Flu watch:Community study of behavioral & biological determinants of transmission to inform seasonal & pandemic planning

流感观察：社区行为研究

• 批准号: G0600511/1
• 负责人: Andrew Hayward
• 金额: $ 139.41万
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2006 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0600511%2F1
• 关键词: Flu; watch; Community; study; behavioral

The current concern about bird flu is because very occasionally new strains of influenza can emerge from animals and adapt to spread rapidly from person to person. In the past this has led to worldwide epidemics (pandemics) of severe influenza. The most dramatic event was in 1917/1918 when an influenza pandemic killed more people than the second world war. A strain of influenza which can spread from birds to humans and which leads to very severe illness has emerged and is beginning to spread globally. Fortunately it does not spread easily from person to person so the number of cases are small. If the virus mutates to spread easily amongst humans then there could be another pandemic. Every year strains of influenza that can spread very easily between humans (seasonal influenza) cause many people to become unwell and lead to many extra hospitalisations and deaths particularly in elderly people and those with chronic illnesses. We need to understand how flu spreads through society and how our immune system fights the infection. This large community-based study of influenza in households will increase our understanding of seasonal influenza. A better understanding of how seasonal influenza spreads and how our immune system responds will also help us understand how pandemic influenza might spread and may help us develop strategies to reduce the impact of a pandemic. If a pandemic does happen we will need to respond quickly with studies that will help us to understand how the virus is affecting humans and what treatments are most effective. This proposal will increase our understanding of seasonal influenza, help us prepare for a pandemic and ensure that we are ready to study a pandemic if it does occur.

目前人们对禽流感的关注是因为动物身上偶尔会出现新的流感病毒株，并适应在人与人之间迅速传播。在过去，这导致了严重流感的全球流行。最具戏剧性的事件发生在1917/1918年，当时一场流感大流行造成的死亡人数超过了第二次世界大战。一种可从禽类传播给人类并导致非常严重疾病的流感毒株已经出现，并开始在全球传播。幸运的是，它不容易在人与人之间传播，所以病例数量很少。如果病毒发生变异，容易在人类之间传播，那么可能会发生另一场大流行。每年都有非常容易在人与人之间传播的流感病毒株（季节性流感）导致许多人身体不适，并导致许多额外的住院治疗和死亡，特别是老年人和慢性病患者。我们需要了解流感是如何在社会中传播的，以及我们的免疫系统是如何对抗感染的。这项以社区为基础的家庭流感研究将增加我们对季节性流感的了解。更好地了解季节性流感如何传播以及我们的免疫系统如何作出反应，也将有助于我们了解大流行性流感可能如何传播，并可能有助于我们制定减少大流行影响的战略。如果真的发生大流行，我们将需要迅速作出反应，开展研究，帮助我们了解病毒是如何影响人类的，以及哪种治疗方法最有效。这一建议将增进我们对季节性流感的了解，帮助我们为大流行做好准备，并确保我们在大流行发生时做好研究准备。