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

目前对禽流感的关注是因为很偶然地，新的流感病毒株可以从动物身上出现，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（大流行）。最引人注目的事件发生在1917/1918年，当时流感大流行造成的死亡人数超过了第二次世界大战。一种可以从鸟类传播到人类并导致非常严重疾病的流感病毒株已经出现，并开始在全球范围内传播。幸运的是，它不容易在人与人之间传播，因此病例数量很少。如果病毒变异，容易在人类之间传播，那么可能会有另一场大流行。每年很容易在人类之间传播的流感病毒株（季节性流感）都会导致许多人身体不适，并导致许多额外的住院和死亡，特别是在老年人和慢性病患者中。我们需要了解流感如何在社会中传播，以及我们的免疫系统如何对抗感染。这项以社区为基础的大型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反应，也将有助于我们了解大流行性流感如何传播，并可能帮助我们制定减少大流行影响的战略。如果大流行真的发生，我们将需要迅速做出反应，进行研究，帮助我们了解病毒如何影响人类，以及什么样的治疗方法最有效。这一建议将增加我们对季节性流感的了解，帮助我们为大流行做好准备，并确保我们准备好在大流行确实发生时进行研究。

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.