Influenzavirus A

Such a subtype could cause a global pandemic similar to the Spanish Flu that killed up to 50 million people in 1918. Board of Directors. If a human infected with influenzavirus also acquires H5N1, a mutant strain of bird flu that can be transmitted from human to human could form. Executive. It is feared that if a strain of avian influenza virus to which humans have not been previously exposed undergoes antigenic shift to the point where it can cross the species barrier from birds to humans, the new subtype created could be both highly contagious and highly lethal in humans. See: List of WestJet destinations. Avian influenzavirus H5 and H7 strains are found in both "low pathogenic” or “high pathogenic” forms; influenza H9 virus has been identified only in a “low pathogenic” form. Westjet now operates the youngest fleet of aircraft by a major commercial airline in North America, with an average age of two years.

In addition, avian influenza viruses may fall into one of 2 pathotypes: low (LPAI) and high (HPAI) pathogenicity, based on their virulence in poultry populations. The last commercial revenue flight by a '200 was a charter flight, Las Vegas to Calgary, arriving at 0130 January 9, 2006, flown by tail 741 (C-GWWJ). There are 16 H types, each with up to 9 N subtypes, yielding a potential for 144 different H and N combinations. The aircraft was flown by Don Bell. Influenzavirus type A is subdivided into subtypes based on hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) protein spikes from the central virus core. On January 9th, 2006, the last Boeing 737-200 (Tail 748 C-FCWJ) was flown during a fly-by ceremony at the Westjet hangar in Calgary. All avian influenza (AI) viruses are type A influenza virus in the virus family of Orthomyxoviridae and all known strains of influenza A virus infect birds. Less then 10% of WestJet's available seat miles are flown by the 200's.

The avian influenza subtypes that have been confirmed in humans, ordered by the number of known human deaths, are: H1N1 caused "Spanish Flu", H2N2 caused "Asian Flu", H3N2 caused "Hong Kong Flu", H5N1 is the current pandemic threat, H7N7 has unusual zoonotic potential, H1N2 is currently endemic in humans and pigs, H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7. There will be three to four in operation on any given day throughout the busy Christmas holidays. [22]. As of March 2006, there will be no more 200 series planes in WestJet's fleet. In one case, a boy with H5N1 experienced diarrhea followed rapidly by a coma without developing respiratory or flu-like symptoms, suggesting non-standard symptoms. On July 12th, 2005, WestJet announced that it had completed the sale of its remaining Boeing 737-200 to Miami-based Apollo Aviation Group (Apollo). The severity of the infection will depend to a large part on the state of the infected person's immune system and if the victim has been exposed to the strain before, and is therefore partially immune. However, with the abrupt end of operations by discount rival Jetsgo on March 11, 2005, the retirement of the 737-200 fleet will possibly be delayed as WestJet plans to add flights to fill Jetsgo's void.

[21] These include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, conjunctivitis and, in severe cases, severe breathing problems and pneumonia that may be fatal. This will enable WestJet to further enjoy a lower-cost structure. In humans, avian flu viruses cause similar symptoms to other types of flu. It was announced early in 2005 that the 737-200 fleet would be retired within the year, to be replaced by newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft. Genetic factors in distinguishing between "human flu viruses" and "avian flu viruses" include:. The first deliveries of 737-600 and 737-800 aircraft began in 2005. [19]. WestJet continues to slowly retire the older 737-200 aircraft while they grow their overall fleet with Next Generation Aircraft consisting of -600, -700, and -800 series models from the 737 class.

H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2 are the only known avian flu virus subtypes currently circulating among humans. By year end 2005, the operating fleet will consist of 56 aircraft; Fifty of those aircraft are now Next Generation Boeing 737 aircraft. "Human influenza virus" usually refers to those subtypes that spread widely among humans. The airline flies a fleet that consists exclusively of Boeing 737s, taking a cue from the successful single operating type model pioneered by Southwest Airlines. "[C]ontemporary human H3N2 influenza viruses are now endemic in pigs in southern China and can reassort with avian H5N1 viruses in this intermediate host." [18].
. H5N1 is endemic in birds in southeast Asia and represents a long term pandemic threat. There are also weekly charter flights run year-round to Las Vegas, Nevada, from Calgary and Edmonton on behalf of Signature Vacations; this charter agreement is set to expire in the Fall of 2005.

