has undergone a considerable number of mutations. It is, in a way the "Omicron" of HxNx viruses with several types :
- H3N2 HUMAN, which was the main strain this winter 2022/23 with in US (CDC) :
2) H3N2 SWINE, which evolved from H2N2 by antigenic shift, and caused the Hong Kong Flu pandemic of 1968 and 1969 that killed between one and four million people globally.
3) H3N2 AVIAN, which infects birds and mammals.

frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…
4) H3N2 CANINE, which was identified in Asia during the 2000s with a mutation that adapted from its avian influenza origins and was recently detected in US.

"Canine influenza is on the rise among dogs in Philadelphia area"
inquirer.com/news/canine-in…
5) So far, these different types are distinct at the antigenic level with little transmission from one species to another.

journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/JV…
and
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
6) Nevertheless H3N2 continues to mutate very rapidly including in humans.

"Prevalence and mechanisms of evolutionary contingency in human influenza H3N2 neuraminidase"
nature.com/articles/s4146…
7) It is urgent to monitor and above all, to go faster in the preparation of vaccines against all HxNx.

"Ferret model to mimic the sequential exposure of humans to historical H3N2 influenza viruses"

sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
8) As the risk does not only concern H3N2, we can have also recombinants, for example with for example H5N1.
Thanks for reading.

"Reassortment between avian H5N1 and human H3N2 influenza viruses creates hybrid viruses with substantial virulence"
pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

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More from @ejustin46

Aug 8
ENTROPY UNLEASHED:
How Viral Protein Interactions Drive Coronavirus Adaptation in Bats and Humans

Entropy, in a general sense, refers to the level of disorder or randomness in a system.
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…Image
2) When we talk about protein interactions and viral behavior, entropy can be viewed as a measure of how complex and varied these interactions are.

In the context of the study about coronavirus interactions in bat and human cells, here's a simplified breakdown. Image
3) **Complex Interactions**: The study identifies how proteins from the coronavirus interact with host cells (both bats and humans). These interactions can be highly ordered (low entropy) or more chaotic (high entropy). Image
Read 8 tweets
Aug 5
COVID-19 and/or SARS-CoV-2
(opinion)

Patients care most about how COVID-19 affects their health and daily life, including for those with long COVID. Scientists focus on understanding the virus to find better treatments. Both views are important for dealing with the pandemic. Image
2) I'm bringing up this topic because, after talking so much about the disease, its long-term effects, treatments, and vaccines, many people have forgotten that we are dealing with the most dangerous virus humanity has ever faced.
3) What inspired me is this article about chaos theory and quantum mechanics and how it can help us to better understand SARS-CoV-2

A new study found a way to link them by showing that gravity may come from the disorder or "entropy" of matter and energy.
interestingengineering.com/science/quantu…
Read 10 tweets
Aug 1
INSIDE OUR INFECTED CELLS.
How SARS-COV-2 stealthy hijacks our cellular sanctuaries (organelles) ?
🤓 Visual explanations

Organelles provide the possibility for the virus to organize its RNA in PROTECTED structures, concentrate REPLICATION machinery ...
nature.com/articles/s4146…Image
2) ...compartmentalize the replication process, and hide from immune detection.

Figure 1g - The large perinuclear clusters of viral RNA demonstrate how the viral RNA is organized into PROTECTED structures. Image
2) Figure 3d- The nanoscale puncta of the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nsp12) within and around the viral RNA clusters show the concentration of REPLICATION machinery. Image
Read 5 tweets
Jul 30
SARS-CoV-2: The VIRUS That MASTERFULLY "ADAPTS" to SPREAD FURTHER !

If you were SARS-CoV-2, you could choose to spread in two ways: you could release a lot of tiny particles into the air to infect many people, or you could release just a few super infectious particles ... Image
2) ... that are really good at making someone sick.
This study published in Nature shows that some variants of the virus are especially strong, meaning they can infect with fewer particles, making it easier for them to spread quickly!
nature.com/articles/s4429…Image
3) Researchers found that different variants of SARS-CoV-2, like Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, have unique abilities to spread. For instance, the Delta variant was shown to be more infectious, meaning it could spread more easily and required fewer viral particles to cause illness... Image
Read 7 tweets
Jul 29
WHAT is OMICRON'S CLEVER TRICK ?
An explanation for kids 👫
... from a great study of @StuartTurville and colleagues

Omicron is different and spreads faster between people because Omicron attaches to a special protein in our bodies called ACE2 in a different way. Image
2) There are two types of ACE2 proteins - one that helps control blood pressure, and another that helps other proteins.

Previous COVID viruses could attach to both types of ACE2, with the help of another protein called TMPRSS2. Image
3) But Omicron can only attach to the ACE2 proteins that help other proteins, without needing the TMPRSS2 protein.

This allows Omicron to spread more easily in the nose and throat, but not cause as much damage deep in the lungs. Image
Read 4 tweets
Jul 28
CORONAVIRUSES and the BRAIN:
Exploring Hidden Links to Neurological Diseases

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) include seven types, with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2 being the most contagious and causing severe pandemics. Image
2) These viruses mainly affect the respiratory system, causing symptoms like cough, fever, and breathing difficulties.
Recent evidence suggests a link between HCoVs and brain disorders. Image
3) This study looks at how these viruses may be associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It also examines the long-term effects of HCoV infections and on similarities between HCoV proteins and those related to brain diseases. Image
Read 4 tweets

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