Pandemic Influenza A Virus (pH1N1)

The latest flu-pandemic caused by influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1) has taken several hundred lives. Influenza virus contributes to respiratory diseases that lead to the nasal secretions, barking cough, decreased appetite, etc., human beings serve to be the dead-end hosts for the virus. The seasonal reassortment and regeneration of virus contribute to chronic infections, which cannot be treated and leads to drug-resistant strains and antigenic shift that is involved in viral entry, spread and tissue tropism. Various antiviral drugs and vaccines are undergoing clinical trials to fight against the virus. For the treatment of infection antiviral drugs like zanamivir and oseltamivir are given to the patients within 48 h of symptom initiation. The main objective nowadays is the search for alternative vaccines that can effectively combat the reasserted virus. Therefore, this article emphasizes on the availability of vaccines and antiviral drugs which can be used to prevent viral infections during the severe outbreaks.