2005: Tens of millions of birds died of H5N1 influenza and hundreds of millions of birds were culled to protect humans from H5N1. Martin. CDC detailed analysis. Some of the destinations that WestJet planes can be found at are the Dominican Republic, Puerto Vallarta, Panama City (Panama), Cancún, Mazatlan, Varadero, Cuba and St. As of April 2004, 18 farms had been quarantined to halt the spread of the virus. The planes are operated by WestJet crews. 2004: In North America, the presence of avian influenza strain H7N3 was confirmed at several poultry farms in British Columbia in February 2004. WestJet Airlines entered into a two-year agreement with Air Transat in August, 2003, whereby Westjet Next Generation Boeing aircraft would be filled by Transat's two main tour operators, World of Vacations and Air Transat Holidays.

[17]. Soon after, the airline announced new service from Calgary to Fort Lauderdale; Edmonton to Las Vegas; Kelowna to Las Vegas; Toronto to Fort Myers and Phoenix; Montreal to Fort Lauderdale; Winnipeg to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix; and Vancouver to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, and Phoenix. 2003: In Netherlands H7N7 influenza virus infection broke out in poultry on several farms. However, WestJet ended service to New York (LaGuardia) on July 4, 2005, citing an inability to secure gates at the airport. 2000: "In California, poultry producers kept their knowledge of a recent H6N2 avian influenza outbreak to themselves due to their fear of public rejection of poultry products; meanwhile, the disease spread across the western United States and has since become endemic." [15] [16]. On September 20, 2004 Westjet commenced the first phase of its transborder flights by flying from Calgary and Toronto to Los Angeles International Airport as well as Toronto to New York LaGuardia. Most recently, H3N8 viruses from horses have crossed over and caused outbreaks in dogs." [14]. During a second quarter conference call in 2004, Clive Beddoe, announced that Westjet would be expanding to serve the United States.

However, in 1997, H3N2 viruses from humans were introduced into the pig population and caused widespread disease among pigs. In late 2002 the Airline was accused by rival Air Canada of [1] espionage for their role in accessing confidential information. pig population. All flights returning from the Hawaiian Islands will be overnight flights (red-eyes) allowing the carrier to maintain a high utilization of the fleet. For example, until 1997, only H1N1 viruses circulated widely in the U.S. Effective December 2005, the airline will fly from Vancouver to Honolulu and Vancouver to Maui. 1997: "Influenza A viruses normally seen in one species sometimes can cross over and cause illness in another species. After rumours and speculation surrounding the implementation of extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS), WestJet announced new service to the Hawaiian Islands from Vancouver on September 20, 2005.

In Mexico, for example, mass vaccination of chickens against epidemic H5N2 influenza in 1995 has had to continue in order to control a persistent and evolving virus (Lee et al., 2004)." [13]. In June 2005, the airline announced it was ceasing service to Windsor, Ontario, effective October 30, 2005, and shifting capacity to nearby London. Intensive surveillance is required to detect these “silent epidemics” in time to curtail them. Also in April 2005, WestJet ceased service to Gander. 1995: "[V]accinated birds can develop asymptomatic infections that allow virus to spread, mutate, and recombine (ProMED-mail, 2004j). In April 2005, they announced new service seasonal to Charlottetown. 1979: "More than 400 harbor seals, most of them immature, died along the New England coast between December 1979 and October 1980 of acute pneumonia associated with influenza virus, A/Seal/Mass/1/180 (H7N7)." [12]. WestJet's transborder flights fly non-stop from Calgary (WestJet's main hub), as well as Edmonton, Kelowna, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

[11]. Myers, Las Vegas was added to the growing list of destinations. Avian influenza viruses that the OIE and others test for in order to control poultry disease include: H5N1, H7N2, H1N7, H7N3, H13N6, H5N9, H11N6, H3N8, H9N2, H5N2, H4N8, H10N7, H2N2, H8N4, H14N5, H6N5, H12N5 and others. In Fall 2005, Ft. [10]. Palm Springs was added in early 2005, as was San Diego, while New York-LaGuardia was dropped. "Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is on every top ten list available for potential agricultural bioweapon agents". These included San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, New York (LaGuardia).

Symptoms in animals vary, but virulent strains can cause death within a few days. destinations were added or announced. The incubation period is 3 to 5 days. In 2004, a number of U.S. It can also be transmitted by contaminated feed, water, equipment and clothing; however, there is no evidence that the virus can survive in well cooked meat. All of the flights between Ottawa and Hamilton and Montreal and Hamilton were moved to Toronto, a move that brought WestJet more fully in to the lucrative Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle. Avian influenza virus spreads in the air and in manure and survives longer in cold weather. In April, 2004, WestJet moved its eastern hub from Hamilton to Toronto.

