J Biol Chem. 2006 Mar 31;281(13):8305-7. Epub 2005 Dec 30.

Viral agents of infectious disease such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),2 influenza virus, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) continue to pose daunting public health challenges. Substantial information is known about the multiplication cycles, the means of transmission, and the diseases caused by these three viruses, all of which are human pathogens that possess RNA genomes (1). Efforts to understand their viral multiplication schemes at the molecular level and to elucidate the interactions that occur between viral and cellular gene products that together determine the host’s susceptibility to infection and disease have led to significant new insights about HIV, influenza, and HCV viruses. The first two minireviews in this three-part series concern HIV and influenza virus. They focus on the genetic and biochemical aspects of two viral proteins, the Vif protein of HIV (2) and the M2 protein of influenza virus (3), and the functional roles that they play during establishment of productive viral infections. The third minireview focuses on the structure and function of the viral proteins involved in the replication of HCV RNA (4).

Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009;48:1003–1032

Guidelines for the treatment of persons with influenza virus infection were prepared by an Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The evidence&��based guidelines encompass diagnostic issues, treatment and chemoprophylaxis with antiviral medications, and issues related to institutional outbreak management for seasonal (interpandemic) influenza. They are intended for use by physicians in all medical specialties with direct patient care, because influenza virus infection is common in communities during influenza season and may be encountered by practitioners caring for a wide variety of patients.

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This report updates the 2005 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (CDC. Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2005;54[No. RR-8]:1–44). The 2006 recommendations include new and updated information. Principal changes include 1) recommending vaccination of children aged 24–59 months and their household contacts and out-of-home caregivers against influenza; 2) highlighting the importance of administering 2 doses of influenza vaccine for children aged 6 months–<9 years who were previously unvaccinated; 3) advising health-care providers, those planning organized campaigns, and state and local public health agencies to a) develop plans for expanding outreach and infrastructure to vaccinate more persons than the previous year and b) develop contingency plans for the timing and prioritization of administering influenza vaccine, if the supply of vaccine is delayed and/or reduced; 4) reminding providers that they should routinely offer influenza vaccine to patients throughout the influenza season; 5) recommending that neither amantadine nor rimantadine be used for the treatment or chemoprophylaxis of influenza A in the United States until evidence of susceptibility to these antiviral medications has been re-established among circulating influenza A viruses; and 6) using the 2006–07 trivalent influenza vaccine virus strains: A/New Caledonia/20/1999 (H1N1)-like, A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like, and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like antigens. For the A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like antigen, manufacturers may use the antigenically equivalent A/Hiroshima/52/2005 virus; for the B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like antigen, manufacturers may use the antigenically equivalent B/Ohio/1/2005 virus.