Research Article, J Virol Antivir Res Vol: 2 Issue: 1
Antigenic Complementarity between Influenza A Virus and Haemophilus influenzae may Drive Lethal Co-Infection Such as that Seen in 1918-19 Pandemic
| Robert Root-Bernstein1*, Abigail Podufaly2 and Francesco Aimone3 | |
| 1Department of Physiology, 2174 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building,Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA | |
| 2College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA | |
| 3Department of Sociomedical Science, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, New York, 10032, USA | |
| Corresponding author : Robert Root-Bernstein Department of Physiology, 2174 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA Tel: 517-884-5039; Fax: 517-355-5125 E-mail: [email protected] |
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| Received: January 16, 2013 Accepted: March 10, 2013 Published: March 15, 2013 | |
| Citation: Root-Bernstein R, Podufaly A, Aimone F (2013) Antigenic Complementarity between Influenza A Virus and Haemophilus influenzae may Drive Lethal Co-Infection Such as that Seen in 1918-19 Pandemic. J Virol Antivir Res 2:1. doi:10.4172/2324-8955.1000106 |
Abstract
Antigenic Complementarity between Influenza A Virus and Haemophilus influenzae may Drive Lethal Co-Infection Such as that Seen in 1918-19 Pandemic
Pfeiffer’s bacillus, now known as Haemophilus influenzae (HI), was strongly implicated in the high lethality of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Influenza virus (IV) infection is often complicated by (HI) super-infection and certainly was so in 1918-19. We propose that the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 was caused by concurrent pandemics of IV and HI that overwhelmed co-infected individuals through antigenic synergy between the two infections. Using T cell receptor sequences specific for IV and HI antigens, we demonstrate that IV and HI antigens induce molecularly complementary TCR responses.