[9]. John's, and Gander. Laboratory mice have been successfully infected with a variety of avian flu genotypes. In April 2003, WestJet added Windsor, Montreal, Halifax, St. H3N8 viruses from horses have crossed over and caused outbreaks in dogs. In 2002, the airline added two new eastern Canadian destinations, the cities of London and Toronto. [8] H5N1 has been shown to be also transmitted to tigers, leopards, and domestic cats who were fed uncooked domestic fowl (chickens) with the virus. The airline's four creators also received another entrepreneurship award.

Prior to the current H5N1 epizootic, strains of avian influenza virus had been demonstrated to be transmitted from wild fowl to only birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales and humans; and only between humans and pigs and between humans and domestic fowl; and not other pathways such as domestic fowl to horse. Marie, Sudbury, Thompson and Brandon. Wild fowl act as natural asymptomatic carriers of avian flu virus. In 2001, expansion continued, to include Fort McMurray and Comox, and to the subsequently pulled cities of Sault Ste. The assembled virion cores leave the nucleus and migrate towards the cell membrane, with patches of viral transmembrane proteins (hemagglutinin, neuraminidase and M2 proteins) and an underlying layer of the M1 protein, and bud through these patches, releasing finished enveloped viruses into the extracellular fluid. That year, Beddoe, Hill, Morgan and Bell were given the Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year award in Canada for their contribution to the Canadian airline industry. The RNA synthesis and its assembly with the nucleoprotein takes place in the cell nucleus, the synthesis of proteins takes place in the cytoplasm. In 2000, the airline expanded to Canada's eastern region, reaching Hamilton, Moncton, and Ottawa, and choosing Hamilton as the airline's eastern region hub.

The +RNA strands also serve for synthesis of -RNA strands for new virions. Also in 1999, the cities of Thunder Bay, Grande Prairie, and Prince George were added to WestJet's route map. After transcription from negative-sense to positive-sense RNA the +RNA strands get the cellular 5' cap added, allowing its processing as messenger RNA by ribosomes. In 1999, a milestone was reached when WestJet was able to offer its first public sharing at 2.5 million shares. The genome segments have common terminal sequences, and the ends of the RNA strands are partially complementary, allowing them to bond to each other by hydrogen bonds. In 1997 service to Abbotsford was added. The 8 genes are:. By the end of that same year, they had included Regina, Saskatoon, and Victoria.

The segmented nature of the genome also allows for the exchange of entire genes between different viral strains when they cohabitate the same cell. At that time, the airline served Calgary (the airline's hub), Edmonton, Kelowna, Vancouver, and Winnipeg with a fleet of three Boeing 737-200 aircraft and two-hunded and twenty employees. Each segment contains a single gene, but some can be read twice at different starting points to create two distinct proteins. On February 29, 1996 the first WestJet flight (a Boeing 737) departed. Influenza A viruses contain their genome in eight separate linear segments of negative-sense RNA, which code for ten proteins (eleven for type A if including the novel PB1-F1 protein). Originally meant to be a western Canada operation, WestJet soon became one of the fastest growing airlines in the world. [4] [5] "[C]ontemporary human H3N2 influenza viruses are now endemic in pigs in southern China and can reassort with avian H5N1 viruses in this intermediate host." [6]. Founded in 1996 by Clive Beddoe, Mark Hill, Tim Morgan, and Donald Bell, WestJet tried to follow the same path as Southwest Airlines and Morris Air, as a low-cost carrier.

Measured resistance to the standard antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine in H3N2 has increased from 1% in 1994 to 12% in 2003 to 91% in 2005. . [3] The dominant strain in January 2006 is H3N2. Profit-Sharing is credited for this fact. The annually updated trivalent flu vaccine consists of hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein components from influenza H3N2, H1N1, and B influenza viruses. WestJet is a rarity in the airline industry due to the fact that it is non-unionized. The annual flu (also called "seasonal flu" or "human flu") kills an estimated 36,000 people in the United States each year.
WestJet TSX: WJA is a Canadian low-cost carrier based in Calgary, Alberta that flies to most major cities in Canada and 12 cities in the United States.

Until recently, 15 HA types had been recognized, but a new type (H16) was isolated from black-headed gulls caught in Sweden and the Netherlands in 1999 and reported in the literature in 2005." [2]. Fridhandler (IR Professional). "There are 16 different HA antigens (H1 to H16) and nine different NA antigens (N1 to N9) for influenza A. Daryl S. Avian influenza viruses are negative sense, single-stranded, segmented RNA viruses. Hugh Bolton (Board Member). The avian influenzavirus subtypes that have been confirmed in humans, ordered by the number of known human deaths, are: H1N1 caused "Spanish Flu", H2N2 caused "Asian Flu", H3N2 caused "Hong Kong Flu", H5N1 is the current pandemic threat, H7N7 has unusual zoonotic potential, H1N2 is currently endemic in humans and pigs, H9N2, H7N2, H7N3, H10N7. Arthur Scace (Board Member).

For example, the annual flu subtype H3N2 no longer contains the strain that caused the Hong Kong Flu. James Homeniuk (Board Member). Most known strains are extinct strains. (Larry) Pollock (Board Member). Each subtype virus has mutated into a variety of strains with differing pathogenic profiles; some pathogenic to one species but not others, some pathogenic to multiple species. L.M. The avian flu virus subtypes are labeled according to an H number (for hemagglutinin) and an N number (for neuraminidase). Tim Morgan (Board Member).

. MacDonald (Board Member). Variants are sometimes also labeled according to:. Donald A. [1]. Wilmot Matthews (Board Member). It was first identified in Italy in the early 1900s and is now known to exist worldwide. Murph Hannon (Board Member).

It is hosted by birds, but may infect several species of mammals. Ronald Greene (Board Member). Influenza A virus causes "avian influenza" (also known as bird flu, avian flu, influenzavirus A flu, type A flu, or genus A flu). Allan Jackson (Board Member). Influenzavirus A has only one species in it; that species is called "influenza A virus". Russ Hall (Executive Vice President). Influenzavirus A is a genus of a family of viruses called Orthomyxoviridae in virus classification. Sean Durfy (Executive Vice President).

Global Pandemic News : 24 X 7 online news feeds on the threat of Bird Flu and a Global Pandemic. Fred Ring (Executive Vice President). Flu Breaking News Avian flu, common symptom, flu vaccine and flu shot and latest news. Sandy Campbell (Executive Vice President). Current status (Google news of avian+OR+bird+flu+OR+influenza). Donald Bell (Executive Vice President). Links to Bird Flu pictures (Hardin MD/Univ of Iowa). Clive Beddoe (CEO).

Bird Flu is a Real Pandemic Threat to Humans by Leonard Crane, author of Ninth Day of Creation. 5 Boeing 737-800. Is a Global Flu Pandemic Imminent? from Infection Control Today. 41 Boeing 737-700. 'The Threat of Bird Flu' : HealthPolitics.com. 2 Boeing 737-600 (More on order). Avian flu, bioterror, animals (page in an online book) "Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is on every top ten list available for potential agricultural bioweapon agents".

A Variety of Avian Flu Images and Pictures. A guide to bird flu and its symptoms from BBC Health. Overview of H5N1 from New England Journal of Medicine. Special issue on avian flu from Nature.

Government's avian influenza information website. U.S. Avian influenza FAQ from the World Health Organization. Avian influenza and Influenza Pandemics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Retrieved November 16th, 2005. World Health Organization. "Avian Influenza Factsheet". 28.

New Straits Times, p. 5, 2005). (Nov. "Three million Asians may die".

F18. New Sunday Times, p. 6, 2005). (Nov.

"Reining in bird flu: Answer may lie with reverse engineering". 23–31. Scientific American, p. "Preparing for a Pandemic".

2005). Waut & Soares, Christine (Nov. Gibbs, W. PB2 gene encoding an RNA polymerase.

PB1 gene encoding an RNA polymerase and PB1-F2 protein (induces apoptosis) by using different reading frames from the same RNA segment. PA gene encoding an RNA polymerase. NS gene encoding two distinct non-structural proteins by using different reading frames from the same RNA segment. M gene encoding two matrix proteins (the M1 and the M2) by using different reading frames from the same RNA segment (about 3000 matrix protein molecules are needed to make one virion).

Influenza A, B, and C are distinguished by their nucleoproteins. NP gene encoding nucleoprotein. NA gene encoding neuraminidase (about 100 molecules of neuraminidase are needed to make one virion). However HAs of H5 and H7 pantropic avian viruses subtypes can be cleaved by furin and subtilisin-type enzymes, allowing the virus to grow in other organs than lungs." [7].

The reason is that HA is cleaved by tryptase clara which is restricted to lungs. bronchial epithelial cells) into lumen of lungs and are therefore usually pneumotropic. Influenza viruses bud from the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells (e.g. HA gene encoding hemagglutinin (about 500 molecules of hemagglutinin are needed to make one virion) "The extent of infection into host organism is determined by HA.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) (also called: deadly flu or death flu). Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). deadliness